4Ah batteries

[Phil Pascoe]

Just looking at a Screwfix cat. made me think. I wonder:-
1/ How many hobbyists are prepared to pay more for a tool with a 3Ah than a 1.5Ah L.ion, or a 4Ah than a 3Ah - when they never use the full capacity anyway? and
2/ How long a tool sold with a 4Ah for £150 would last if the battery was regularly used to its full capacity? Would the tool fail before the battery?

 

[RossJarvis]

It might depend on the hobbyist and maybe the drain on the tool. I've never actually seen a comparison on how long each battery may last on the tool and how many amps are used. In fact the Ah quote is a bit pointless if you aren't told how efficient the tool is and how long the battery may last. In my experience the 3Ah batteries on my latest drill last a good time, hold a charge for a long time and are miles better than the old NiCds in my old drills which never lasted long and lost charge fairly quickly.

Incidentally I've never had a battery tool fail, only the batteries. I think there must be millions of tools dumped every year after battery failure, due to replacement cost or non-availability of batteries. I did buy new cells for one tool, but it was a bit of a faff refitting them and although each cell seems cheap, buying 10 or more soon racks up the cost.

 

[Terry - Somerset]

If you have two batteries and always fully charge the one not in use, when the battery being used becomes exhausted it takes 30 secs to replace it and put the other back on charge. More importantly I suspect that tool usefulness/versatility is often a function of power not battery life.

Terry

 

[No skills]

Where does the line get draw between hobbyist and something else?

The person putting up the odd picture frame or flat pack wont pay out for something with a big battery. Somebody that's done up a house or two is more likely to pay a bit more for more life in the battery. Potentially both 'hobbyist'.