Battery power tools - how much use do you get on a full charge.

my3cents

I thought it might be useful for users to post how much work they get done with a single charge on a power tool.

I've just finished work for the day ...

I've driven 104 5x100mm screws without any predrilling full depth into construction softwood timber.

DeWalt dcd776 drill/driver with a fully charged 4Amp 18Volt battery.

Used the same battery to do about 60 seconds in a grinder and to remove another 30 smaller screws. Still some usable power.

I'm not trying to do start a my tools better than your tool argument here just putting some real life figures on battery life, something thats never quoted in the specs.

hesker

Too many variables at play I reckon. Would need an awful lot of data to draw any comcluions.

my3cents

hesker wrote: »

Too many variables at play I reckon. Would need an awful lot of data to draw any comcluions.

If anyone is driving a lot of the mostly same size screw into a particular timber then I think some reasonable comparisons can be made.

With other tools like battery circular saw, angle grinder and reciprocating saw its not to hard to see how long they run for under working load.

Edit> With many of the tools I suspect the run times would be low enough so that the manufacturers don't want to publish them.

Lumen

I've seen a few Youtube videos with those kind of runtime tests.

I haven't found issues with runtime of drill-drivers, in the sense that I can get a half day out of them and stick them in the charger while I take a break. The most I've done is probably two or three hundred screws in one session. Plus they're single battery tools so I always have a charged spare.

The tools that eat batteries are cutting tools: circular saw (even with two batteries!), oscillating multi-tool and power planer. The palm sander would be problematic if I was doing large amounts, but it doesn't get that much use.

The circular saw is a PITA because I only have three batteries in total, so if I run out I have to down tools for half an hour or so.

All my battery tools are Makita.

the_pen_turner

Lumen wrote: »

I've seen a few Youtube videos with those kind of runtime tests.

I haven't found issues with runtime of drill-drivers, in the sense that I can get a half day out of them and stick them in the charger while I take a break. The most I've done is probably two or three hundred screws in one session. Plus they're single battery tools so I always have a charged spare.

The tools that eat batteries are cutting tools: circular saw (even with two batteries!), oscillating multi-tool and power planer. The palm sander would be problematic if I was doing large amounts, but it doesn't get that much use.

The circular saw is a PITA because I only have three batteries in total, so if I run out I have to down tools for half an hour or so.

All my battery tools are Makita.

How do you cope with only 3 batteries. I have 25 across makita and dewalt and I still run out

Lumen

the_pen_turner wrote: »

How do you cope with only 3 batteries. I have 25 across makita and dewalt and I still run out

I'm slow!

my3cents

the_pen_turner wrote: »

How do you cope with only 3 batteries. I have 25 across makita and dewalt and I still run out

I manage OK with 5 4Amp DeWalt XR batteries.

I did get one of the extra fast chargers in an Amazon sale which helps and if I'm only drilling or driving screws I'd never run short its grinding and SDS drilling that are the real battery eaters for me.

Don't have a circular battery saw but thats on the list but I wouldn't expect the batteries to last long in one of them.

the_pen_turner

my3cents wrote: »

I manage OK with 5 4Amp DeWalt XR batteries.

I did get one of the extra fast chargers in an Amazon sale which helps and if I'm only drilling or driving screws I'd never run short its grinding and SDS drilling that are the real battery eaters for me.

Don't have a circular battery saw but thats on the list but I wouldn't expect the batteries to last long in one of them.

I have the flexvolt 'wormdrive' saw. Its brilliant. 8 cut a roof with a few weeks ago just to if it could do it. I used 5 6ah batteries to cut 30 rafters, 4 wall plates, purlins , ridge fascia etc.

Lumen

the_pen_turner wrote: »

I have the flexvolt 'wormdrive' saw. Its brilliant. 8 cut a roof with a few weeks ago just to if it could do it. I used 5 6ah batteries to cut 30 rafters, 4 wall plates, purlins , ridge fascia etc.

The DCS577? I've been reading/watching about that one, looks amazing.

Shaunoc

my3cents wrote:

I manage OK with 5 4Amp DeWalt XR batteries.

I picked up 2 knock off 5 amp XR batteries for 60/70 euro. What I do is light but they work well enough

my3cents

Shaunoc wrote: »

I picked up 2 knock off 5 amp XR batteries for 60/70 euro. What I do is light but they work well enough

I'd live to see a comparison between the knock offs and the genuine ones. Unless I didn't have an option I'd buy the genuine ones.

I buy on Amazon and delivery is tricky but found one supplier that will do sell to Ireland. Amazon are the only supplier for the listing now but I got these for £102.94 delivered which didn't seem to bad.

