Metabo HPT has joined the tabless battery club with a new MultiVolt pack called T-PWR. The company launched a single tabless battery in the United States, rated at 8Ah when paired with 18V tools and 4Ah when paired with 36V tools. At $199, the pack sits at the top of the MultiVolt lineup and targets tools with high power demands. The launch also matters for anyone following the Metabo HPT and Metabo merger, because what the merger means for tool buyers includes which battery platforms keep receiving new cells. Tabless cells are not a minor spec change. They change how much power a cordless tool can draw, how hot a pack runs, and how long it lasts between charges.
How Tabless Cells Deliver More Power
Traditional cylindrical lithium-ion cells route current through small metal strips called tabs that connect the electrode layers to the terminals. Those tabs act as a bottleneck, limiting how fast current can flow in and out of the cell. Tabless cells use a continuous electrode design that runs the full length of the cell, so current travels a shorter, wider path. Lower internal resistance is the payoff, and lower resistance means more power reaches the motor without generating as much waste heat.
Manufacturers advertise three practical outcomes from this design:
- Roughly 50% more peak power compared with equivalent older packs, depending on the tool and the brand.
- Faster application speeds, because the motor holds higher voltage under load.
- Cooler operation, which protects the cells and can extend cycle life.
Why internal resistance matters
Internal resistance determines how much voltage a battery can deliver when current spikes. A motor pulling 40 amps from a high-resistance pack sees voltage sag, so the tool slows down and the pack heats up. A tabless pack with lower resistance holds voltage closer to nominal, which is why the same tool cuts faster with a tabless pack than with an older cell design. The difference shows up most clearly in tools that draw heavy current in bursts, like saws, grinders, and rotary hammers.
Tabless cells do not change the basics of looking after packs. The truth about cordless power tool battery care still comes down to avoiding extreme heat, storing packs at partial charge, and using the charger that belongs to the platform. Charging habits, storage temperature, and how deep packs are discharged still set the practical lifespan. A pack that runs cooler during use and charging tends to hold its capacity longer, which is one of the quieter benefits of the tabless design.
Reading the Power Numbers: Watts, Capacity, and Runtime
Metabo HPT published a comparison chart alongside the launch. The T-PWR battery can deliver a maximum output of 2160 watts, compared with 1080 watts for the 5Ah MultiVolt pack and 1440 watts for the existing 8Ah pack. That is roughly a 50% jump over the older 8Ah cell and double the output of the 5Ah cell. These numbers describe peak output, not continuous draw, but they are a useful way to compare packs from the same platform.
| MultiVolt battery | Capacity at 18V | Capacity at 36V | Maximum output |
|---|---|---|---|
| 5Ah older cell | 5Ah | 2.5Ah | 1,080W |
| 8Ah older cell | 8Ah | 4Ah | 1,440W |
| T-PWR tabless | 8Ah | 4Ah | 2,160W |
Two numbers matter for runtime. The pack carries 8Ah at 18V, the capacity most crews compare, and 4Ah at 36V, because 36V packs use the same cells wired in series. Runtime still depends on the tool, the load, and the age of the pack, but the headline is that the tabless pack matches the existing 8Ah capacity while roughly doubling peak output. For a tool that was stalling before, the extra headroom shows up in every cut.
Other brands have made the same move. Dewalt, Milwaukee, Makita, Ryobi, and Bosch in Europe have all released tabless packs and advertise similar gains in power and runtime. Metabo HPT is the latest to join that group, and the pattern across brands makes the technology easier to evaluate: the same tool, the same cut, and a visibly different result with the new cell. Metabo HPT and Hikoki marketing videos, and the two names describe the same brand in the United States and international markets, show the same performance differences. Independent coverage of the Metabo HPT and Metabo merger in North America has also mapped out how the combined brand plans to keep expanding shared platforms, which matters when you are choosing which battery family to commit to.
Which Tools Benefit Most from Tabless Power
Not every tool needs 2160 watts. A drill driver used for light assembly rarely pulls enough current to notice the difference. High-drain tools are where tabless cells change the job:
- Circular saws, where blade speed under load decides cut quality.
- Angle grinders, which stall quickly when voltage sags.
- Reciprocating saws and demolition tools, which demand short bursts of current.
- Rotary hammers and impact drivers used in dense material.
Fastening tools and duty cycles
Cordless nailers run in short bursts, and voltage matters at the moment of the cycle. A contractor review of the Metabo HPT 18-gauge cordless brad nailer shows how consistent power keeps fasteners seating flush in hardwood and dense trim, where a sagging pack leaves proud nails. The same principle applies to framing nailers and staplers that drive hundreds of fasteners in a shift.
Saw and grinder behavior
On circular saws, the practical difference shows up in feed rate. A saw that bogs down at 1440 watts often cuts straight through at 2160 watts, because the motor keeps spinning when the blade bites. The same applies to grinders cutting metal and masonry, where restarting under load is the hardest part of the cycle. Crews that struggled with a 5Ah pack on a grinder typically notice the tabless pack on the first cut.
Compatibility and Battery Management on a MultiVolt Platform
MultiVolt packs work across 18V and 36V tools. Slide the same T-PWR pack into an 18V drill and it behaves like an 8Ah pack; slide it into a 36V tool and the tool reads it as 4Ah. The dual rating works because the tool detects the pack and adjusts the discharge profile. That flexibility is the reason MultiVolt owners can buy one pack for two voltage classes.
Compatibility deserves attention before buying. Older tools on the same platform usually accept the new pack, because the connector and voltage range stay the same, but firmware and battery management systems can limit older tools to lower discharge rates. The way cordless power tool battery systems evolve, including voltage transitions, compatibility, and battery management, determines whether a new pack is a drop-in upgrade or a partial one. Most MultiVolt tools sold in the last few years should accept the new pack without modification, but checking the compatibility list before ordering avoids surprises.
The charger deserves the same check. Tabless packs often charge at higher rates than older cells tolerate, so the platform may pair the new pack with a faster charger. Charging heat is the main enemy of cycle life, and a pack that runs cooler while charging tends to last longer. If the new pack ships with a higher-output charger, use it, because an older charger may charge the pack more slowly than the cells allow.
Should You Upgrade Now or Wait: Pricing and Timing
At launch, the T-PWR pack lists for $199, while the older 8Ah MultiVolt pack has been reduced to about $140. That gap is typical for new cell technology, and it shrinks as production scales. Most brands that introduced tabless packs eventually replaced their older high-capacity cells, so the older 8Ah pack may not stay in the catalog indefinitely.
The holiday season offered a clue. Metabo HPT bundled many tools with older-style 8Ah batteries in starter sets, a pattern that usually signals inventory clearing before a cell transition. The history of cordless power tool battery evolution, from voltage ratings to capacity upgrades and battery management systems, shows a repeating cycle: new cells debut at a premium, then push older cells out of the lineup within a year or two.
Practical guidance for a crew buying batteries:
- If your tools stall under load, the tabless pack will show an immediate difference.
- If you work mostly with light-duty tools, the older pack at $140 is the better value.
- Buy at least one tabless pack to test on your most demanding tool before replacing the whole fleet.
- Keep chargers matched to the pack and rotate packs so no single cell group is overworked.
Long-term buyers should also remember where this platform came from. The Hitachi to Metabo HPT brand change reshaped tool availability, warranty service, and dealer networks for millions of users, and battery decisions made now will outlast any single tool purchase. For crews that run multiple shifts, the tabless pack also charges faster on the matching charger, which shortens turnaround time between batteries. Choosing a platform is really choosing a cell roadmap, and tabless packs are the direction that roadmap is heading.