Interchangeable Compatibility is a Must for Cordless Power Tool Battery Packs [Latest Technology]

Although over the years technology has evolved eliminating the importance of batteries, they still have remained vital in some operations especially cars. Getting the right battery can be hectic. Consequently, different companies tend to change batteries to suit technological advancement.

The problem that we are talking about is the power tool battery cross compatibility. For those who have been using the power tools for a long time will surely agree on the difficulties of this excruciating issue. Just imagine, for quite every type of power tool, you have to buy its specific battery for that particular model or brand. Isn’t that inconvenient for you?

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The Power Tool Battery Cross Incompatible Factors

So what is really behind this whole phenomenon? Well, we did some research and dug these factors out.

For every brand, the battery pack is designed specifically only for its products. This leaves you with no choice other than using one brand only. In case you want to change to other brands, you will not be able to use the same battery anymore.

Let us take an example of a stapler. For a No.10 bullet with a size of 10/4, you can basically use any brand of stapler you want. Every manufacturer of the stapler bullet will follow the standard size of 10/4 and not 10.5/4 nor 10/4.5. Unlike the stapler, this situation has cost us the power tool battery cross compatibility.

The Porter-Cable and Dewalt for example which both have 20 volts lithium-ion cells are not interchangeable without some modifications. In order to make it interchangeable, you need to cut the notch on either side of the batteries.

Different manufacturers have embedded a different kind of technology in their product to overtake their rival companies in their respective business fields as usual. This also often means that their products will only work best with parts of the same brand.

They always say that they can only guarantee that the product will have its best performance as advertised if and only if you use it as it is and without any third-party modifications. They cannot guarantee if the product will work well with parts from other brands nor will it even works at all.

For example, the Dewalt DCD996B has great features like the 3-speed motor, 38,250 blows per minute and 2,250 rotations per minute and also a highly efficient motor for faster application speed while the Bosch HDH181XB offers you better control with Active Response Technology, exclusive Durashield, innovated electronic motor and cell protection.

You may somehow find a way to get these two to work on the same battery pack. However, the performance of the particular brand would not be as good as it did with their own respective brand of battery packs.

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This particular situation makes it so difficult for the consumer to have a cordless tool battery interchangeable with one another. It is pretty inconvenient when you want to charge your cordless tool if you have different brands mixed up.

You will not be able to charge a Bosch tools using Ryobi charger as both of them has a different set of connectors. So, in case your Bosch charger is somehow damaged or broken, forget about charging it on Ryobi charger and start finding some money to be spent on another brand new Bosch charger. Maybe this is just another one of their tricks to get you to stick to their brand.

Like mention earlier, the tools may not work properly if the battery pack used is not of the specified version. this may due to the voltage requirement of the tools itself. These cordless tools have their very own technology and features and by that, each of these features requires a certain amount of voltage to deliver the optimized performance.

If the voltage provided by the battery pack is insufficient, the cordless tools may not be in the best condition to deliver the performance that you are hoping for.

In other cases, the voltage provided by the battery pack may be sufficient as per required by the cordless tools, however, the type of battery itself may be unsuitable for the particular cordless tools. This is because different tools use different types of battery pack that suits their respective features.

For example, Makita XPH12T and Milwaukee 2704-20 both use an 18V battery pack bt these two uses LXT Lithium-Ion and Redlithium Ion respectively thus making them cross-brand incompatible. These batteries are specifically designed to be suited to deliver the power needed for their cordless tools features.

The Need for Cordless Battery Interchangeability

As we have reviewed the roots of the problem, we might ask ourselves whether we really need the interchangeability of the batteries or not? Do we really need the power tool battery cross compatibility?

As for that matter, you need to answer them yourselves. But if the cordless tools manufacturers can somehow solve this problem and achieve the cordless tool battery compatibility that most of the consumers have been painfully longed for, good things will surely benefit you.

