Lithium Ion batteries are revolutionizing the power tool industry. I'm sure by now you've heard the buzz around the new Lithium Ion cordless tools that every manufacturer is pushing. Is this all just hype? Absolutely not, the new lithium Ion batteries do outperform your current Ni-Cad batteries in every way. This technology is creating the very real possibility or permanently replacing your corded tools by paving the way for smaller more powerful cordless power tools.
Dewalt Lithium Ion Batteries
Ryobi Lithium Ion Batteries
Milwaukee Lithium Ion Batteries
Life
Have you noticed your old batteries seem to keep less and less charge as time goes by. Lithium Ion batteries have an extended life compared to your Ni-Cad batteries. DeWalt Lith-Ion batteries are capable of 2000 charges without loosing that run time. To put that in perspective, a professional who needs to completely charge the battery every sigle day, can use a sigle battery for almost 5 years before thinking about getting a new battery. An active weekend warior, who needs to completely charge the battery 2 days every week, can expect a single battery to last over 19 years.
Run-time And Charge
We all know the symtoms of our Ni-Cad cordless tools nearing the end of a battery charge. The tools still works, but we get a drop off in performance. Often the drop off is gradual so you need to pay attention to notice. There are many times when I don't notice until the tools is barely working, at that point I could have been driving my last 20 - 40 screws at less than optimal speed without realizing it. Lithium Ion will give full performance until the battery is fully discharged. Absolutly no performance drop off to worry about.
Ni-Cad batteries also have something called charge memory. This happens when you often place your battery back on charge before it has fully discharged. The battery begins to think that the partial charge is the full charge. Thus when you do fully discharge the battery, it will only charge the amount that it is used to. In some cases this can cause a battery over time to only hold half of the charge that it originally did. Lithium Ion does NOT have charge memory, you will always be guaranteed a full charge.
My Ni-Cad batteries stay on the 2 stage charger at all times. Why? Because Ni-Cad looses its charge very quickly. The idea of the 2 stage charger is to fully charge the battery as quick as possible (stage 1). Then slowly trickle power as the battery needs it (Stage 2). Lithium Ion does not need the 2 stage charger. Once the Lith-Ion battery is fully charged, go ahead and pull it off the charger. It will last for months on the shelf before it begins to lose power.
Power And Wieght
Although the power of an 18 volt batery is still 18 volts no matter what the battery technology is. The use of Lithium Ion now makes stronger tools a possibility, essentially making corded tools oblolete. DeWalt 36 volt Cordless tools are meant as total replacements for corded tools. Using Ni-Cad at this voltages would have been too heavy and combersome for use over any extended time period. The Lith-Ion equivalents are light and small enough for all day job site use. The 36 volt Lith-Ion battery is roughly the same wieght as a Ni-Cad 18 volt battery.
In The End
Lithium Ion tools are the current future of Cordless tools. The question you need to ask yourself is, do I really need to buy all new tools. Well, if you are happy with your current voltage tools and you have DeWalt, Ryobi or Millwaukee tools. The answer is no, the new batteries fit all of your current tools. You just need to purchase Lith-Ion batteries and you are set. Now if you want to upgrade to full on corded replacements then, yes, you need to buy new 32 volt or 36 volt series tools.
One more cools feature of Lithium Ion cordless tool batteries I just want to throw in here. Most manufacturers have a built in current charge button that you can give a press and see how much life is left in the battery. Just one more reason to upgrade today.
US $799.00
