Metabo MultiVolt battery technology brings hybrid 18V/36V power to their tools. It also brings some Metabo HPT MultiVolt 36V power tools that exclusively use the company’s newest MultiVolt battery packs. DeWalt FlexVolt technology no longer has a stranglehold on flexible voltage battery technology. There are some similarities along with significant differences. And of course, we remain impressed with the tools that go along with it.
Metabo HPT MultiVolt Battery Packs
The first Metabo HPT MultiVolt pack contains ten 21700 lithium-ion cells. This gives the battery 144 watt-hours to work with. The 21700 cell is currently the largest we’re aware of in the power tool industry. Other brands such as Milwaukee High Output, Bosch Core18V, DeWalt FlexVolt, and Metabo LiHD also using the larger cell.
Check out this article for more details on the significance of the cell sizes.
How Metabo HPT MultiVolt Technology Works
How the Metabo HPT MultiVolt battery distributes that energy is what makes it special. The pack primarily is designed to run new Metabo HPT 36V tools. Coming out as Metabo HPT MultiVolt tools, the pack will operate at 36 volts and 4.0 amp hours to give you solid run time with more power.
The battery is also backward compatible with Metabo HPT 18V tools. In any of them, it will deliver 18 volts with 8.0 amp hours, giving it a huge gas tank to work with to extend runtime. And yes, there’s a 4 LED charge indicator on it.
As far as compatibility goes, the Metabo HPT MultiVolt battery will power any Hitachi MultiVolt tool or 18V lithium-ion tool without issue. Going the other direction, Hitachi 18V batteries will not power a MultiVolt 36V tool and the form factor is designed specifically so it won’t fit in the tool.
Hybrid AC/DC Power
In addition to providing compatibility with both 18V and 36V tools, Metabo HPT brings a corded AC adapter to market. The Metabo HPT ET36AM converts any MultiVolt 36V tool into a corded tool that you can operate with unlimited run-time.
Pricing
While the technology is impressive, the price point will also get your attention. To get them jump-started, Metabo HPT priced their MultiVolt battery packs right at the break-even point. Even after considering manufacturing and shipping to the US, the price wasn’t bad. The Metabo HPT MultiVolt battery at 8.0 Ah (as an 18V battery) runs for around $99.
If sales look like it can support it, look for a 2.0/4.0 Ah compact MultiVolt battery for smaller tools like the Metabo HPT MultiVolt Triple Hammer Impact Driver.
