Ingersoll Rand has teased that their “Next-Gen” cordless power system is coming soon.
Judging from the image, which Ingersoll Rand posted via social media, this looks to be a 40V Max cordless power tool platform, presumably in an 18V/20V Max form factor.
Will the new Ingersoll Rand IQ40 cordless system replace their existing IQ20 system? What about backwards compatibility?
Is IR IQ40 a 40V Max-class system in a 18V/20V Max form factor, a la Makita XGT or Metabo HPT MultiVolt?
This seems like an interesting development, but to be honest I haven’t thought about Ingersoll Rand cordless power tools in a long time. I’m sure there have been some developments, but I haven’t heard about any new IQ12 tools since 2017 and IQ20 tools since 2016. I eventually assumed they gave up.
Here, it looks to me like Ingersoll Rand simply took one of their IQ20 20V impact wrenches and batteries, and slapped IQ40 and 40V branding on it.
I found images of an IQ40 battery and charger on Ingersoll Rand’s website – shown above is how it compares to their IQ20 battery and charger.
So, the IQ40 battery does appear to be a 10-cell battery that’s simply configured for 36V/40V [Max] operation as opposed to 18V/20V [Max].
10 Li-ion battery cells can be connected in a 5-series/2-parallel configuration to deliver 18V, or in a 10-series configuration to deliver 36V. Energy storage is going to be the same for 5S2P and 10S battery packs utilizing the same cells, and max power delivery per cell also remains the same.
I suppose this counts as “next-gen,” but so far IR doesn’t look to be doing anything new.
It also does not look like Ingersoll Rand is using larger form factor cylindrical Li-ion battery cells, or stacked pouch-style cells similar to the ones Dewalt PowerStack, Flex Stacked Lithium, or upcoming Milwaukee Tool batteries are based on.
Looks can be deceiving, but what’s shown in Ingersoll Rand’s “Next-Gen” IQ40 cordless power tool teaser doesn’t appear to be based on next-generation tool or battery tech to me.
IR seems to have been largely idle for too many years, letting competitors such as Dewalt, Milwaukee, and tool truck brands grab a foothold in automotive maintenance, heavy equipment, and other industries.
Will Ingersoll Rand’s Next-Gen IQ40 cordless tools push back on competitors’ ingress into traditional air tool territory?
More than 3 weeks ago, Ingersoll Rand captioned their teaser image on social media with:
More rugged, more powerful, twice as fast. The next generation is about to be introduced.
What do you think is our next innovation?
Surprisingly, Ingersoll Rand’s social media post – the only place they shared news about this IQ40 line of tools so far – did not receive a single guess. Their sole comment so far is just a series of emojis.
What do you think is their next innovation? Do you care?
P.S. If anyone from IR is reading this, it has been too many years – I’d love for any info or insights you’d be willing to provide! I’ve tried talking to your 3rd party PR firm, but they seem entirely focused on asking me for ToolGuyd traffic data.