Shaunoc

57 pounds
then add 6.49 for Address Pal to the door for 2 X 5amp
i only have genuine de walt 2 amp batteries so cannot do any reasonable comparison. They def last over twice as long when i use in dewalt strimmer (my poor man comparison)

For the craic, how about we set up a crude comparison?

14.4-18V drill and a 5 x 100 screw, drive it home and back it out again into the side of a white deal 2 x 4, fresh hole each time.

Post the drill make, model and battery Ah and underneath it how many screws you drove before it gave up.

I’ll make a cuppa and give it a lash for pig iron. Anyone else want to play?

my3cents

JayZeus wrote: »

For the craic, how about we set up a crude comparison?

14.4-18V drill and a 5 x 100 screw, drive it home and back it out again into the side of a white deal 2 x 4, fresh hole each time.

Post the drill make, model and battery Ah and underneath it how many screws you drove before it gave up.

I’ll make a cuppa and give it a lash for pig iron. Anyone else want to play?

Good idea but I wouldn't want to be touching that screw once it had been driven in and back out, might be a little hot.

the_pen_turner

JayZeus wrote: »

For the craic, how about we set up a crude comparison?

14.4-18V drill and a 5 x 100 screw, drive it home and back it out again into the side of a white deal 2 x 4, fresh hole each time.

Post the drill make, model and battery Ah and underneath it how many screws you drove before it gave up.

I’ll make a cuppa and give it a lash for pig iron. Anyone else want to play?

i might try that some time.
problem being the diferences in the screws. i see my drill reacts diferently between reisser , spax, grabfix,etc screws.

policarp

Is it a lithium battery?

Spax. We can all use the same. You’ll get those everywhere. Use a bit of punched strapping, a corner bracket or joiner plate or a loop on the end of a bit of coat hanger wire to make a holder for the screw so you don’t roast your fingers. Or alternate between a few screws.

cletus

my3cents wrote: »

I'd live to see a comparison between the knock offs and the genuine ones. Unless I didn't have an option I'd buy the genuine ones.

I buy on Amazon and delivery is tricky but found one supplier that will do sell to Ireland. Amazon are the only supplier for the listing now but I got these for £102.94 delivered which didn't seem to bad.

AvE did a comparison a couple of years ago. Link is in the doodly doo

https://youtu.be/w-d6NqkDUKI

Shaunoc

cletus wrote: »

AvE did a comparison a couple of years ago. Link is in the doodly doo

https://youtu.be/w-d6NqkDUKI

that was entertaining.
i learned that we pay way over the odds for dewalt batteries
and they might be safer

my3cents

Not up to the 5 x 100mm standard but drove 200 Number 4 x 2 inch decking screws to fix shiplap to a frame today and still had power left in a similar 4 Amp battery in a the same 18V DeWalt Drill as my first post.

Does anyone else do what I do and put a number and a date on their batteries. Mine are numbered One to Five and dated so I can try and rotate them. So I'm using a drill mostly atm and I started using battery number 1 in the first post in this thread and today used battery number 2.

My theory is that way they should all get even(ish) use.

my3cents

my3cents wrote: »

Does anyone else do what I do and put a number and a date on their batteries. Mine are numbered One to Five and dated so I can try and rotate them. So I'm using a drill mostly atm and I started using battery number 1 in the first post in this thread and today used battery number 2.

My theory is that way they should all get even(ish) use.

Yes, always. 1-3 on the Panasonics, 1-4 on the Metabos, month and date 'in service' on all of them. It also helps me reconcile the price of genuine replacements when the time comes, when I can see that the batteries generally give me two to three times as much service as I would guess if left to my own devices!

Edit to add, I do the same sort of thing with the batteries in the tractor and the lawn tractor, in so far as I write the date I do the maintenance on the side of them with a paint marker. Top up the water and fully charge them, note the month/year. I just changed a pair of 9 year old Exide Classic batteries in the tractor. Nearly twice as old as I seemed to recall all there in writing on the sides. Made it easy to go spend a couple of hundred on replacements for an occasional use machine, seeing how long I got out of them.

Roen

Numbered but not dated.
3x5Ah and 2x4Ah Makita 18v batteries here.
Have a few 36v Makita gadgets as well as a few 18v ones. Twin charger too so two batteries in at a time.

The 36v brush cutter/strimmer seems to be the hungriest, especially if you fit the steel blade instead of the line.

Never really tested how much I got from a charge. I think I usually give up before the batteries. Too fond of my stomach and the kitchen is only ever a half acre away.

Edit: Can do the screw test too. Thing is the results would be reliant on the condition of the drill (why not impact driver?) in use and the density of the wood. They will vary from test to test. In suppose that's going to be the case in any X versus y brand comparison though.