M18 FUEL Batteries

[anlrolfe]

I run 4 Milwaukee angle grinders w/ wire wheels when I do an intro to arc welding class. They hold battery life well as long as my student don't lean into the brush pretenting they're grinders(which they do). Our school has lost a few batteries(failure) over the years but I can say I've had the best luck with these that I've ever had to other brands. Honestly think a student or two has done the ole switch-a-ro on a couple batteries. Our welding lab uses 2-small fuel metal cut saws for uni-strut and up to 1/4x2 flat stock. Cut EMT conduit all day with these little saws. I'd like to try the Milwaukee pole saw for some trail work with our Scout troop and see how it shakes down.

 

[Chevboy0167]

Same here. I started long ago with 2 4ah packs then upgraded to 3 5ah packs some yrs later. Last yr I got 1 6ah pack and man I was happier! All still work well but don't last as long as I want for my various tools especially anything that saws/cuts.

Just this summer I bit the bullet and got 2 8ah batts. Bigger and a bit heavier but last MUCH longer! Think I'm set for a while. Even had to buy 2 more quick chargers.

In the heavy use cordless tool professions, bigger batteries are king. If ya gotta drive 1 or 2 screws on a quick project, then maybe the smaller- lighter batts will suffice.

 

[Chevboy0167]

Oh, my other reason for the 8ah batts.... I got the Milwaukee pole saw! I wanted my fun to last!!!

 

[michael j]

Amazon, man! I got two 6ho's for $179 a couple months ago. I see they're $149, now!

I saw a couple 5's with a charger for $162.

These are all Milwaukee brand.

 

[soloz2]

I have a 9ah battery that came with my string trimmer. When it dies I switch to the 5ah batteries I have. I do have a couple smaller 3ah batteries, but I wouldn’t want to use the small battery on the trimmer as the 5ah doesn’t last very long.
You can absolutely get by with more smaller batteries, but I wouldn’t recommend anything smaller than 5ah if you plan to use some bigger tools like the trimmer or pole saw. 8ah and 12ah are designed for that. I believe there’s also a 6ah that may be HO as well

 

[Bill G]

Well it's like saws isn't it. I'm sure as sh!t not going to be cleaning up a dodgy weld or other fiddly stuff with a 9 inch

I guess you missed when I said..............I understand guys like those little grinders and they definitely have their place.........................

 

[Bill G]

Shouldn't have bothered posting, then.

Well the thread is regarding M18 FUEL Batteries That is the title but maybe you missed that. The OP asked about using them in a drill which I own a ton of as well as other Milwaukee cordless tools with M18 batteries. I guess somehow in your mind you have to have a grinder to reply though............... Review post #8 and #9

 

[Bill G]

https://www.homedepot.com/b/Tools/M.../N-5yc1vZc1xyZzvZbwo55Z1z11ao3Z1z179pc?NCNI-5Spend some time watching the deals. Acme slips some surprises in regularly to.

The Home Depot link you posted has an inflator with two 5.0 batteries. That peaks my interest but does not peak my checkbook in my current condition.

 

[Bill G]

All this acme talk I can't help but see coyote trying to get the road runner with various acme products

ACME has went way downhill after taking over Tool Crib of the North

 

[Bill G]

I run 4 Milwaukee angle grinders w/ wire wheels when I do an intro to arc welding class. They hold battery life well as long as my student don't lean into the brush pretenting they're grinders(which they do). Our school has lost a few batteries(failure) over the years but I can say I've had the best luck with these that I've ever had to other brands. Honestly think a student or two has done the ole switch-a-ro on a couple batteries. Our welding lab uses 2-small fuel metal cut saws for uni-strut and up to 1/4x2 flat stock. Cut EMT conduit all day with these little saws. I'd like to try the Milwaukee pole saw for some trail work with our Scout troop and see how it shakes down.

What type of school you teach at?

 

[OM617YOTA]

Well the thread is regarding M18 FUEL Batteries That is the title but maybe you missed that. The OP asked about using them in a drill which I own a ton of as well as other Milwaukee cordless tools with M18 batteries. I guess somehow in your mind you have to have a grinder to reply though............... Review post #8 and #9

You got me there!

 

[Bill G]

You got me there!

Ok

 

[happytule]

OK, I'm glad you guys got into a pi$$ing contest over angle grinders, because a cordless angle grinder might be something I would purchase, even though I already have a corded Milwaukee angle grinder that I rarely use because I live in a place where open sparks are a really bad idea unless it's just rained & corded tools are a really bad idea when it's raining. I don't even use my chainsaws unless it's been raining.

I appreciate all the comments on battery size, I can see where the larger batteries would be required for something like a grinder, string trimmer or pole saw.

Home Depot has a really good price on a set of 4 M18 High Output batteries, two 6.0 & two 3.0, for $349:
Awesome battery deal?

I think I'll probably pick up a set, that way I'll have 2 good batteries for my Hackzall & 2 good batteries to get me looking at another tool!

The M18 High Output batteries use newer 21700 cells vs 18650 cells for the older M18 batteries, which reportedly provides better performance, possibly MUCH better performance.

This page is a good read:
ALL MILWAUKEE M18 BATTERIES COMPARED: HIGH DEMAND, HIGH OUTPUT, 5 AH, 12 AH, AND EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN!

Oh, and for what it's worth, I was at my local Home Depot the other night & was told they already have their Black Friday prices in effect.

