More Batteries or More Chargers?

[Off-Street Parking]

Informal survey:
For cordless tools, what is your "ideal" mix of batteries and chargers?


For example, I've worked jobs where outlets weren't available, so I had to have a bunch of batteries ready to go for the day, but could fast-charge the batch overnight easily enough with just a pair of fast chargers. By contrast, my father over the years ended up with four reasonably fast chargers for three batteries for two drills. Give him a few outlets, and he could basically go forever.

When I started changing systems this year (personal tools / lithium upgrades), through the tool purchases I ended up with four batteries and three slow chargers... An interesting situation where I can do quite a bit of work... but when they're all dead, I'm stuck waiting a couple hours before I can do anything else. Adding a fast charger to the mix would cost the same amount as another battery (or two if you catch the sales)... Or I could just buy more tools to get more batteries (and the additional slow chargers).

So that's where I'm at. How did the rest of you end up?

 

[The Cobbler]

1 charger, 3 or 4 batteries. a power inverter and charge the batteries from your vehicle

 

[Fugio]

One battery for tools that rarely get used or for things where the battery easily lasts all day.

But generally, for things like drills and impact drivers that get used all day, I keep 3 batteries for each of them. While one is being used in the tool, one is cooling down, and one is charging. I'll add a 4th battery if it's a took like my M18 sawzall that chews through batteries really fast. One charger per person is fine.

 

[PelicanPines]

4 batteries 2 chargers + 1 charger in the radio... probably a dozen tools.

I had more batteries but die they do.

All dewalt by the way.

I never charge a warm battery!!!

 

[Robinson1]

Depends on the tools, the batteries, and the task at hand.

I've got a mix of Dewalt and Bosch tools and about 14 batteries total. I've been on jobs where I ran them all dead in a day. That's the extreme and I was on sites with no power and was doing stuff with cordless tools that should have been done with their corded counterparts.

I can frame a good sized deck with a Dewalt 20v circular saw and 3, 3.0 batteries.

By the same token I've ran down 4 Bosch 4.0 batteries in a half day doing rough ins and drilling large diameter holes. Again something that should have been done with a corded tool.

Chargers are personal preference but I say 1 charger per 3-4 batteries is plenty.

 

[Off-Street Parking]

While one is being used in the tool, one is cooling down, and one is charging.

I never charge a warm battery!!!

Yes and yes!

That is one of the factors that has me leaning toward using more batteries, instead of just cycling a pair or three through the fast charger repeatedly.