So, after two or three threads here discussing related matters, but things move fast - what's the latest word about a brand to adopt for all battery garden tools - which would mean strimmer to start with, chainsaw, trimmer etc maybe later - so's to standardise on one battery type? There's the ordinary garden grade, 18v I guess, and the v expensive pro kit that e.g. National Trust have equiped their guys with, but I'm interested in a medium grade.

After a petrol-head lifetime car-wise, and a fascination even for getting the best out of 2-stroke strimer/chainsaws, I now have an aversion to all that fossil machismo, incl my beloved Fiats, all gone, tho we still have the little IQ, the monster ML320 caravan-tractor and the Lawnflyte mower. But I now can't bear the thought of the Stihl strimmer! A strong battery strimmer, please.

I just wrote a long reply but it's seemingly disappeared. So this is the short version.

We've Makita power tools but I've only used Dewalt garden kit and it feels at least equal in quality. For 18V stuff you can buy adaptors on eBay to use one brand's tools with another batteries (the tool just wants a pair of connections to 18v) so you don't NEED to buy all the same brand (and if you buy from somewhere like FFXtools theres no price penalty from buying bare tools and whatever batteries you need rather than 'packages' of battery/tool/charger. Adaptors add a little bulk but not a major issue EXCEPT some of the 54v tools put the battery in a 'pocket' for better weight distribution rather than hanging it off the bottom or back.

For chainsaw you're definitely looking at 54v batteries (but they also work on 18v tools). The Dewalt chainsaws, brush cutter and hedge trimmer are all excellent in use.

Well - that one is still 3d printed and looks a bit hacked together. For stuff like Makita-Worx there are properly manufactured Chinese adaptors that aren't printed (and are a lot cheaper - https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/125795479655?mkcid=16&mkevt=1&mkrid=711-127632-2357-0&ssspo=hzrlyxuktry&sssrc=2047675&ssuid=fz0qwEikRN2&widget_ver=artemis&media=COPY)

20V is marketing nonsense (it's normally 20V MAX). Likewise 10.8v = 12v MAX. Someones covered it on another thread but all these batteries are made up of a number of standard cells. You can 'overcharge' them or something to briefly get a higher voltage but it's exactly the same.

I don't have battery garden tools but my neighbour has a Makita setup based on 18V batteries. He has chainsaw and hedge cutter and some other stuff. He swears by it. On his recommendation I bought a mains electric chain saw and am really made up with it. As I have an awful lot of mains powered tools as well as some battery ones I have thought about getting a Bluetti or similar power station (I like Festool stuff but their battery station is expensive) which could double up in the house during supply outages to power appliances. The snag is they are heavy for a decent power but being 230V output are very versatile in use and more convenient than a conventional petrol gennie. Anyone got a battery PowerStation?.

Makita, based purely on the experience of their 75cm battery hedge trimmers Vs my 50cm Bosch ones

Like Simon said - lithium ion chemistry gives you ~3.6V per cell, so a battery pack with 5 cells in series gives ~18V.

Some marketing departments try to sell you this as "20V" but that tells you more about the quality of the company than about the quality of the cells! It's like marketing a lead-acid car battery as "13V" instead of "12V" - technically true in some circumstances, but a bit sneaky.

Usually the lithium cells are 18650 size (18mm dia x 65mm long) or 21700 size, which are made in billions around the world for EVs, electric bikes, etc as well as for tools. They hold between 1.5-3.5Ah each, so 5Ah or 9Ah tool batteries use several sets of cells in parallel. That also means bigger Ah batteries can deliver more current and so run tools with more powerful motors.


Not all 18650 cells are created equal - some have better Ah or lifecycle than others - same as with AA size cells. The tool company will buy in cells with a price/performance to suit their brand.

An adaptor that allows a cheap battery to physically fit into an expensive tool, will not make the cheap cells perform or last as well as the expensive ones - that might/not be an issue for you.

Many batteries have a 3rd or 4th terminal so the charger (maybe even the tool) can interface with the battery internal temperature sensor or cell management chip. These are brand specific so there is a risk that a 3d printed physical adaptor should not be used to charge cheap batteries using a different brand's charger, might not charge or could overheat.

Posted By: WillInAberdeenLike Simon said - lithium ion chemistry gives you ~3.6V per cell, so a battery pack with 5 cells in series gives ~18V.

Some marketing departments try to sell you this as "20V" but that tells you more about the quality of the company than about the quality of the cells! ,,,,


Not all 18650 cells are created equal - some have better Ah or lifecycle than others - same as with AA size cells. The tool company will buy in cells with a price/performance to suit their brand.

An adaptor that allows a cheap battery to physically fit into an expensive tool, will not make the cheap cells perform or last as well as the expensive ones - that might/not be an issue for you.

Many batteries have a 3rd or 4th terminal so the charger (maybe even the tool) can interface with the battery internal temperature sensor or cell management chip. These are brand specific so there is a risk that a 3d printed physical adaptor should not be used to charge cheap batteries using a different brand's charger, might not charge or could overheat.

Yes, I'd not recommend trying to buy cheap batteries (and my experience of anything non-OEM aftermarket has been dire) but those adaptors do mean you're not completely tied into one 'ecosystem' of tools.

The (better) adaptors all have a sensible warning about not using for charging. I think you're right that there might be a bit more interface to the tools as well once you get to 54v stuff where current draw is going to be much higher. (and I'm not sure how the '54v batteries are configured to also work as 18v? - as simple as a different connector on the battery or something more clever internally?

and lastly I looks like the marketing departments at the good co's have lost the battle - Makita have started printing 20/12v on stuff - if your competitors are doing it on the shop shelf you lose out unless you play the same game.

So now I learn that

Posted By: Simon Still54v batteries (maybe can be?) configured to also work as 18v

I got it that 18v can be dodgily boosted to 20v - but from 12v??

Posted By: Simon Stillstarted printing 20/12v on stuff

Posted By: fostertomSo now I learn that

Posted By: Simon Still54v batteries (maybe can be?) configured to also work as 18v

I got it that 18v can be dodgily boosted to 20v - but from 12v??

Posted By: Simon Stillstarted printing 20/12v on stuff

54 is 3 times 18, so I suppose the reconfiguration is just switching the cells into a different configuration. The 18V to 20V is simply a question of how much charge is pushed into a battery. Voltage 'boosting' in general uses sometimes clever electronics to change supply voltages up or down as required; they're known as DC-to-DC converters.

Posted By: fostertomYeah but claiming 12v boosted to 20v is a bit of a stretch?

Posted By: Simon StillMakita have started printing 20/12v on stuff

But if you bother to check you'll see Makita have "Makita 10.8V / 12V MAX lithium-ion CXT 'Slide' style battery" and separate "18V LXT" batteries. So they don't appear to do as claimed.

I like and use yellow ones 🙂