Makita 18V 9Ah lithium battery BL1890

01 · RUNTIME

In the order of 45-50 hives with the Turbo

The InstantVap Turbo page gives the rule: with 6 Ah about 30 hives, with 8 Ah 40-45 and with 12 Ah over 60; the BL1890’s 9 Ah land at 45-50, always at 2 g per hive and with the element still warm between one and the next. Cold, bigger doses and long pauses bring it down. For a site of 40-50 hives it does the session on one battery; for large apiaries, a second one charging on the DC18SE car charger (2280) between sites. The 5 Ah (1771) is the entry one, with half the range.

02 · THE LXT PLATFORM

Sublimator, blowers and whatever is in the yard

It is an 18 V LXT battery: it fits the InstantVap with the Makita connector (Turbo 2878, Original 1918, Compact 2169, Lite 2379) and the house’s 18 V Makita tools, the bee blowers 1775, 1778 and 2362 among them. Makita excludes five older models, DSP600, DSP601, DSS611, DRC200 and DRC300, and it is not a 40 V XGT battery. Choose the Makita connector when ordering the sublimator: each unit carries only one.

03 · CHARGING AND PROTECTION

85 minutes on the fast charger and four LEDs

According to Makita, the DC18RC fast charger (1780) fills it in 85 minutes; the 5 Ah takes 45. A button on the side lights four LEDs with the charge left, to know before leaving whether it will last another round. The Star electronics cut out on overload, deep discharge and overheating, which is what saves the cell if the sublimator is left on. Let it cool before charging after a session, do not charge it frozen and store it charged and dry out of season.

04 · BEFORE BUYING

Almost a kilo on the arm

It weighs 0.97 kg against 0.63 for the 5 Ah, and it sits on a 1.25 kg sublimator: on a Turbo that is over two kilos in the hand for the whole session. For anyone doing more than 40 hives per outing it pays; for twenty, the 5 Ah weighs and costs less.

05 · BEFORE YOU BUY

The battery is supplied on its own; charger (1780) and tool come separately.