How long do you think until batteries get standardized?
- Thread starter katiexoxo
- Start date
KGB Pilot125
Well-known member
Not soon enough!
maintguy
Well-known member
in America I say never
mmack66
Well-known member
The batteries are probably where they make the bulk of their money. Why would they want to give that up?
General Geoff
Well-known member
Depends on the demands of the voting public vs the lobbying power of Big Tools.
PeterT
Well-known member
Never nor should they be forced to, regulation will only stifle innovation
KM223
Well-known member
110% correct! Just like consumer printers, it's not the machine that costs the money it's the ink. Time after time after time....
haha if you only knew what was inside them E.g. standard parts
Strouty
Well-known member
Do you think power tool manufacturers will be forced at some point to use the same connectors on their batteries?
The EU did this with micro USB chargers
That was a joke, Apple just made a stupid adapter and went to town making their own plug. I can see it now, you need the adapter to plug the battery into the drill and it is the same size as the battery!!!!
MikeF2316
Well-known member
I don't think it will ever happen. With the nature of lithium cells, you can always charge it faster, charge it to a higher state of charge, run it down to a lower state of charge, or allow higher current to get more out of it. At the cost of reduced life. This will be a trade off that requires different charging and discharging strategies, different chargers, and incompatibility.
DonglordActual
Well-known member
There are only so many battery manufacturers in the world. The money is in the connector and battery case. Thankfully those can be opened and new batteries can be swapped in for about 50% of the cost of buying a new battery pack. There are guides on how to do it.
Hopefully it isn't a battery held together with glue and paper!
Hopefully it isn't a battery held together with glue and paper!
Chief919
Well-known member
Never.
Companies know once you have a tool and some batteries you are far, far more likely to buy your next tool that uses the same battery.
That is why Dewalt making an adapter to use the 20v batteries in 18v tools was a brilliant move. I know it was the tipping point in me, alreday having a bunch of 18v stuff, to choose a Dewalt 20v impact over the other brands because I could use that battery in tool I already have.
Companies know once you have a tool and some batteries you are far, far more likely to buy your next tool that uses the same battery.
That is why Dewalt making an adapter to use the 20v batteries in 18v tools was a brilliant move. I know it was the tipping point in me, alreday having a bunch of 18v stuff, to choose a Dewalt 20v impact over the other brands because I could use that battery in tool I already have.
Major Ramifications
Well-known member
Well, cars have been around for over 100 years and oil filters are not standardized. I mean, the manufacturers should choose either a small, medium or large for each application all with a standard thread size. There would only be three filters to stock at the stores and as a result they would cost less and be more profitable.
Empty Pockets
Well-known member
What he said
Mechanical Noise
Well-known member
Hey, that's funny! Here in the real world CELLS are standardized, BATTERIES are unique to the manufacturer.
Tool manufacturers like to have the freedom of buying commodity type standardized cells from several competing cell manufacturers to power their battery packs. In turn, they establish a monopoly on their battery packs.
If this sort of "innovation" has any benefit to the consumer, it escapes me.
rsanter
Well-known member
mjoekingz28
Well-known member
At least they are trying to recycle them now. I think I have even seen places that will give money in return for useless rechargeables.
I got really annoyed when all those mid-90s connectors would all have different round plugs that go into the device that plugs into the wall. Then the computers with their cables that if you bend one prong on your keyboard cable it is a hassle from then on out.
I would LIKE to know what regular AA batteries, the newer lithium ion AA types, rechargable stuff like laptops, cell phones, etc. do to a landfill. If you have ever seen an old boombox that had like 6 C cells left in it unused with humidity to spare for ten years or so is like, I will tell you. Green powder, rust, corrossion and it burns and fryes your skin when you touch it. I presume this is lead-acid, who knows what it is doing to your lungs.
That said, how are nickel cadmium and lithium ion batteries doing? Are we killing the planet by mining the materials, THEN killing the planet again by tossing them in the dump? It sure would be nice to have a battery that had many uses- but there is so much ado. Just like a gas motors, batteries can be kind of a waste if you dont use them often-they mainly just deteriorate and hurt you for wasting money and hurting the company for wasting their time and resources. And the clutter. But does a battery need to be optimized to the tool as a gas engine is? Say, a chainsaw motor isnt quite the same as a weedeater, tiller or lawnmower.
I got really annoyed when all those mid-90s connectors would all have different round plugs that go into the device that plugs into the wall. Then the computers with their cables that if you bend one prong on your keyboard cable it is a hassle from then on out.
