Are cheap Makita replacement batteries any good? (Fake Makita Battery Review)
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- Опубліковано 5 вер 2020
- We are here to answer the age-old question, Should you buy non-genuine Makita drill batteries? Yes or No?
Buy the Topbatt: amzn.to/2NWsEEI (affiliate link)
Buy the Genuine Makita: amzn.to/3lzKyID (affiliate link)
Buy the Waitley amzn.to/3ndcHa6 (Affiliate link)
Results:
Vanon 24.5 screws
Waitley 108 screws
Topbatt 140 screws amzn.to/2NWsEEI (affiliate link)
Genuine(used) 157 screws amzn.to/3lzKyID (affiliate link)
I have shamelessly bought non-genuine replacement batteries for my Makita drills in the past, going back about 4 or 5 years. I did manage to get some use out of them, however, I did encounter problems, so I gave up and promised myself never again. I went crawling back to Makita genuine batteries with my tail between my legs and have used genuine batteries for my joinery work ever since.
More recently, as my arsenal of cordless tools has increased, I have once again been tempted to go back to see if this is still the case. The Makita battery format has remained unchanged for about a decade, so I wondered if the replacement battery manufacturers had managed to up their game and produce anything that rivals the genuine Makita batteries. I had to know once and for all if I should give up on non-genuine batteries forever and stick to the real thing. So we put Chinese Makita batteries up to the test against the real deal.
Check out our full article here
theblokecave.co.uk/cheap-maki...
Spare yourself the misery of watching 10 minutes of screws being inserted into wood, go straight to 10.30 for the results
Credit to the creator he's written the results in the description too!
Though I understand and concede that there are a lot of garbage knockoff products out there, I'm much more deeply concerned by the practice of battery-tool pairing all new manufacturers are doing these days. It's very anti-consumer and is only a means to the ends of forced vendor lock in. If they succeed they will eventually start lying about the health of the battery to force you buy new ones. Trust me, they ABSOLUTELY WILL DO THIS! This is why everyone needs to get on to pushing for right to repair laws.
I'll be damned if I put up with a tool that stops working just because I used it a specific number of hours, mins, cycles. What's next!? Having to buy a monthly subscription to use the thing you physically own?! Oh... wait... cellphones already exist. Seriously, right to repair, it needs to be a thing.
This is one area I’m happy with way EU regulations are going. More right to repair. More universal standards. I would love to see tool batteries get a universal standard so you don’t need to be locked into a brand just to be cordless.
I use Makita day in day out, they don't burn up but what you should do is use the handle Instead of covering up the air vents with your palm
Exactly what I was thunking.
Very good video. Thank you very much for this test, i just bought the cheapst one waiti g on it to arrive .
Good luck!
Good video, very informing. Most other videos I saw didn't have the actual brands, just "Wish knockoff" or something like that.
Glad it was helpful!
Good video, interesting results. I understand why people buy the cheap knock offs, you can pay a fortune for the originals. Where I live Makita offer NO warranty with their batteries out of the box - it is due to ambient air temperature. (up to 45C) I bought a 12V Makita Drill / Driver that was genuine Makita, came with 2 batteries and a charger. One of the batteries failed after less than one month and a replacement was almost as expensive as the entire kit! I tried to get a replacement from the original store but they refused so I got onto Makita who initially refused. I didn't give up and hassled them to the point that they took me to their repair facility and let me choose a replacement from one of their finished goods boxed product. The damn thing failed again after 3 months! The other original battery is still working fine after over 4 years, so work that one out, it is like rolling a dice.
Im sorry ur comparison isnt accurate. 1st a 4 year old battery vs a new one. 2nd the first screws drilled a new hole and the second battery went into pre drilled holes. 3rd u switched between 3 drills. Did u do the same count per drill with both batteries?
The old battery still won though? It wasn’t given an advantage.
I got a 5amp one nok off just to try still had 2 makita I used the fake one just to try it had a 5 year warrenty the sellor replaced it 3 times in a year then gave me my money back he got fed up of replacing never rely on fakes all ways have you gen ones😭😭😭
Good vid. as a hobbyist i'm thinking of getting a fake for a spare because you always get one go flat when your half way though and you forgot to charge them :p
Or you could buy a branded spare and never have to worry about buying another one ever again. Also you have no idea the fail safes they have or dint have. In my opinion its not worth burning your house down to save a few bucks. These batteries can literally explode because if cheap circuitry and cheap cells
Interesting test just a thought if your tool comes with a 1,5 amp h battery i think its obviously sensible to buy a generic 5.0 amp hour batt , Off topic a bit but an Impact Driver is much better for screwdriving theres no cam out thanks for the testing
In great video! I used DeWalt and I have found that the Waitley are cheaper but well made. They do not last as long as the DeWalt battery, however when comparing the cost versus time until the battery is spent verses that to the DeWalt it is more cost effective for me to buy the generic. What do you think?
