the v-18 lithium ion 18v batteries are a huge improvement over the nicad 18v that i have been using for the last 2 years i have 6 nicads which were constatly cycling through the three bay charger now with 4 li ion batteries and 1 single charger i can keep up the run time is better than doubled and the remaining charge indicator lights are a help .its a big jump in price but its worth it to me Milwaukee 48-11-1833 V18 Multi-Pack 18-Volt and 28-Volt Lithium-Ion Charger with 2 18-Volt Lithium-Ion Batteries Combo Pack
This review is actually being written by Paulette's husband - Dan.
When one of the NiCad batteries for my old hammer drill, 0624-20, died, I successfully 9v jump started the battery. After another 6 months both NiCads were dead and neither would jump start. I bought a new hammer drill, 0824-24, that came with these new V18 batteries and charger. I bought the new drill because different reviews had mentioned that these new batteries would not fit into the old case, that the battery could not be connected in reverse, or that the battery meter would not work when connected to an old 18V tool. Now that I have received the new drill, here are my findings: The battery can indeed be connected to my old 18V tool in both the forward and reverse directions. Also, the battery meter works no matter which way the battery is connected to the old 18V tool. After realizing that the battery meter button is a little finicky (it took a few tries before finding the magic way it wants to be pushed), I was able to get the meter to work every time. The V18 batteries and V18 charger will NOT fit into the old case - however, with just a little cramming, I was able to fit my old hammer drill into the new case along with the new batteries, new charger, and new hammer drill. The new batteries are bigger than the old batteries but they are lighter than the old batteries.
Lets face it, anyone who owns a Milwaukees 18v Ni-CAD battery knows they are the very worst on the market. Its about time Milwaukee came out with a replacement, that lives up to the promise. (It took long enough)
The price is high, but worth it, I guess. What choice do I have? Buy new batteries, or buy all new tools. It was actually a VERY tough choice.
4 stars because of the delima Milwaukee put so many into, and gave very poor support for the junk 18v Ni-cads. They knew they were bad, but will never admit it.
EDIT - Bought these in 2007 when just released and as of Summer of 2009 they are toast. They charge and hold charge for about a week now and discharge in about 1 minute in use. So once again, METCO let me down with their crap batteries.
If your wondering about my usage, they see mild home use only, they are stored indoors during winter and charged on occasion at all year round regardless of use.
Thus, I am done with METCO batteries and they battery powered tools.
This battery and charger set was a Christmas gift for my father. After just one use on the job, he had stories about drilling holes in ½ inch steel, and never even needing the second battery. I can't yet review the life expectancy since it has only been a few weeks. However, with the warranty, I can't think of any reason not to recommend these.
As a side note, if you have 14-volt or 18-volt NiCd batteries, there is a recall for some models that should allow you to get a free replacement. You might want to consider before dropping the $ for these.
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml07/07234.html
Battery works forwards and backwards. Battery charge scale on back isn't funky, just press the dang button you idiots.
Only bad thing and it's minor. 18v batteries won't fit in the old hard case but this is no fault of the seller, it's Milwaukees. Just bought a tool bag and stuff everything in there.
Best price I saw on the internet. Everything works as promised.
I had bought the new lithium-ion 18v 1/2 inch hammer drill and loved it. When I bought the drill got a bonus free matching sawzall but just the two batteries weren't enough. Started looking for more batteries and found this deal. Got two more batteries and an extra charger for about half of what all this would have cost purchased separately. These batteries are great they have much longer run times, deliver constant output. Be aware it takes some getting used to, these batteries don't slow down like regular batteries. They run full power till the little smart brain inside says the battery is run down as low as safe and they just shut off. Now I've never had one stop while using but you can drill a hole and everything is fine then when you go to drill another hole the drill is just dead, the little brain at work. Luckily the battery has a built in charge indicator, you just press the test button and a series of led's light up and let you know how much charge remains. Once you get used to testing the charge before you start using you won't have a problem and the longer run times are excellent. Also these batteries don't get hot when using or charging so you don't have to wait to let them cool and can get more use out of them in a day without fear of ruining
I have recently used the new batteries and without a doubt see the improvement in performance. I use them mostly with my cordless drill and just like others have mentioned the batteries and charger do not fit in the drills case. I modified my plastic case by cutting the battery area a little larger and can now fit both batteries in the case(no battery on drill). I store the charger separately. I retired my new Hatchet saw because it never had enough power with the 18v nicads. I tried the new batteries on the Hatchet and the tool is brought back to life. The lights on the battery to show charge level is nice and functions well. I may purchase more of these if I catch them on sale. Four stars only because they don't fit in the case. - Milwaukee - 18v Battery - Cordless Tools - 18 Volt'
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