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Making sense of cordless batteries….

MG911 | Posted in Tools for Home Building on October 17, 2004 09:11am

Hi all, I recently picked up a Makita 18V combo kit and had a question about the batteries. This kit and my Makita impact driver both came with Ni-MH 2.6ah batteries and I’m wondering if there is a significant performance difference between the different amp hour batteries? (2.0, 2.2, 2.6)

The store owner where I bought my kit from tossed in a couple 2.2 ah batteries to sweeten the deal and I’m wondering if these are fairly decent compared to the 2.6’s. The kit came with a cordless miter saw and I was told by a Makita service rep. to make sure to use only 2.6 ah batteries with this saw for some reason.

To add to this confusion, Gary Katz stated in a previous article:

“I found that 2.6ah 12v batteries didn’t drive as many screws as 2.0 ah 12v batteries — same size screws, same 2×4 studs. So much for higher technology”.

see: http://www.taunton.com/finehomebuilding/pages/h00096.asp

Any thoughts on cordless batteries and their performance? Also, do any of you have preferences towards Ni-MH vs. Ni-Cad?

Thanks for your time…Mike

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Replies

  1. User avater
    IMERC | Oct 17, 2004 10:55am | #1

    Ni-Cad and a 2.6 is heavier duty than a 2.0 or 2.4.... A 3.0AH is a gorilla of a battery... 

    Ni-Cad seem to last longer than Ni-MH....

    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!

  2. DanH | Oct 17, 2004 04:13pm | #2

    It depends. If the higher AH battery uses the same technology as the lower one, only larger cells, it will (in addition to being larger/heavier) be able to deliver a little more current and thus give slightly better performance. For a given task it should operate longer, roughly in proportion to the AH difference.

    If the difference is one of technology, though (nicad vs NiMH, eg) then all bets are off. Different technologies have different discharge characteristics, and the AH rating only gives an "optimal" number.

    1. MG911 | Oct 17, 2004 07:13pm | #3

      Thanks for the replies so far. The batteries in question are Makita 18V's.  It seems the price jumps significantly when going from 2.2ah to 2.6ah and wonder if the cost is justified? I imagine the 3.0's must be extremely pricey!

      If any of you read that article I posted in my first message by Gary Katz, he seems to contradict that 'more is better' when it comes to amp hours.  Don't know how the rest of you feel about his thoughts on amp hours.

      The real test will come with the 7 1/2 " miter saw that came with my combo kit. Makita claims it will cut 100 2X4's on a single charge......the snow came today so won't be testing that out on building a deck this year.

      Enjoy your weekend....Mike.

      1. User avater
        IMERC | Oct 17, 2004 10:56pm | #4

        More is better in AH but more money and heavier... 

        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!

      2. User avater
        BillHartmann | Oct 18, 2004 12:17am | #5

        He did not give any indication of the history of the 2.6 vs the 2.0 ah batteries.

        Was one a new set and the other one being charged and cycled 100 times? Had one been abused by over heating?

        Really his "test" was meaningless as given.

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