If you frequent the solar forums you'll learn alot. Those guys test for amps being held and then how many real life cycles etc Batteries can quickly degrade so the tests need to be done over time and compares. Best part of this video was actually the breakdown, you should have shown more about the build quality. The crappy ones are usually soldered really badly 7.5/10 lol 👍🏻
I used a knock off Makita battery on my angle drill while working on some theater seats. The drill was under a lot of use, and at one point I noticed smoke coming out of my drill. I thought the battery had somehow damaged the drill. Turns out the battery had overheated and stopped working. I'd rather pay for an OEM that will work.
Yeah the quality of these knock off batteries does seem to vary a lot!
Smoke coming out of the tool is nothing to do with the battery. It means you've overworked it and the motor is about to fail. Usually a sign of a winding failure of if its brushless the motor controller will fail. It happens but it's nothing to do with the battery.
@@SammyInnitwill the controler compensate wrongly delivered battery supply ratio (ampere and volt) and variability (fluctuation)?
Awesome video! This is a proper test, as opposed to all those other videos out there saying 'the knockoff still works after one year, so it must be as good as the brand one' lol
Thank you!
just open up and look up the cell properties.
the PCB the shell, the build all contribute to the cost and performance, but the cell is where all the money at.
I've had hit & miss results with the non-Makita batteries. But for yrs after I bought my LXT Pro set, the 4Ah batteries that came out were $100ea. It was a ploy by Makita just to buy a new drill set rather than buy new batteries. Eventually(and I knew it was coming), new non-Makita 4Ah batteries appeared for about $50ea. They worked great, but the plastic was inferior and would swell in use making it difficult to slide into the drill/charger. I complained about this from a Amazon purchase in a review and the actual vendor tried to bribe me to change my review....no shit. So, the last set of non-Makita 4Ah batteries I bought, one is great and the other one doesn't fully take a charge.....something is keeping it from charging fully, even though I get the green light on the charger. And then for more confusion.....Makita came out with the 'Star' system, wherein your battery talks to your drill and your charger. My experience with tools like this is I'm drilling a tough hole on the job in wood and the tools just stops....because you're "pushing" too too hard. As a pro, I hate that. I'll take the gamble on over heating the tool or battery over having the damn thing quit on me. In my case, I've never damaged a tool this way because if the tool itself, gets hot, I just stop and use something else. So back to the 'Star' system....the newer batteries won't fit into the non-star system tools. You have to cut/saw off a nubbin on the tool itself to get the batteries to work. I hate altering a great tool to make newer batteries fit. But it's getting harder and harder to find the older style batteries.
Have you thought about packing your own batteries into the older casings? You can buy the same samsung cells that makita uses for around £2-3 each, so £20-£30 for a brand new battery. It's actually surprisingly easy to do and we will have a video coming out on it soon.
@@TheBlokeCave Looking forward to the video. Unfortunately, I haven't saved any of the the original Makita batteries. Everything I have now are clones.....Venon, I think. I was told that fooling around inside at least with the Makita original batteries, you can cause the protective circuitry to 'brick' and you have a unfix-able battery at that point?
i had a bitch to a makita salesman about not all batteries fitting all tools. he explained that some tools suck too much power out of smaller batteries too quickly and it kills them. thats why its done that way. ive modified all my batteries to fit all tools but try avoid putting smaller batteries in the grinders and saws.
Clueless mate. Star protection is NEEDED for these brushless tools before you blow up the mosfets in the driver circuits. They aren’t simple h bridge switches and variable resistance triggers. You old heads are so stuck in your ways . Stalling out tools will burn out windings and such, you are not a professional you are a hack job. My star batteries work on my workshop blower, the dumb old thing is a brushed dc motor and variable resistance trigger.
I've been buying the copies for the last 10 years, just as good as genuine at half the price. I use them all day every day
What brand do you normally go for?
