Makita Compatible Batteries Part 2
I bought some more without learning my lesson.
Click here for the previous article.
My existing compatible batteries have stopped working again.
This time, I'm looking for 2.5Ah to 3.0Ah instead of the 6Ah size.
For my DIY needs, smaller batteries for impact drivers are easier to use. I think 6Ah is better for circular saws and vacuum cleaners.
In my last article, I thought I was ordering a product from a manufacturer called Waitley, but I ended up ordering from a different one without realizing it.
I want to make sure I check properly this time so I don't make the same mistake twice.
When I searched for Waitley, this came up.
What is MichstaBe?
A sister store??? That's suspicious. Rejected!
It would be awful if it were a fake compatible battery.
Actually, there's a high probability that I've been using that kind of thing until now.
I ordered this one! This one is 3Ah.
I don't think the same manufacturer would make both 2.5 and 3.0 versions.
It was 5,345 yen for a set of two. It doesn't seem like the price has gone up that much.
Looking at my past purchase history, I bought them for around 4,000 to 5,000 yen in 2018.
And they weren't 3Ah, but 2.0 to 2.5Ah.
Since I only use them for DIY, the frequency is low, but if they lasted seven years, that might be enough.
They arrived right away.
Let's open them up. At first glance, they look decent.
This is the label on the back of the unit.
What is Ganbaru Co., Ltd. (lol)
It comes up when you search online, but I couldn't really figure it out.
Waitley itself shouldn't be selling directly to the public.
I suspect they are wholesaling them with the purchaser's label attached. (This is just my guess.)
Remove the four Torx screws.
There was a white plug in one spot. I wonder if it's like a seal for opening.
Open sesame! I have no idea what I'm looking at.
When I searched for the board model number: WTL1860S, the following site came up.
It seems someone has already looked into this. There was a comment like this.
What surprised me is that the main components are coated for waterproofing. I've seen this on genuine products and Japanese-made compatible products, but I've never seen a board from a Chinese manufacturer protected so carefully.
In the photo above, it's hard to tell which part is coated, but it's easy to see if you tilt it a little.
In particular, the red and black part on the top left is even more securely coated on the one I bought. The board version is also one generation newer.
I'll just assume this means further quality improvement.
Alright! It's a genuine Waitley! (Probably)
If you flip it over, you can see the cell model number.
Whoa! It's 3000mAh!
These 5 cells make a total of 18V.
The product is as advertised!
In the previous article, it was a 6Ah product but had 1500mAh*10 cells.
I think this one might be trustworthy.
Of course, I checked if it works, and it runs properly.
I also opened up a 2Ah battery I bought in 2018. It doesn't work anymore.
My, how simple it is.
The cells were stuck together tightly, so I didn't disassemble it any further.
People have always said 'cheap Chinese products are bad,' but as of 2025, haven't they made quite a lot of progress?
I've been thinking,
All the 6Ah products I've bought until now are suspicious. They might actually be 3Ah.
At the beginning of the article, I wrote that the circular saw uses 6Ah, but there is a downside.
Because the battery is large, the bottom part sticks out.
As a result, it hits the guide and tilts.
Thinking about it that way, it means there's no disadvantage at all to just switching to this battery.
It took me eight years to start paying attention to details like this!