Richpower Industries recently introduced their Maglithion PowerSmith cordless tool system which sells in second-tier big box stores like Bi-Mart, Northern, Fleet Farm, Rural King, and Zellers.  The system uses a single universal lithium-ion 12V battery for the entire platform — somewhat like Ryobi’s One+ or Black & Decker’s VPX.  Richpower claims their lithium-ion batteries last twice as long as NiCads and hold their charge for a year.

Right now they sell a drill/driver, impact driver, handsaw, portable fan, circular saw, rotary tool, screwdriver, flashlight, and vacuum.  They claim to be coming out with a sander, ratchet, inflator, jigsaw, grinder, and nailer next.

Pricing is about $40 for a battery and charger, $25 to $30 for the workhorse tools, and $10 to $17 for vacuums and other accessories.  They also offer value-priced combo kits.

Has anybody tried these new cordless tools?  Let us know what you think of them in the comments.

Maglithion [Corporate Site]
Street Pricing [Google]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]