[h2odragon]

I want backpack battery packs for the bigger power users. Chainsaws and weed whackers and stuff in the gas engine range anyway.

For smaller tools there could sensibly be a couple to 4? perhaps sizes of battery pack, "handheld" for screwdriver to toothbrush to "personal manipulation tools", a bit bigger for handheld drills; double that again for small saws and stuff... any bigger and it begins to become an an unwieldy burden just for the battery, and the tool becomes more sensible to power in other ways.

Look at the standard AA, C, D cell sizes and what they did for the electronics market. Come up with a set of some standards and then go sell manufacturers on your package because of the profit opportunities it will offer them. Get some big battery cell manufacturer to back you, perhaps.

[rgmerk]

Husqvarna makes a backpack battery. They charge about 1300 USD for it (or the equivalent thereof in my home country [1]). They don’t recommend it (and I’m not sure it’s compatible with) their electric chainsaws, only their brush cutters, leaf blowers etc. May be a safety thing, I’m not sure. The price, however, is pretty outrageous. Their smaller batteries are already a rip-off; the backpack battery is more expensive per watt-hour than the small ones.

In my view it’s time for regulators to step in and push the tool companies towards battery compatibility, as the technology is now mature enough for standards to be viable.

[1] https://www.husqvarna.com/au/battery-equipment/bli950x-backp...

[taeric]

The "egopower" vendor has some good products in this vein. I suspect others are catching up or passing them, but I've been very happy with the mower we have. The blower goes through the battery faster than anything else. But I'm very very grateful not to have gas in the garage for this. Even more grateful to no longer be mixing oil into gas to get these things to work.

[simondotau]

It’s also very occasionally handy to be able to use the leaf blower indoors, which is a non-starter if it’s gas powered.

[rufus_foreman]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RrArBB2wws0

[dgacmu]

I have an ego weed whacker and a leaf blower and I adore them. (still using a push mower but might give in some day). Not having to deal with gas is awesome. They're cleaner, they're quieter (but not quiet), and lower-maintainence. Not sure if something better came out in the last year, but as of the time I bought them, they were still pretty close to the top from my preference set.

[taeric]

I don't have their riding mower, but I can vouch for their push mowers. Surprisingly capable machine.

[Avshalom]

https://www.makitatools.com/products/accessories/batteries-c...

[denimnerd42]

I've got a 48v ebike battery pack i'm thinking about making a backpack out of and using with my 40v ryobi tools.

[chungy]

> Look at the standard AA, C, D cell sizes and what they did for the electronics market.

On the flip side, look at how far we've strayed from that, with many devices only having their own proprietary battery.

[bombcar]

They exist and so do “larger” batteries (MX Fuel) but most people find it easier to just have two batteries and swap even for things like leaf blowers, etc.

[roflyear]

It'd be crazy expensive

[s5300]

Absolutely no reason for it to be. Friends & I in my hobby circle spotweld packs together for various power-tools, though I prefer putting the battery on a load bearing belt or dropleg panel over a backpack.

We have a Dyson vacuum running with like 12 molicell p42a’s in it & it’s insane. Can suck on max setting for like 20 minutes, & even then motor overheating is a larger issue than running out of battery.

Kweld & maletrics spot welders have turned making a custom Li-Ion/else pack into child’s play for the average person who’s turned a screwdriver in their life. Those two are a bit expensive, but older & clunkier spot welders can be found for extremely cheap at this point. They’re more than enough for making power tool packs for you & friends.