This is because the connector used for the battery is just the same as the one you used. In the previous case, each battery can only fit into its specifically designed charger. It must do so or else it will not charge properly or won’t even charge at all. It is important for the charger to work properly as you need the battery to be fully charged and in good condition for you to do your work later on. However, if the cordless tool battery interchangeability is to be achieved, you can eliminate the risk of charging faulty due to battery incompatibility thus increasing your work productivity.

Yes, you heard it right. You can absolutely save your hard-earned cash for other more important things in your life rather than having to spend it on another battery pack or a charger.

Think about it, a cross compatible battery and charger for your cordless tools that solve your issues of having to modify each battery pack just do you can fit it into your cordless tools and having to worry whether it might or might not works well with your cordless tools.

Even if it does, will it give you the performance you expect? To have this cordless tool battery compatibility is the only thing that you might ever need. Plus, do you really want to give away your money to those manufacturers for something that can actually be solved the other way around? Of course not. I’m sure you want to keep that money in your pocket.

Cordless Tool Battery Compatibility of Different Brands

Bosch Battery Interchangeable

For instance the Bosch batteries.

There is a plan to ensure that all the Bosch batteries will be compatible in that they will be able to connect with cordless tool battery interchangeable, tool battery compatibility and cordless power tool battery interchangeable to best suit their customers.

Bosch is planning to change the product name of 10.8 voltage tool power, batteries, and chargers to 12 voltage. This means that the full 10.8 Voltage Bosch Professional assortment will be entirely changed to 12 voltage The 10.8 is simply an average battery voltage which is not compatible with all.

However, with the rise to 12 voltage, it will mean that it is a maximum that can be comfortable to be compatible with all. Hence all Bosch professional 12V tools will be compatible with all current Bosch professional power tool, batteries, and chargers meaning all 10.8V and 12V tools can be further used within the same voltage class system.

18V FatPack batteries offer 25% more runtime in comparison to the Bosch 4.0 Ah and more than 65% more runtime than the 3.0 Ah.

Again, they feature CoolPack design technology, which entails advanced heat conductive housing to keep the battery cooler for long recharge life. Consequently, checking the charge status is has been made quick and easy using the integrated fuel gauge.

Importantly, the power tools allow it to operate in cold weather down to -4F. Also is compatible with all Bosch 18 V Lithium-Ion power tools, radios, and more.

36V Bosch 18V PowerPlus Battery Interchangeable

If you are looking to get more power in a compact form, the latest cell technology from the Bosch 18V PowerPlus battery offers 60% better performance and runtime compared to an 18 V 2.5 Ah rechargeable battery. It also offers the same power as an 18 V 4.0 Ah rechargeable battery. Remember that the Bosch 18 V is a lot smaller, yet it has the capacity to withstand the most demanding projects and tasks. Also, the high-performance cells and its heat-dissipating materials prolong the battery’s service life. Bosch 18V power tools and chargers are compatible and may be interchanged by expert users.

The Bosch Home and Garden 36V cordless unit is made to provide you with a little bit more power than the 18V Power For All system. Like the 18V, it uses premium lithium ion batteries that come in a variety of capacities, letting you pick the model that best suits your needs.

While larger batteries, like the 4ah type, are good for handling larger operations, those with smaller capacity (rated in ah, or ampere hours), on the other hand, are less expensive to make but will offer you less runtime per charge. The Bosch 18v and 36v ranges utilize a separate battery and are not compatible with each other.

Bosch Battery Compatibility 10.8 Volt to 12 Volt Chart

Check More: Bosch Batteries – CoolPack 2.0 system and Changeover from 10.8V to 12V

Milwaukee Cordless Battery Interchangeable

Milwaukee is another battery that is trying to ensure its compatibility. However, the Milwaukee, unlike the Bosch, is only compatible with the convenient cordless tool. The Milwaukee M18 cordless Mag Drills are much faster than their competitors while also providing the stronger magnetic hold.

However, you can keep your cordless power tool battery interchangeable tools lightweight and run stable with these high-capacity battery packs. They offer increased runtime and power, and recharge faster than conventional Li-Ion batteries. Consequently, the come with fade-free power with no memory effect.