@@TheBlokeCave you have no comparision. they are not as good as the originals. even the 9Ah ones just are like 6Ah in original
@@GermanClimaxClan We do have an original Makita in the comparison. It came out on top despite being used where the others were new so we know they are much better than the Chinese fakes. However when you can get two of the Tobatt batteries for the same price as one genuine it does start to become more appealing!
Fake cheap batteries are just that and if you are a serious contractor like me you save your self money by paying more for the original in more ways than one, crappy casings that split as soon as you drop it simply dying young or poor performance been there tried it , I’m cured no thanks …I prefer quality products.
Yes but what brand of copies are you referring to as being just as good?
I’m confused as to whether or not you’re drilling the second set into the same holes from the first. I’ll assume these are fresh holes the second time around.
Everything went into fresh holes to keep the test fair
Interesting test, however, we also need to consider longevity.
I have find with many copies that they start off being ok, but then completely fail within about 6-8 charge/discharge cycles.
It would be interesting to know which of the copy batteries you tested lasted any decent amount of time?
We have used the batteries on going. The Vanon is completely dead now, but the waitley and the topbatt are still working. It might be worth rounding them all up and repeating the test to see what the performance is like now!
@@TheBlokeCave yes, that sounds like it would be very interesting to see
@@TheBlokeCave are they still working?
Really can be down to what they are. I've had a vanon fail after a couple of weeks however I have 20 or so Waitley batteries that keep going and going, some of which are probably 5 years old. I don't buy genuine any more; I had a genuine 6ah fail before a knock off 9ah so I just don't give makita my money for them any more.
@@SammyInnit nice. Ill pick up some waitley batteries then!
The Waitley 6.0Ah is pretty good and is currently under £30 (2023). Excellent video. Hope you wear knee pads or are you going to learn the hard way!
These batteries are just not worth it for high power tools, especially grinders and saws, drills too. What they are good for is your radios lights and little workshop blowers if they can last
Yeah I agree
What about makita chargers from Amazon? Are those any good?
I couldn’t tell from your footage at the end but out of interest did all the clone batteries have BMS with cell balancing?
Hi Steve, no only the official ones have any sort of cell balancing. The clone ones just have a temp sensor and not much else
Do they all charge on oem charger?
Do you know off of the top of your head, or wrote down the model Samsung batteries? I have 2 vanon ones that do charge up about halfway, then the charger blinks green red as if if it's bad, but they're really not. Maybe a bad cell or something. Doesn't have the meter button on either battery so I can't tell what percentage it's getting charged to before the charger says it's bad. It probably gets to that bad cell then reads bad. If I can find a decently priced spot welder I can just swap out the cells
It would change depending on the Ah and age of your battery pack. I know the 25r Samsung cells are commonly used in the newer packs.
I made my own pack with the spot welder in this video, it worked really well.
ua-cam.com/video/rHTsKArz6HI/v-deo.html
@@TheBlokeCave thanks! I'll check that welder out
@@TheBlokeCave how many welds can you get from one charge?
@@VinnieVega76 hundreds, it keeps going for a long long time
It isn't so much the capacity of the battery as that is easy to check. Open it up and see whether the cells used equal what is claimed on the case. If the case claims a 6AH capacity but the cells inside are are only 2500mAH then no way will it ever reach 6AH (2 x 2500mAH = 5AH !). If the cells are unbranded then you need to charge and discharge 1 pair to check their capacity. A genuine Makita battery ought to have a lifetime of 5-7 years (if they are looked after and leaving aside the issue of the odd early failure). When you buy brand x and they both fail after 15 months then you know the cells are basically junk. Had this happen with a 6AH battery made using Samsung cells which were the right capacity (3AH each). Replaced the 2 failed cells and now waiting to see how long the battery will last. To look after the batteries I have a last in, last out stack. I fully charge the battery (they get used frequently enough that no need for a storage charge). That way the batteries get cycled evenly. And used until near enough empty. And I stick a label with the purchase date on each battery. So far my 4AH genuine and brand X batteries are roughly the same. Not so for my 2 x 6AH. One is now had 2 cells replaced and is going okay so far, the second has needed 4 cells replaced and I will be swapping the BMS so that is an ongoing issue. So my view on using brand x batteries is don't. Pay the extra and get genuine Makita. And the best way to buy these is wait for a deal where you might get free batteries. I got a dual charger and 2 x 5AH free when I bought a Makita chainsaw skin (it was unexpected but I didn't turn it down).
