Earlier today I posted about the new Skil 360 Quick Select cordless screwdriver. The built-in screwdriver bit carousel is kind of neat, but I’m also liking how the Li-ion battery can be charged via USB.
These small 4V cordless screwdrivers usually have long charging times – “overnight” for the Black & Decker Gyro. So if it’s going to recharge slowly, low-current USB charging is a great option.
This all reminded me of an LED flashlight concept I spotted on a few months back. The flashlight itself looks incredible, but it’s the USB charging capability and Combo Charger that really strikes my interest.
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It’s a great idea and hopefully a sign that tool manufacturers might start looking into ubiquitous and convenient USB chargers as a viable charging option.
USB chargers are suitable for charging smaller devices – such as flashlights and small cordless screwdrivers – but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Li-ion battery packs are cheap and plentiful, and they can power small tools and accessories better than Alkaline batteries can.
The other day I gave away a Mac cordless rechargeable LED worklight to a reader. I received two samples but one package was missing the AC adapter that plugs into and recharges the batteries. It’s a 6V wall wart charger with a current draw of either 300 or 600mA.
So what I did was send the reader the AC adapter from the test unit and I purchased a “universal adapter” from Amazon for $10. The adapter came with a bunch of tips, none of which fit.
So now I have a great LED worklight with 2 removable and rechargeable batteries that cannot be recharged. That’s not exactly true – the kit came with a 12V auto adapter – but without an AC adapter the product is a lot less functional.
This is something I also don’t like about Gyros’ LED worklights – they all require different AC adapters. I remember bringing this up with Gyros, but I don’t think any of their recent models feature USB charging.
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In theory, YES, bring on the USB-recharging compact power tools and accessories! In reality, long charging times and limited power means that we’ll only see USB charging as a feature on smaller tools like 4V screwdrivers, LED flashlights, and low power testing tools. Even so, bring it on, the more tools I can recharge via USB, the better!
Bart
I say, it is about time.
One of the most frustrating things about most non-removable battery rechargeable devices is the complete lack of standardization when it comes to the cables needed to recharge them. You end up with half a dozen, space inefficient, chargers that are only compatible with the one device they came with!
While it would add cost, faster charging via USB could be supported by simply allowing the device being charged to sense how much current is available, a la iPad. While the typical computer USB port only allows .5A, many inverters and power strips with USB ports allow for higher current loads, up to about 2A.
Dennis
Not only should it be the standard in small tools, it should be the standard in portable electronics. Being able to charge with a simple (and cheap) USB cord was one of the great things about switching over from iPhone to Android. I understand that manufacturers want to lock you into their brand, but it’s high time consumers take that into consideration when they purchase tools and electronics. The manufacturers will follow. I for one would be more likely to purchase the product with a standardized charger.
Oliver Lorenzo
Its 2022 as of this day, and I must say, all cordless powertools no matter how big, should be charged by USB-C. They are now very capable of charging larger capacity batteries faster with no proprietary charging docks necessary and tools can now be sold all over the world no matter what voltage their country uses!
MartijnD
And if you have a mobile-charger(a rechargeable charger with internal batteries itself) you can almost continuously work. I have 2 small ones, about 1/2″x credit card size, 5V 1Ah and a big one, 5V 10Ah…