Vanon replacement power tool batteries?

[rumblecloud]

I just had a DeWalt 20V 6AH battery go belly up. I've tried the two most common methods for reviving it with no luck. So I was curious if anyone has tried alternate non-name brand sources. I've seen Vanon before and was wondering if anyone has tried them or has other sources. They make batteries for DeWalt and Milwaukee that are way less than the name brand so I was just wondering.
Thanks in advance.

 

[SenorNoob]

Try them and report back. I know we have some unbranded Dewalt compatible 9AH at work that do pretty well.

 

[Uncle Gump]

My old Dewalt 18v batteries died.

I bought some cheap units off Amazon they work well enough for me not to notice any difference.

 

[scotts90ranger]

With the cheap aftermarket you kinda get what you pay for... I don't remember what brands on the bamazon that I went with for my Milwaukee but the success rate is about 50% but considering they're like 30% of the price I'm not upset...

 

[rumblecloud]

I am gonna give it a shot. They have a 2-fer deal. Went thru Amazon. Should get them tomorrow.

 

[rumblecloud]

Received the two Vanons. They came well packaged - better than the DeWalts. Half charged as expected. Threw them on the DeWalt charger, about 30-45 minutes fully charged. So far so good. I've used one extensively on my impact driver (my favorite tool). and the impact wrench, both 20V Max's.

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

It’s been explained to me that the aftermarket batteries usually use inferior battery cells and/or inferior tech (overheat protection and the like). My one buddy has something aftermarket Milwaukee M18 “6AH” packs. They look and work about like my real XC batteries and nowhere near the performance of my real 6AH packs. Of course, these are my work tools we are talking about so it pays to have the legit stuff if the performance is there. My buddy is happy with what he got and what he paid for it. Just doesn’t work for me. I get both side though.

 

[scotts90ranger]

Yeah, pretty much the argument of Harbor Freight versus Snap On... If I made a living on my tools I wouldn't have bought the aftermarket Millewaukee batteries but being a one man show on home projects having 3 batteries in current rotation works fine... I have a bunch of Bauer batteries but I have way more tools for them...

 

[lil_Blue_Ford]

Yeah, pretty much the argument of Harbor Freight versus Snap On... If I made a living on my tools I wouldn't have bought the aftermarket Millewaukee batteries but being a one man show on home projects having 3 batteries in current rotation works fine... I have a bunch of Bauer batteries but I have way more tools for them...

I’m always willing to admit that what works for me isn’t for everyone. Not everyone has the same requirements that I do. To be honest, I still have a pile of corded tools that I still use frequently despite going with Milwaukee battery powered stuff. I’ve tried to snag some deals on tools and batteries when I can, but most of it has been retail. I already had a full kit of corded tools when I went looking to pick a new battery powered tool set to buy. That was when my 19.2v Craftsman’s were starting to really die (say what you want, I found you could usually let the magic smoke out of them at least 3-4 times before they would consider dying), and when they changed after Sears went under. Milwaukee was the premium brand that had the tools I wanted. I was willing to buy into a premium brand because I know what I put my tools through

I’ve actually recommended Ryobi to a lot of people that have asked me for a tool recommendation that I knew would never put a battery powered tool through what I do. Ryobi pledged years ago to never change their battery to an incompatible design. A new Ryobi battery will always fit an old Ryobi tool. They are also under Milwaukee’s umbrella so to me, it’s a reliable option to give a handy homeowner. Batteries are usually what needs replaced.

 

[JoshT]

I bought into Ryobi years ago and haven't looked back. Not saying that Milwaukee isnt better, but not enough to justify the additional price for my purposes. I'd have gone for HF, Craftsman, B&D, etc, but as lil_Blue_Ford said, Ryobi adapoted a battery format and stuck with it, those other seem to change battery formats occasionally.

You weren;t asking about tools though, you were asking about batteries. Personally I'll only use authentic Ryobi batteries. Not cheap, but they tend to last. Also seems like most people that have issues with batteries catching fire are using offrband betteries or chargers. Not saying that all fires are due to offbrand stuff, but the majority seem to be. I'm not willing to trust the third party stuff. Even if the one you buy today is perfect, doesn't mean that the next batch they produce will be, or that the company will even still be around in a few months.

I'd definitely recommend extra caution around storing and charging the third party batteries.

 

[alwaysFlOoReD]

I've bought into Ryobi when they were the only ones selling tools seperate from the battery and charger. That was probably 25 or 30 years ago, or more... I've had some bad ones, the grinder was a juice hog. The new brushless ones are better, plus with the new battery chemistry it's no problem anymore. I've had problems with the 2amp and 1.5amp batteries that come in the tool kit. They are garbage. The 4amp are good. I've had one out of two 6amp go bad. And the one 9amp I bought didn't last long either. Overall I would say the tools are good and I was using them commercially doing siding and renovations.

 

[rumblecloud]

No arguments from me on any of this. I have a bunch of Ryobi yard maintenance tools. Ann likes them because she can handle them. But my mech tools are mostly DeWalt because my SIL got me into it.
Off-brand batteries I am certain are less expensive because they use lesser innards. There "can be" other reasons why their costs are lower as well, But I wanted to try 'em out.