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> Seems like a waste

Exactly opposite from the manufacturer POV.

You are making N tools with N protection circuits and N x M batteries.

Instead of N tools, N x M batteries and N x M protection circuits.

I’ve personally killed an m18 battery by having it ‘discharge’ outside of a proper tool. (Rigged up to some temp lighting.)

Once drained, the charger would no longer re-charge, and if I remember correctly, after opening the pack up, cells were at very low voltage.

Same here with a Dewalt 20V. I left it in an adapter to a Ryobi tool. I really should have known better, too.

All the extra guts is there only to log stuff so they can deny warranty claims.

It’s true. Maybe some other brand has an off switch in the battery, but if so I don’t know of it.

Remember it would have to switch up to 20+ amps of 18v so it would be a hefty relay.

Ryobi has undervoltage protection in the battery. They had to do that to preserve battery compatibility across the transition from nicad to lithium. Milwaukee just said screw compatibility, go buy new everything.

Both are owned by TTI amusingly.