Different drills, Different ampage, screw in, screws out. No sure this test would stand up to peer review
I have a pair of Waitley batteries that seem to work well, however they may hold 20v (definitely can get to 19 and change) and my makita charger doesn't like to charge them. Looking through videos like this to see if there is a good generic charger or if this smart charger is just pissed because the brand doesn't match.
There are some off brand chargers available but I have never tested them
@@TheBlokeCave I am thinking to just get an adjustable DC power supply. Should work for charging them if they can still be charged, and a couple other projects. I did get one of them to charge after watching several videos and numerous attempts. Charger rejected it, but gave it some juice first.
i just complained to the seller that both of my 18V 5Ah Makita clones dont work: my battery drill starts when i pull the trigger, but stops a split second later. (sometimes it runs for a while and the the problem occurs again). And my Makita angle grinder does not even start at all.
The seller send me a video with the solution: "Makita 18V clone battery repair"
Both of my batteries work now.
what did you have to do to repair them? are they still working ?
@@sprintershepherd4359
Check the video, but be aware that both batteries did not last long even after the repair
So do you know the make last one?
The brand is TOPBATT, they seem to sell lots of different replacement batteries. www.amazon.co.uk/s?me=A3IDPY3PCEZAQW&marketplaceID=A1F83G8C2ARO7P
Knock off batteries are probably okay for hobbies and like home use, but they just simply don't cut it for work use. I tried several knock off batteries for my dewalts and Makitas. I work general construction and run saws and impacts and everything else all day and knock offs last like a couple days to a month lol. I hate buying batteries but you won't save money on fakes if you have to buy them every month. Just suck it up and pay the ridiculous prices for brand name.
Interestingly, the "fakes" that I bought are made in China, as are my genuine Makita, I have found very little,. if any, difference between them.
@@amdidextrous crazy. It could just be the little experience I have with knock offs. I've had probably five knock off 5amp batteries and all of them lasted a very little amount of time and got extremely hot.
I bought a cordless fake Makita angle grinder but the battery wont work at all on my original Makita drilling machine, any way to make it?
Does the battery actually fit properly? You could always look at making an adapter but to be honest it is probably not worth the effort for what will be a low quality battery.
@@TheBlokeCave The fake bateery is really good, checked it, got original Canadian cells
How do they compare cost wise ?
Hi David, the Topbatt and waitley both come in around £30 whereas the genuine would be £70 - £80 for a similar Ah
You can get knock offs for about a third of the price of the Makita genuine, about £20 to £25 v £70 to £80 for the 5ah for example.
I buy the knock offs a third of the originals and don't know the difference and when they die toss em and buy another still works out a mile ahead than buying the Makita name and lets not forget the maakita have a shelf life as well.
Which do you buy? Seems like there is a massive variance with the knock offs, some not too bad - some awful
@@TheBlokeCave true I noticed 1 tested was right up there and the others were very ordinary.
I bought a Chinese cordless polisher that uses the same battery style as the makita. I don't see any reason to not buy the fake ones since that's probably what came with them.
Interesting...
buy an impact driver smh
Hi is the 5a waitley the same size as a makita 5a
In height i mean
yeah they all seem to be a similar size to the real deal
10:28 for the end results
Try using imitation Makita batteries with something like a Makita 36V brush cutter or even an 18V reciprocating saw. The batteries cook within about 15 minutes and are useless. The imitation chargers also don't like real Makita batteries. Online warranties with fly by night sellers are as fake as the batteries. It's a false economy.
Rubbish, I use the imitations in a chainsaw, there is not enough difference to worry about.
@@amdidextrous I've already blown 3 "9ah" eBay batteries in 36v configurations. Buy a genuine 6ah Makita battery and time how much longer it lasts than an alleged 9ah battery. Put them on a scale and weigh each. A 6ah is heavier than a '9ah'. Do a draw down test on then etc. You get what you pay for.
If u keep kneeling on hard floor u will ruin your knees.
