When time is money, there are few things as frustrating for you and your crew than having to juggle countless battery chargers in a limited number of outlets on a work site. Fortunately, the engineers at three of the major cordless tool manufacturers have come up with some great solutions - multi-port chargers, which are capable of charging multiple batteries at once. This allows you to get more batteries charged without tying up the only outlets on the site and allowing your crew to remain more productive in the long run. Here's a quick comparison of the best available from DeWalt, Milwaukee, and Makita.
DeWalt DCB104:
When you deal with a wide range of tough tools, you need a charger that can keep up. This DeWalt charger is designed to charge up to four batteries at a time, whether they're 12V Max, 20V Max or FlexVolt 20V/60V Max systems. Because all these batteries take the same size charger, it helps eliminate potential issues from sticking the wrong size battery into the wrong charger. It's able to charge four 4.0A 20V Max batteries in 40 minutes or four 6.0A 20V Max batteries in 60 minutes. It fits the ToolConnect system, delivering strong performance, while the integrated ToughSystem allows it to be mounted on rails as part of your standard kit. It includes through-hole mounting to allow you to get it up off the floor, protecting your investment.
Milwaukee 48-59-1807:
Do you have a crew with a mix of M12 and M18 tools from Milwaukee? If so, this charger delivers a unique approach to rapid charging by allowing you to charge both battery types on a single charger. The charger allows you to charge three of each type at the same time while achieving a full charge up to 40% faster than comparable charging systems. With onboard RedLink intelligence, it communicates with each battery and independently checks voltage, temperature and charging status, which allows it to charge to peak performance while extending its overall lifespan. It also includes some conveniences that you may not expect, such as a pass-through plug to save outlet space and hanging holes to get it up off the ground to protect your charger.
Makita DC18SF:
If you use Makita's LXT Lithium-Ion battery system, this charger will allow you to charge up to four batteries at a time to save space. What's more, it does it relatively quickly. Though it does split the charging capacity across the charger, it's able to fully charge two 2.0 AH batteries in 30 minutes or four in 60 minutes, and if you've invested in the higher-capacity 3.0 AH batteries, you can have two ready to go in 60 minutes or four ready in 120 minutes. It includes charging status indicators for all four battery ports, which are individually monitored with independent control for temperature, voltage and current. It works with all Makita 18-Volt slide-style lithium-ion batteries.
These three chargers all have their own advantages and disadvantages, but which one will work best for your crew is a question only you can answer. Need help deciding on the right one for your situation? The experienced associates at Star Sales can help! Please feel free to reach out today with any questions, for more details or to order one of these high-performance multi-port battery chargers for your job site.
