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Rebuilding 18 volt batteries for cordless tools.

Started by Dave Shepard, November 07, 2015, 05:16:30 PM

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John Mc

I've got the Milwaukee M18 Fuel Sawzall and 1/2" Hammer Drill/Driver. I have their compact impact driver on order. They are GREAT tools. The "M18 Fuel" versions of their tools are significantly better than the plain "M18" tools (without the "Fuel" in the name).
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

Dave Shepard

Did you order the new 2753 impact driver? It looks really impressive. I'll probably be getting the gen 2 hammer drill/impact set this winter.
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

John Mc

Yep, the 2753. Interested to try the self tapping screw mode. Ordered the bare tool. Waiting for the higher capacity batteries to come out - I have enough of the 3 and 4.0 batteries.
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

Dave Shepard

I just picked up the 2nd gen hammer drill, impact set with two 5.0 batteries, and the 2731 7 1/4" saw. The saw will get used tomorrow. Looking forward to not tripping over a cord. ;D
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

Jim_Rogers

post some pictures of these tools. Please?

Jim Rogers
Whatever you do, have fun doing it!
Woodmizer 1994 LT30HDG24 with 6' Bed Extension

John Mc

If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

Brucer

I'm really curious to see how the cordless circular saw works out. My boss owned one when I worked for him 11 years ago. It would give us a dozen or so cuts in 1x8 lumber before the battery would die. Would barely get started in a piece of 2" lumber before it would stall out :(.

Higher voltage and better battery technology may make a circular saw feasible.
Bruce    LT40HDG28 bandsaw
"Complex problems have simple, easy to understand wrong answers."

John Mc

I read a tool review a while back, and the Milwaukee 6 1/2" circular saw got very good reviews. The only complaint was that it was not a 7 1/4" saw - which they've now come out with.

I owned one of their 6 1/2" circular saws with the older NiCad batteries. It cut fairly well when the batteries were in good condition. The new lithium batteries last much longer, and they have higher capacity batteries out now.

For the best performance and battery life, you want the "M18 Fuel" tools. The plain "M18" tools are pretty good, but the "Fuel" version is noticeably better.
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

Kbeitz

A little off topic but last week I was in an Amish store and was looking at
air powered saws and drills. They even had air powered sawsalls.
Collector and builder of many things.
Love machine shop work
and Wood work shop work
And now a saw mill work

Dave Shepard

The reviews I've seen for the M18 7 1/4" saw show that it will cut well over 200 2x4s or almost 300 feet of osb with a 4.0 battery. I have two 5.0 batteries with the drill kit, so I don't think I will run out of juice working alone. With a spare battery on the charger, should be able to work continuously. I tried it with a 3.0 last night, and it cut great, but you could get it to overload and shut off if you really pushed it. I think a bigger battery may provide more juice, and keep it from shutting off.
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

Dave Shepard

Experimented a little last night with the saw. 25 cuts in white pine full 2x8 got the battery gauge to drop down to three bulbs. That's 400 square inches on about a quarter battery (5.0ah). Reviews say 230 to 260 cut in 2x4 (1,300"2, roughly with 3.0ah). That's pretty impressive.

Just tried the 2753 impact. It's really fast. You have to push down just so the screw doesn't drive itself off the bit. :D
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

John Mc

My 2753 impact was delayed when they shipped me the wrong tool. It may be a while before I get to test it, since it's a Christmas present from my wife (surprise!)
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

Dave Shepard

I've been using the 2704 drill from the kit today to bore peg holes. I'm blown away at the power. It will run a 7/8" ship auger through larch on high like butter. My older M18 drills just don't run a ship auger.
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

Dave Shepard

I've had half a year using my Fuel tools, and I am very impressed. We end trimmed all of the roofing before installing, trimmed all the boards on the roof after installation, cut all of the bracing boards, and a few other miscellaneous things, and still have some charge left on one 5.0 battery. I'd say cordless saws have come a long way. My friend has been using his original M18 drill to screw the roof down, and it's slow, and eats up batteries like John Pinette at a Chinese buffet. :D



 
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

LeeB

Use the 1/4" impact for driving screws. You'll never use a drill again.
'98 LT40HDD/Lombardini, Case 580L, Cat D4C, JD 3032 tractor, JD 5410 tractor, Husky 346, 372 and 562XP's. Stihl MS180 and MS361, 1998 and 2006 3/4 Ton 5.9 Cummins 4x4's, 1989 Dodge D100 w/ 318, and a 1966 Chevy C60 w/ dump bed.

Dave Shepard

I offered my gen2 Fuel impact, he declined. It would have been faster, and used way less batteries.
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

John Mc

So I never did get my Milwaukee 2753 Impact driver. After they shipped the wrong tool, the correct one was on back order. I finally told them to cancel the order. I'm now debating buying the 2753 or the 2757. 

