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Changed my mind about brushless vs brushed power tools after a deck rebuild | Debate the Data - Vivisector

Changed my mind about brushless vs brushed power tools after a deck rebuild

I always thought brushed motors were fine for weekend stuff, but after stripping 40 deck boards in one day with my old Ryobi, the heat was insane and it bogged down twice. Borrowed my buddy's brushless Dewalt DCF887 and it cut through treated pine like butter without losing speed, even with a 5.0Ah battery at 60% charge. The numbers on torque and runtime actually mattered when you hit pressure treated lumber all afternoon. Has anyone else had a similar switch flip after a big project?

3 comments

3 Comments

mark_green3mo ago

Overheating after 30 minutes? That's what I'm saying. People act like brushless is some magic fix. It's still a motor. It still gets hot. Especially in 90 degree weather with treated lumber. Your buddy's Dewalt might just be newer or had a better battery. The hype around brushless is getting old. A good brushed tool with a fresh battery does the same job for half the price.

emma_wells833mo ago

Wait, are we talking about the same DCF887? Mine absolutely overheated after about 30 minutes of constant deck screwing in 90 degree weather. The speed control is nice but the torque really falls off once the motor gets hot, especially with pressure treated lumber. I had to switch between two batteries just to let the tool cool down between charges. Maybe I just got a lemon but the brushed Milwaukee I had before at least kept consistent power right up until the battery died.

daniel_cooper343mo ago

Noticed that too @mark_green. I think the brushed vs brushless thing got blown way out of proportion by marketing. Ive got a couple brushed tools from 10 years ago that still chug along fine in the heat. The brushless ones just seem to hit that thermal wall faster for some reason. I dont think its just the DCF887 either, I see it with other brands too. Its like they tuned them for max power in a lab at 70 degrees but real world use is totally different. We keep buying into the hype expecting magic and forgetting motors are still just motors with limits.