Build Vlog | DeWalt & Milwaukee powerstation Build | Makita Bosch power station also

In this video we go over the build steps of building the power station powered by DeWalt 20v and Milwaukee M18 batteries. You can also power it with Makita 18v LXT and Bosch 18v batteries or really any batteries, but using power tool batteries since that's what I have, and what most people will probably have.
This is just how I built it. I am not telling you to build this. It was not 100% by the book. If you do anything like this, proceed at your own risk and with extreme caution.
The Item list
Inverter
amzn.to/2MXbx4g
Battery Mounts
Milwaukee: www.ebay.com/i...
DeWalt: www.ebay.com/i...
Makita: www.ebay.com/i...
3M Extreme Mounting Tape
amzn.to/2LlYszi
Distribution Block with fuses (for positive)
amzn.to/2MVrK9U
Distribution Block (for Negative)
amzn.to/2Lqfvz4
Mini ANL fuses
amzn.to/2ZOup7a
Circuit Breaker
amzn.to/2zRp0lr
Wire strippers (not model shown, but preferred option)
amzn.to/2NRrfNM
Wire cutters
amzn.to/2MU4kBZ
Linesman Pliers (not necessary)
amzn.to/2LlQ3vS
Wire terminal Kit (there is more than you need here, but always good to have more for other projects)
amzn.to/2ZIOfRu
Wire Crimper
amzn.to/2MWah10
Ridgid Tool box used
www.homedepot....
DC clamp multimeter
amzn.to/2NQSubl
Instagram: / ak4thewin
Twitter: / 4thewin8 | 4thewin8
Site: www.vlog.4thew...
Facebook: / ak4thewin

[@certifiablygeek]

Thank you SO MUCH for this video. I've been contemplating a kind of DIY Powerwall for a long time, and this video is what made me believe I could do it safely. I've been sitting on a bunch of LiPo batteries (18650s recovered from laptops) for years now, and borrowing heavily from your design, I'm powering my own 36v inverter to keep essential items running during power outages. I'm almost looking forward to the next power outage now! :) Thanks again!

[@tsatenawaezwa]

I'm so glad you showed running amps, it made it so much easier for me to guage what size inverter I will need and what size batteries

[@TacticalThib]

Dude you're brilliant!! Man im about to try and make this happen

[@timwegman5776]

Been thinking of doing this forever. I was looking to buy some lithium batteries to make a camping power station then it dawned on me that I have lots of Milwaukee drill batteries. Thanks for sharing

[@DrSoundcheck]

@4thevin Hey man, Your idea is amazing, nice to see it all working, but I notice that You use different ah milwoukee baterries in series, never do that becouse battery with lower capacity will go down much quicker, its no problem to put different capacity bateries in parallel, but in series must be same capacity 👍

[@jeq2822]

Wow Great one, notwithstanding NEXT time take away all jewelry i.e. Ring 💍 as well as other electronics Electricity is kind of tricky and mischievous at time. Thanks for the idea I have been looking for something like this For Weeks

[@jmjm7494]

Thank you very much., I am going to build this.

[@thomasarellano4721]

Did you ever build it?

[@jacobtebrake6734]

Hello have you considered building this with a greenworks battery and a 12v step down converter ?

[@tezc1197]

If you connect both power together and both grounds on the battery banks with that be a consistent volf without rising

[@Vanmuscle]

Nice work mate, only issue is running these batteries they don’t have a low voltage cutoff due to that circuit being in the tool itself. How do you combat this? Running them too flat will kill the tool batteries

[@newpeepers121]

The inverter has an LVDO of 29 to 31 volts.

[@brianb1179]

Awesome build , and very informative , thanks very much , I'm definitely interested in building one , do you think I could use a 3000 inverter and I'm thinking about making it with 6 or 8 Bosch battery packs , thank you for your help and great video 🙏👍

[@4thewinak]

The bosch battery management system is a bit finicky. In theory you could make it with the batteries, but i would be careful of all the safety measure you need to take into account. It may brick the bosch batteries if not cause fire/harm.

[@brianb1179]

@@4thewinak thanks for your reply , really I didn't know that was different about the Bosch battery packs. What kind of safety measures would I need more than your build , looks like you implemented some good features.

[@charlschuck6]

Milwaukee came it w some crazy mx fuel model to power 1800watts crazy power looks like a gas generator but it’s all battery power , made easier heheh well it’s abit pricey but all in one pack . Nice nevered though of this idea bro for like what you said emergency and budgets savings if and only you already have 2-4 of this 18v battery system hehe

[@darrenstephens9556]

Hello, is there a way to set this up with solar power to recharge while camping? Thanks.

[@andreaarmenti773]

Are you sure the m18 batteries have bms built in? Sources say they dont...theres even a m18 mount with a bms board on it at 3d partsbuilder website. I just want to confirm before i order parts.

