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One Battery Fits All Power Tools

Friday, 19 August 2022
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The benefits of a common power tool battery platform

Kevin Brannigan, Marketing Manager at Makita, explains the benefits of opting for power tools that share a common battery platform.

Thanks to advances in the tool, motor, and battery technology, the cordless power tools available today offer users a wide range of benefits, including improved safety, efficiency, and on-site productivity. With battery systems now capable of offering high output performance and run times, the popularity of cordless machines has grown substantially in recent years, and for many, cordless options are now the go-to solution to tackle most site tasks.

An efficient choice

To ensure that machines can continue to deliver optimum performance and efficiency, leading manufacturers have developed clever solutions to protect the machine and the battery during operation and charging. For example, Makita batteries and tools and the batteries and chargers are designed to communicate with each other to provide overload and thermal protection and prevent over-discharging of the battery, which can be damaging and costly.

Productivity gains can be had by adopting a tool system that uses the same battery platform. After all, when all machines can be operated using the same batteries (and charger), it becomes incredibly easy to switch between tasks, as the batteries can simply be swapped from one tool to the next. In addition, using machines powered by one battery platform makes it incredibly simple to ensure that the right tools and batteries are transported to the site and charged.

This approach is also more cost-effective, as there is no need to buy a new set of batteries with every new tool purchased, enabling users to opt for lower-cost ‘body-only’ machines to expand their kit.

Selecting the battery platform

Many manufacturers will offer numerous battery platforms that each deliver different output levels, so it is important to carefully consider what voltage is needed to tackle the majority of tasks. For example, Makita offers 18V, Twin 18V (36V), 40VMax, and Twin 40VMax (80VMax) options that are each suited to different tasks.

Makita’s 18V LXT battery platform is the world’s largest compatible cordless tool system powered by 18V slide-style batteries, allowing professionals to tackle the majority of jobs with ease simply by swapping out the LXT battery. The range consists of over 275 different tools, including combi and rotary hammer drills, circular saws, angle drills, and grinders – as well as useful on-site additions like work lights, wet-dry vacuums, radios, and fans.

For more demanding applications, Makita has developed Twin 18V LXT machines that are powered by two 18V LXT batteries that are used together to deliver 36V of power. As 18V and Twin 18V models all utilize the same LXT batteries, professionals can effortlessly switch between lower and higher-demand tasks and tools. What’s more, the company’s Twin 18V LXT system allows batteries with different capacities and levels of charge to be used together. This means that a 6Ah battery and a 5Ah battery (for example) can be used to create 36V of power, maximizing efficiency. If the batteries have different charge levels, the tool will simply stop when one battery is empty.

For tasks that require even more power – such as breaking through concrete to expose pipework – Makita has developed 40VMax or Twin 40VMax (80VMax) machines. These models have been specifically designed to handle more demanding applications by offering high output, durability and fast charge times, keeping users working for longer without disruption.

Makita has also made it incredibly easy to integrate XGT 40VMax machines with existing collections of 18V LXT tools. 18V LXT batteries can be charged using the 40VMax XGT fast charger using a simple adaptor, meaning users can utilize both battery platforms and switch between tasks seamlessly.

It is also important to make sure that the battery platform you invest in has a wide range of machines available – so you can always find the right tool for the job.

In the process of cordless power tools, the battery platform is expected to help brands seize market share of cordless power tools. On the one hand, the battery platform is one of the core components of cordless power tools, and the technology is still in iteration, the battery platform compatibility adapts, the hope is that users will be able to get a better performance experience simply by replacing the battery. For example, the Ryobi ONE + platform for nickel-cadmium batteries was launched in 1996 and upgraded to a lithium-ion battery in 2007. The new lithium-ion battery can still be used in old tools, while the, old nickel-cadmium batteries can also be used in new products. On the other hand, the battery platform can enable users to carry a small amount of battery to adapt to a large number of tools for carrying out effective weight loss and greater convenience. These two advantages allow customers to enhance the brand, conversion costs, the choice of battery platform is expected to be based on the platform to adapt to the consideration of purchasing tools.

Tag: 18V lxt 18V makita battery 40V new battery 40V makita battery

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One Battery Fits All Power Tools

The benefits of a common power tool battery platform

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