Lowe’s has launched a new Kobalt 24V 3Ah battery that features USB-C bi-directional charges.
In other words, you can recharge it via USB and also use the battery as a power bank for powering and charging other electronic devices.
From what I can see, the battery has a 3Ah charge capacity, although it’s unclear if the battery is engineered with higher performance Li-ion cells.
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The new battery will be included with new Kobalt 24V Max cordless power tool combo kits, such as this telescoping shaft string trimmer kit (priced at $129 for everything).
The string trimmer kit comes with a 30W wall charger – Kobalt doesn’t specify how long it takes to charge the battery – 100W USB-C cable, and a “USB-C adapter [that] can charge non-USB 24V Kobalt batteries.”
In other words, not only can you charge the battery via USB-C, it comes with an adapter that allows any Kobalt 24V Max battery to be charged via USB-C as well.
Here’s where things get confusing. I don’t see the adapter in any Lowe’s product images for the Kobalt tool kit. But also, if it comes with a charging adapter for Kobalt non-USB 24V cordless power tool batteries, why not just build the bi-directional USB-C port into that?
There’s more.
Kobalt appears to be launching other new 24V and 48V (24V X2) cordless power tools.
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It looks like the 48V 24Vx2 tool kits will ship 2x 3Ah batteries and a multi-port USB-C charging adapter.
Frankly, USB-C charging seems more like a cost-cutting feature than a feature, at least with respect to cordless outdoor power tools. I’d rather have a faster docking-style power tool charger and a slide-on adapter that works with any of a brand’s cordless power batteries. Apparently you do get with the kits I’ve seen, although it doesn’t seem to have power bank functionality.
Updates
I found an image of the USB-C charging adapter, but there’s no info about it.
It looks like there will also be a Kobalt 5Ah battery with USB-C charging.
Jared
That’s pretty neat. I use my Dewalt USB-C charger to charge my laptop sometimes. I wouldn’t mind if no charge adapter was required.
One reason not to only rely on the adapter for USB-C charging is that you might be able to charge multiple batteries just with existing cables and wall pugs you already own.
Doresoom
I definitely think the USB-C charger is a cost cutting measure for 24V batteries. At a 30W charge rate, it’s going to take 3 hours 36 minutes for a 5Ah battery, and that’s with perfect efficiency. Ugh.
Alternatively, I think Chervon’s decision to go with USB-C charging for the smaller SKIL 12V batteries is a great move on their part. The included 30W charger can charge a 2Ah 10.8V battery in under an hour. I used my own 60W charger and took it down to just under 30 minutes for a full charge. Plus those smaller batteries are much easier to carry around as a power bank.
Luis
Agreed. From a cost cutting and portability perspective, USB-C makes total sense. But it’s not something that can easily provide high speed charging. 50W power tool battery chargers seem to be about the bare minimum, but 150W and above is preferred.
I wonder what’s the charging speed cap on these USB-C Kobalt (and Skil )batteries? What if you plug-in a 100W USB-C charger from a Macbook or Smartphone?
Doresoom
The SKIL batteries top out at 60W in/out via USB-C, or at least that what’s stated on the battery case.
Mike S
USB-PD can deliver up to 240w right?
USB-C is not really the limitation here.
If the circuit in this is not fully USB-PD 3.1 compliant, then yes that is a cost cutting measure.
I remember when I suggested this feature for all power tool batteries and a *whole* bunch of people here made fun of me and said that USB would never be able to produce any usable amount of wattage… 240w sounds like serious juice to me.
Reflector
USB-C charging is neat for universality of charging. I don’t mind if it is in the form of those little slide on chargers. I got some for my Bosch batteries but they’re sketch enthusiast devices that I don’t leave unattended and don’t charge my batteries past 4/5. For the Skil 12V ones they kind of make sense with how small the batteries are. I intentionally got the Skil 12V lineup when they were being clearanced from Lowes because of that while already having Bosch 12V stuff. Also the Skil batteries charge and discharge crazy fast from the perspective of them being power banks – try finding a 30 watt hour power bank that small that dis/charges at 45W).
I’m personally a bit annoyed by a lack of USB-C charging options from major power tool companies (Dewalt at least offers one), not because I intend to fast charge with USB-C (I don’t, not when there’s fast+multichargers) but because they make good power bank converters (drain batteries to 50% for storage, backup for power outages) but especially because they let you vehicle charge/if you’re flying with tools they’re compact chargers that don’t take up luggage space and can get power from a bunch of sources (vehicle, power banks, etc)
Nate
Exactly this. The slap-on charger is for the jobsite, USB-C for everything else. It makes the batteries more versatile.
I now own several of the Symik third-party adapters that go on Ryobi batteries and give them similar capabilities. (Two USB-C ports, one USB-A port, and a small LED light.) They’re like $45 and worth it to me; to have that built into the battery is HUGE. And Ryobi could fit it all into the empty “stem” of the pack, they just don’t.
JoelLikestools
I like this. I have been really happy with Kobalt. Their little impact wrench is rad, I use it as my daily driver. (79$ right now) I could see a 3ah pairing well with that. I see the usb c as just another feature. I could see using it to top off a phone. I already have 5 chargers, so it would not be replacing those. Seems more useful than the crazy little ryobi charger that takes something like 8 hrs to charge a 4ah battery.
JJ
AFAIK Chervon is still the OEM for Kobalt 24v. I think it’s wild they brought the best feature from SKIL 12v to Lowes store brand, while at the same time Lowes is clearancing Chervon brands Flex and apparently SKIL.
Dave
USB C can easily charge at 100w+
If the battery can handle it, and presumably it can because of the charging from the regular charger – so implementing a slower USB interface is penny pinching.
Though it has to be said USB isn’t really a suitable interface for a work site – it’s not robust enough for daily rough/dirty environments.
Fowler
I love USB-C on my 12V SKIL batteries that I use around the house, I don’t know that I would want it on outdoor tools though. There are waterproof USB-C ports, but that doesn’t help with avoiding dirt inside the port. I’m sure they have a cover, hopefully it stays in place better than the cover on the SKIL batteries
I only think this is a cost cutting measure in that tool companies sell so many bundled chargers to people who already have chargers. Reducing the cost of charging equipment wouldn’t have so much of an effect if they weren’t sending out so many unnecessary chargers in the first place.
Perry
To everyone saying usb-c can’t be used on a jobsite: we use usb-c all the time. For phones, some niche tools use it for charging and I as well as a few co-workers bought aftermarket chargers for our tool batteries for the convenience. Many of the multi-bay chargers are low-power anyway, so having 2 or 3 usb chargers going off of a 200+ watt usb converter is just as quick and pack away smaller and easier
JoelLikestools
Pretty standard for mobile technicians to be lugging around ipads or other tablets.
Stuart
Smartphone batteries are typically <20 Wh and can last an entire day on a fully charge with typical usage.
An 18V 12Ah battery is 216 Wh.
In heavy usage, a 12Ah battery depletes more than 10X the energy in 1/20th the time, if not faster. That's 200X the energy depletion.
USB-C can work for power tool batteries, but there are practical limitations for the time being. It's fine for small consumer batteries. An 18V 2Ah battery has 36 Wh energy capacity which isn't that much larger than typical 11" tablet battery sizes.
David
Someone’s got all the inside info!
FINALLY A 24V (mini) POWER STATION!!!
https://www.reddit.com/r/KobaltTools/s/eChamom1v8