Actually, with Ni-Cd and NiMH cells, the nominal voltage is 1.2V per cell. So, they were using nominal voltages all along. But, they needed a way to differentiate a 5S Li-Ion pack that has the same voltage as a 15S Ni-Cd pack, and has different current draw and capacity specs, is lighter and smaller, and yet is supposed to be considered an upgrade. If the pack had been a compatible upgrade for existing 18V tools, they wouldn’t have had any confusion. But DeWalt didn’t make that available at first. Other tool manufacturers made Li-Ion packs available for their existing tool lines. DeWalt loyal customers were being left with inferior battery technology and being told to buy all new tools.
By making a new line of tools, with a new “voltage rating” and the distinction of being Li-Ion, they were obviously trying to make a clean break away from all their current lines. The new tools were more compact, so they could replace even the smaller 14.4V tools, yet supposedly powerful enough to replace the 18V and even the 24V tools. One tool line to rule them all. But you can’t just abandon your product lines that way. They should have merged Li-Ion into their older tool lines like everybody else did.
I also think DeWalt batteries are way too expensive anyway. That’s why I want to upgrade my packs myself (or rather get someone to do it for me). That way, I can get truly superior capacity and performance for my money, while keeping the tools that are still working, not being forced into an “upgrade”. The shape of these packs will make for a challenging upgrade. And maybe that’s why DeWalt didn’t even want to upgrade them at first. But, I think it will be worth it, if it turns out the way I want.
I just thought about 26350 cells. I haven’t looked yet, but I think 10x 26350 would fit in the 18V pack without modifying the shell. That won’t give me as much capacity as 15x 18500 cells, but would be easier to mod and still higher capacity than the Ni-Cd cells.
I’d be surprised if you could fit 15x 18500’s in there. The sub C’s are about 22mm * 43mm. 18500’s are 18 * 50mm. Also those 18500’s are rated at a max of 4A discharge each. So 3P would be 12A, thats not exactly that high current. Generally power tool packs use at least 15-20A rated cells. The easiest solution for a conversion would probably be to pop in a LiPo pack.
I don’t think that is the reason for marketing them as 20v. After all so many companies use 18v for their Li-ion packs as well. Dewalt has some, Black and decker uses that in Europe, Porter Cable has 18v Li-ion, milwaukee has their M18 series (18 volt Li-ion), 18v makita and kobalt Li-ion exist. These 18v Li-ion packs can work in any drill basically that uses 18v Ni-Cd if the manufacturer wants them to, but many of them do not and want people to buy a brand new set of tools.
The DeWalt XRP packs ain’t cheap but they’re worth it (or at least they have been till now). The way they’re protected, charged, and can tolerate abuse (electrical and physical) is far better performance than most brands. That was something I considered before settling on DeWalt. In daily hard use in my work, those packs go 2-3 years before performance begins to noticeably fade and twice that long before they’re too weak to be useful anymore. I don’t know or recall who makes the cells they use (I think I’ve seen Panasonic on them) but to replace them myself with top-quality cells costs nearly as much as new warrantied packs bought on sale from my favorite source which is why I stopped rebuilding them. The local pack rebuilder told me he can’t better their performance at any price and to match it costs more than new, but with many other brands he could do that.
DeWalt was one of the first (if not the first) to make retro-fittable LiIon packs using their 18V line. When LiIon tools first started appearing in stores here, Makita, Hitachi, and others introduced entirely new tool lines using those packs which didn’t fit the older tools. IIRC most were 12-14.4V, claiming equal performance to the older ones. About a year later DeWalt showed up with retro-fittable packs and those other new LiIon tools were on clearance soon after with new interchangeable-pack lines replacing them, and with DeWalt introducing their 18V “Nano” line (which weren’t pack-compatible). After that everybody came out with their own specific LiIon-only tool lines, some marketing retro-fittable packs and somec not, and some are now on a second generation of LiIon tools with lighter, more powerful tools with much longer run-times. My generator almost never leaves home now- those of us in the construction industry have never had it so good
All hail LiIon- the of portable power for the common man!
hey there ~ was just wondering your opinion on some older Porter Cable Nicad cordless tool battery packs ....based on any possible experience you may have had with them. i have approx 4 of the 19.2 volt packs that need to be re-build or replaced, as well as 2 of the 9.6 volt packs, and 2 of the 14.4 volt packs. frankly all of these packs are near the end of their life-span and none really hold a very good charge anymore. was wondering what your experienced recommendation would be as all of the actual Porter Cable tools(drills) are still in great shape and work perfectly. in fact i even prefer these older Porter Cable cordless drills because despite being a bit heavier than the newer models, they do not have any "wobble" in the drill shaft, which is a common complaint with many/most all of the newer cordless drills out there(all makes & models) ...having no decern-able wobble allows for much more accurate and precise drilling for detailed work, which is why i hesitate to just purchase newer models with new batteries. getting replacement Nicad batteries for all the Porter Cable drills (19.2v/14.4v/9.6v) is somewhat expensive as they range in price (on ebay) from approx $ 40 to $ 60 (or more even) for each battery. so was wondering your thoughts on any other possible options, of if you may know of a good place that re-builds Nicad batteries of this kind. any advice much appreciated, thanks !
of portable power for the common man!