DeanH
Established Member
I always thought the risk of non-genuine batteries was fairly low so long as they weren't left plugged in or connected to the tool. May be wrong though.
Cordless Batteries.
- Thread starter recipio
- Start date
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I buy Parkside batteries from Lidl - no questions asked 3 year warranty on all of them. They sell cell-balanced versions and Bluetooth chargers that enable you to decide just how much to charge the batteries etc. I'm still in two minds about just how useful/gimmicky the BT malarkey is.
I do use Parkside tools but also have Bosch Pro, De Walt and Makita. There are companies selling 3D-printed adapters for pretty much any make battery to any other make tools. I've found that the Parkside batteries last as well as the big names but are much cheaper, so I can always have enough batteries for any eventuality without going bust....works well for me.
I do use Parkside tools but also have Bosch Pro, De Walt and Makita. There are companies selling 3D-printed adapters for pretty much any make battery to any other make tools. I've found that the Parkside batteries last as well as the big names but are much cheaper, so I can always have enough batteries for any eventuality without going bust....works well for me.
Bob008
Established Member
Avoid using any copy of batteries they often fail and can cause fires
I think the problem with many of the cheap batteries is that they don't have the circuitry to ensure safe charging. Crucially good ones have temperature sensors to monitor the temperature of the battery as it charges, and work with the charger to ensure that the battery is charged at the appropriate rate, and stop charging or revert to a maintenance mode once charged. I would be willing to get that the exploding e bikes are all cheap Chinese jobs that don't have these features. You pays your money etc, but when the price of them going wrong is to burn your house down, or worse, then maybe not such a bargain.
Thanks for all that. If the CE logo is a con how are we to know what is genuine or not. ? Looks like we have to shell out our £70 and take their word for it. I suppose it would be better to stick to a well known Makita dealer. ?
TheTiddles
Established Member
I think you’re confusing what a CE means (though now it’s a UKCA for sale inside the UK).
It should mean that the product is safe and complies to the necessary standards relevant to that product.
For many things it’s self-certified, so you could just print a label and do nothing more, that’d be illegal and if something went wrong you’d be in trouble. There are many threads here where people think CE (or now UKCA) doesn’t apply or some other workaround can be used, it’s all erroneous rubbish, the rules apply to all.
Just because it’s UKCA or CE doesn’t mean it’s safe in all eventualities nor does it mean it’s a high quality item that will not go wrong in future.
As for China Export, the C and E are close together, on a “proper” CE the outside diameter of the E is tangential to the inside diameter of the C. It’s pretty obvious when you know, not if you don’t.
Examples I’ve seen of China Export being passed off as CE… USB chargers, mains lighting switches and most concerning of all children’s sunglasses
If Makita had bad batteries, it’d be know about, if they were non-compliant they’d get caught (eventually). That unbranded one imported from who knows where and sold by someone who didn’t check and might not exist in 6-weeks after you bought it? Seems like the answer is obvious, at least to me
CE mark means nothing
niemeyjt
Established Member
Just wait until someone comes up with the "Unified Kraft of China Approval" and an appropriate logo.
Spot on. If they can accurately copy the product, and some fakes are virtually indistinguishable from the genuine article, then they can certainly fake a label.
Terry - Somerset
Established Member
Fakes exist because branded items are sold at a high price. This is true, not just of batteries, but perfumes, tools, clothing, watches etc etc.
As noted above, some fakes are technically deficient and may represent a H&S risk. Others will appear, perform and last as well as the branded equivalent at half the price.
Major cordless tool manufacturers understandably have a strategy designed to pull users into their product range for whom there are clear benefits in common battery fitment. Once "trapped" by a brand they exploit their position.
For professional users time is money. The cost of tools (whilst important) is secondary to reliability, and availability. A couple of hours out of the working day to replace an errant battery or wait for it to recharge makes the £70 Makita jobbie seem reasonable.
For the DIY and hobby user the cost of premium batteries does not benefit income - they are paid for out of taxed income. Battery cost is an issue. A choice to be made on each occasional purchase - premium standard battery or what seems best value at the time.
I rather naively look forward to a time when battery fitment and charging are standardised - I may have to wait a long time.
As noted above, some fakes are technically deficient and may represent a H&S risk. Others will appear, perform and last as well as the branded equivalent at half the price.
Major cordless tool manufacturers understandably have a strategy designed to pull users into their product range for whom there are clear benefits in common battery fitment. Once "trapped" by a brand they exploit their position.
For professional users time is money. The cost of tools (whilst important) is secondary to reliability, and availability. A couple of hours out of the working day to replace an errant battery or wait for it to recharge makes the £70 Makita jobbie seem reasonable.
For the DIY and hobby user the cost of premium batteries does not benefit income - they are paid for out of taxed income. Battery cost is an issue. A choice to be made on each occasional purchase - premium standard battery or what seems best value at the time.
I rather naively look forward to a time when battery fitment and charging are standardised - I may have to wait a long time.
Sounds like a lucky escape and good on you for hearing it ..Years ago I bought a copy Festool battery which worked fine but that was back in the days when everything was NiCad plus it was made in Germany. I have heard too many horror stories about the unbranded Li-ion Makita copy ones to risk trying them despite the tempting price. I like the small 2ah batteries for my 18v Makita drills and they are often more expensive than the higher ah ones
A few weeks ago I was woken up in the middle of the night by a bang followed by an acrid smell, an unbranded phone charger/USB plug I got off Amazon had decided to give up in rather spectacular style. It left an impressively large black mark on the socket and wall, I won't be clicking "Buy it again" on that one.
ColinDeVelen
Established Member
An additional warning for those who use adapters. Different manufacturers have different numbers of terminals on the battery packs, and often these are used for safe charging, rather than safe tool running. A DeWalt 18V zodiac battery for example will use two large and two small terminals on the tool, but the charger will use every terminal. SO if you use an adapter, please at least make sure you use the correct charger, don't use the adapter for charging. (I am a Dewalt engineer, have been for the last 20 years, and I have been working on cordless tools and battery packs for the last 10 years, so please trust that I know what I am talking about.)
Jameshow
Established Member
Definitely good advice and worth heeding..
One way to minimise possible over charging and thus heating is to use a plug in timer adapter; the modules used to switch on/ off lights etc. when you’re away. Set it to power on/odd for the recharge time required for the battery and that ought to significantly reduce overheating effects on all batteries, especially this of questionable provenance.
And as already moored, better to go for better quantity batteries than dirt cheapos.
And as already moored, better to go for better quantity batteries than dirt cheapos.
Terrytpot
Established Member
Most if not all of the otterboxes I’ve had over the years have been copies but none of them have put my family or my house at risk…you need to be aware of the implications of not going down the oe route before taking the “is it worth it “ gamble.
Ps: quite often buying a tool just to get a new battery but then selling the tool as bare will work out much cheaper than just buying a new battery.
Ps: quite often buying a tool just to get a new battery but then selling the tool as bare will work out much cheaper than just buying a new battery.
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