Makita 3.0Ah Lithium-Ion 18v Battery

The Makita 18v 3.0Ah Lithium-ion replacement battery pack is the new generation in cordless power. Envornmentally friendly, low self discharge, no memory and an any time charge. This battery is suitable for all 18v Li-ion tools. 194204-5.

The most immediate difference between Lithium-ion batteries and Ni-MH or Ni-Cad is the weight difference,this is achieved due to two factors: chemical composition and physical attributes.

Within a Lithium-ion battery the energy is stored through the movement of lithium ions. Lithium has the third smallest atomic mass of all the elements, giving the battery a substantial saving in weight compared to batteries using much heavier metals.

The energy density of lithium-ion is typically twice that of the standard Ni-Cad therefore less cells are needed to obtain the required voltage, this is where the main bulk of the weight saving and compact nature of the battery occurs.

More Power Less Weight

The weight saving means that Makita can obtain18 volt power from a battery weighing the same as a 12 volt battery.

Now Work Comfortably for Longer. Reducing weight whilst retaining power has obvious effects on operator fatigue. Working with a Lithium-ion tool will reduce fatigue due to the weight of the battery pack this in turn will have positive effects on site health and safety.

The design of the battery is a slide grip type giving a maximum and secure contact between the battery and tool.

The run time of any battery will impact on its overall life span, the greater the run time the longer the battery will work effectively between charges.

Another advantage of Lithium-ion technology is that there is no power fade when the battery is coming towards the end of its charge.

Extended Battery Life

Lithium-ion batteries have greater life spans than their Ni-MH or Ni-Cad counterparts this is due to the increased number of charging cycles Lithium-ion offers and the run time between charges.

For example the Makita Ni-Cad 18v 2.0Ah battery has 700 cycle life span The Makita lithium-ion 18v 3.0Ah battery has a 2000+ cycle life span. We can see with the equation above that the Lithium-ion battery will effectively have over 4.3 times more working life than the Ni-Cad battery.

This can be directly related to a cost saving, for every Lithium-ion battery purchased the user would have to purchase over 4 Ni-Cad batteries. Although the initial cost of Lithium-ion batteries is greater, in the long term Lithium-ion financially makes sense.

2000+ Cycles Tested Under Load

Makita have obtained the cycle life figure of 2000+ by testing the Lithium-ion 18v 3.0Ah battery under load. 50mm tapping screws were screwed into standard pine, replicating actual use conditions.

1 power cycle = Volts x Amp hours

Ni-Cad: 18v x 2.0Ah = 36 Watt hours
36 Wh x 700 cycles = 25,200Wh

Li-ion: 18v x 3.0Ah = 54 Watt hours
54 Wh x 2000 cycles = 108,000Wh

108,000 = 4.3
25,200