12V Cordless Tool Recharging

[rpmhart333]

Just wondering...does anyone know if there's a way to charge 12V cordless tools (circ saw & drill) directly from the 12V RV system, or does it have to go through an inverter to the charger and be converted back again?

 

[tradesman]

Depending on what brand tools you have, there are 12v chargers that plug into the cigarette lighter. Makita and Ryobi make a 12v charger for their 18v tool batteries.

 

[rpmhart333]

Really? I was looking at Makita's site but didn't see anything like that. Now I'll have to go back and call upon the reading skills I got in Fifth grade instead of Third (which is my go-to level).
Many thanks.

 

[abnorm]

https://www.toolnut.com/makita-dc18se-18v-optimum-automotive-charger.html?
Example.....currently unavailable

 

[tradesman]

toolup.com says they are in stock:
https://www.toolup.com/makita-DC18SE-7-2V-18V-Automotive-Chargeralso on ebay: https://www.ebay.com/itm/274205360996

 

[maki2]

I use a very small, inexpensive, 85 watt inverter to power my 110v Makita 18v battery charger. They charge very quickly and a pure sine inverter is not required to power the makita chargers.

Save your dollars, you do not need a special 12v Makita charger. Just take along the 110v one you already own. it will do just fine.

 

[Freelander]

I use a small 300 watt inverter to run my printer and charge my cordless drills up. I also use it to change my electric razor, and everything else I need to change.

 

[rpmhart333]

All right...many thanks to you all...but let's go a little further here if I may. As someone whose knowledge of electricity is basically "ow. that hurt. I'm going to lay here on the floor for a bit until that tingling feeling goes away and I don't feel like barfing anymore," my question was based on simplicity of moving electrons. I figured (okay, you're right, Guessed) that going straight to the battery to do the charging was less drain on it than going through an inverter to do the same thing. Michael Faraday I ain't, obviously. Does the inverter cause any drain in the equation?

 

[Camper]

Can you buy a 12-volt charger for your cordless tools?

 

[Freelander]

I feel the inverter is a better way to go. You will spend more money buying 12v chargers for all your 12v items, when you already have a 120v charger that will work. I do have several 12v chargers for some of my items, but some are not available so I have to use the inverter. And for no more than it will take to charge your items, the electricity that you use to power the inverter is minor.

 

[Freelander]

This is the one I bought, buy the Non Pure Sine Wave model is even cheaper.

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07KQ4Q2L5/ref=emc_b_5_t
https://www.amazon.com/BESTEK-300W-...estek+300w+power+inverter+pure,aps,139&sr=8-8

 

[frater secessus]

Does the inverter cause any drain in the equation?

Yes, there will be some inverter inefficiencies which we can ballpark it as ~10%. The first 12v Mak charger I googled runs at 24w. 24w + 10% losses is ~27w; not a huge difference. If the RV system collapses under the additional 2.4w it might be time to add more panel.

Re: PSW vs MSW: I did some quick googling and didn't see any reports of MSW inverters wrecking Makita chargers. If you try it on MSW I'd watch for strange behavior and extra heat. Having said that, having a small PSW around isn't a bad idea and some small ones can be pretty cheap. Bestek makes a 300w PSW for about $50. The top-rated review puts it through its paces on an oscilloscope. I do second the reviewer's recommendation for an external inline fuse since the internals are soldered in (boo!).

As for me, I have a small PSW and larger MSW and run my Ryobi charger off the PSW. When I ran the Ryobi on a kill-a-watt meter it showed a power factor of 0.55, so maybe it would run warm on MSW. I'd like to hear opinions on this point.

 

[Sleep]

I can charge my Ryobi using my Jackery 240. Doesn’t use a lot of juice and charges quickly.

 

[rpmhart333]

re: frater seccessus...
Forgive my ignorance, but when you started in on PSW vs. RSW I went to Goog to try to define the terms and got into social work titles.
But I'm going to assume that PSW refers to the "Pure Sine Wave" Freelander referred to...and not the stuff I inadvertently smoked back in the early 70s that altered my chromosomes.
Nonetheless, if we're getting past the point of inverter versus cigarette lighter plug-in, I'm getting lost...and in the words of the government guy in Close Encounters of the Third Kind, "we're taking over the conversation NOW."
Which is all right. The flashing lights and the tones were beginning to give me a headache. I'll just sit here with a pitcher of cuervo sunrise and wait for the guys from Flight 19 to come down the ramp so I can offer them one.
Thanks to all of you.

 

[Camper]

Just plug your charger into a Bluetti or Jackery power station and charge it.

 

[frater secessus]

re: frater seccessus...
Forgive my ignorance, but when you started in on PSW vs. RSW I went to Goog to try to define the terms and got into social work titles.

An overview of the two types.

For those who prefer searching on their own, adding the keyword inverter to the search helps eliminate stray results.

 

[tzagi]

If you are handy with a soldering iron...look for a 11.1 v lipo charger(they are used by RC/airsoft guys) that works from a cig lighter socket, modify your tool or 110v charger to work with the 3c wiring harness and viola, using an inverter is highly inefficient, any time you convert energy lots gets wasted as heat.
Here is another option if you want it cheap with more dyi: https://www.ebay.com/itm/4034808791...3lm3IaLHV4XRec4v2-lV6-A5LC7JPBD4aAtPREALw_wcB

 

[rpmhart333]

An overview of the two types.

For those who prefer searching on their own, adding the keyword inverter to the search helps eliminate stray results.

Okay, thanks.

 

[rpmhart333]

If you are handy with a soldering iron...look for a 11.1 v lipo charger(they are used by RC/airsoft guys) that works from a cig lighter socket, modify your tool or 110v charger to work with the 3c wiring harness and viola, using an inverter is highly inefficient, any time you convert energy lots gets wasted as heat.
Here is another option if you want it cheap with more dyi: https://www.ebay.com/itm/4034808791...3lm3IaLHV4XRec4v2-lV6-A5LC7JPBD4aAtPREALw_wcB

Thank you for the suggestion. Wish I could understand it, but sincerely...thanks.

 

[tzagi]

Its simple, If interested, send me any 120v to 12v li-ion charger and I can add a 12v input, such as a cig lighter plug. altho...it will be probably easier to buy a 12v charger if available.