Buying new tool cheaper than replacing battery

That sounds like my Clore JNC660 jump pack. Their official replacement battery (I’m leary of the longevity of the alternatives) costs more than a complete new pack with battery.

For leaf blowing I’ve got a corded B&D I got for $100 (CDN) about 15 years ago. Around same time got a corded power drill (Craftsman, bought from Sears just before they folded up here) for well under $100, and more recently a corded impact wrench (Porter Cable IIRC), for just slightly over $100.

 

Experienced the same thing when I had to buy a new battery for my Kobalt Electric mower.

Having to buy new batteries every 4 to 5 years is an often neglected/forgotten aspect in calculating the return on investment of electric tools.

In my case the new battery cost $156.
It was an ebay Generic - so far okay - but it has only been one season and the jury is still out on the quality/longevity of the generic battery.

If I bought a name brand OEM battery I would have been in the - it is probably cheaper to buy a new mower boat.

A very real downside to electric tools.

As I have aged not having to pull a cord to start or buy gas is a pleasant aspect to an electric mower and one I am not willing to give up.

 

IMO the main economy in battery operated garden tools id if you have several that Use the same battery system We use Greenworks 40V mainly, but bought a Greenworks 60V lawn mower last year. For the 40V system we have 2 small chain saws, 2 weed trimmers, leaf blower & an older push mower. Using the batteries across multiple tools helps spread the cost. We have 2 trimmers due to good deals with battery & charger. The chain saws are in addition to our gas powered ones here in the country.

 

Why shouldn't we expect this to happen?

Electric tools are gaining in popularity, thus the production volume goes up. When volume goes up, costs go down. The marketers can keep a bit and pass on some savings at the same time.

Net result, the new stuff is cheaper. Eventually it is cheap enough to eclipse the costs of the life-limited portions of the prior generation of product.

So I write that off as something that could feel wrong, but doesn't actually indicate a problem- it is actually a demonstration of success.

 

That can lead to waste though. For instance,.for the 3 of us, we buy a gallon of milk. Even though we may need to throw out some before replacing, it is cheaper overall than buying a smaller quantity.

 

Ballpoint pen refills, anyone staying on top of that?

Razor refills are still a thing for some. Before that it was the double-blade drop-ins. My grandpa had straight razors.

Flannel diapers you washed, hung out on the clothes line.

guy on our block has a push mower.

I suppose we progress.

 

You are exactly right.

In my case an OEM battery has gone up in price so much it approached the escalating price on a new electric mower.
You would almost be financially better to throw out a working mower and bad battery and buy a new mower with a new battery pack because of the price packaging.

Thinking about it my Hybrid PHEV car may be in the same boat. It is now 6 years old and it would not be economically viable to buy a new traction battery because of the cost of the battery. If I had to replace the battery it would probably make more sense to replace a perfectly good car with a failing battery with a new car rather than repair the old vehicle with a new battery.

 

it doesn’t sound like your heart is in that, obviously.

if we’re gonna save this planet, some steps by those “in charge” to ensure that doesn’t make sense, by ensuring batteries are the cheaper/easier option, would be nice.

which has a snowball’s chance in hell, with your current administration.

 

This as been the case even when the batteries where NiCd. The tool itself is almost a loss leader to the manufacturer. Once you have their tool, you'll likely stick with it, even if that means buying new tools instead of replacement batteries and chargers.

Got generic NiCd(charger too old to support NiMH) for DeWalts that are doing alright. Also got the DeWalt Li-ion and adapter, plus charger. Now there are generic Li-ion packs for the major brands that charge off USB.

Handy with soldiering iron? It is possible to replace the cells. In the case of NiMH, you want ones formulated for power output. Off the shelf ones at the local store are for energy(run time); it's like the hybrid vs EV battery difference.

 

Can and often does.

But is it better to repair a few old electric lawnmowers to prevent some solid waste, or to provide many more individuals with access to the new improved cheaper electric mowers? You have to figure that newer larger fleet is not just replacing older electrics, but also some gas rigs too. Otherwise they wouldn't have had the growth that enabled the low price to make you feel funny in the first place.

We are complicit in this as consumers. We should be predicting that this sort of thing will happen, and we should factor it into our consumption and usage patterns.

 

I had to repair or replace two failed kitchen appliances this past year and decided to replace a third for color match reasons.

Each time the estimate for repair without being on site but discussed over the phone was at least 1/2 of the new purchase. Since we were interested in changing the color scheme from white to stainless it was an easy decision. Could they have been fixed....sure. But what other part would fail after many prior years of use. At some point you just do it.

Lowe's hardware is the local source. Their employees know less about the merchandise than I did after a little online work.

The installs were a nightmare.

Our choice for appliance 1 (ovens) was deemed not installable by the sellers contract installer. I had it installed myself. Took two days but it is in and cooked Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners for 8.

Appliance two (microwave) was installed incorrectly by the seller's installer company. A call to the seller and I was told to call the manufacturer. The manufacturer's repair person said it was working as designed (power off after 5 minutes of use) and reinstalled it incorrectly omitting the vent flap. I diagnosed it as overheating and suspected long term damage as it had overheated at least 25 time. Another service call and I got it replaced with a new unit and helped it get installed correctly.

Appliance 3 (dishwasher) was installed by the seller's contract installer. Tested for 5 minutes and installer left. Failed on first load of dishes with no power. A week later the installer discovered a defective outlet they had installed when the unit was installed.

Time for this saga. September 3 to February 1.

Gone are the days when Sears was the seller, installer and maintainer. Now it is corporate mentality of get it done in the lest amount of time and max the profit. Hang customer satisfaction.

 

That is definitely gone, but all is not lost.

I too have been disappointed by the results of buying appliances from discount big-box retailers including Lowe's.

Now I spend roughly 10% more for similar equipment but I get it from a small family-owned appliance dealer, and the difference in installation expertise and post-sale support is amazing.

If you don't have a customer-focused appliance small biz nearby that's... too bad I guess- but it's been working great for me.

 

Maxim of the story: there's no free lunch.

 

... Unless you are Democrat / Liberal... They seem to think all government handouts are free.

 

... all my electric yard equipment, alternating current, lasts longer, works better. But, I've got to drag and lasso a 100' cord. Made in China, their most lightweight 100' extension cords lasts, about a year.

The one I bought, 30 years ago, made here in the USA, not one break in its silicon shell -


Samuel, '04 Ruthiemobile

 

This type of business model existed for a long time. Razor and blades model - Wikipedia

In my case buying new tools bundled with new batteries are cheaper than buying replacement batteries for my essential Ryobi hand tools. I end up purchasing new tools, some with very similar functionalities. I started with just Ryobi One drill long time ago still with a NiMH battery. But I think I now own over 20 different tools using the same 18v battery form factor. Though they are all moved to Li batteries.

 

Printers and ink.....