Power tools, guards and battery packs

Power tools and their battery packs: guards, vents, matching an accessory to the tool, hearing protection, and the storage that decides how long a lithium-ion pack lasts.

Common failure modes

• A pack stored fully discharged over a winter
• A pack charged or stored outside its temperature range
• Vents blocked with dust, which overheats the motor
• A guard removed and not replaced
• An accessory rated below the tool's no-load speed

Procedures

• What dust mask or N95 should I use for power tool dust, and how do I know it is not fake?A disposable dust mask, often sold as an N95, is the everyday answer to sanding, sawing, cutting and grinding dust from
• What drill bit and what speed should I use for wood, metal, plastic or concrete?Most people pick a drill bit by looking at the hole they want and pick a speed by squeezing the trigger until it sounds
• What NRR do I need for ear protection with power tools and a lawn mower?Hearing loss from tools is not dramatic and that is the whole problem with it. There is no pain, no bruise, and no momen
• How do I check if a grinding wheel or cutting disc is safe to use on my angle grinder or bench grinder?A grinding wheel or a cutting disc — the flat, round abrasive stone that fits on an angle grinder or a bench grinder — c
• What size blade fits my circular saw, and does the RPM rating on the blade matter?Most people buy a circular saw blade on two numbers: the diameter and the size of the hole in the middle. Those two get
• How to read the label on a power tool and understand what the numbers meanEvery power tool carries a rating plate, and most owners never read past the model number. The same plate lists the elec
• How should I store my cordless mower and trimmer batteries over the winter?A cordless mower battery left in an unheated shed all winter is a battery you buy again in spring. That is the ordinary,

Where this stops

Motor, switch and mains lead repair are deferred. A speed rating or an arbor size always comes from the tool and the accessory manufacturer, never from this site.