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Part of the problem was using the Lenox hole saw instead of a modern TCT hole cutter but it was all I had at the time in the 1-7/8" size that I needed.With a more use I was surprised to see that the 1/2 size battery also provides half as much usable power to the drill motor. I do a lot of heavy duty drilling and quickly learned that the half size batteries are fine for light duty drilling and driving but with any use that requires a lot of power these batteries do not deliver and they do not last anything like 1/2 as long as the full size batteries. I tried to cut a few holes in MDF using a new Lenox bi-metal carbide hole saw and after 3 holes the battery was completely dead. Jobs that were no big deal with a drill with the full size battery would be hard to finish with the half size as it lost charge so fast that the motor was not getting enough juice to run at anywhere near full power. Not a problem if you are using the battery to power a light or drill small holes or drive a few screws but for bigger jobs the bigger batteries work better as one should expect.If you plan to buy a new drill get one with the full size battery and if you are looking to save money replacing a battery I would recommend having it rebuilt by one of the many reputable places providing this service.
I have a 3Ah battery that's lasted about six months, but the 1.5's don't seem to last too long. I work in a woodshop where we own two cordless drills that use these batteries. So far over the course of a little over a year, we've had about seven batteries die. Luckily, our local tool repair has exchanged them at no cost. Apparently from what they say, it happens alot.
I just keep my fingers crossed that I'll get more than 10 months from this set of batteries. I love the impact driver. It is my favorite tool, and I use very often. 2 years old now & this is the 3rd set of batteries.
This may not be the toughest test but they work good as a back-up battery, and are a lot less expensive and weight considerably less than a 3 AH.I did talk to a Makita dealer who wishes to remain anonymous, and he said that were problems with the 1.5 AH when they were first released.UPDATEI have frequently used 2 of these batteries over the last 6 months without a problem. After reading all the other reviews, I expected to have problems with the 1.5 AH but they work fine. They are much lighter than the 3AH which gives the drill a better balance. I did a time test with the flashlight and they lasted 2 hours each. Using it on the impact/driver for handy work it lasted all day. I use them for all but the most demanding jobs. From my perspctive, it seems that Makita fixed whatever problem there was.
Now having trouble returning these after 30 days.on-line format not accomadating me.will call amazon.been less than 60 days batts will not recharge again.bought a new charger also just in case.still no luck.hope i get some $ back
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