In my specific situation, I have a bucket truck with hydraulic tool supply ports. For limb trimming duty, compare hydro pole saw to a battery pole saw. Farm use. I already have a small stihl battery chainsaw that is very handy on the ground and I wonder what tools would be safe and handy to use from the bucket.
Cordless will be much cheaper than hydro. Every joe homeowner can use battery tools, lots of production, lower prices. Only the power companies- ROW clearing, are using hydro. Low production, high prices.
I'm still using extension cords and air hoses for tools. This old dog has a hard time changing.
Don't we know it. Same thing with a drill and circular saw. Even have and still use a corded electric 1/2" drive impact wrench.
Corded tools (110v) are definitely obsolete as you are limited on the power and the battery tools design their own power limits.
I have a remote start 3kw inverter generator I strap onto the hood of my manlift and it has an extension cord routed up the boom to the basket where a duplex receptacle is. I've not used it myself, but others have and it works well. I don't have a lot of battery operated tools but will use what I have available.
The safety police on todays job sites do not want corded tools...the cords are a trip hazard. Ed
the hydro saw will be comparatively heavy and as mentioned, very pricey.
We had jackhammers on the telecommander trucks and some backhoes were set up to power a hydro jackhammer. Jackhammers are enough of a pain with a single light air hose. No thanks.
And cords are s PITA on a jobsite. We’ve cut more than one with a dozer grading a parking lot. Actively grading the lot and some moron stretches a cord across to the pole. Hard to see an orange cord on red dirt backing up. Especially when it wasn’t there on thd forward pass. Morons
I have to ask why on God's green earth would you subject yourself to that? And just because you have it and it still works is not the right answer haha.
I'm not certain I understand the question completely. I always have a small generator with me or a way of produce 110VAC power. Not always do I have a compressed air supply. Nor do I at this time have a battery operated impact wrench in 1/2" drive but do carry a general tool set with me. I carry the impact behind the seat in the pickup, (Krusty Dodge) along with a mechanical scissor jack and these get used often changing tires as I hate spinning lug wrenches any longer. In reality I don't need the latest and greatest. Only need and keep what works. That impact and jack have changed literally a couple dozen tires alongside the highway bordering my shop. It also rattled better than half the fasteners holding my shop together all those years ago. Only cordless tools I have are a Milwaukee screwgun for drywall, a Milwaukee grease gun sharing the same battery, a couple of DeWalt drills that are beyond worn out, and a Harbor Freight 1/4" hex drive impact my son bought me as a joke after I was ripping on their tools. I must admit that HF tool has held up well and readily snaps drive bits. I have also been very impressed with the Milwaukee stuff as far as ergonomics and power. In reality I will continue to build upon the Milwaukee base as some of the stuff is impressive. I would like to have both a 1/2" and 3/4" impact in the brand. Much of my corded tools are either Milwaukee, or Black & Decker Industrial line of tools. Both circular saws are DeWalt and have electrical dynamic braking to the spinning blade and stop very shortly after releasing the trigger. None of these are the "homeowner" line of tools; hence the reason they are still around. On that manlift I ran a 14/3 SOOW cord up the boom in with the hydraulic hose routing terminating into weatherproof receptacle box mounted to the basket back wall. It is almost as JLG would have supplied the option. With the small RV generator strapped to the hood and this cord plugged in, there is no loose or bitter end to be concerned with. Most times from my understanding an extension cord is not used in the basket as cord on the tool is long enough to reach. Again, I've not used it myself. Thanks for asking.
If you’re working in the air like the steel guys around here, they hook a small generator up to the bottom receptacle of the power run up to the man basket and they work for 3-4 hours before coming down. Batteries won’t last that long of constant drilling and driving.
A guy rented my lift and used the basket power receptacle to paint his post frame building with an electric paint sprayer. Said it worked flawless for him.
Hydro tools only way to go working in air same as drills and presses,don't like getting in middle of job dm battery goes dead.
Biggest reason besides reliability for electric guys to use hydraulics is risk management. Worker gets electrocuted, if he's using a hydraulic tool there is no question on how it happened. Corded tool, more possibilities.
Here is the OP. in the context of the Original Post It is easy to NOT recommend going out and looking for a hydro pole saw. $1700 plus some hoses Or One of many at ~$230 Those are gassers above. Cordless are even less. Being able to use it away from the truck makes it easy for me. He's not saying he'll trim around live lines so the safety side does not apply. The power company does that.
The PRO for hydro in a bucket is that it is tethered. Anything in a bucket should be roped to something.
To many guys are influenced by monkey see monkey do. I have some of everything the cordless stuff is the hot new thing wright now. Cordless has its place . If your doing a lot for a long time i will get the cord or hose out. Too many worry about what others are doing when they need to do what gets the job done the best for the money.
Local farm store has a special on the Milwaukee 18V power grease guns starting today, (bare tool only) so I'm going to grab a second to permanently keep on the dozer. Already have a new "Lock N Lube" coupler, (thanks again to that company) for it along with a 5.0ah battery, so will be all set.
However, your not carrying your powerplant with you on the tool.
An be a good thing or a bad thing
A battery pole saw is about $350. Plus batteries. A hydraulic saw is about $1,500-2,500 depending on how nice of one you want. Plus hoses. If he needs to cut all day, you could maybe make the case for hyd. If its just to trim up some fence rows occasionally, sure looks like battery is the way to go. And I'm not a fan of most battery tools. Now if it was me, I'd cosy up to the local rural electric cooperative guys, and see when they are getting new saws, or if they have a old one sitting on the shelf. $4-500 might buy a pretty nice used one.
I'm seeing used hydraulic chain or circular limb cutters from 4 to $700. are the hoses a hassle to work with or keep organized? I have several stihl batteries for my small chainsaw and I priced the pole saw that the batteries would work with at $320. It is homeowner-grade.
I'd go that route just because I could use it away from the bucket truck.