Portable tools lithium battery charging solutions?

Van Living Forum

Help Support Van Living Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.

Minivanmotoman

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 11, 2017
Messages
1,027
Reaction score
11
With the proliferation of lithium batteries powering everything from laptops, speakers, tablets, cell phones, tools, cameras, flashlights, heck I hear even entire RVs (lol), is there a DC solution to bypass the AC charging and inverter?
Seen the DC to DC thread and I know there are DC power cords for laptops. But what can be done for everything else?
If not commercially available, some sort of plug in unit in a case that can be an all in one charge station directly setup to our battery banks? Alot can be charged via usb in cigarette lighter adapters which is convenient enough. It's the lithium tools mostly I would say since they don't seem to fully charge when converting from DC to AC back to DC with an inverter.
 
Ryobi charges its ONE+ batteries very well from 12V.

The biggest batt is 4A @18V, 2 for $100 at Home Depot with a good warranty, and they're shortly coming out with even bigger ones.

Over 100 ONE+ tools all work off the same batteries.

And unlike other mfg, they don't keep chopping and changing, decades now the same spec and have committed to continuing.

Lots of hacks out there, using them for USB charging, jumpstart cars.

I think would be interesting to put a bunch in an ammo box to use as a general purpose powerpak, lots cheaper and more flexible than Yeti, Kodiak etc.

Put them out to charge with your portable solar panels, swap back into the van to run your gear. . .
 
^^^ Exactly the idea was looking for. Great stuff, thx.
Love learning about new things like this. How is the durability of these for handyman use?
 
Minivanmotoman said:
^^^ Exactly the idea was looking for. Great stuff, thx.
Love learning about new things like this. How is the durability of these for handyman use?

I started buying Ryobi battery tools about three years ago. I haven't had a battery failure yet, but being retired I don't use them every day either. I used to use Makita battery tools, but had battery failures with them after about two years, and the cost of two replacement batteries was about the same as buying a tool with two new batteries included with a charger.
Near the end of the year, (like right now), Ryobi sells a two pack of their 4 amp hour batteries for about a hundred bucks. That is about half price.
 
The ryobi charger was around 40, as I recall. I do a lot with nimh AA and AAA batteries and have a quality 12v smart charger.
 
The actual Ryobi brand packs comprise strings of 5 18650 NMC cells.

Specifically top-notch ​Samsung INR18650-20Q .

At $50 per 4AH, you could not purchase the bare cells from Asia (guaranteed genuine, including shipping) any cheaper.

But if you shop online looking for cheap pricing you will see lots of knock-offs, and who knows what they are on the inside.

Apparently Ryobi may not honor their guarantee even of genuine ones if purchased online, even from Amazon.

Home Depot's pair for $100 is a very good price, and does also get you the mfg guarantee as well as HD's 90-day return.

______
I'm dreaming of an "open hardware" version of those portable jumpstarter / powerpak gizmo's:

available in a range of sizes 4, 8, 20, 30, 60 AH, including however many actual Ryobi batteries, or BYO

charged by 12V in vehicle via APP connector, ciggie plug (yuk) optional

AC to 12V charger optional, available in a range of different amp rates (1 hr, 4 hr, overnight)
or can use your own

can use any solar controller / kit

outlets for USB, 12V standard
universal laptop jack optional, up to 160W

range of optional inverters offered, call for recommendations for your specific device(s), will exchange for upgrades within 30 days if needed

Kickstarter anyone?
 
Note a good portable air compressor for tires and inflating mattresses is in the ONE+ line.

Cordless drills are handy as a portable motor for raising an lowering bed platforms, pop up roof, camper lift jacks, ice house suspensions etc
 
I just salvaged a few i8650s from a laptop battery. I’m keeping my eyes open for more.
 

Latest posts

Top