Cordless Drill Batteries Reviews

by Tested_to_Destruction

Cordless drill batteries are a much-used power tool accessory. Five of the best drill batteries to enable you to make the right decision.

If you've bought or own a bare tool impact driver or similar power tool, you're going to need a set of cordless drill batteries. Simply put, no drill battery equals no power. There's a variety available, from 18v batteries up to 24v - the most powerful.

Different makes appear to work slightly different - some take a lengthy recharge, others less so. Some will power up and down equally - making a double battery pack an extremely sensible option. One charging, one in use - never without power.

Of the ones available you'll find the lithium-ion, Ni-Can and Ni-Mh batteries. Which one you choose depends on your needs and every one's got an opinion. My advice is they all have their own benefits and I tend not to choose a cordless battery for what's in it so much as how it performs and feels in my hand.

Bosch BAT181 BlueCore 18-Volt 2.4 Amp Hour NiCad Battery

The best selling from the cordless drill batteries range is the Bosch BAT181. It features the new BLUECORE Technology found among many similar accessories and has a longer battery life than its predecessors. It's an 18v NiCad battery, not as forward going as some of the more recent innovations in relation to chargers and adapters but its good enough to get the job done.

It doesn't overheat, it powers along well enough and will deliever a fair amount of vigour to an older drill. You'll probably find you've forgotten how well your cordless drill used to work, more so if you're running off the old standard batteries. Trust me - a new 18v battery in your Bosch will give it a revived rock and roll ability. Good quality battery pack, worthy price tag - recommended for those with 60 bucks to throw at their Bosch.

Bosch BAT181 BlueCore 18-Volt 2.4 Amp Hour NiCad Battery

2611-7739 Features: -Features BlueCore battery technology.-Fully compatible with all Bosch cordless tools.-Innovative cooling rods placed between battery cells to absorb heat an...

Only $299.0

Makita 194157-8 1434 14.4-Volt 2-3/5-Amp Hour NiMH Pod Style Battery, 2-Pack

The Makita 194 is one of the best multi buy cordless drill batteries. Two will always be better than one. Working requires you keep at it, and trying to run a power drill off one battery isn't the best idea. Buy a double pack - one working, one on charge. The Makita features five contact points, which creates a reliable relationship between battery and power tool. All tools get dirty and abused - five points of contact means it's always up and running.

These two are Ni-MH batteries, which pushes the power rating and battery use up quite a few notches. They're reasonable to recharge but - if you're utilizing the one charge/one in use method you'll be fairly matched when it comes to swapping the the two over. Worth investing in? Yes. The pack sold here is cheaper than you're going to find it down the local hardware store and a Makita battery is a Makita battery.

Makita 194157-8 1434 14.4-Volt 2-3/5-Amp Hour NiMH Pod Style Battery, 2-Pack

Includes 14.4 Volt Pod Batteries (2 pk) - 194157-8, Operating Manual

Only $216.06

Hitachi 326241 EBM1830 18-Volt Lithium-Ion 3.0 Ah HXP Battery

This is the best selling of the Hitachi cordless drill batteries and they're the lithium-ion type. Not every one's favorite due to the fact that they wind down quicker than the Ni-Cad or Ni-MH batteries but - they charge up quickly enough and have the advantage of being lighter and more user friendly. Like I've said before - two batteries will combat the down time issue.

This one is compatible with both the Ni-Mh and Ni-Cad Hitachi power tools and will give a good return on the initial investment. The minute you set it to work you'll remember what makes Hitachi such a superb brand name in the world of power tools in general. As it's an 18 v battery, you'll also get the extra kick - there's only the 24v above this one. Worth the cost, lightweight, reasonable charge and good to go.

Hitachi 326241 EBM1830 18-Volt Lithium-Ion 3.0 Ah HXP Battery

EBM1830, 18V, 3.0 AH, Lithium-Ion Battery.

Only $329.34

Milwaukee 48-11-1024 14.4-Volt 2.4 Amp Hour NiCad Slide Style Battery

The best selling of the Milwaukee cordless drill batteries is the Milwaukee 14.4-Volt 2.4 Ni-Cad. This one will work with any 14v Milawakee power tool and will deliver a decent running time between charges. It's surprisingly lightweight for an Ni-Cad and keeps fairly cool when running. The fact that it's a slide-in design is also a bonus - less effort to attach than the old C-clamp removal type.

The power it delivers is awesome for a 14v and the renewed torque a feel of power is pretty inspiring - you'll feel you bought a whole new drill, not just the cordless battery. Although an Ni-Cad tends to be heavier than the lithium batteries, this one doesn't over balance the drill - plus the price for this one is below what you'll find elsewhere and you've got the no-hassle free shipping aspect.

 

Milwaukee 48-11-1024 14.4-Volt 2.4 Amp Hour NiCad Slide Style Battery

14.4V, 2.4A Hour Battery, Use With Any Milwaukee Tool Or Accessory Using The Power Plus Style Batteries.

Only $166.0

Milwaukee 48-11-2830 M28 Lithium-Ion Battery-Pack

Of the 28v cordless drill batteries, the Milwaukee packs the most awesome punch. Not cheap by a long way but worth every last cent. Compatible with the full range of 28v Milwaukee power tool range, the M28 is a supercharged beast. Ready to rock in less time than comparable batteries and one that will deliver outstanding performance.

The lithium-ion type are often viewed as being less pro-active when it comes to running time but this one isn't one of those. It's also lighter than an 18v Ni-Cad or similar and despite its obvious size and power, you're going to feel anything but unbalanced with this one. There's also an accurate power indicator and it's recharge time is impressive. A power hog, a beast - what more can I say? Oh yeah ... buy it.

Milwaukee 48-11-2830 M28 Lithium-Ion Battery-Pack

28V Lithium-Ion Battery, Up To 2x The Run Time Of 18V, Consistent Power, The Last Cut Hole Drilled, Etc, Feels As Powerful As The First, Longer Pack Life, Lighter Weight Than 18...

Only $194.66
Updated: 06/21/2012, Tested_to_Destruction
 
Thank you! Would you like to post a comment now?
1

Comments

Only logged-in users are allowed to comment. Login

You might also like

Dremel Multi-Max Sander For Dollhouse Restoration

The Dremel Muli-Max oscillating tool has lots of different uses, but I'm a do...

Things you should Know Before you buy a Cordless Drill

7 must have cordless drill features are important to any homeowner, handyman ...


Disclosure: This page generates income for authors based on affiliate relationships with our partners, including Amazon, Google and others.
Loading ...
Error!