Sign this kid up
Its so temping to buy these batteries but it's a crap shoot if you get a good one or not. And even if you get a "good one" its still not as good as an original. My branded batteries last YEARS i think the oldest one I have is 8 or 9 years old and its perfectly fine. Youre not going to get that with the knock offs. "Buy once cry once"
Agreed it seems to be complete pot luck, even when buying from the same "brand"
waitley 6A.9A?
it was the 5Ah I believe amzn.to/3ndcHa6
Surely the more times you drive a scree in andnout the easier it is for the next drill 😂
They all went in different holes
Hahaha. Guess what! None of the crap batteries available anymore. Wonder why. :)
Are makita drills really that awful that they get so hot you have to switch between them that many times so you don't burn them out? My rigid gen 5x did a whole 100 foot long dock screw after screw. Hundreds of 4" deck screws. Battery after battery in the summer heat. It did great. My cheap ryobi circular saw gave up the smoke that day. Got a free replacement though!
I am really cautious with my tools as I need them for my day job, but they were getting noticeably hot yes. I can't remember exactly but think these will be around 8" screws into un piloted holes so its not really a real-world use scenario. Great news on the free replacement! How do you find Ryobi tools? I have never used them myself but always been interested in trying them out due to the price.
@@TheBlokeCave oh okay :) as said I primarily use rigid tools. They are the bees knees. Id put them right up there with the milwuake tools. Ryobi makes pretty good tools. Their brushless tools are much more impressive than their brushed tools. They're GREAT for around the house jobs and home gamer projects. Thats what I keep my ryobi tools for. But if I'm ever doing serious work the rigid tools come out. The ryobi tools I own have seen some good use however always taken great care of them. They certainly aren't designed with duty cycle in mind however. Push them too hard and they will burn up. The saw that was smoking and all ruined, I let someone else use and they cut 100 feet of 2x6 without stopping off the end of a dock. Buddy with his milwuake circular saw had no issue doing the same. The tools are affordable. The batteries are affordable. The quality of construction is..fine. which is where the other tools kick the pants off the ryobi stuff.
@@musicwiz40 makita is one of the best brands you can buy...
@@howiefeltersnatch2596 My maintenance man friend got me into Makita tools 28 years ago. They are absolutely the best power tools.
@@musicwiz40 The makita drills that he's using are mid range at best
LOL, if you can't afford Makita, just buy Ryobi. Don't make yourself a fool by buying fake battery. Fake ones does work and here is my experience. Fake one does NOT compatible with rapid charger, the battery expanded and cracked open when I put it in a rapid charger. LOL. Secondly, they don't fully compatible with my 36v (2 x 18v) lawn mower. It simply cutting off sometimes. Lastly, they won't power up heavy duty devices like an angel grinder, power is just not there. Fakes works at bare minimal level like the drill/impact at low speed. Good for a DIYer who only drill 50 holes in their lifetime. LOL.
You used yhe same holes.....surely every time you run a screw in it makes it easier for the next
Didn't use the same holes, they were just pre drilled
Just DONT buy the fake ones they are shite don’t care what anyone says brittle casing that shatters battery life garbage and even the good ones lucky to last a month just buy genuine been on the sites for 10 years don’t waste your time and money
Rubbish, they are fine, the ones that I have are equal to "genuine" Makitas, and both are made in China...
hey guys, was really digging the content, but was kinda bummed out by the "girls' battery" comment. i'm a girl, i work in construction. thought it was uncalled for :/
Putting lettuce and tomato on top of a big mac, may technically be considered
'construction', but that's not what we men are discussing sweetheart.
I used Vanon batteries for my Makita. They was last 2 years. Original 13 month, warranty was 12 mo. Maybe due to it larger capacity. But my main point Makitas batteries is junk! Even aftermarket batteries last longer. Makita want admit it. I’m homeowner, in 5 years used 3 makita original batteries and 4 aftermarket. All failed due to chip. My boss using Rigid tools. Has 10 Rigid batteries, workers leaving sometimes for a month fully discharged in winter outside in his truck. None of them is failed. Makita does it on purpose!
5 bars? Really?
hehe thought that, needs specs doesnt he
They are not "fake" Makita batteries if they are not sold as branded Makitas. They are replacements, clearly branded as such.
Can agree vannon are crap !
10:30
Safety issue is the primary concern so these tests are meaningless. Non Makita batteries don't have temperature sensors and are not monitoring voltages on all battery. I will not allow any non original batteries at my worksites. Think about tens of thousands if not millions of dollars in liability.
that's not true, most makita batteries don't check all the voltages, only the very newest seem to have any balancing. also most chinese knockoff pcbs include a temp sensor
I bet your moms real proud of how you run job sites. Probly that guy who wears a mask alone in his car.