Makita charger Current ?

[AP514]

I am looking for any Info on Makita charger output to batteries(Amps). A friend at work told me the reason most Makita batteries die is due to the chargers putting out a very High Current during the fast charge. In some cases up to 3 Times the rated max Charge limit for the 18650 batteries.

Does anyone have any info on the Current output for the RA or RC Chargers ?
I can not seem to locate a this info....

 

[dogdog]

 

[ddawg16]

I am looking for any Info on Makita charger output to batteries(Amps). A friend at work told me the reason most Makita batteries die is due to the chargers putting out a very High Current during the fast charge. In some cases up to 3 Times the rated max Charge limit for the 18650 batteries.

Does anyone have any info on the Current output for the RA or RC Charges ?
I can not seem to locate a this info....

Depends on the battery manuf. Anywhere from 1.5 to 4A

The only thing you really have to watch for is heat build up. If the batteries are not getting hot, then I doubt they are being over charged.

 

[PhysicsDude]

I've never heard this... In fact I think the opposite is generally true. Makita chargers are pretty "smart" and aren't any faster than their competition.

What kills Makita batteries is they have a little microprocessor in them, and after the processor detects something going awry, it will permanently mark the battery as "bad" and it won't charge. I've had 2 batteries go bad like this within a year or 2 (granted this was 5-7 years ago, haven't had it happen lately), so maybe they've changed this. And both batteries went bad in extreme cold and extreme heat. If you keep the batteries between 35-95 degrees fahrenheit, I think they're extremely reliable and long-lasting.

Makita's "Rapid Charger" claims charge times of:

Charges 18V LXT® 2.0Ah battery in 25 minutes, 3.0Ah in 30 min., 4.0Ah in 40 min., 5.0Ah in 45 min.

Most name brand high discharge 18650s typically are rated for a max charge current of 4amps. Based on Makita's charge times, even if they do max out at 4amps, its only for a small portion of the charge cycle.

Milwaukee doesn't publish exact times on their rapid charger, but its roughly the same speed based on what I've seen and read.

 

[AP514]

Still does not list the output of the Charges...Still looking for infomation.

Maybe I could do a few wires from the charger to a battery and put an AMP Clamp on the wire to see the DRAW ?

 

[zmaxmotorsports]

Depends on the battery manuf. Anywhere from 1.5 to 4A

The only thing you really have to watch for is heat build up. If the batteries are not getting hot, then I doubt they are being over charged.