Millwaukee M18 battery lifespan

[julianf]

My genuine m18 pack died pretty quick. Checked the cells, concluded it was the PCB, got one from Ali express, and it's been fine for maybe a year now?

I ordered another bare shell and pcb to make another pack but I've never been able to get one of those battery spot welders to work, so I have the shell, cells, and pcb (ie the whole kit) but can't work out a way of sensibly sticking it together.

You can change just the pcb by soldering a good way away from the cells.

 

[Migmac]

Stripped M18 battery in question - been over cells and main contactors with a multimeter - they seem OK.

Conclude charge PCB dead - ordered one off ebay for a play. @Migmac I paid £6.97 ex China.

I did strip another working M18 battery to give me some comparative readings. Was nearly tempted to rob the PCB out of the eBay special copy battery I got to have a play with (but that don't like winter cold for some reason).

Nice find

 

[barracuda816]

My Makita 18v are all about 8years old now. Still going well. Try to store with 60% but in reality they just get used up and bunged on charge. Just got my first Milwaukee 12v stuff I’m liking it a lot but have heard there are issues with the 6ah and the tabs ‍

 

[Pete.]

My Makita 18v are all about 8years old now. Still going well. Try to store with 60% but in reality they just get used up and bunged on charge. Just got my first Milwaukee 12v stuff I’m liking it a lot but have heard there are issues with the 6ah and the tabs ‍

What issues? The 12v right angle nut gun I bought had a problem where the battery retainer went loose and would cause it to stop when it lost connection.

It was very hard used though.

 

[barracuda816]

What issues? The 12v right angle nut gun I bought had a problem where the battery retainer went loose and would cause it to stop when it lost connection.

It was very hard used though.

Only anecdotal evidence. I have got a 2ah and a 4ah from the m12 range but during my research I came across a lot of forums where people had had problems with the 6ah just randomly refusing to charge one day and then being US.

The makita 18v battery’s with out the battery monitor also had a know problem where if they where left for some months they would kill one cell as the bms draws a small current from only one cell. Never a problem for tradies but diyers had a lot of problems

 

[Migmac]

Only anecdotal evidence. I have got a 2ah and a 4ah from the m12 range but during my research I came across a lot of forums where people had had problems with the 6ah just randomly refusing to charge one day and then being US.

The makita 18v battery’s with out the battery monitor also had a know problem where if they where left for some months they would kill one cell as the bms draws a small current from only one cell. Never a problem for tradies but diyers had a lot of problems

My m12 6ah has been fine up to now, the only issue I read about before I bought mine was that the retaining tabs that hold the battery into the unit were apt to cracking.

 

[barracuda816]

My m12 6ah has been fine up to now, the only issue I read about before I bought mine was that the retaining tabs that hold the battery into the unit were apt to cracking.

I think the retaining tabs issue is with all the standard batteries (i.e not the new high output 2.5 or 5ah)