Looking for more Milwaukee Replacement Batteries For The Power Tool User.

Makita Power Tool Battery Compatibility

Makita is another worldwide company that manufactures industrial standard power tool battery interchangeable and other outdoor equipment. For Makita, their sole purpose is to ensure that they utilize the technology innovations fully to make more compact with fewer weight equipment but importantly deliver the right power and results.

Makita’s extensive line of cordless lithium-ion tools includes 12V max Lithium-Ion18V, 18V Compact Lithium-Ion, and LXT Lithium-Ion. Just like Bosch, Makita has expanded the 18V lithium-ion cordless tool with the 18V Compact Lithium-Ion 2.0 and the 18V LXT Lithium-Ion 4.0 Ah battery. The two are manufactured to ensure that they have more run-time and speed fast charging than the 2.0 Ah and 4.0 Ah lithium-ion batteries available on market currently.

80+ 18V cordless solutions mean that Makita will have the world’s most extensive 18V lithium-ion tool line-pioneered by slide-style 18V lithium-ion batteries, earning the title world-leading innovator of cordless tool technology.

According to Makita products manager, Mr. Mario Lopez, the creation of the 18V lithium-ion category by Makita has brought a wide scope of a line-up for cordless tools. The contractors eliminate the cord for applications that had always needed a corded tool. However, with the new 2.0 and 4.0 amp-hour batteries, the contractor’s industry has been given a leading performance and compatibility, in relation to the batteries that spends more time in action and less time sitting on the charger. And there’s more battery innovation on the way in 2014.” The new batteries will have the following increases;

1. Up to 35% extra run time than the Makita 18V LXT Lithium-Ion 3.0 Ah battery (BL1830)
2. Attains full range in only 40 minutes. This is two-times faster than leading competitors’ 18V 4.0 Ah batteries.
3. In comparison, 18V LXT Hammer Driver-Drill pioneered by the new 4.0 Ah battery has the ability to drill 25 holes, compared to 18 holes by the 3.0 Ah battery-powered drill
4. They are compatible entirely with 18V LXT and 18V Compact cordless tools that come with the star symbol.

You can learn more about Makita Drill Replacement Battery for your tools by reading our article here.

Dewalt Cordless Battery Interchangeable

Dewalt batteries is another company that has so many frequently asked questions about the power tool, cordless tool interchangeable abilities, and the cordless tool compatibility. The batteries are modeled to reduce tool weight and user fatigue.

For instance, the 20v max compact XR battery packs come with LED fuel gauge system to show the amount of remaining power. Consequently, they have high power toll that charge in less than one hour hence having your tool ready when you need it. Their compatibility is fantastic as the high-capacity XRP batteries can power all DeWalt18V tools and in the long run allowing you to run several tools off of 1 battery pack.

Again the 40V MAX* 4.0Ah batteries provide 160-watt-hours. This ensures long runtime of energy. Also, they are compatible with DEWALT 40V MAX* outdoor power equipment.

The FLEXVOLT battery’s ability to automatically change between two voltages , When the FLEXVOLT20V/60V battery is inserted into a 20V tool, the battery automatically changes into Parallel mode. In parallel mode, three sets of five cells each are connected in parallel, to give you 20V and 6.0 Ah for increasing 4X runtimes.

When Dewalt changed the 18V Ni-Cad and 20V max Lithium-ion designation of their power tools, it caused some confusion for many people because it implied having two separate product lines. As a result, the question of whether Dewalt 18V and 20V batteries are interchangeable has lingered for a while.

Technically, you cannot interchange these batteries. The batteries have different terminals, so you cannot connect them to one another without a conversion kit or adapter. But even the adapter is only one-way, which means that it allows you to make use of the newer 20V batteries on the 18V power tools but not vice versa. This also applies to the chargers from both product lines. This adapter seems to be a clever compromise considering that Dewalt does not produce 18V tools anymore but it still has its limitations.

