Cordless Power Tool Battery Prices

[DLB]

Today I received an email ad from HD for two Milwaukee XC 5.0 M18 batteries and a two-bay charger for $199. Marketing plays a large part in the pricing.

- David

[RFGuy]

Today I received an email ad from HD for two Milwaukee XC 5.0 M18 batteries and a two-bay charger for $199. Marketing plays a large part in the pricing.

- David

David,

Yeah, I have seen that promotion. Chargers are more or less free on the Milwaukee platform, i.e. they throw them in with many tool bundles for no cost increase. I have several just sitting around collecting dust before I started seeking out tool only deals from them. So, at 2 batteries for $200 that makes it $100/battery , but I remember 2 of these batteries going for around $100-120 total in the not so distant past, which would have been $50-60/battery. Still quite a bit of markup compared to where these batteries were selling about a year ago. I am fairly certain these are tied to the increase in lithium prices this year.

[rogersk]

Local ad for Ace Hardware has this for the DeWalt batteries good until Dec 24th. Many Milwaukee and Craftsman cordless tools are also on sale, but I didn't see any of the big batteries listed.

[reible]

This is slightly off topic but still close enough.

I have had a camera lithium battery since 12/28/2018. When I went to take it out of the camera it did not just slide out like normal. Had to work to get it out, it has swollen. Wouldn't have noticed just sitting there but the camera is a tight fit. This is one of a pair that I got at the same time. I label them with the dates so I can keep track of what's what. Not quite 4 years of time. Other battery is fine yet.

Back then the pair was $15.99, the current price is $18.99. Ruffly 16% increase.

I also replace my van battery this year. I do this every 3 years now, I use to try and get more life out of them but now I want to change the battery when the weather is decent and not 6 below zero. The replacement is the same model and brand just 3 years newer. Back then we will call it $127, this year $150. Again the magic number is about 16% but over only 3 years.

Have not purchased a new battery for any of my tools in a long while. These Lithium batteries have held up well. Not so good for lawn mowers, at least in my case. So there was no looking at battery snowblowers when I went shopping this winter, ic for sure. Batteries are good for something and not others.........

Ed

[Ed in Tampa]

I think you all are sounding like our forefathers did when automobiles came out. Ain't going to work, too expensive, no one is going to stand around a gas pump if you can find one!

No a fan of high battery prices but love the freedom from the cord on cordless tools. Bought my first cordless tool a 9 volt Dewalt with two batteries from Sams cost I think $39. When the batteries wore out it cost me $79 for one. Then I know Gillette razor company philosophy had hit the cordless tool company. Give away the tool and make a fortune on renewables like batteries. Many things are this way today. But you know what the price is still set on what the market will bear. Stop buying the batteries and the prices will come down.

Just like the expensive electric car if people did not buy them because the price is too high the manufactures will figure a way to bring the cost down.

[john_001]

The price of lithium has tripled since Fall, 2021, so I don't think we're going to see lithium battery prices come down much in the near future unless we adopt new chemistries that use less of the stuff.

[RFGuy]

The price of lithium has tripled since Fall, 2021, so I don't think we're going to see lithium battery prices come down much in the near future unless we adopt new chemistries that use less of the stuff.

John,

Thanks. Yeah, that is what I was trying to highlight on this thread and it is backed up by a real world anecdote in my case. Just wanted other woodworkers to be aware that this is the case so don't be surprised if prices start to creep up on other cordless power tool brands related to elevated commodity pricing on lithium...

Excerpt from an online source discussing inflation in the cordless tool market:
"Prices for more than 700 Makita tools went up in April. In November last year, Stanley Black & Decker also increased their prices. This is quite a knock for tool buyers as the company owns many popular tool brands, including DeWalt. This will have a knock-on effect throughout the economy as manufacturers and contractors will be paying more for the tools they use. In the end, we, the consumers will be paying for this.

According to an article published on the Bloomberg website in October last year, there are multiple factors that influenced the Stanley Black & Decker tool price increase. Between July and November 2021, the price of raw materials increased dramatically. This has cost the Stanley Black & Decker group $690 million in just a few months.

Since cordless tools have come to dominate the market, battery prices are a big factor in what we pay for these tools. Lithium and cobalt (essential in the production of lithium-ion batteries) are rocketing at an astounding rate. Looking at the lithium price increase over the past year, it is almost unbelievable. In May 2021, the price of lithium was $13/kg. By February 2022, it has increased to a whopping $40. That's around a 300% price increase in less than a year."

Bloomberg Article:
https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/artic ... ify%20wall