This might sound like a rhetorical question, but it’s not. Why buy a Metabo HPT 18V 1.5Ah Li-ion battery pack when the 3.0Ah battery is just $8 more?
Over at Amazon, I came across a new product listing for a Metabo HPT 18V 1.5Ah battery, priced at $30. The 3.0Ah battery is priced at $38.
So why buy a battery that offers half the capacity but at only 21% savings? Or, if you look at the numbers from the other direction, the 3.0Ah battery offers double the charge capacity at only 1.27X the price.
I suppose that the 1.5Ah battery offers faster charging times. But, with the 3.0Ah battery you should get double the runtime.
The batteries should be comparably sized and weigh approximately the same.
I also find myself thinking about the name change, from Hitachi Power Tools to Metabo HPT. Did you know that the name-change kicked off one and a half years ago? I can understand the need for reminders – I still think “Hitachi” and not “Metabo HPT.” Maybe eventually we can start referring to the brand as simply “HPT?” I wonder how long it will be for “Metabo HPT” to sound right, but I digress.
Buy 3.0Ah Battery via Amazon
Buy 1.5Ah Battery via Amazon
The 1.5Ah battery isn’t new, but maybe this is the first time it’s available for sale under Metabo HPT branding? The model number, 333353M, doesn’t have all that many search engine results yet, although you can still buy the Hitachi-branded version, 330139/BSL1815X, also for $30. I’d guess the newly listed 1.5Ah battery has simply been rebranded under Metabo HPT.
In my opinion, the 3.0Ah battery is still the better buy over both Hitach and Metabo HPT-branded 1.5Ah batteries. At $38, it’s one of the most affordable compact cordless power tool batteries on the market.
