TCL 6 and SCA 8, difference
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AlexThePalex
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The 8 is an Airstream charger, it has a built in fan. The 6 does not.
Cheese
Member
Also the TCL 6 is max 6A while the SCA 8 is max 8A. That means 4.0/5.2/6.2 batteries charge faster. The SCA 8 also has a count down timer on it to let you know how much time remains on the charging cycle.
AlexThePalex
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Yeah, apparently manufacturers think people are in a big hurry lately. I hate the bloody things with a fan in it, too noisy for my taste. I'll wait the extra 5 minutes.
When the SCA 8 is finished charging, the fan will run for a while to finish cooling the battery, then it will all fall silent.
The TCL 6 on the other hand has the most infuriating high frequency low volume noise when it's plugged in. A kind of pulsing electronic squeak.
I'd rather a fan making a noise because I know what that it, then silence, as opposed to a nuisance noise that suggests somebody somewhere didn't bother their backsides enough with their circuit design and componentry.
You may not be bothered by such things at all. I certainly am! [big grin]
The TCL 6 on the other hand has the most infuriating high frequency low volume noise when it's plugged in. A kind of pulsing electronic squeak.
I'd rather a fan making a noise because I know what that it, then silence, as opposed to a nuisance noise that suggests somebody somewhere didn't bother their backsides enough with their circuit design and componentry.
You may not be bothered by such things at all. I certainly am! [big grin]
Alex said:
I now have the noisy one (up to 16A) from Bosch. But mainly because it can be used to charge batteries in "storage mode". Then it charges to 50% so the batteries don't degrade as much when not used. I really couldn't care for the 16A function to burn the batteries. If you "need" that... you have too few batteries. And if your tool drains them at the same rate, they are too hot to charge straight out of the tool anyway.
woodbutcherbower
Member
I don’t understand any of this. My Hilti chargers will charge an 8.0Ah 22v battery from zero to full in 40 minutes. No fans, no drama. And just in case anyone thinks that this high-current rapid charging is detrimental - the 8.0Ah lumps are new. My six 5.2Ah lumps charged using the same charger are now 5 years old and are all good as new. It’s all about proper electronic design and implementation. As [member=8955]Coen[/member] said - if this isn’t enough for you = you need more batteries.
mino
Member
woodbutcherbower said:
The fan allows to put a hot-from-use battery and have the SCA-8 immediately commence a charging cycle. Also, as mentioned, when the charging is finished the battery will still be cold - ready for (ab)use.
This means that for a tool with heavy load, you can work full tilt for an hour or so, and when bats are drained, the second set is already ready at the charger.
With the TCL6, when a hot battery is put it, it may take up to 2 hours to full-charge a 5.2 and get it cool.
The 6A charge current is misleading here a bit. It is the MAX the charger can provide. But with the TCL6 it is applicable only with a cold battery and only until it heats up.
Second aspect is hot climates. When it is 20C at the place, TCL6 will operate much better than when it is 35C. While the SCA8 will be able to work at full capacity in both cases.
IMO for hobby use, pardoxically, the SCA8 is better as it allows you to get by with less batteries. Pretty much even a single set is fine with it /if you have two chargers/.
mino said:
A bit misleading. The inside temperature is not immediately affected by the external airflow.
The lower charge rate also means it heats up less to begin with, both absolute and relative, and on top of that spreads it over a longer time.
Third; with most systems, the battery temperature is only read by the charger, not the tool. Batteries to hot to charge will still discharge in the tool (if not empty..).
A 6A charge to a 5.2A battery (presumably dual-stack 2600 mAh 18650's) will not significantly heat a battery either.
mino said:
What does Festool have in the high-drain department? The angle grinder? If you discharge a battery in 15 minutes it won't charge straight out of the tool anyway.
Although I guess dual-battery tools might introduce some logistical difficulties if you have only one slow charger.
mino
Member
- Actually, the SCA will start charging even when the bat is hot from the tool as it *knows* it will not heat up more.Coen said:
- with Festool the battery has internal IC which monitors the temperature and "tells" the tool so the tool will shut off /had that happen with my AGC once/, not sure if it is the same signal as under-charge but it does work
- correct, the AGC, the TSC which I have and the bats can become 40C+ easily and I presume the HKC wil be in the same ballpark
Charging at >1C rate will heat up most batteries. Definely over the 40 mins or so when no cooling is present. (6A over a 5.2 is about 1.3C) Definitely not to the point the battery will not work in a tool indeed. But if I take a 35C+ battery it will heat up from use way faster - to a cut-off point - than I will drain it.
That said, for drills, PSC or OSC, even a TCL3 is fine indeed.
I have the AGC, TSC, DRC and between those, the AGC is the biggest battery eater, after that the TSC when some bigger work is up. DRC does not really drain up. Same with the C12.
