It looks like Craftsman is ready to launch their own upgraded cordless power tool batteries, with tabless cell 3Ah and 6Ah battery packs joining their V20 line.
Craftsman says their new tabless cell Li-ion batteries are “built for DIYers who always think ahead,” and that they are “engineered with state-of-the-art tabless cell technology.”
It looks like there will be 2 sizes – a compact 3Ah battery and a higher capacity 6Ah battery.
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Craftsman V20 Advanced 3Ah Battery (CMCB2103)
Here’s what Craftsman says about the new V20 Advanced 3Ah battery:
- Built to run cooler
- Less temperature rise during full discharge, not in application, vs CMCB202 2Ah battery
- Up to 96% more power
- vs CMCB202 2Ah battery, not in application
- Up to 50% more runtime
- vs CMCB202 2Ah battery based on 10A discharge test, not in application
Craftsman V20 Advanced 6Ah Battery (CMCB2106)
The new 6Ah battery also features tabless cells. Here are Craftsman’s competitive claims along with similar contexts and qualifiers:
- Built to run cooler
- Less temperature rise during full discharge, not in application, vs CMCB202 2Ah battery
- Up to 3X the power
- vs CMCB202 2Ah battery, not in application
- Up to 3X the runtime
- vs CMCB202 2Ah battery based on 10A discharge test, not in application
Pricing and Availability
Both Craftsman V20 Advanced batteries are shown off as part of new starter kits, with the 3Ah battery bundled with a compact charger and the 6Ah battery bundled with a standard charger.
At this time Lowe’s has both products listed as unavailable, but we expect for ordering to open up as the starter kits begin to ship.
Thank you to Big Richard for the heads-up!!
Discussion
We asked Craftsman about the new batteries and were told that more information will be available when they are closer to launch.
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What are tabless cell Li-ion batteries?
Tabless battery packs feature an updated style of Li-ion battery cell that typically has lower internal resistance than older Li-ion battery cell technologies. This allows it to deliver more current and operate at cooler temperatures for longer.
See Also: Tabless Power Tool Batteries – Simplified Basics
Why should we care?
Generally speaking, tabless cell batteries are an instant upgrade for certain cordless power tools, delivering faster application speeds. Other pairings allow users to get more work done per charge.
What’s unique about this launch?
As a reader (thank you Big Richard) pointed out, the geometries suggest that Craftsman is using tabless 18650-sized battery cells. Until now, we have only see tabless cell batteries in larger 21700-sized packages.
In other words, it appears that the new Craftsman V20 Advanced battery packs deliver a power boost without requiring an upgrade to physically larger, heavier, and in many cases considerably more expensive battery packs.
What remains to be seen?
Pricing details have not yet been announced. Also, we have only seen these batteries in starter kits with different chargers. Will Craftsman also be launching new V20 Advanced cordless power tools that will be kitted with the new batteries?
Li-ion battery cell manufacturers are often available to different cordless power tool brands, If these new battery packs are indeed engineered with 18650-sized tabless Li-ion battery cells, as the geometries and charge capacities suggest, there’s a strong chance we will start seeing upgraded battery packs from other tool brands, and perhaps not only in the DIY space.
Jonathan OAF
With tabless batteries, you indicate faster application speeds. Does that mean the specs on their tools will improve? Will Craftsman try to compete with other brands outside of the DIY Market or trying to compete with Ryobi?
Stuart
Maybe? It depends on the brand, tool, battery, and application.
If you look at Makita, https://toolguyd.com/makita-high-output-battery-bl4040f/ , their circular saw, angle grinder, metal-cutting saw, and chain saw delivered faster application speeds when used with a tabless cell battery vs comparably sized tabbed cell battery.
There are no data points for smaller tabless cell batteries like these. Unless or until Craftsman makes specific claims, we can only talk about potential and possibilities based on existing relatable knowledge.
What other brands outside of the DIY market would you say Craftsman actively competes with? I don’t see this being the start of a market shift for V20.
Big Richard
On Craftsman’s listing for these batteries they say “Built for DIYers who always think ahead”. So I think they will be staying in the DIY lane, but just need to compete with brands like Ryobi who have been adopting newer battery technology.
ElectroAtletico
After the factory fiasco I just can’t see myself ever stopping at the Craftsman aisle in Lowe’s. Nope. Not happening.
Jim Felt
Not my exact experience(s) there but except for a random drop in it’s hard to care much about this chain in my (thank goodness) much better tool vendors saturated market.
ebt
Also after Lowes gave me hard time trying to exchange a Craftsman ratchet (they don’t have the exact p/n in any store). I was told that “extended flex head 3/8″ ratchet” should be fine. Nope.
Big Richard
The Lowes listings may not show the price, but once you have viewed the listings if you look at the thumbnail listings under “Previously Viewed” at the bottom of the page, it does show the price. $129 for the 3Ah starter kit and $199 for the 6Ah starter kit.
Jonathan OAF
My thinking is that homeowners don’t particularly care/know about quality. A brushed DeWalt drill still sells like hot cakes even when better options exist. Craftsman having tabless batteries come out at higher price seems like they’d improve tool quality too.
Champs
Here’s hoping tabless 18650 batteries trickle UP to Milwaukee. I certainly prefer the more compact proportions of XC batteries, although reorienting cells in HO and Forge would do the same thing…
Big Richard
I could potentially see a tabless 18650 XC6.0 Forge replacing the current pouch cell XC6.0 Forge. M12 is where these need to go, though. A CP3.0 and XC6.0.
Jared
This is fantastic news in my opinion. New, higher-performing batteries often herald new tools. Plus, it’s a signal that the Craftsman line won’t be abandoned or allowed to stagnate (not that I thought it was a risk, but still – PC’s fate endures in my memory).
Nathan
My first reaction was why? No pro I see buys them and no diyer would give a bit vs the extra price.
Or they shouldn’t. Craftsman stuff I’ve looked at appears to be similar to DeWalt lower tier or rather the 3-4 year old device. What pisses me off is they had to muck with the potential for battery commonality going out of their way to add more pieces or change pieces. Nope.