Skip to main content
2 of 4
Oops! The belt-battery I use is not 17AH, it's only 10AH. The 17AH battery lives in an ammo box.
Jan Steinman
  • 863
  • 1
  • 5
  • 13

There is a big difference between being tied to an expensive, proprietary battery pack and being tied to a 120 VAC line.

When my first battery pack for a tool dies, I dissect it and attach wires through a suitable strain-relief. I then connect the ends to an Anderson Powerpole connector, which I can then plug into a more substantial battery.

(If you do so, be sure to wire the connector according to the Amateur Radio Emergency Service standard, and you'll be able to plug it into any nearby ham radio operator's battery, if needed.)

For this reason, I favour 12 volt tools, because it is simple to find generic batteries for them -- you can even clamp them to a car battery. I don't find the additional torque of higher-voltage tools to be worth the inconvenience and expense of being tied to proprietary batteries.

I can plug into a 17 ampere-hour battery in a box with a handle, and work nearly ten times as long as I can with the 2 ampere-hour battery that came with my tool.

Another advantage is that such tools are often free! When a ~$80 battery pack goes bad, a lot of people chuck the entire tool in the rubbish bin and buy a new ~$90 tool! I "harvest" such tools and wire them to cables with Anderson Powerpole connectors for a few dollars worth of parts, and put them back in service. Or you can find "batteryless" tools at garage sales for pennies on the dollar.

Such "semi-wired" tools are far more portable than you'd think. Sure, they aren't as convenient as with the contained battery, but they can still be used remotely without running a long extension cord.

Jan Steinman
  • 863
  • 1
  • 5
  • 13