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Festool has introduced their “strongest and sturdy” 18V battery but – the Li-HighPower battery pack with Airstream know-how and built-in Bluetooth signaling.
Festool says that their new battery delivers 54% longer runtime in comparison with their 5.2Ah battery.
They promote that the battery is “extraordinarily sturdy” and that “the excessive present resistant cells guarantee sturdiness.”
There may be additionally a “good extension” through their smartphone app.
The Festool WorkApp allows intelligent extra features together with the Bluetooth perform of the battery pack, such because the detailed show of the charging standing and additional working knowledge corresponding to temperature or charging cycles.
To shortly and simply establish the battery with the bottom cost standing, you’ll be able to flash the LED indicator straight on the battery pack. Software program updates are additionally attainable: Set up the most recent model to work with the most recent instrument features always
Unlucky, it doesn’t seem like the Festool WorkApp is offered to iPhone customers, not less than not within the USA. I checked, and the app is just not accessible within the iOS app retailer, though it does seem within the Google Play Android app retailer.
That appears neat, to have the ability to establish which battery has the bottom cost standing from amongst a couple of Festool 18V battery.
You’d be proper in saying isn’t that what a battery’s on-board gasoline gauge is for?, however I’m assuming the app can learn precise cost percentages, quite than merely having a 3 or 4 broad vary LED indicators.
The 8Ah battery’s on-board cost standing indicator appears to be like very completely different in comparison with Festool’s present 18V batteries, however Festool doesn’t elaborate about how or why.
Festool says that the battery is “very best for functions with very excessive energy wants.”
The brand new battery is just not suitable with Festool cordless sanders (ETSC 125, RTSC 400, DTSC 400), which have a very completely different kind issue, or the model new CTC SYS cordless transportable mud extractor vacuum, as a result of how its battery port is designed.
Though I couldn’t discover any printed dimensional specs, the 8Ah battery definitely seems to be longer than the model’s current 18V batteries. In keeping with Festool’s technical specs, the battery weighs 1.00kg (2.2 lbs), in comparison with 0.70 kg (1.54 lbs) for his or her 5.2Ah battery.
Thanks to Harrison for the heads-up!
Dialogue
Skilled cordless energy instrument manufacturers added 8Ah Li-ion batteries to their 18V and 20V Max cordless energy instrument strains a number of years in the past.
Bosch introduced theirs in 2018, Dewalt in 2019, and Milwaukee launched theirs alongside the M18 Tremendous Charger in 2019.
Festool advertises that their new 18V 8ah battery is because of launch in 2023.
4 years late to the social gathering isn’t nice, however that’s higher than by no means. As an illustration, evidently Makita is rarely bringing an 8Ah battery to their 18V cordless energy instrument system.
In the meantime, Dewalt’s PowerStack battery has been out for a few yr now, Flex launched a complete line of Stacked Lithium batteries earlier this yr, and Milwaukee is at the moment nonetheless creating and testing next-gen batteries.
Festool has been closely selling their cordless energy instrument system on social media, corresponding to with “product testers wished” sweepstakes.
They appear to be doing a little attention-grabbing issues, however is it sufficient to drive adoption by Festool customers and non-users?
I personal a number of Festool cordless energy instruments and gear, and have steered away from their cordless system.
I donated my Festool impression driver check pattern earlier this yr, describing it as being completely unexceptional.
Whereas their app performance sounds prefer it might be handy, it’s a moot level when Festool has solely an Android app and never one for iOS. What’s the purpose of “good” options that many customers are locked out of?
Moreover, Festool’s new and better capability battery is just not suitable with the new Festool CTC Sys cordless vacuum?!
To not belabor the purpose, I don’t wish to have to purchase three completely different sizes of 18V batteries to function completely different instruments.
Festool’s cordless sanders have their very own 18V battery system, matched to the instruments’ ergonomics, and I can perceive that.
However whereas it’s necessary to pair the proper battery to the proper instrument for optimum efficiency, broad compatibility inside the similar cordless system can also be necessary.
Little conveniences can not offset huge hassles.
There are a number of 18V cordless energy instrument system “alliances” the place the identical battery can be utilized throughout completely different manufacturers’ instruments, to not point out the variety of manufacturers which have “all of our 18V batteries match all our 18V instruments” forms of claims.
Associated: Bosch AMPShare – a Revamped Cordless Battery System
After which there’s Festool, following within the footsteps of different cordless energy instrument manufacturers with an 18V 8Ah battery of their very own, and you’ll’t even use it with their new 18V cordless mud vac that’s additionally launching quickly.
I suppose that is nonetheless higher than Festool not launching an 8Ah battery in any respect. Proper?
