Makita BL1815-2 18-Volt 1-1/2 Ah Compact Lithium-Ion Battery, 2-Pack

Makita and others make these 1/2 size batteries and the problem is that they last less than half as long as a full size and provide a lot less power to the drill at anywhere near full power. Do something tough like cutting holes in wood or driving long deck screws and the battery charge disappears almost before you can blink. There is a lot less reserve power in these 1/2 size batteries regardless of the brand. Lithium-ion batteries hold a charge longer when not in use than NiCad batteries but they deliver less power as they have a

For light duty operations the Makita kits with the 1/2 size batteries are barely adequate but may be all that the average homeowner needs for small projects. In these same situations though a 3/8" cord drill is going to provide much better performance. For heavy duty jobs a full size battery can make a big difference and I would not recommend replacing half-size batteries with more 1/2 size batteries. Wiser to buy a single full size battery when it comes time to buy an additional battery.

I find that I can get many more holes by using modern big gullet hole cutters like the ones from Blue Boar but even here the full size batteries enable use of larger hole saws with the same drill motor.

BLUE BOAR 4-1/8" (105mm) Self-Feed TCT 2-1/4" deep multipurpose Tungsten Carbide hole cutter outperforms self-feed bits & bi-metal hole saws. Cut wood, MDF, OSB, laminates, Hardie & chipboard, plaster, drywall, brick, Formica

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