I say "No" you cannot have enough tools. Thankfully, manufacturers are putting their minds to good use to make some major improvements not only in garden tools, but in power tools as well.

One of the best tools I've purchased in the last couple of years has been my Makita Cordless Chainsaw.

This chainsaw is lightweight, quiet, and easy to use and as the commercial says, leaves you "no excuse" for not getting a job finished. List price can be around $400 but you can get a better deal from the Amazon link.

The battery (linked below), gives me about an hour of solid cutting time which is about all I can do at one time anyway. Buying a second battery was a good idea and does give you a lot of flexibility in scheduling and organizing bigger jobs. This Makita is excellent for all those small jobs for which you really don't need the noise and smell, or weight, of a full-sized, gas-powered chainsaw.

As you can see by the picture, you will not be able to hack away at really large trees with this model - but that's not it's purpose anyway. For limbs and branches up to about 4" in diameter, this Makita will be at it's finest. Leave the larger trees for larger chainsaws with more powerful motors.

Did I mention that as long as you have the battery charged you are ready to go? By the time my significant other gets his gas-powered chainsaw going, I am usually 15 to 30 minutes into completing my tasks!

It is August as I write this and I am already looking around at all the little jobs Makita and I will be doing this Fall. I bought and installed a wood stove at my home last year and this Makita is perfect for clearing the dead limbs that Summer storms bring down - to be cut and moved directly to my wood stove pile for use in a couple of months.

Recycling at it's best!

Here are a few links to products that might be of interest:

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Cordless tools are gaining popularity as battery price decreases and battery availability increases. Take advantage!

Some good ideas for human-powered garden tools can be found here.

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This just might be on my Christmas "Wish List" this year!

This 124-piece tool set contains all the tools needed by a handyman. Made of high-quality chrome vanadium steel, a metal compound stronger and more rust-resistant than carbon steel, the tools are housed in a sturdy, well-organized portable case, secured with elastic straps, and five pliable foam dividers protect the tools.

The Handyman's Chrome-Vanadium Tool Set (124-piece w/ Cordless Drill).

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