One battery platform for all my cordless tools: is sticking to one brand actually cheaper long-term?
I own a drill, an impact driver, and a circular saw. Three brands, three chargers, three piles of batteries that don't talk to each other. Thinking about selling the odd ones out and going all-in on one 18V platform. Is the 'one battery ecosystem' thing real savings, or do you just end up paying a premium for that one brand's overpriced tools? Anyone actually done the math on batteries + tools over 5 years?
1 answer
- Milwaukee M18 system
I ran the numbers for my shop: five M18 tools sharing two XC5.0 batteries. Milwaukee publishes torque and runtime specs per tool, and the packs use the same 21700-cell layout across the line, so you're buying cells once instead of three half-used proprietary packs. There is a brand premium, but it evaporates around tool number four. I sold my odd-brand tools used and recouped about 70% of what I paid for them.