[@bretring]

I’m planning on building a more portable scaled down version of this with 4-6 Milwaukee M12 batteries. Any tips?

[@jeffwilbourne2282]

Awesome job, did you know how to add bluetooth to this or a raspberry Pi to monitor the voltage?

[@augustwieneke3468]

Would the 36 volt set up be applicable with dewalt flexvolt batteries? Or will it only work with the 20 volt max batteries? Great video thanks.

[@djlyon117]

Looks like that’s what he’s using. Just on the 20v side.

[@dexternaira5466]

Is there a way this system can be charged hooked up to solar array without removing the batteries to charge them during the day?

[@UnifiedInfo]

Transfer switch

[@DKNY-yh9fp]

All battery will drain to dead?

[@luked1286]

Anyone find how to incorporate a over discharge board. Everywhere I read it’s only the tool that has the protection.

[@mdsd77]

Nice!

[@TacticalThib]

Hey can i use this same inverter for flex battery's??? I wanna be able to use Milwaukee DeWalt flex and MAKITA 40v

[@briannguyen7110]

Hello there, Thank you for a great video, just wonder what type of diode are you using I did not see it on your parts list

[@4thewinak]

simple blocking diode used on solar installations: amzn.to/342XHkW

[@briannguyen7110]

@@4thewinak Thank you !

[@GeorgeB1959]

Just wondering if you tried the diodes and if they got extremely hot?

[@djlyon117]

Very good video. Very simple set up. Are the DEWALT batteries still 5mah since they’re the flex volt? I really like this setup. I’m wanting to build a similar setup. But at 12v since I already have a couple of 12v inverters. Probably would need a buck converter I would think.

[@tbip2001]

Cound this run a tiny stick welder???

[@craigjoint2615]

legend great video! thanks for this I have a festool of1400 router i need to run to do worktop mitre for work how many battery packs would I need to run that?

[@4thewinak]

Really depends on how long you want to run it. You should at minimum use 4 batteries though. Looks like the router is about 1400 watts. You would probably need about 1700 watts of battery power to run it through the inverter. Meaning about 48 amps at 36v. So if you had 4 batteries (2 sets of 2) would be about about 24 amps per battery. Would be best to run it on 6 or 8 batteries, but at that point might as well plug it in, or buy a battery powered router.

[@craigjoint2615]

@@4thewinak they dont make a cordless 1/2 inch router yet which sucks if u could invent one I'd definitely buy one and know about 100 other people that would! I'm definitely thinking of making this just need you show me how u do the extra terminal bits so u can add more packs on to it

[@craigjoint2615]

oh and cheers for the reply!

[@GeorgeB1959]

Thank you for the video, I did this project, tested it. It worked however the diodes got extremely hot. Any idea why is that? Can they be defective? for now I run 2 Milwaukee 12 AH only with no diode till I get different ones. I reordered the ones from missori winds and will see if they get crazy hot. Just wonder if yours was OK. Overall I am happy I built this and will be using it a lot. Thanks again.

[@rttr8641]

Hey George, I also want to build this and use Milwaukee 12ah batteries. Just curious what you are powering with yours and what its actually capable of. Want this for a camping project.

[@GeorgeB1959]

I Built this setup and happy with it. I used the 3000w same type inverter. I have 3 -12ah and one - 9 ah Milwaukee. Tested it with a tea kettle, batteries were still full. Used it to power a 700w small keurig and made 4 cups of coffee and it worked flawlessly, still showed full charge. I added a heat sink to the diodes because they would get extremely hot and to a dangerous point. With the heat sink it was barley warm to the touch with all this power draw (1500w kettle ad 700w keurig). This setup is great for camping and emergencies for a day or two depending on your use. I’d like to thank the video author. It isn’t cheap though. Battery cost is a killer.

[@scottfraser1508]

@@GeorgeB1959 do you have an image or link to the heat sinks

[@jackspratt4343]

7 amps measured at the D.C. side would be what if measured on the A.C side ? Thanks.

[@4thewinak]

Depends on how much flower is being drawn. You could do a ROUGh estimation… 7*36=252 watts . 25% of 252=63 . 252 - 63 = 189, 189 / 120 = ~ 1.58 amps.. so somewhere around 1.6 amps would be my guess.

[@jackspratt4343]

@@4thewinak Great! Thanks for that. Looks like 189 is the RMS of the wattage. Then I = P /V . I appreciate the prompt reply. Thanks again.

[@TranTek]

Correct on DeWalt XR batteries do not have BMS, neither do Bosch Milwaukee, Makita, Ryobi, Ridgid all have BMS DeWalt Flexvolt do have BMS

[@robertstarke8598]

Nice video, can you tell me the specs and source for the diodes?

