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Interesting, one of my brothers is a landscape gardener and the other is a carpenter, both working on big new build sites, they are saying that more people are starting to switch over to cordless even for big tools, apparently they can run a Milwaukee chop saw for the whole day off of 2 12ah batteries with no issues at all. Their reasoning was as you said not having to bother with PAT testing and lugging stuff round, whack it all in some pack out cases and stick it on the trolley.
Sam_w-
apparently they can run a Milwaukee chop saw for the whole day off of 2 12ah batteries with no issues at all
When both batteries are new then I'm sure you can again a lot of guys I know have the mains units as well as the battery units.
What tends to happen in my experience is is guys buy their shiny new batteries then feel liberated until one of two things happen either the batteries start to get old and ropey - won't hold their charge so the labourer is being sent to the charging station Evey 30 mins (being a labourer he isn't going to be sent on an errand without going for at least one snout - the smoking area might be 10 minutes in the other direction). It gets frustrating and the cost of replacing the big flexvolt style batteries is eyewatering. Or there is a cold snap and the batteries won't hold a charge this brings on many of the same issues I mentioned before the only real solution is to charge batteries and walk around for the rest of the day with a pair of HUUUGE 36 / 54 v batteries in your boxer and thus inviting a non stop barrage of "hilarious" banter that will always begin with is that a........... In your pocket.
Bobbo
If you are running a chopsaw or table saw onsite you NEED to have a mains powered unit if it's going to see anything more than light use - on big sites the battery charging station could be a 10 minute walk away. Also battery table and chopsaws are no where near as powerful as the mains counterparts so will struggle with tricky timber or difficult cuts.
Myself and most of the other guys.i work with tend to have 3 of each tool (this list doesn't include small sds drills, comvi drills or impact drivers but does include the likes of drywall screwguns): one battery one for occasional use pottering around site ticking off jobs on a snagging list, 240v mains powered units for general domestic work, 110v for big sites. Obviously if you only do domestic you won't have many 110v tools and if you only do commercial you won't have any 240v tools for work.
Trades that are only on site for a limited time and then go will rely on battery units much more than any other trades because they don't have to worry about PAT testing as much or going through lengthy PAT test records with the PCs health and safety man.