I need more batteries. What are you guys doing for batteries? New? Used? What to look for in used? I'm only interested in the 5.0 and better batteries. I have a 2.0 and it's good for my drill but that's about it.
Bought No Name 12v & 18v batteries for my Milwaukee tools off eBay. Have had two go tits up after a little more than a year. Another set of 12v batteries had such screwed up cases that they kept losing contact and was a bitch to remove. The 18v battery looked like a 5.0 case but gave little better performance than a 2.0. I've given up on non OEM Milwaukee batteries. Have gotten some really good buys from Home Depot on specials. Check Craig's List for people advertising new bare tools. Don't know where they get their inventory but they have super deals on tools though haven't checked on batteries.
Good to know. I see those prices and they're so tempting, but not if they don't last or perform.
In contrast, my Dewalt batteries (which are my oldest), have lasted nearly 10 years and I've absolutely abused them. One was too close to the cutting torch and has a melted case, one has a cracked case after dropping it multiple times, and all of them continue to work just fine. Milwaukee seems to hold up just as well, but I haven't had them as long to compare with yet.
What they're doing is buying kits from HomeDepot and other retailers during sales and splitting them. It generally means that if you want the tool + batteries during a sale you can get them cheaper by buying directly from the retailer, but outside of the sales or if you only want one of the peices it's cheaper to buy from these other 3rd party sellers.
I wouldn't bother to buy used batteries, it seems highly likely that you'll just be buying someone else's garbage.
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How long do the OEM Milwaukee batteries last? I haven't had my stuff long enough (nor do I probably use them enough) to really have a feel for longevity. But if you can buy two m12's for $20 from Amazon and they last 6 months, that's a year of use for twenty bucks. If a new Milwaukee battery costs $60, then they need to last 3 years to break even on the deal.
I have 2 Milwaukee batteries that are 7 years old and 2 about 10 years, none showing any signs of age. They seem to be holding up slightly better than the DeWalt.
I have a handful of batteries which means that all of the wear and tear doesn't go on a single battery. I also am a hobbyist, not a professional, so I don't put a charge cycle on them daily.
But that said, I've never had a Dewalt or Milwaukee battery go bad on me in 10 years. Aside from cosmetics I can't tell which are my new batteries and which are my old.
I'll make sure I mark my discount brand batteries with the URL of this thread so I can either serve crow or eat it 10 years from now.
I don't mind gambling $20 to see if there's some value to be had. My Craftsman batteries are probably 5-7 yrs old and still seem to work fine. But like I said I don't use them enough to flush out problems related to charge cycles or whatever.
a buddy of mine swears by getting new-in box batteries from people that buy the tools including battery only to resell the battery because they can supposedly get more by reselling it than the difference between the tool-only and the kit, or maybe they buy the kit to get the box or the bag and don't need the battery. I don't know how often he's successful at finding deals like that but he was pretty proud of finding a brand new 12Ah battery for $55 to put in his kids electric dirt bike.