 

[sean donato]

I'll toss my 2 cents in too. Pretty much in agreement with everyone, save I have dewalt stuff personally, and we use the Milwaukee m18 at my uncles shop. The 5ah batteries are as small as I'd go. The 8ah are needed for the bigger stuff (we just got a 3/4" impact at my uncles shop. It's killer!)
Something on c ratings, the c rating is dependent on many things, one of the biggest is internal resistance of the battery. There are also burst ratings and continuous ratings. In power tools they don't differentiate between the two or even tell you which is the rating. The sad part is I firmly believe the more power hungry tools are running even the larger 5-8ah batteries at their peak c rating as hot as they get. You'd never run a lipo or lion battery that hard that hot for that long, all your doing is damaging the batteries internal cells. This also increases internal resistance which is another hit for c rating.
1c charge rates are very conservative, my higher end rc chargers have temperature monitoring so if the battery get too hot, the charger will shut down. You can push a lot higher charge amperage then 3c. It's really no different then the fast chargers they are selling for these power tools. Temp is monitored, and if it's too high or low, or goes too high charging is cut.

 

[Jethro 2t sniffer]

I'll toss my 2 cents in too. Pretty much in agreement with everyone, save I have dewalt stuff personally, and we use the Milwaukee m18 at my uncles shop. The 5ah batteries are as small as I'd go. The 8ah are needed for the bigger stuff (we just got a 3/4" impact at my uncles shop. It's killer!)
Something on c ratings, the c rating is dependent on many things, one of the biggest is internal resistance of the battery. There are also burst ratings and continuous ratings. In power tools they don't differentiate between the two or even tell you which is the rating. The sad part is I firmly believe the more power hungry tools are running even the larger 5-8ah batteries at their peak c rating as hot as they get. You'd never run a lipo or lion battery that hard that hot for that long, all your doing is damaging the batteries internal cells. This also increases internal resistance which is another hit for c rating.
1c charge rates are very conservative, my higher end rc chargers have temperature monitoring so if the battery get too hot, the charger will shut down. You can push a lot higher charge amperage then 3c. It's really no different then the fast chargers they are selling for these power tools. Temp is monitored, and if it's too high or low, or goes too high charging is cut.

Pretty much nails it there really. RC is exactly where my lipo or ion knowledge comes from and its annoying how little info these power tool companies give up.

I charge my batteries on a cheap shyte old balance charger off the car battery. Charges painfully slow but I've got 2200 30c turnigys that have done 10 years now. RC trail truck is easy on them too of course but yeah got a mate who is terrible at keeping his batteries and they die all the time from charging hard and over discharge.

I'd like to know the cell voltage when the tool cuts off too out of curiosity

 

[sean donato]

Pretty much nails it there really. RC is exactly where my lipo or ion knowledge comes from and its annoying how little info these power tool companies give up.

I charge my batteries on a cheap shyte old balance charger off the car battery. Charges painfully slow but I've got 2200 30c turnigys that have done 10 years now. RC trail truck is easy on them too of course but yeah got a mate who is terrible at keeping his batteries and they die all the time from charging hard and over discharge.

I'd like to know the cell voltage when the tool cuts off too out of curiosity

I've often thought about it, as they are never balance charged, but it's not monitored from the few old packs I've taken apart.
I find it funny too how there's no such thing as a storage charge for power tools as well. I have a huge mix of batteries from 1s 150mah up to 6s 6000mah for the heli. (Don't have the heli anymore. Still have the battery's.) Most of them are in perfect condition. Toss them on the i-charger or electrify every now and then. Run a discharge, balance, charge cycle. The i-charger will do individual cell and pack resistance measurements, and you can map everything out on a computer if your so inclined. Only thing thay sucks is I don't have a big enough power supply to go over 30amp charging, so parallel charging is limited on my bigger packs. The electrify is stupid simple to use, no power supply, but is limited to like 5 amps. Takes forever on larger packs.

 

[Jethro 2t sniffer]

I've often thought about it, as they are never balance charged, but it's not monitored from the few old packs I've taken apart.
I find it funny too how there's no such thing as a storage charge for power tools as well. I have a huge mix of batteries from 1s 150mah up to 6s 6000mah for the heli. (Don't have the heli anymore. Still have the battery's.) Most of them are in perfect condition. Toss them on the i-charger or electrify every now and then. Run a discharge, balance, charge cycle. The i-charger will do individual cell and pack resistance measurements, and you can map everything out on a computer if your so inclined. Only thing thay sucks is I don't have a big enough power supply to go over 30amp charging, so parallel charging is limited on my bigger packs. The electrify is stupid simple to use, no power supply, but is limited to like 5 amps. Takes forever on larger packs.

They must have some balance system surely?

That charger sounds awesome

 

[sean donato]

It was a first gen dewalt 1ah pack. There was a thermocouple imbeded in the center of the pack, no wiring to each cell for feedback. 18650 style batteries wired up in series for 20 (18) volts. I was kinda surprised, but not surprised at the same time. I think the low voltage cut off is in the actual tool instead of the pack. Haven't had any newer packs apart as all mine have been working great for years now. But I suspect it's much much the same now as with the older batteries. Haven't had a soft cell style apart yet either.
The i-charger is an incredible charger. Wouldn't have bought it if I didn't have the heli at one point.

 

[Chevboy0167]

This guy is just minty....

 

[Jethro 2t sniffer]

It was a first gen dewalt 1ah pack. There was a thermocouple imbeded in the center of the pack, no wiring to each cell for feedback. 18650 style batteries wired up in series for 20 (18) volts. I was kinda surprised, but not surprised at the same time. I think the low voltage cut off is in the actual tool instead of the pack. Haven't had any newer packs apart as all mine have been working great for years now. But I suspect it's much much the same now as with the older batteries. Haven't had a soft cell style apart yet either.
The i-charger is an incredible charger. Wouldn't have bought it if I didn't have the heli at one point.

Far out. Makes it certain its overpriced junk really any of the brands.