Long battery life for electric tools

At this point in time, most power tool manufacturers claim you should expect to get over 1,000 charge cycles out of any given battery. That equates to 2.7 years if you charge your pack once per day or 3.8 years if you only factor in a 5-day week. Some manufacturers claim 2,000 charge cycles, in which case you can double those numbers.

That equates to 2.7 years if you charge your pack once per day or 3.8 years if you only factor in a 5-day week. Some manufacturers claim 2,000 charge cycles, in which case you can double those numbers. While manufacturers may differ in their definition of charging cycles, all batteries suffer a decrease in maximum capacity over time.

To sum it all up, the bare minimum that most manufacturers expect from their batteries is around 3 years or 1,000 charging cycles. With that said—we say “put your warranty where your mouth is.” Bosch, DeWalt, Metabo HPT, Makita, Milwaukee Tool, EGO, and Ridgid all warranty their Lithium-ion batteries for 2–3 years.

Battery-powered tools have come a long way in the last decade. Smaller handheld power tools have moved to lithium-ion as an energy storage medium from older nickel-cadmium batteries. The improved power and runtime, plus a significant weight reduction, proved that to be a great transition.

One of the most common ways DIYers kill their batteries' potential lifespan is by keeping them on the charger. This can cause overcharging, which will result in a drastically shorter usable lifespan. A better course of action is to remove batteries from the charger when they're ready and store them properly (more on that in a bit). 2.

While one of the strengths of lithium-ion batteries is the lack of cell memory, you can still exhaust the maximum longevity of the cells (and the pack) by charging them more frequently than you need to. At this point in time, most power tool manufacturers claim you should expect to get over 1,000 charge cycles out of any given battery.