If you happen to purchase one thing by way of our hyperlinks, ToolGuyd would possibly earn an affiliate fee.
Makita launched a new 18V dual-port cordless energy device battery charger again in 2014, mannequin DC18RD, and except for concurrently charging 2 batteries, it additionally had a USB charging port.
The USB port was able to charging digital units at a charge of as much as 1.5A.
This wasn’t revolutionary on the time – Dewalt launched a dual-port charger with USB port months earlier – nevertheless it was nonetheless an fascinating value-add to a premium-priced accent.
I just lately realized that Makita eliminated the USB charging port from their DC18RD 18V dual-port charger.
The mannequin quantity is similar, however the USB charging port seems to have been eliminated. The USB port is not seen in Makita’s advertising imagery or product description.
I observed this just lately, across the similar time Makita began introducing new cost-cutting 18V cordless energy device kits, the place instruments traditionally bundled with 5Ah batteries at the moment are being bundled with decrease capability (and cheaper) 4Ah batteries.
Makita has been aggressively pricing and selling 18V X2 cordless energy instruments for a number of years now. Frankly, I’d not be stunned to see them downgrade the dual-port charger included in these kits.
Nonetheless, there’s just one DC18RD SKU; Makita’s dual-port charger not has a USB charging port whether or not bought by itself or as a part of an 18V X2 device equipment or bundle.
When was this variation made? We don’t know, and Makita USA is unlikely to shed any gentle on this, given their ordinary lack of ability to reply press inquiries.
Was this a current cost-cutting measure, or did Makita drop their twin port charger’s USB charging port a very long time in the past, however no person observed?
Makita USA’s on-line person handbook, elements diagram, and power flyer all nonetheless reference the now-missing USB charging port characteristic. Does this imply that this was a current change, or did Makita USA merely neglect to replace these downloadable sources after they made the options change?
On-line imagery appears to have been up to date, however some on-line retail listings nonetheless reference the USB port in product descriptions or specs.
Right here’s a troublesome query – does anybody care that Makita seemingly quietly eliminated the USB port from their 18V dual-port charger?
This looks like a good-to-have characteristic on any energy device battery charger. Have Makita customers not observed this variation, or do they merely not care? Or, are customers unaware that the dual-port charger initially featured a USB charging port?