Both the 18V and 20V batteries have 5 cells each with a nominal rating of 3.6V each for their nominal voltage rating of 18V while the cells are 4V each for a maximum voltage rating of 20V. What this simply means is that both batteries are fundamentally the same on the inside with the difference simply being how they choose to express the batteries’ voltages.

See: More about Dewalt replacement battery informations

Ridgid Power Tool Battery Compatibility

The new x4 Ridgid battery of lithium-ion batteries are excellent! For starters, they are way lighter compared to the original lithium-ion batteries. The Ridgid just like the Bosch comes with a fuel gauge to ensure faster and secure checking of charging status. However, you have to use the correct charger.

For instance, the original dual charger is only for nicad batteries and is mostly obsolete. There are now four stages of single battery chargers. However, it is just when you see a decal on the charger that says “multi-chemistry” that you can be guaranteed of compatibility charging for both nicad and lithium-ion batteries. The latest charger labeled X4 is exceptionally excellent. The X4 charger is smaller in size, weighs less, better battery status, and has a very minimal amount of radio interference when at work.

Check More: The Ultimate Guide To The Best Ridgid Battery Replacement

Worx Battery Cross Compatibility

When it comes to workshop tools, Worx is a brand that you can rely on. Worx has come out with a successor of the WA3575 battery model which is the WA3575.2. It is a 20V battery with 2.0 Ah Lithium that allows quick charging so that you can work faster. This new model includes dual batteries as opposed to its predecessor’s single battery.

The great thing about this battery is that it is compatible with the 20V and 18V power tools. However, it is recommended to only use it for the corresponding voltage tools though the PowerShare allows for the same voltage family tools. This lithium battery is NOT interchangeable with your Ni-Cad battery-based tools. This model also does not comes with a charger and the Worx chargers that are compatible with this battery are the WA3742 20V, WA3868 20V, WA3732, WA3835, WA3764, and WA3875 model.

According to some sources, this battery also allows you to use it on other brands of power tools such as Guild, Erbauer and Titan which mostly Positec-manufactured tools.

Porter-Cable 20V Battery Compatibility

Are porter cable 18v and 20v batteries interchangeable?

Porter-Cable is another well-known tool brand. Talking about the 20V battery specifically, it is so unfortunate that it is not interchangeable with the 18V Porter-Cable tools. Though many assume it is, it isn’t and the reason for this is that it has a whole different design than the 18V tools.

Are porter cable and dewalt batteries interchangeable?

You might wonder, whether it is interchangeable with other brands then? Well, not to say that it is directly compatible but you may do some modifications and adjustments to it to make it compatible. As with the case of Porter-Cable and Dewalt batteries, both of them use lithium cells to power up tools. To make it compatible with one another, you need to cut the notch on either side of the batteries so that it may fit the tools and charger.

Are porter cable and black and decker batteries interchangeable?

The same goes for the Black & Decker tools. Both batteries have the same design and similar to each other. The only difference is that the Black & Decker 20V batteries have notch on both sides (positive and negative) while Porter-Cable only has one notch which in on the positive side. So, what you need to do is make a notch on the negative side so that it may fit your tools. The performance of your tools may differ though.

Check More: What’s Best Porter Cable Lithium Ion Battery Choose For You

Craftsman C3 Battery Compatibility

Fortunately, the Craftsman C3 platform runs with the one same battery which is the 19.2V. Therefore, you can use this battery for all your C3 tools previously made even those made in the future unless they made any modification of course.

Though there is no clear method to make it cross compatible with other brands, you may find guide videos on Youtube to make it work. It is not recommended though if you are not that good with it technically.

Einhell Battery Compatibility

Einhell is boasting the world with its new multi-functional battery platform. It is said that the Power X-Change system is very efficient and applicable to over 95 different tools. This multipurpose battery also is one of the extensive and innovative there are in the current market.

These innovations include intelligent batteries that allow you to work with any tools, environmental friendly and sustainable technology. Moreover, you may combine two 18V batteries for power up any 36V tools. Isn’t that great?

