Higher Amp battery - more power?

Sep 26, 2010 7 Replies

Hi folks,



I have a Makita 18V Cordless Impact Driver (BTD141) and Drill (BHP452) set with 1.5A batteries. Compared to another 18V drill I have (Mastercraft), the Makitas lack power.



These are the units availabe at Home Depot and are black and white in color rather than the traditional Makita blue.



If I were to purchase 3A batteries, which are readily available, would I have more power, or would the drills simply run longer?



Thanks, Gary


They would run longer. The black and white are not the same as the blue set. The blue set is definitely a more powerful motor.

The black and white is a home/light weight versi> Hi folks,

I'd think that gearing would also be an issue?

mac

Please remove splinters before emailing

There would be NO difference except for longer run time, and greater weight.

I got the BTD141 kit and use the impactor exclusively on decks and other construction. It came with the big batteries and it's over a pound lighter than my wonderful old Bosch 14.4v Impactor. I haven't used the Makita 452.

Ask Makita. I'm tempted to say that since they're both 18v, there would be no difference. But, how they're configured electronically may allow them to utilize more amperage as power. I don't know.

-- You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club. --Jack London

Are you _certain_ that the larger batteries have different gearing?

-- You can't wait for inspiration. You have to go after it with a club. --Jack London

Thanks to evey The white/black sets are functionally identical to the blue sets. There is no difference in power. The only difference is the outside color. Home Depot was able to get these white/black sets at a cheaper price because the color was cheaper to produce - less pigmentation required (weird).

Purchasing a 3A battery will make no difference in power, only run time.

If I wanted more power I could purchase a BTD144 impact driver. It has 1440lbs torque vs my BTD141's 1330 lbs. The same batterys are used. (I don't think the torque gain is significant enough to warrant its purchase - not sure).

He said an alternative would be to purchase a 36V impact driver; however, as a home renovator, this would be serious overkill.

FWIW, Gary

I bet if you open them up you'll find cheaper components used in the Home Despot models... Plastic gears, etc.

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