Tpcell 7.5 and 9 Ah batteries for the Makita system—not a review

At the beginning of March, I published three reviews of Tpcell products: two types of batteries and a charger. I recently checked the product page and noticed that two more batteries had been added to the range. I decided to find out what they were like and tell you about them.

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So, first, a reminder of my previous reviews.
1. 5 Ah battery with EVE cells — review
2. 6 Ah battery with Samsung 30Q cells — review
3. Charger. I probably wouldn’t recommend this one. At least one reader received something different from what I received.

I really liked the batteries. The seller and I sorted out the board’s water resistance later; he assured me it was done deliberately so I could get a good look at how they were built. According to the reviews, people did indeed later receive batteries with boards coated in potting compound.
There were two complaints. The first was about the indicator: there are two versions, one with a delay before it turns off and one without, and you don’t know which one you’ll get. The second was about the ventilation holes for charging with a high-power charger. The holes are there, but they aren’t cut all the way through. Though I think mine was fine; I use a regular charger.

So, those were two-row batteries, with 10 cells each. Now the store has three-row batteries with 15 cells. They’re more expensive, of course, and heavier and larger, but they offer higher continuous current and capacity.

First, the 7.5 Ah version. The listing also shows which cells are used. This battery costs $57.96, but the store has a $1 off $30 coupon—not much, but still.


Out of curiosity, I looked these cells up online and found them without much trouble. First I came across the manufacturer’s website, which had absolutely no useful information...


Then I found a video review where someone measured their specs.
I wouldn’t call the cells’ impedance particularly low: 14.3 mΩ. The 30Q, for example, is around 12 mΩ.


These cells are rated for a continuous current of 20 A. The reviewer also tested them at 25 A: the cell held up, but heated to almost 90°C. In principle, 15–20 A is a perfectly reasonable operating current for these cells, and judging by the video, their capacity is fine too. The cell holder, though, is clearly not designed for currents like that...

By the way, here’s a point worth clarifying. I’ll quote from my review of counterfeit Milwaukee batteries:


In other words, the more cells there are, the less demanding the requirements for each one. Same here: if each cell can continuously deliver 15 A without a problem, then this battery can deliver 45 A.


The second battery is even more expensive, but it has a capacity of 9 Ah and uses Samsung 30Q cells. It costs $67.01, at least that’s what I saw in my cart.
There’s not much point in going into detail here: it has the same board as the one in my review, and the cells are identical too, but there are more of them now.



That’s the short version. To keep the conclusion short too: if you need more capacity, I think the Samsung version is worth considering. But I’m thinking of writing to the seller and telling him it’s time to switch to 21700 cells; 10 of those would give the same 9–10 Ah.

That’s all for today. Thanks for reading, and sorry if I interrupted you :)