Black & Decker 20V Battery Compatibility

Like Einhell, Black & Decker also offers you a similar system of 20V Max* lithium-ion battery. Pretty much for every tool that runs on this system, you may use the same 20V battery. This long-lasting and interchangeable battery gives you the convenience of battery sharing between the Black & Decker tools. This way, you can save up on your costs.

Are black and decker 18v and 20v nd 40v batteries interchangeable?

On a different case, if you were trying to make the 20V interchangeable with different voltage tools such as 18V or 40V tools, just know that you can’t. This is because every tool and batteries have different connectors. Even if you somehow find a way to make it fit, the battery protection circuit might be burned or that the battery will not deliver enough power for your tools.

Are dewalt 20v batteries interchangeable with black and decker?

Using in on other brands also is not recommended as it is not compatible. Is it interchangeable with Dewalt 20V batteries? The answer is strictly no. The reasons are pretty much the same. The electronic components in those two batteries varies and trying to use it on each other tools may cause your tools to be damaged. Dewalt 20V has a trigger that will ruin the whole system in case you try to put in incompatible batteries. After all, you don’t want to messed up your tools, do you?

Solution: Power Tool Battery Adapter

Now that we have had taken a look at the roots of the problems and also the benefits of the power tool battery cross compatibility, we sure might want to figure out the solution for this problem once and for all. Despite all the efforts, currently, the solution for this problematic matter seems to be not for the long term.

The only solution for this debatable matter right now is the power tool battery adapter.

The very justification behind the need for this adapter is to turn voltage incompatible devices or tools to a compatible one. These battery adapters make it easier for you to switch the voltage output. So if you ever wonder if you can use your 18V battery for 20V tools, now you know you can.

That is exactly what the Milwaukee battery adapter does. To begin working with this adapter, you just need to plug the tool that you want to use with the adapter and then insert the battery at the bottom of the adapter. By using Milwaukee compatible batteries, you will be able to make it rechargeable and more efficient. It makes it so much easier for you to work with most of your power tools by converting the battery power. This in return makes your work more enjoyable and productive.

So if you happen to have some old tools that use NiMH and NiCad but you want to operate with lithium batteries instead, just know that you can do it with this adapter. It also has high durability as compared to other adapters thanks to the lithium batteries that allow better control of the current, temperature, and voltage it produces.

Conclusion

In a nutshell, consumers have been yearning for power tool battery cross compatibility. Maybe in the near future, the manufacturers of these power tools will respond to the complaints made or maybe not. Anyhow, the problem will still be lingering on if no permanent solution to this problem is provided which in this case is the cordless tool battery interchangeability.

The factors that led to this whole problem shows the struggle of the consumers to adapt to the respective brands that they use without having the chance to change to other brands even if they want to. The realization of the cordless tool battery compatibility will not only bring benefits to the consumers but also the manufacturers as they tend to decrease the raw materials required for battery production. This is unless they still want you to stick to their brand no matter what happens.

This is because not all type of battery adapters is available according to every need of the consumers. Some of the power tools models or brands are still not able to be cross compatible with each other. Even if you buy the adapter, you can only make it cross compatible between two brands or models. If you want to make it cross compatible with another brand than those two, you would have to buy another adapter. Wouldn’t that cost you more? What you really need is an interchangeable battery that can be used for a wide range of brands and models.

There you have all the information you need concerning the cordless tool battery interchangeable, the battery tool compatibility and cordless power tool battery interchangeable uses. Ensure then that you go for the battery that suits you best and has all the features that you need and enjoy quality service.

Sources:

https://www.bosch-professional.com/gb/en/service/news/changeover-from-10.8v-to-12v/

http://www.dewalt.com/en-us/products/power-tools/flexvolt/flexvolt-batteries

https://www.makita.co.nz/technology/LXT.lsd#compatibility

https://www.ryobitools.com/outdoor/products/list/family/one-plus

Update: 2022