If it ain't lithium, it ain't worth owning. Just my opinion. I've had nothing but bad luck with NiCad and the other ones. Even through Makita at their own warehouse I got 4 worthless batteries. That's why I stopped buying Makita stuff. Buy cheap stuff and if it fails, toss it and buy another. So far, I've had 2 B & D 20 volt cordless drills that were under $25 ea. They each came with one battery. I bought a 2 pack of knockoff batteries for them and then I also bought the matching saw. I've never had one failure with any of that stuff. Buy cheap! Unless you are a professional user, then buy the best you can afford. When I sold tools for a living, I sold "service" over quality but they both go together. Providing service is what will keep you in business.