Battery Platforms (22/36/40V etc.)

[Dan Friedrichs]

The energy in the pack is the same regardless of how it's connected but the power available to a motor definitely depends on the voltage levels. The battery needs to be connected to the motor with wires and connectors. For the same size wires and connectors you have lower losses with high voltage/low current. It's not practical to build higher power devices with low voltage batteries, hence the reason EVs use battery packs of 300+V.

I think this is true to an extent, but the discussion so far seems to have skipped over the switch to brushless motors, which significantly changes the above understanding. Brushless motors are driven by power converters which vary the voltage to the motor (essentially small "VFDs" inside your tools). Higher I2R losses between the battery and power converter would seem to be negligible (where the distance travelled is inches, compared to an EV where it might be tens of feet).

I suspect the higher power tool voltages are some combination of marketing hype and optimization with available power converter technology (e.g. voltage ratings on transistors).

[Scott Clausen]

I say pick a quality tool platform, voltage and standardize on it. Who needs a bank of different chargers and batteries to go with them.

[Michael Schuch]

I say pick a quality tool platform, voltage and standardize on it. Who needs a bank of different chargers and batteries to go with them.

I completely agree! That is why I have stuck with Dewalt even though there is a lot of talk of better tools out there. The one exception is I have a 20 year old Ridgid caulking gun that I use a surprising amount more that I ever thought I would (I actually inherited the Ridgid caulking gun from my father). The last time the Ridgid NiCad battery died I bought an adapter off of ebay and now use a Dewalt 20v battery pack to power it. It works great and I no longer have to mess with a Ridgid battery charger (I would have had to buy a new Ridgid charger and new LiIon battery if I wanted to upgrade it to a Ridgid brand non-NiCad battery).

I have found that the 2AHr Dewalt batteries are light enough weight and more than sufficient for most projects. For me keeping a second set of 12v tools doesn't make a lot of sense.

If I used battery powered tools to make my living I am sure my needs and opinions would be MUCH different!

[Tom M King]

I've had Makita cordless tools for working on houses since the mid 1980's, and have a fairly good sized collection. The 18v Makita circular works great, and it does get used for small jobs, but I wouldn't frame a house with it.

An 18v Impact Wrench will change the tires on the dually, and any of the tractors here.

I use Milwaukee in the mechanic shop to keep the greasy hand used tools separate from the Makita's used in houses.

18v has been plenty good enough for me. I bought a Ryobi 18v mister back at the beginning of the pandemic. It was my first Ryobi tool, and after that I bought their work light because it was cheap. It works just fine. I already had the Makita 18v little top handle saw for climbing and working out of a bucket. I cut a 6" Red Oak limb off with that saw and Many smaller ones off a bunch of trees.

Then I bought their polesaw, sticking with the 18V to keep in the toolbox on the truck since I already has the Ryobi battery and charger that came with the mister. It surprised me how good it is. It will work as long as I want to, and limbed up a one acre stand of trees so I could drive the mower under the trees without having to fold down the roll bar. It did all I needed it to, and only changed the battery once. A free 18v blower came with that polesaw when I bought it. At first, I thought the blower was a joke, but it's become my most used blower, and stays in the truck.

Since I already had the Ryobi batteries, I bought a string trimmer to keep on the mower. I can use it with one hand while on the mower, and the Stihl string trimmers haven't been started this grass cutting season yet.



Several years ago, I bought the low end Stihl hedge trimmer to trim a few Boxwoods with. I don't even know what voltage the battery is, but it's built in. That has done all I need to do with one.

I do have gas powered Stihl pole chainsaw, hedge trimmer, and chainsaws, but it's kind of a production to use one of those, so the 18v cordless ones are getting the most use.

I guess the larger battery tools are for people who will work with them all day, or at least a lot more than I do.

[Donald G. Burns]

Higher voltage tools seems somewhat like razor blade sellers - replace your 1 blade with 2, 2 with 3, 3 with 4 etc. etc. etc. I have a light weight Ryobi 12v drill, it used old style NiMH batteries that had a coaxial connector for recharging. These beasts are no longer products, but the Chinese produce new Li Ion batteries that are compatible. I like this drill because of the light overall weight. I also have Makita 18v drill, driver and circ. saw and all work fine for me. I'm a hobbyist and am 75 years old, so thoughts of needing higher voltage tools doesn't interest me much. I also mostly can pause and recharge since I'm not on a clock.