Charger and Battery Set - Makita, DC18RC + BL1830B, 18V, 3.0 Ah, 1914J5-6

Makita DC18RC + BL1830B Set - Rapid Charger and 18V 3.0 Ah Battery

The set contains a Makita DC18RC rapid charger and a BL1830B 18V, 3.0 Ah battery with a charge indicator. It is the starter kit for any 18V LXT tool bought as a bare unit. Article 1914J5-6.

DC18RC - 22 minutes

The charger is fast: a 3.0 Ah pack charges in about 22 minutes. For comparison - 1.5 Ah takes 15 minutes, 4.0 Ah 36 minutes, 5.0 Ah 45 minutes. On site that means a pair of packs keeps the work continuous: the second finishes charging before the first runs out.

The fan

The DC18RC has a built-in fan that forces air through the battery's vents while charging. The reason is simple: a hot battery does not charge quickly. Without active cooling, a pack taken straight off a grinder waits to cool down before charging even starts.

Talking to the battery chip

The charger communicates with the chip in the pack throughout the cycle and controls current, voltage and temperature to suit the state of the cells. The result is more cycles of life, not merely a faster charge.

BL1830B - 3.0 Ah

The battery is 18V, 3.0 Ah, Li-ion with a charge indicator - a button and three LEDs on the housing. 3.0 Ah is the sensible middle size: it lasts better than 2.0 Ah when drilling and cutting, without the weight of 5.0 Ah overhead.

When to buy a set like this

Makita tools are sold in two forms: with battery and charger or bare - marked with a Z at the end of the part number. Bare units are considerably cheaper, because most professionals already own packs. The catch is that somebody has to buy the first ones. That is what this set is for: take the first tool bare, and let the set supply the power. Every purchase after that is the tool alone, without paying twice for a battery and charger that are already sitting on the shelf.

Compatibility

The charger serves 14.4 V and 18 V LXT packs. The battery fits any tool on the 18V LXT system. The set does not work with the 12V max CXT system.

Technical specifications

Questions and Answers