Well, after all the testimonials and an upcoming use, I went shopping for an impact driver yesterday. Got more than a little confused by the evolution of batteries and I’m hoping to get a little education on the subject.
First off, all I own now are NiCad batteries.
I guess the next generation of tools uses NiMH.
But now I see Makita and Milwaulkee have Litium batteries which are super lightweight.
So here’s the thing. I generally don’t buy the first generation of anything. I am usually behind the curve a bit, and they have the bugs worked out of stuff by the time I get around to a purchase.
So is Lithium new enough that there aren’t many opinions yet? Or are they the best thing since sharing a cold sixpack with the crew on Friday afternoon?
Any opinions? Thanks.
Tipi, Tipi, Tipi!
Replies
lithium batteries are a spin off the space program... IIRC....
been around a while...
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming
WOW!!! What a Ride!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Lithium ion batteries in tools are relatively new.
Li-Ion batteries in electronics have been around for a while (10 years or so.)
Did you read Jason Fink's article in the latest FHB? It was a good overview of the Lithium-Ionbattery technology as it relates to tools. My recollection is that dealing with heat buildup complicates the technology, but that the manufacturers are confident they've solved any problems and the products are good.
I need to invest in my first portable tools, and am still on the fence whether to go with the new technology or not.
Allen
Well I broke down and bought the Milwaukee lithium ion combo set. It functions just like any other tool and has been completely reliable this whole time. I have had it about 7 months now. I would go the lithium ion route because it is a viable technology now in my opinion. The power management structure of these new tools are better than the nickel-cadmium types. FYI I paid about $560 for my set. That was because I used a 10 percent off coupon and got another 10 percent off when I found a lower price on it elsewhere within 30 days. I got it from HD. Otherwise it would have been $760 or so. So I ended up paying Ni-Cad prices on this set. And I have a two year warranty.
Handyman, painter, wood floor refinisher, property maintenance in Tulsa, OK
milwaukee has a 5 year warranty now on tools and batts...yours included.
That is great! With a warranty like that I can rest quite well!Handyman, painter, wood floor refinisher, property maintenance in Tulsa, OK
...and Ridgid has a lifetime warranty for their cordless tools - li-ion included. That's a strong gust blowing me to one side of the fence... then again, I don't have money for li-ion tools!Justin Fink - FHB Editorial
Your Friendly Neighborhood Moderator
if so why does HD push an add on warrenty for those tools...Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!<!----><!---->
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Like all big boxes, they only push warranties on stuff that doesn't need them.
If Tyranny and Oppression come to this land, it will be in the guise of fighting a foreign enemy. --James Madison
They push extended warranties because there is more profit in them than the tool itself. Tht's why Best Buy pushes them on electronics, Sears pushes them on appliances. . . . . Extended warranties are a huge profit center for all retailers.
Two years on what? The tools come with a five year warranty.
"I cut this piece four times and it's still too short."
hmmm ok now I remember... the tools have a five year warranty but the batteries themselves only have a two year warranty. Darn.Handyman, painter, wood floor refinisher, property maintenance in Tulsa, OK
You were right the first time Pebble - Milwaukee just launched a 5 year warranty on their LI-Ion batteries - even if you bought them awhile ago.Justin Fink - FHB Editorial
Your Friendly Neighborhood Moderator
I was told by the Festool rep who was in Germany recently that festool aren't going to LI in the new future, he claims that because the motors are a direct drive type? that they don't lose power to the motor and therefore get similar run times and power using smaller batteries.
I am interested in the 15 amp Festool does anyone own these drills?Cheers,
Johnhttp://www.johnwalkerbuilders.com
man they are expensive... only person i have seen use one is Tom Silva from This Old house. People swear by them... their specs, price tag, and design just dont impress me. i love my makita LXT... belt clip, battery life and grip are a dream.
yes they are expensive $580.00 here in Oz, i get the tax of $55.00 back the following quarter which makes them about $525.00. All tools are dear here but I like the compact size, warranty and quality of these tools.
Cheers,
Johnhttp://www.johnwalkerbuilders.com
bc, "(man they are expensive.)"Man, I was thinking the same thing. I don't see how one is going to come out on those Ion pricetags. I can have another one charged usually way before the other is run down. I'm not excited about it. Fz
Well, I'm kind of leery about new technology too, so I just ordered a NiMH Makita MXT drill (free impact driver by rebate). The cost was a good bit less than lithium.
That said, I noticed that lithium ion batteries are supposed to have more charge cylcles in them, so it seems that the price would be offset by how long the battery would last- about twice as many charges as older batteries.
Edit: It sounds like the Milwaukee Li batteries have microchip controls in them, for discharge/heat management, and the Makitas are simpler- being a lower voltage, I would guess that they can't discharge as fast and build up as much heat. I haven't used either system, but I'm not sure I would want the first generation of computer filled batteries for tools.
zak
"so it goes"
Edited 6/4/2006 3:33 pm by zak
My Makita NiMH batteries have 3 plus years of abuse, and still going strong. I think you'll be happy with yours until the lithium ion prices start to come way down.Are you down with OPP?
That's good to hear. I don't think I've heard a bad thing about those drills, impacts, or batteries. Which is why I went for them.zak
"so it goes"
Hey Zak - as an aside, I just found 100-150 more lineal feet of that flooring. You want it?Tipi, Tipi, Tipi!
http://www.asmallwoodworkingcompany.com
Thanks Jim- I think I've got enough though. I think I've restacked the stuff two or three times in the last week or so. It's stored in my attic, and I'm beefing up the floor joists and putting down subfloor in there right now.zak
"so it goes"
FWIW, the NiMH batteries are so much better than NiCads that they're likely all you need in terms of capacity. You can drop back a voltage level or two to cut weight -- power won't suffer if the tool is reasonably designed.
Earlier this year Milwaukee annouced V18 Li-Ion battery retrofits for their 18 volt NiCds. New charger capable of charging both 18 volt Lithium and NiCad. I'll be looking for V14.4 Li-Ions for my tools...
rustbucket