[@fredkee9294]

Make sure the polarity is correct. If it doesn't work, you probably have it backwards.

[@midori8735]

Do you need a low voltage cutoff for the batteries or do the battery packs have that feature? Edit: watched the end of the video. So the m18 batteries have bms built in but flexvolt batteries not confirmed to have bms built in.

[@4thewinak]

Yep

[@coryulrich6489]

M18 batteries do NOT have a built in voltage cut-off or low voltage protection. Check out the review on the AVE channel. He accidentally drained one to 12V, and had to restore it with a bench top power supply.

[@midori8735]

@@coryulrich6489 thanks

[@jackspratt4343]

When you have all four batteries powering the hoover, what voltage does the invertor see ? Is it 18 + 18 + 18 + 18 = 72 volts ? Many thanks.

[@4thewinak]

36 volt. The two sets of batteries are in parallel.

[@jackspratt4343]

@@4thewinak OK, Thanks for that.

[@lukass64]

Can I do this exact procedure with a 300w pure sine inverter? I don't need 2000w but 300w seem enough to power a ps4 and screen with my 20v dewalt batteries.

[@4thewinak]

Yes. Just match the batteries to the input. Meaning if your inverter is 18v I put, one battery. If it’s 36v I put, then 2 batteries in series .. but do the math for the fuses.

[@45BravoDelta]

What’s the diode you use?

[@jordanwhite3152]

First off, thank you! Love your shit! I want to make my own power station exactly like yours but I want to do 4 DeWalt 9.0ah flexvolt batteries and I want to do two things the ability to run the invert on the batteries and if I plug it into power I want it to charger the batteries…. Is that possible and how? Thanks again man

[@4thewinak]

I thought about trying to build something like this but it got too complex. in order to charge the batteries you need to balance charge the batteries. The connectors for draining the batteries aren't balanced, which here in lies the challenge. In theory you could build it using the chargers as the mounts for the batteries, but then you need to incorporate relays and diodes, to charge the batteries, not to mention some additional wiring and charger modifications

[@toolsslush8461]

Great video! I'm lookin at trying to do this with the EGo 56v batteries would I need to change anything or would it be an entirely different build?

[@4thewinak]

You would need to find an inverter that takes 56v aka 60v input. As long as you can find that inverter, the basic principles are the same.

[@JusticePrevailsG]

Or what you can do is buy a DC to DC voltage converter. They're cheap and they look efficient. You could transform you 56V into 48v and have more amps coming out. Then you could hook it up to a 48V inverter. But know that the more components you have in your circuit, the least efficient it is.

[@PBS-nm1uu]

what is the name of the grey boxes???.

[@jamescrobinson1634]

As near as I can tell, you have two 6 amp dewault and two 12 amp Milwaukee. Wired in series that should be total amps of 18. Volts add, amps do not. How can you reach 27+ amps with vacuum attached?

[@4thewinak]

the amp ratings on the batteries is really a number that tell you how much charge is in the battery (aka capacity). The power tool batteries have the ability to push high current very quickly for demanding tools like saws, drills, etc. so a 12.0 amp hr battery 18v battery can provide IN THEORY for one hour 18v at 12 amps. So if you draw 24 amps from it, it would be drained in 30 minutes. If you draw 6 amps from it, it would be drained in 2 hours. etc etc. you get the math.

[@boucheradam]

Amps don't add but amp hours do

[@jackspratt4343]

I am in the UK. I can see that WZRLEB do a 3000 W inverter and converts 12 V DC to 230 V A.C. But, those battery packs tend to be in the 18 to 20 Volt range. Do you have any advice. Thanks.

[@4thewinak]

I would try to find a 36v inverter or 60v inverter. That way you can use the 18v batteries. 12v to 230v is quite a large step up. It will pull a lot of amps to make the 230v from 12v. Best thing to do is to find a higher V on the dc input side. And 12v power tools are not as common as 18v tools. Looks like the Amazon Uk store has a 36v dc inverter… www.amazon.co.uk/XYZ-INVT-Inverter-Standard-Converter/dp/B08FSWWN69

[@jackspratt4343]

@@4thewinak That's perfect. Thanks for finding that inverter. I was looking at WZRLEB's UK range and I could only find a 12v to 230v. We do have a construction site reduced voltage specification, which has appliances running at 110 volts. I think these are 110 volt / 50 Hz. Maybe a US spec inverter putting out 120 / 130 volts @ 60 Hz could power UK construction site devices without damage.

[@jackspratt4343]

@@4thewinak For the 36 v DC inverter listed above, that you kindly found for me, what ampage of circuit breaker would you recommend ? Thanks.

