Power tools are widely used in different industries; thus, they come in different types. You might be able to find power tools having long cords so that you can power them up and use them. But if you are more of a portable fan, you would have to opt for cordless power tools that are, of course, integrated with batteries to run them. But have you ever actually wondered if you can use the same battery in different power tools without facing problems? Or in other words, are power tools batteries interchangeable with other brands?
No, power tools batteries are not interchangeable with other brands in most cases due to several factors affecting the whole scenario. This is mainly due to the form factor of the batteries, capacity, and the battery type.
But one great piece of news here is that you might be able to interchange batteries of power tools of the same brand. But again, you will have to consider the fact that new batteries might not be able to fit in the previously designed power tools. Let’s take a brief look into the details and understand how different things work when it comes to batteries of different brands.
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Are Ryobi Batteries Interchangeable?
One of the best things about Ryobi’s manufacturing is that they have designed their tools in a way that they all accept the same batteries. But make sure to check that the Ryobi power tool you are buying is under the One+ category. All One+ category Ryobi power tools use the same 18 v batteries, and you won’t have to go through tons of problems when interchanging them.
But do you know if Ryobi batteries are interchangeable with Dewalt or Milwaukee? The answer to this specific question can be a little complicated as you will have to buy an actual adapter that would allow you to use the Ryobi batteries in Dewalt tools. If you are specifically willing to invest a little and don’t mind handling another piece of tool, you can surely get an adapter to do the job.
Are Dewalt Batteries Interchangeable?
Same as Ryobi, Dewalt batteries are interchangeable, and you can also use the same charger to charge different batteries. But do remember that we are talking about the famous Dewalt 20v batteries. So if you have Dewalt power tools of the 20v lineup, you won’t face difficulties using the same batteries in all of the available power tools.
If we specifically talk about the 18v tools offered by Dewalt, then you will have to use an adapter to help you in the process. The adapter will simply allow you to use 20v batteries instead of 18v batteries. But if you want to charge your 20v batteries, you will have to find a compatible charger as the one with 18v compatibility won’t work.
Are Milwaukee Batteries Interchangeable?
The two most popular Milwaukee power tools lineups are M12 and M18. But if you think you can use the batteries of M12 tools in M18 tools or the other way around, then, unfortunately, this is not how things work with this brand. All the M12 batteries are compatible with only M12 tools. You might not actually be able to find an adapter that could help you use the same batteries.
But if we talk about Milwaukee’s compatibility with other brands, then they actually are quite ahead. For instance, Milwaukee’s 18v batteries are compatible with Ryobi’s 18v lineup. Just make sure to check all the terms and consider checking out what tool you are going to use the batteries with, and then proceed.
Are Makita Batteries Interchangeable?
Makita batteries are only interchangeable when it comes to their own tools. It would be quite difficult to interchange Makita batteries with the power tools of other brands until or unless the battery power is the same and you are open to doing some modifications.
If we talk about the interchangeability of batteries within the tools of Makita, then yes, you can interchange them. But again, the power requirements should be the same as the tools in order for the batteries to fit in and work.
Are Ego Batteries Interchangeable?
Ego might be one of the very few power tool brands that allow users to interchange the batteries of their tools without keeping hundreds of things in mind. If you have any type of battery offered by Ego, you can use it with any of their power tools. But do remember that the battery you are using might differ when it comes to the timing. So it is better to choose the right battery that could work for long so that you won’t have to face hurdles.
Are Porter Cable Batteries Interchangeable?
All of the Porter Cable 20v batteries are interchangeable with their 20v power tools lineup. The best thing is, you can even use the same charger for charging the batteries, and they would flawlessly work for a fairly wide range of power tools offered by Porter Cable.
Are Craftsman Batteries Interchangeable?
If you want your Craftsman batteries to work with other tools of the same brand, then you will have to keep the tool voltage requirements in mind. 20v batteries of Crafstman will easily work with all of the power tools available in the 20v lineup, but those batteries won’t work for the 19.2v lineup.
If we talk about the compatibility of Craftsman batteries with other brands, then again, you will have to see the voltage requirements. While some brands might be compatible, you might face difficulties integrating them in some brands, too, due to the size and design problems.
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The Verdict!
Things are definitely quite complicated when it comes to the interchangeability of batteries of different brands. Just keep in mind that most batteries are not interchangeable if you are trying to use them in the power tools of different power requirements. That is why batteries of most brands are only interchangeable with the lineups of that particular brand and not with any other brand.