expiredWarmonger posted Jun 04, 2021 09:20 PM
Item 1 of 11
Item 1 of 11
expiredWarmonger posted Jun 04, 2021 09:20 PM
DeWalt 20V MAX 4Ah Compact Battery & Charger Kit + Bonus Tool
+ Free Store Pickup$160
$299
46% offAce Hardware
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If it had (2) 4ah batteries, maybe.
The 'newer' battery is not some special deal.
Read about battery cell size here:
https://www.sciencedire
21700 cells do have better energy density than 18650 ones..theoretically 6%. In the real world its about 2%. That 2% matters when you are packing thousands of cells into an EV. For about a dozen in a tool battery pack? Meh.
Don't get fooled by a battery pack being shorter. Its also wider and deeper. Maybe you like the dimensional change. It does make a tool stand on end better. That's fine. Personally, I'm indifferent. Give me the most amp-hours for the least money.
Cell QUALITY is what really matters, not cell size.
Manufacturers can introduce other improvements in newer battery packs (better cooling, security features, displays, whatever) and those might be worth paying for..
Just don't confuse a larger cell size with automatically being a better choice.
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If it had (2) 4ah batteries, maybe.
The 'newer' battery is not some special deal.
Read about battery cell size here:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/sci...5320309186 [sciencedirect.com]
21700 cells do have better energy density than 18650 ones..theoretically 6%. In the real world its about 2%. That 2% matters when you are packing thousands of cells into an EV. For about a dozen in a tool battery pack? Meh.
Don't get fooled by a battery pack being shorter. Its also wider and deeper. Maybe you like the dimensional change. It does make a tool stand on end better. That's fine. Personally, I'm indifferent. Give me the most amp-hours for the least money.
Cell QUALITY is what really matters, not cell size.
Manufacturers can introduce other improvements in newer battery packs (better cooling, security features, displays, whatever) and those might be worth paying for..
Just don't confuse a larger cell size with automatically being a better choice.
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
What sold me, besides finally getting rid of the cord and lugging out the extension cord(s) whenever I needed to use it, was the form factor.
Used it for the last couple of hours for wood and some nail heads - big fan of how light and maneuverable this thing is. Light compared to the corded sawzalls I'm used to.
Associate Mgr that opened up the store case for me to get the tool ended up getting one too. He mentioned that the cheapest that this deal usually goes for is ~$200.
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21700 cells do have better energy density than 18650 ones..theoretically 6%. In the real world its about 2%. That 2% matters when you are packing thousands of cells into an EV. For about a dozen in a tool battery pack? Meh.
Cell QUALITY is what really matters, not cell size.
The rest is not completely true. Bigger batteries do make a big difference in some cases. Main difference is bigger 21700 battery cells provide 40 amp current flow where smaller 18650 cells only provide 20 amps. Sure, you put them into a flash light, you won't see any difference. But if you stick them into a really power hungry tool like a drill or a saw that can really take advantage of all the extra juice provided by battery and you will see a significant performance boost. About 30%-40% sometimes in extreme cases, depending on the tool and task at hand. If you get both packs in same ah ratings, then in a tool where it matters, 21700 pack will slaughter the 18650. The cost and slightly bigger size is the trade off for power when it comes to 21700 battery packs. But you're partially correct, it really only matters some of the time and a lot of times just getting a larger AH battery for same price as smaller HO battery makes sense.
Some interesting videos comparing different batteries in power tools:
3.0 HO goes head to head with battery nearly double its capacity: https://youtu.be/CLAt1ESwnvg
All batteries from milwaukee compared: https://youtu.be/ky5YRjz9lvc
Ridgid Octane (21700) battery comparison: https://youtu.be/ufICteVfx7M
VCG Construction did a pretty good video on impressive milwaukee 3.0 HO battery: https://youtu.be/UQT-uZ6PSSY
My opinion, for home use, go for cheaper higher capacity battery. But if you're a contractor doing 1000s of screws a day or whatever, investing into a bunch of high output 21700 batteries is the way to go. Shaving off a second or 2 off each bolt, screw, board cut, or whatever is going to add up throughout the day and before you know it you saved yourself hours of your time and more expensive batteries are like free at that point and will continue to save you time.
As clever as these compact batteries seem... I HATE that they stick out more, I can't tell you how many times it's prevented me from being able to sink a screw straight, or oscillating tool. Bulging out is bs. Impact always gets 2ah, everything else gets knockoff 6ah.
High discharge is available in both 18650, 21700, and larger cell sizes. 18650s come in 40a too, though I'm not sure a need is there for 40a on any sized cell. At that point, if its truly needed for the job, up the voltage, it'll run cooler. Higher voltage options exist today...with DeWalt and other makes.
Higher discharge cells tend to have shorter lifespans (fewer charge cycles). Its not surprising considering they generate more heat with those higher current draws. Pick your poison on your battery cell.
A manufacturer could make a battery pack with better cooling and higher discharge cells (of any size). I suspect it would not be cheaper to manufacture nor would they sell it for a bargain price either.
I stand by cell size as being about the most inconsequential characteristic of a tool battery pack. Everything else in the design of that pack is more important.
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As clever as these compact batteries seem... I HATE that they stick out more, I can't tell you how many times it's prevented me from being able to sink a screw straight, or oscillating tool. Bulging out is bs. Impact always gets 2ah, everything else gets knockoff 6ah.
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