[@4thewinak]

@@jackspratt4343 depends on what loads you plan to pull from it. Bc it’s “rated” peak is 5000 watts (5000/36=138) add in roughly 25% overhead/efficiency = 172 ish amps… which is quite a lot. So something around there. You could go higher if you feel like there would be a lot of surge draws from the inverter. Personally for my self I would go a bit lower mainly to protect the inverter. I will go ahead and say this here… These are pure sine wave inverters. They are a bit more “sensitive” to large inrush and surge currents. Meaning they don’t do well with constant surges. Aka in a construction environment where many power tools are kicked on and off will probably shorten the life of it and would prematurely fail. Especially these cheaply built inverters from China.

[@jackspratt4343]

@@4thewinak That's brill. Thanks again. I'm looking to run a microwave oven and also an electric cement mixer. I already run a load of battery operated hand tools. My aim to to ditch my really, really good generator as I'm going onto a site in the republic of Ireland and you can't keep equipment there. The site will get 'smashed' by any means possible and everything stolen. I've been over before on jobs, and have lost 4 generators already. A handy 'brief case' style power pack that I keep near me at all times just sounds like a blessing.

[@jamespenner1412]

4thewin Wow great job, just curious let's say I wanted to build one of these but was just as powerful as the dewalt 1800/3600w power station but for a milwaukee battery platform, what would you recommend??? Bigger inverter? How big? And how many batteries connections would you recommend?? 8? Thanks so much, I'm not interested in spending a bunch of money on a dewalt platform, but would love one for milwaukee batterys.

[@4thewinak]

Yeah you would need a larger inverter for sure. not sure i've seen one that large, but if you're going to go for something that size, you would want to use a minimum of 4x batteries. the m18 High output batteries would be best. In theory anything from 4 - 8 would be best. Obviously the more you add the less you draw on each battery. Im sure you could build it and use packout stacks for the battery cases. You could imagine a huge inverter package by using the single packouts for batteries as needed.

[@ducly6598]

DCB1800B 1800-Watt Portable Power Station delivers 1800-Watt continuous and 3600 peak AC power when supplied with four DEWALT 20-Volt MAX batteries, sold separately. DCB1800B is also a multiport battery charger for one to four 20-Volt MAX or 20V/60V MAX FlexVolt batteries. DCB1800B emulates a 15 Amp residential circuit branch delivering the feel of household AC power. Patent Pending modified sine wave is compatible with both standard and electronically controlled variable speed tools. DCB1800B is self-protecting against electronic overload and includes multiple protection features in battery charging. DCB1800B can be used in a variety of applications including jobsite and lifestyle use. It requires no gas to run, emits no engine fumes or noise and can be used in virtually any dry location. Also works with DEWALT FLEXVOLT battery packs. I think your build is better based upon the specs

[@jackspratt4343]

Hi again. If I had a 48 v inverter, how would I get 48 volts with these batteries running in the 18 v to 20 v range. Any ideas appreciated. Thanks.

[@4thewinak]

You probably won’t be able to do it with these batteries, since they are 18volts. I’m theory you could by using like transformers but that would be introducing more components and creating more inefficiencies. If you had a 48v inverter and wanted to use power tool batteries you would need to use the kobalt or flex 24v batteries.

[@ryanb5841]

@@4thewinak What if you put 3 batteries into series? Would be 54V-60V.

[@GreenhillForge]

@@ryanb5841 you could do that if you matched the inverter to the voltage. benefit is reducing amps needed to achieve the load wattage

[@tsuyang4173]

You did this in one take?

[@4thewinak]

Yes. probably why it's not as cohesive as it should be.

[@tsuyang4173]

@@4thewinak naw i'm glad. it's better then 1000 supercuts and jump cuts. keep up the reviews.

[@MusikAndrez]

Can i do this exact with a 5000w 36v inverter???

[@4thewinak]

sure, but depending on the load you probably need more batteries.

[@MusikAndrez]

Thank you for your reply your videos are awesome man !!!

[@quocd5580]

what type of diode should i use ?

[@quocd5580]

nevermind, found it in the replies.

[@redlyne624]

I built this project to use 4 dewalt 20v batteries with room for expansion. Is there any way I could use kobalt 80 volt batteries with the 36v inverter?

[@4thewinak]

Richard bot yes, but not straight forward. You would need to find a step down transformer / converter to step the voltage down from 80v to 36v

[@jimcatanzaro7808]

I would fuse each battery there not cheap lol

[@4thewinak]

Yeah good point

[@ryanb5841]

Wiring diagram at 12:06

[@bayarea8312002]

Make me one with Dewalt

[@Jamie-lg6vi]

Need to power a microwave is that too much

[@40motomike]

link for the stl's for the batteries?

[@4thewinak]

i just bought them off ebay. but im sure you could find them on thingiverse.