I would LIKE to know what regular AA batteries, the newer lithium ion AA types, rechargable stuff like laptops, cell phones, etc. do to a landfill. If you have ever seen an old boombox that had like 6 C cells left in it unused with humidity to spare for ten years or so is like, I will tell you. Green powder, rust, corrossion and it burns and fryes your skin when you touch it. I presume this is lead-acid, who knows what it is doing to your lungs.
That said, how are nickel cadmium and lithium ion batteries doing? Are we killing the planet by mining the materials, THEN killing the planet again by tossing them in the dump? It sure would be nice to have a battery that had many uses- but there is so much ado. Just like a gas motors, batteries can be kind of a waste if you dont use them often-they mainly just deteriorate and hurt you for wasting money and hurting the company for wasting their time and resources. And the clutter. But does a battery need to be optimized to the tool as a gas engine is? Say, a chainsaw motor isnt quite the same as a weedeater, tiller or lawnmower.
KM223
Well-known member
You are kidding right??
Distrophe
Well-known member
Hopefully. At least the Lightning cable end is reversible. No need to check if it's right side up.
Microusb cables and ports are not reversible and the skinny wire parts wear out quicker.
Anyways, propriety batteries is one way certain companies charge more per Amp-Hour than others. $100 for (2) 3ah batteries or from another company its $120 for (2) 5-ah batteries.
Inside, however, those battery packs are all built out of a few different types of commodity cells.
I still have a 14.4V NiCd Milwaukee drill and I get the battery packs rebuilt at Interstate Batteries. No reason to junk a perfectly good tool just because the battery dies.
As far as landfill goes, old carbon zinc dry cells were relatively harmless: zinc, graphite, manganese dioxide, and ammonium chloride. Older alkalines had some small amount of mercury, but the new ones are mercury-free. They do have potassium hydroxide, which is corrosive but not toxic or an environmental hazard.
NiCds are problematic because of the cadmium, which is very toxic. NiMH are innocuous.
Li-ion have organic electrolytes—I don't know how toxic those are in landfills.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
I still have a 14.4V NiCd Milwaukee drill and I get the battery packs rebuilt at Interstate Batteries. No reason to junk a perfectly good tool just because the battery dies.
As far as landfill goes, old carbon zinc dry cells were relatively harmless: zinc, graphite, manganese dioxide, and ammonium chloride. Older alkalines had some small amount of mercury, but the new ones are mercury-free. They do have potassium hydroxide, which is corrosive but not toxic or an environmental hazard.
NiCds are problematic because of the cadmium, which is very toxic. NiMH are innocuous.
Li-ion have organic electrolytes—I don't know how toxic those are in landfills.
Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk
trainer
Well-known member
The only way batteries would become standardized is if there was either legislation forcing it or if there was major consolidation in the industry through mergers and takeovers. Neither would be good.
That was a joke, Apple just made a stupid adapter and went to town making their own plug. I can see it now, you need the adapter to plug the battery into the drill and it is the same size as the battery!!!!
Don't have any Apple devices - but it's not a joke to me. My PiPo and Samsung Tablets and both my phones use same charger. 1 instead of 4 and probably counting. Or rather 2 instead of 8 if counting car chargers as well.
Perhaps regulations can stifle invention but they can also promote them.
Overall it's a great thing, people I know are generally very happy with it.
That is great an all.. but if all 18 volt tools took the same connection, Then working tools with dead batteries with no replacements would not be paperweights..
So sick of having a tools that is in 100% working order and have the lack of being able to get a battery or a replacement charger for that brands connector.
Might not be an issue for a contractor that kills the unit before the batteries die.. but for the DIY or guy with a wood working hobby or automotive hobby, landscaping tools ..
it's getting real old.. go to use it, battery won't take a charge, go to get a replacement sorry, disco'd..
My next good drill will be cord to go with my 20y/o milwakie .
same with my saws..
So sick of having cordless tools that are trash in 2-3 years.. only because of lack of battery replacements or charger that will charge/connect to that type connector..
It be one thing if I was buying the cheap stuff, but that isn't the case..
I can walk into a autoparts store and get an oil filter for a 20-50 year old engine/car.
I can't say the same thing for a 5 year old tool.
battery or charger..
So you are comparing apples and oranges..
The issue isn't the difference in connectors as much as you can't get the correct batteries so the tool goes into the deep 6 can..
I don't care if they make the battery pack connector so it only fixes their tool,, and has the monopoly on them, make them so you can unscrew one side from the other to replace the cells.. not glued together or high fr welded. They still have the battery market as you'd need the case.. but you could rebuild it when it's dead.. or send it back and have them service it..
I get it they rather you buy new tool sets every 2-3 years.. I'm done with this game..
back to a cord, extension cords are cheaper than the pyle of tools I have that are junk because of lack of a replacement battery.
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