On 20/10/2020 10:53, Jimk wrote:
John Rumm Wrote in message:
On 20/10/2020 09:18, Jimk wrote:
John Rumm Wrote in message:
On 19/10/2020 21:12, AJH wrote:

I thought the advantage of Makita cordeless tools was that they all
shared the same battery type yet when I was presented with a Makita
BUC122 chainsaw with no battery I couldn't fit the one from a drill, it
seemed to start sliding in but then reached a hard stop. Are there
different types of Makita 18V battery fittings?

Yup

There was a time when they introduced the 4Ah and higher capacity
batteries that they made a slight change to the fittings.

IIUC the logic was that the newer batteries used of an extra pin
position to allow more communication between tools and the battery
management system in the new bats. This is not present on the old tools.

(Also the new batts can supply higher peak current, which not all the
old tools may be able to handle)

You can just remove the tab on the tool that blocks the new battery
being inserted - but you will need to take care to not discharge it too
far since the battery monitoring and low voltage cut off won't work, and
you could end up bricking a battery if you take its terminal voltage too
low for the charger to want to charge it.

So moving forward - not an issue, all LXT batts and current tools (like
DUC prefix chainsaws) should play nice together.




Hmmm
The buc122 is listed as LXT so should play with "usual" spec
Makita batteries?

All the batteries carry the LXT name, but the newer ones are marked with
a D and a star. The older LXT tools had model numbers prefixed with B,
and the newer ones D.

How new is newer? I have a mix of older 3ah & "newer" 5ah
batteries, all play interchangeably with everything I've
got...
from a new twin 18v linetrimmer, back to an old LXT flashlight.

I understand the 4Ah battery was introduced in 2014. So I would guess
that is the approx date of the change.

I have yet to experience this "battery block"

And generally you should not see it unless a battery is on its last legs
or is abused in some way. However draining one "too far" might do it.
Generally the BMS ought to deal with that, but usually it will
co-operate with the tool, so without that comms it may not handle all
situations as well.

I use a couple of adaptors to allow me to run my old NiMh tools from the
LXT batts. The same situation exists there. So far I have not had a
problem, but then again I don't run bats down to the "last drop" anyway.

I wonder if one of those lesser 1.5ah "look like LXT but actually
not" is afoot....

The smallest LXT batteries are 3Ah

Yerss. The 1.5ah *lookalikes* were sold as part of cheaper B&Q
style makita drill kits - they look like shallower LXT batts but
aren't & don't fit - G series rings a bell...

G series is a different battery platform altogether. They are aimed at
non pro use, and are all only 1.3Ah

https://www.makitauk.com/g-series

No amount of fettling will get that into a LXT platform tool!


--
Cheers,

John.

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