My Wishlist for Battery Powered Tools

[jazzgtrist]

I've got perhaps a dozen or so Makita LXT 18 Volt tools and seven batteries.  Every once in a while, however, I see an 18 Volt tool that I wouldn't mind buying that is built by one of the other brands.

So, my wish list would include an adapter so I could use a Bosch, Dewalt, or other 18 volt tool with one of my Makita batteries.

Has anybody heard of such a thing?  Perhaps all the manufacturer patents prohibit such a thing???

Just wondering . . .

George

[rlnguy]

I have seen such adapters on ebay.
No actual experience with them though.

[jazzgtrist]

I have seen such adapters on ebay.
No actual experience with them though.

Thanks for the heads up!  I did some internet searches and found some.  There aren't many reviews yet.  Most of the product descriptions are poorly written/translated -- have to be careful about which brand is the tool and which is the battery! 

However, I do think I could power a Bosch 18 volt jigsaw with my Makita battery using a MT20BSL adapter.

Thanks again.

[lincmercguy]

There are probably some homemade adapters. I wouldn't have an issue trying one from some unknown maker if it was just a physical adapter and not any kind of electrical conversion.

After I gave up my Craftsman 16.8V line, I got Dewalt 20V because I knew they would make 38.6 billion different tools for it.

[EvilTwin]

I think the issue is that different brands use different electronics to monitor the battery status and keep the battery from draining too fast or too low.  Some incorporate the electronics in the battery itself, some more in the tool.  So even if everything says 18v on the outside, inside its all proprietary.

A while back I got an adapter to power my older bosch 14.4 and 18v tools with the newer 18v lithium batteries.  It worked on some, others it was a total failure.  I think it actually smoked the older jigsaw while the drills and impactor were just fine with it.  Since then I have moved all into the 18v lithium versions although I still have one or two of the older versions.

https://forums.woodnet.net/showthread.ph...ight=bosch

It would be great if there was a way to use batteries across tool lines, especially the older versions.  Ryobi did it with their tools, but they are the exception I think.

[Admiral]

Call me a certified, calcified dinosaur, but other than drills, I'm still not sold on battery operated tools and I think they are over-marketed and oversold. Battery compatibility aside (which locks you into a manufacturer) I think battery technology has yet to improve to the level I feel comfortable with in terms of run time, and longevity. So for me, tools like routers, sanders, recip saws, circular saws, etc. remain corded. I can see situations where if you are in the trades that having the cordless flexibility would save time (and money), but for the hobbyist in-shop user I really don't see the advantage and the "tail" is not really a problem. Replacement batteries are pretty expensive, I just threw out two drill bodies (an older PC and older Makita) as the replacement batteries, even non-OEM, were simply too expensive to justify.

But that's just me.

[lincmercguy]

"for me, tools like routers, sanders, recip saws, circular saws, etc. remain corded. I can see situations where if you are in the trades that having the cordless flexibility would save time"

Some do save time for home improvement projects. A cordless circular and jigsaw was great for a deck rebuild I did and other home improvement work. A cordless grinder is useful for the odds and ends farm-ish stuff. The larger battery powered lights are useful for obvious reasons. And of course, the radio is critical equipment.

In the shop, I don't see a point of a cordless track saw. I have a cordless trim router because it's easy for the small trim-router type stuff. But my full-size routers are corded. A cordless sander seems pointless because it will be heavy and still have a hose on it.

It's just my preferences. A mix of battery types would be maddening, so I'm all Dewalt.

[FireWood]

I'm kind of in the middle.

I like the Makita 18V and 36V platform.  I have some yard equipment (blower, line trimmer) and the usual shop stuff (drill/driver & impact)

I find that the utility of a cordless grinder and sawzall is not to be underestimated, but I don't have any fine w'working stuff like routers or sanders.

Recently I pulled the trigger on an SDS plus hammer drill.  with a cord.  I won't use it that often, or away from the house, and I don't want to buy it again when battery platforms change!

[museumguy]

I have an adapter that plugs into a Ryobi 18v tool and uses 18v Makita batteries. Right around $25. They also make them for Milwaukee and Dewalt batteries. We use the Milwaukee version at work. I came upon a Ryobi 18v weed whacker for half price, couldn't pass it up/ I used it this past season with Makita battery and it works great.

[MarkSingleton]

I am all DeWalt.

Having said that, this guy has some info that might be legit:


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nNDF1qYTEw