When choosing a new power tool, many considerations must be made. Aside from ensuring it is the correct tool for the job, whether you want brushed or brushless motors or what voltage you should choose, you need to choose the right brand.
While the brand affects overall tool quality, it’s especially important if you plan on getting battery-powered tools. Many tool companies make a wide range of tools and equipment that can all use the same battery -- well, the same from that brand.
What makes tool batteries so special?
Power tool batteries have improved in power capacity and output to rival plug-in models.
Each power tool brand has a battery with a specific pattern that matches up with the tool to lock it in place. Let’s use cordless drills as an example. If you get a battery from one brand and try to lock it into another brand’s drill, it’s unlikely to work. Aside from voltages needing to match up, the days of “dumb” batteries are gone, and these power packs communicate with the tools to ensure a perfect match.
For example, Milwaukee Tools offers a system called One-Key for its professional-grade tools and batteries that allow you to track down a lost tool. If you want to add the feature to other tools, you can buy the Milwaukee One-Key Tick or One-Key Bluetooth Tracker.
Other new battery technology allows you to monitoring tool power output and improve performance, too.
How does the battery affect the tool choice?
Milwaukee has grown from a tool company to an all-around battery-powered equipment brand.
As mentioned before, batteries are designed to work only within a brand’s ecosystem of tools.
The M12 and M18 Red Lithium batteries work with a wide range of tools, from drills to reciprocating saws, rotary tools and wet/dry vacs. However, the ecosystem in which you can use their batteries greatly expands when we add the brand's QuikLok system.
This system involves a power head attachment for the battery, and then it can be paired with 13 different tool heads, such as a string trimmer, pole saw, brush cutter, leaf blower and more.
Battery-powered yard equipment allows for the freedom of gas versions but without the fumes or noise.
But Milwaukee isn’t the only brand offering a way to get more use from a single battery. Ryobi offers a very wide selection of tools that work with the same battery system. From the obvious things like drills and saws to less expected items like fans and air compressors, you can get a lot of tasks done using a single branded battery. Brands like DeWalt, Makita and more have interchangeable batteries, too; all offer great tools capable of working within each brand's ecosystem.
These brands also will sell you tools without batteries and extra batteries for when you need them. Allowing you to expand your tool chest as needed. If you just need a new tool and it works with the batter you have, then you can save money by getting only the tool. But when you want more batteries, you can do just that. It’s also best to go with OEM-approved batteries to ensure proper operation.
So, when you are ready to invest in a tool, consider future projects or needs you may have around the house. The battery brand you buy today may not be the best for the tool you need tomorrow.