The 2753 has several different speed modes and a "self tapping screw" mode you can select via 4 buttons on the tool.  The 2757 has Milwaukee's "One Key" system: It also has 4 buttons for different speed and torque profiles, but you can customize the profiles for speed and torque by using a smart phone running their One Key app.

Has anyone used one of Milwaukee's "One Key" tools? If so, what did you think?

(My apologies to the OP for the topic drift.)
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

Dave Shepard

There are reviews on YouTube. Basically, the gist was that if you were a competent power tool user, it was redundant, but if you had a bunch of "live bodies" running you tools, being able to dial in the tool could be handy. In delicate work, you can send a screw through the work and out the other side in a heartbeat.
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

John Mc

Quote from: Dave Shepard on May 21, 2016, 10:33:01 AM
There are reviews on YouTube. Basically, the gist was that if you were a competent power tool user, it was redundant, but if you had a bunch of "live bodies" running you tools, being able to dial in the tool could be handy. In delicate work, you can send a screw through the work and out the other side in a heartbeat.

Yeah. It would mostly be me and one other guy using it. We do solar PV installations. I was thinking the programmable bit might be helpful for repetitive tightening of multiple identical fasteners. If the torque limits worked OK, we could figure out a setting which put it just under the torque spec for a fastener, which would speed up the process greatly when we come back around with a torque wrench for the final tightening. If it worked well enough, we might be able to set it to the final torque spec, and just spot check a percentage of the fasteners.
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

47sawdust

I want to purchase a Milwaukee 18 volt 61/2'' saw for use at the mill as well as job site.The kit I am looking at is the 2630-22 M18,$349.00.The saw gets good reviews but I was wondering if anyone had experience with this saw.

As for as rebuilding batteries Primecell rebuilds them.I have no first hand experience with them
Mick
1997 WM Lt30 1999 WM twin blade edger Kubota L3750 Tajfun winchGood Health Work is my hobby.

r.man

John Mc, I have wore out 3 different brands of drills with clutches over the years and I have found that to a certain degree tightness depends on battery charge at time of use. I expect almost any clutch based drill would get your torque close with a decently observant operator. Requires you to listen to the drill and assess based on the sound.
Life is too short or my list is too long, not sure which. Dec 2014

John Mc

Quote from: 47sawdust on May 22, 2016, 02:00:29 PM
I want to purchase a Milwaukee 18 volt 61/2'' saw for use at the mill as well as job site.The kit I am looking at is the 2630-22 M18,$349.00.The saw gets good reviews but I was wondering if anyone had experience with this saw.

I prefer the M18 Fuel variants of their tools. They seem to have better torque and battery life. The 2730-22 would be the M18 Fuel version of the saw you named. It costs $399, another $50 above the price you listed.

If you need a larger saw, they also sell a 7 1/4" saw: the M18 Fuel 2731-22 for $429

I own one of their 6 1/2" Nicad-based circular saws. I was happy with it, but it's not the last Nicad Milwaukee tool I own. I'll eventually replace it with a lithium battery saw. I've used the 2730, and will eventually get either that one or the 2731.

NOTE: the 2630 seems to sell with their 3.0 Amp-hour batteries. They are good batteries, but their current standard for high capacity batteries is 5.0 Amp-Hour.  I have several 3.0 A-H batteries, and one 4.0 A-H. The difference in battery life is very noticeable. If I can't buy a new saw with the 5.0 batteries, I'll just buy the bare tool and get new batteries when my existing ones wear out.
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

John Mc

Quote from: r.man on May 22, 2016, 02:29:04 PM
John Mc, I have wore out 3 different brands of drills with clutches over the years and I have found that to a certain degree tightness depends on battery charge at time of use. I expect almost any clutch based drill would get your torque close with a decently observant operator. Requires you to listen to the drill and assess based on the sound.

I agree. I use the clutch on my Millwaukee cordless drill/driver now, but it's big and can be awkward when working on a roof. The compact impact drivers are smaller and lighter. I don't think they have a clutch adjustment, however. I do want to get an impact driver at one of these points (which is why I had the 2753 on order), if I can get one that also has adjustable torque, it could do double duty for me.
If the only tool you have is a hammer, you tend to see every problem as a nail.   - Abraham Maslow

47sawdust

John,
Thanks for your input.I found the 2730 kit for $359.00 on Ebay and have placed the order.
Mick
Mick
1997 WM Lt30 1999 WM twin blade edger Kubota L3750 Tajfun winchGood Health Work is my hobby.

Dave Shepard

I notice that when I use a 3.0 on the 2731 saw, I can't push it as hard. Milwaukee was supposed to introduce a 6.0 battery the same size as the 5.0, and a 9.0 battery that was a bit bigger in January, but haven't checked up on that. Non-Fuel tools definitely use more juice then the Fuel ones.
Wood-Mizer LT40HDD51-WR Wireless, Kubota L48, Honda Rincon 650, TJ208 G-S, and a 60"LogRite!

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