The Home Machinist!

I just got a Makita hammer drill. I have overcome my hatred of battery-powered drills, and besides, I have stumps that need to have holes drilled in them.

The drill came with a single lithium battery. I decided to get more. Unbelievably, they've already discontinued the battery.

Anyway, I can find OEM batteries online, but they are not cheap. Best I can do is around $60. I can get Chinese copies for like $25.

I'm nervous about Chinese lithium. I don't want my workshop to burn down or anything. I am wondering what other people think of these batteries. I'm sure Makita is gouging as hard as possible, but I'm also sure they try to make their batteries safe.

I could be wrong (I likely am) but you may discover that Makita is having China make their batteries. If memory serves (don't count on it), China is the source for lithium, anyway, so why not just let them produce the product, too?

I welcome corrections.

H

I got one of those no-name Chinese Makita batteries; it works GREAT, powerful and long.
Since it was so cheap, I bought the more powerful one.
Of course, your experience may differ.

I chickened out. I found the real thing for $50.

in the matter of making holes in stumps for materials to gain water and rot, use your chain saw and plunge straight down into the meat of the stump several times. This will open up the depth of the stump, and using the nose to cut and hollow out a checker board pattern across the top will serve as a rain catcher to help keep things open and damp. Some septic tank clener (read the label) dumped on the stump will aid in its demise. Once it softens with time, the old charcoal and tin bucket trick can do a bang up job of furnacing out the thing down to the roots. Or you can dig or use Tannerite for some real fun. Uncle used to lift stumps out with ANFO in a post hole under the stump. He made the old Oliver snort pulling the remains often standing like a wounded spider over a hole..

INHO I dont see any company with a conscience when it comes to the dangers of batteries and bad production. China is a modern country in many respects, but will only supply shat is demanded of them. Low cost producer of junk is how we think of them. Fact is , junk is made all over, in Bangladesh, Viet Nam, Korea and any other far East Village available.

steamin10 wrote: ↑Mon Aug 13, 2018 6:27 pm in the matter of making holes in stumps for materials to gain water and rot, use your chain saw and plunge straight down into the meat of the stump several times.

Of course, you are right. That is the perfect suggestion, and I should get going on it. The same thing occurred to me, and I forgot about it will all the drill fuss. But the drill will be good for going in from the side to make holes to get air to the fire.

What I bought was actually a 12v ni-mh 3AH battery [my drill is 6 years old or more].
Brand Floureon 1 year ago [June 2017] cost about $20, including massive EU sales tax of 21%

The other day I used it to drill and tap about 20 5mm holes in 5mm thick steel; it was still going when I was done, hadn't noticeably slowed down.

Maybe I was just lucky.

liveaboard wrote: ↑Tue Aug 14, 2018 4:52 am What I bought was actually a 12v ni-mh 3AH battery [my drill is 6 years old or more].
Brand Floureon 1 year ago [June 2017] cost about $20, including massive EU sales tax of 21%

The other day I used it to drill and tap about 20 5mm holes in 5mm thick steel; it was still going when I was done, hadn't noticeably slowed down.

Maybe I was just lucky.

So not lithium.