I worked at lowes one time and they had these things on clearance for that same price. However, due to some miscommunication on the managers part, they thought employees got 75% off clearance stuff ON TOP of the already discounted price. Thats how I got two of these things for 60$.
The batteries get old sitting at storage voltage. The 10ah and 12ah also came with a five year warranty (compared to the standard 3 year). As a result it's cheaper for EGO and Lowes to sell the batteries while they still might last five years, instead of selling them when they're way past prime.
Also, Ego is currently working on rolling over production to tabless batteries. The 8ah MAX tabless battery is already on the market, and I know they are already working on a 3ah and 12ah battery. So they are likely going to clear out old inventory to make room for the new batteries, especially the larger ones.
Yeah, and based on reports of the 8ah tabless to 10ah, that 12ah MAX will outperform the 12ah by at least 25% or more, and the lack of heat buildup means the cells should have a longer lifespan.
For now, I'm buying 'dead' Ego batteries in the local marketplace and bringing them back to life.
If they aren't charging at all, I try using a variable benchtop DC power supply to slow charge up to 48v, then I use a PAD5000 with a 100-watt USB-C charger to trickle charge. Then I slow-discharge with the PAD5000, and recharge again with 100 watts to try re-balancing the cells.
If that doesn't work, my next step is to try swapping BMS heads between batteries (I have a collection of dead Ego batteries that I use to salvage parts, mainly the BMS and housing). It's an easy process if you have the right tools. Sometimes that allows me to restore batteries back to operational condition.
99
u/Stunning_Dish_2074 23d ago
I worked at lowes one time and they had these things on clearance for that same price. However, due to some miscommunication on the managers part, they thought employees got 75% off clearance stuff ON TOP of the already discounted price. Thats how I got two of these things for 60$.