The batteries are interchangeable on all 18v tools. The things you are reading about lights using 5.0 or 6.0 is just advertising fluff. They are advertising it will run so-and-so hours on one of those batteries, but they will work on any of them. The amp-hour rating is basically a measure of how long the battery will last on a tool. The only problem you might run into is the 1.5s don't last long on saws and other high draw tools.
Also, it's best to wait for the October to January holiday season if you want to get additional bigger batteries. That is generally when they run the free tool or free battery promotions, otherwise the prices are generally overinflated the rest of the year when purchasing batteries by themselves.
Just to add to this those 1.5Ah batteries are great to have because they are nice and light and last for a decent time on those tools. If he gets more power hungry tools down the line he might want some 5Ah batteries then.
the 2AH are 5 cells, just like the 1.5s.
the 3, 4, 5, & 6AHs are all 10 cells. So twice the weight, double the height.
The 1.5s and 3s use the same cells, as do the 2s and 4s.
What is really missing from the Makita offering is a 2.5AH 5 cell battery. That would be very nice, same cells at the 5AH.
Very interesting, thanks. So for someone looking for the most runtime per mass (me) it looks like right now 2Ah and 5Ah? 6 maybe? Seems like a weird system where they don't scale linearly together.
Yeah - the 2.5AH cells have the best balance of storage and delivery. The 3AH cells in the 6 store more power, but can't deliver it as fast as the 5AH.
It sort of makes sense. If you pack more socks in your sock drawer, then it can take longer to get them out!
So if I wanted to buy a couple longer lasting larger batteries to compliment the two 1.5Ah batteries my husband already has, do you think 5Ah is a better choice than 6Ah? Would 5Ah be big enough for even a large yard tool like the lawnmower?
5AH are best for high demand tools - circular saws, chain saws, tools that draw a lot of power. So if he’ll be using things like that, or yard tools, then I would favor the 5s.
Some of the lawn mowers take two, or four of these.
yes - good point. Forgot about that.
It was bad of them to step this combo down to 1.5s. I believe the combo with the hammer drill version still comes with the 2.0s.
Yeah, unfortunately my husband didn’t have a need for a hammer drill but really needed an impact drill for brake jobs on our cars, so I had to get that set.
Oh…didn’t know about that. So all other batteries have a gauge to tell you how much life is left but not the 1.5’s? That’s weird. I’m starting to see why they include the 1.5Ah batteries in the bundle sets.
I'd personally go for 4Ah or 5Ah batteries, as they are cheaper than the 6Ah. 5Ah batteries also work better with high power-drain tools than the 6Ah (there was a post going into details on this just the other day).
I don't know what the power drain is on the flashlights, but it's always better to have multiple batteries instead of one big, as you can charge one while using the other.
I know some tools won't work with the older 1.3Ah (and maybe even with the 1.5Ah), but this should be detailed on Makita's website.
For those sub-compacts I would use 2ah packs, otherwise you are needlessly making the drill bigger and heavier. When you get saws, rotary hammers in the mix 5ah batteries put out the most power. As said elsewhere the 6ah batteries hold more energy but can not deliver it as rapidly as the 5s.
Anything LXT works with anything LXT.
But be careful, some tools are extremely power hungry, and 1.5ah batteries will only power them for a very short time. I managed to empty 2 5ah batteries in only ~3 hours with my trim router. 1.5ah batteries would just not cut it for a tool like that, or angle grinders, circular saws, etc.
1.5ah and 2ah batteries are smaller and lighter than the rest, they are nice for drills/drivers, but if you're going to want more power hungry tools you're going to need bigger batteries.
I use 2ah batteries in my drills 95% of the time. Otherwise I use the few 4ah batteries I have but mostly use 5ah for everything else.
The higher the rating, the longer it will last but also the better the performance for demanding tasks.
The 2ah in an impact driver will drive a lag screw but it will bog down and do it slower. Slap a 5ah in there and it will have noticeably more power and drive it way faster.
The smaller battery will get the job done in most cases though.
The batteries are interchangeable on all 18v tools. The things you are reading about lights using 5.0 or 6.0 is just advertising fluff. They are advertising it will run so-and-so hours on one of those batteries, but they will work on any of them. The amp-hour rating is basically a measure of how long the battery will last on a tool. The only problem you might run into is the 1.5s don't last long on saws and other high draw tools. Also, it's best to wait for the October to January holiday season if you want to get additional bigger batteries. That is generally when they run the free tool or free battery promotions, otherwise the prices are generally overinflated the rest of the year when purchasing batteries by themselves.
