Tools with brush and brushless motors – which one to go for?
2022-07-08
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2022-08-30Energy+ offers the ability to work without trailing, cumbersome cables and without having to search for networked power sources. What else does a rechargeable system have to offer?
Will a battery system work for you? Pros and cons of battery power
Cell phones appeared in Europe with 1981 and in just three decades have almost completely displaced landline phones. People – both in life and in technology – are looking for freedom and, in fact, independence from things that are often beyond their control.
Phones have freed you from the obligation to wait for an important call while staying in one place for a long time, and battery-powered systems make it easy to use your tools exactly where you want.
Energy+, or power without limits
Many companies specialize in cordless solutions and provide their dedicated, tool-optimized battery systems. The GRAPHITE brand, with its Energy+ line, is a proven technology provider, offering an impressive range of chainsaws, blowers, mowers and drills, among others, for several years now.
Battery systems include not only the power tools themselves, but an important part of it is the foundation, namely batteries and chargers. It is worth taking a moment to choose the right capacity and number of accessories for you. Proper storage of the devices is also important. For this purpose, practical bags or suitcases from the GRAPHITE brand series will prove useful.
Mains or battery power?
Mains-powered tools are often associated with more robust and higher-powered devices. Is it right? Today, the capabilities of cordless power tools are in no way inferior to their traditional counterparts.
Examples include:
- Energy+ 18 V, Li-Ion drill/driver with removable 10 mm chuck 58G022 GRAPHITE – which reaches 1250 revolutions per minute, in addition to their practical adjustment and LED lighting of the work area,
- The screwdriver comes with a 2 Ah battery, charger, bag and bits 58G012-S15 GRAPHITE – which reaches speeds of up to 2,200 revolutions per minute and generates a user-safe peripheral percussion torque that increases the impact of the device on the material.
In addition, the use of rechargeable systems is associated with a number of features that affect both safety and convenience. The advantage of having tools from a single manufacturer is the ability to connect a single battery to multiple devices. However, this is a feature that you don’t have to worry about with technological network solutions either.
What affects the comfort of batteries?
- Mobility – undoubtedly, packing tools in a bag or suitcase and taking them with you to a plot of land without a power connection poses no problems in this case. The convenience of using a rechargeable system is based on working in almost any conditions, without worrying about sudden power supply or cumbersome organization of generators.
- No limitations – power cables always have a limited length. If you are working in several rooms and the need for a quick change of location arises, you have to spend time and energy unplugging the cable and finding the contact in the new location. Cordless tools can be carried freely with you. They are immediately ready to work (and much easier to store).
- Safety – in the case of construction or repair sites, where there are often many people in a confined space, there is a risk of stepping on or even cutting the cable. This is an extremely dangerous scenario that must always be kept in mind when using classic tools. Battery-powered devices without a cable are much safer and accident-free in this regard.
Battery systems and ecology
It is enough that the aforementioned cable is cut in the mains device, and virtually the entire tool becomes almost useless. Not only does the GRAPHITE brand offer a 3-year warranty on the equipment and battery (for the private customer on receipt and the business customer on invoice), but also having a highly developed service line – commits to having spare parts for 10 years after the tool is manufactured.
By using replacement components, but keeping the remaining components of the device, you not only save money – such solutions contribute to consciously minimizing electro-waste and leaving a lower carbon footprint.
Battery-powered systems also promote lending and tool sharing. All it takes is for one person to own a device from the same line with a rechargeable battery to use the capabilities of the company or friends as needed.
Lithium-ion (Li-Ion) batteries
This is a type of battery, which is considered the best source of power for tools for a reason. Its construction is based on one electrode made of porous carbon and another made of metal oxides. The electrolyte, in turn, is a solid or liquid rich in lithium salts, previously dissolved in a mixture of organic solvents.
What speaks in favor of these batteries?
- They allow twice as much energy to be accumulated as NiMH batteries of the same size and weight.
- It is not necessary to discharge them to the end in order to charge them again. There is no so-called memory effect, which in the case of batteries of other types, where they would drastically shorten their life.
- It maintains a charge level of more than 80%, even when not used for more than 90 days.
- Batteries of this type are smaller and up to 40% lighter than batteries of other types.
Energy+ offers lithium-ion batteries in three versatile variants:
- Energy+ 18-Volt, Li-Ion 2 Ah Battery, 58G001,
- Energy+ 18 V, Li-Ion 4 Ah Battery, 58G004,
- Energy+ 18-Volt, Li-Ion 6-Ah Battery, 58G086.
In addition, they can be charged in a single or dual charger. The latter model allows you to charge two batteries simultaneously, which saves time.
What to remember about battery systems
Although rechargeable batteries seem to have only advantages, it is worth keeping in mind a few aspects that will allow you to use this technology without surprises:
- It is not recommended to leave batteries in the sun for long periods of time. The battery has internal protection to protect it from overheating. If the body is too warm, it will not be able to power the device.
- It is worth remembering that many tools with replaceable parts (such as grinders), first have to be stripped of the battery, and then the replacement can be carried out later. This involves safety and the elimination of the possibility of accidental start-up.