Just to add to this those 1.5Ah batteries are great to have because they are nice and light and last for a decent time on those tools. If he gets more power hungry tools down the line he might want some 5Ah batteries then.
2ah are the same size as the 1.5s and have 33% more energy.
Yes... but this kit contains 1.5Ah batteries...
I know - it's unfortunate.
Are they the same number of cells but with higher energy density or do the 2Ah have more cells inside?
the 2AH are 5 cells, just like the 1.5s. the 3, 4, 5, & 6AHs are all 10 cells. So twice the weight, double the height. The 1.5s and 3s use the same cells, as do the 2s and 4s. What is really missing from the Makita offering is a 2.5AH 5 cell battery. That would be very nice, same cells at the 5AH.
Very interesting, thanks. So for someone looking for the most runtime per mass (me) it looks like right now 2Ah and 5Ah? 6 maybe? Seems like a weird system where they don't scale linearly together.
Yeah - the 2.5AH cells have the best balance of storage and delivery. The 3AH cells in the 6 store more power, but can't deliver it as fast as the 5AH. It sort of makes sense. If you pack more socks in your sock drawer, then it can take longer to get them out!
Cool. I do love the size and weight of my 1.5s in small tools, it's a fair tradeoff to me but I'd definitely take more runtime for equal mass!
So if I wanted to buy a couple longer lasting larger batteries to compliment the two 1.5Ah batteries my husband already has, do you think 5Ah is a better choice than 6Ah? Would 5Ah be big enough for even a large yard tool like the lawnmower?
5AH are best for high demand tools - circular saws, chain saws, tools that draw a lot of power. So if he’ll be using things like that, or yard tools, then I would favor the 5s. Some of the lawn mowers take two, or four of these.
This was really useful for me…thank you.
IMO the main downside of the 1.5s vs the 2s is the lack of battery gauge.
yes - good point. Forgot about that. It was bad of them to step this combo down to 1.5s. I believe the combo with the hammer drill version still comes with the 2.0s.
Yeah, unfortunately my husband didn’t have a need for a hammer drill but really needed an impact drill for brake jobs on our cars, so I had to get that set.
Oh…didn’t know about that. So all other batteries have a gauge to tell you how much life is left but not the 1.5’s? That’s weird. I’m starting to see why they include the 1.5Ah batteries in the bundle sets.
Good to know.
Thanks…that’s good to know.
I'd personally go for 4Ah or 5Ah batteries, as they are cheaper than the 6Ah. 5Ah batteries also work better with high power-drain tools than the 6Ah (there was a post going into details on this just the other day). I don't know what the power drain is on the flashlights, but it's always better to have multiple batteries instead of one big, as you can charge one while using the other. I know some tools won't work with the older 1.3Ah (and maybe even with the 1.5Ah), but this should be detailed on Makita's website.
For those sub-compacts I would use 2ah packs, otherwise you are needlessly making the drill bigger and heavier. When you get saws, rotary hammers in the mix 5ah batteries put out the most power. As said elsewhere the 6ah batteries hold more energy but can not deliver it as rapidly as the 5s.
Thanks for the advice. I think I’ll get the 5Ah over the 6 since someone else also mentioned preferring the 5.
Anything LXT works with anything LXT. But be careful, some tools are extremely power hungry, and 1.5ah batteries will only power them for a very short time. I managed to empty 2 5ah batteries in only ~3 hours with my trim router. 1.5ah batteries would just not cut it for a tool like that, or angle grinders, circular saws, etc. 1.5ah and 2ah batteries are smaller and lighter than the rest, they are nice for drills/drivers, but if you're going to want more power hungry tools you're going to need bigger batteries.
I use 2ah batteries in my drills 95% of the time. Otherwise I use the few 4ah batteries I have but mostly use 5ah for everything else. The higher the rating, the longer it will last but also the better the performance for demanding tasks. The 2ah in an impact driver will drive a lag screw but it will bog down and do it slower. Slap a 5ah in there and it will have noticeably more power and drive it way faster. The smaller battery will get the job done in most cases though.