Warning about purchasing power tool batteries from Aliexpress
I have just purchased 4 x Makita 18v 6Ah batteries from Aliexpress. These were claimed to be genuine Makita with the rating above. I assumed that they probably wouldn't be 6Ah because Chinese sourced batteries are always less than claimed. The first thing I noticed was each battery felt a lot lighter than my 5Ah OEM batteries. That says that each cell is a lot less than claimed. Before posting this I also bought a battery load tester and tested the new batteries. 2 of the 4 have now tested as being 2.4Ah so probably using 1200mAh cells (should be 3Ah or 3000mAh). I opened one up and all the cells inside are unmarked. My conclusion is that this company has just committed blatant theft as has been my experience with Chinese supplied batteries. For comparison a genuine Makita battery rated 4Ah AND 8 years old still tested as being 3.2Ah.
The new batteries are still usable but obviously not the capacity claimed by the company nor are they Makita OEM.
Bottom line DO NOT purchase power tool batteries through Aliexpress until they start to police their suppliers.
Hidden Earthquake Damage in a Riccarton Rental
A landlord in Riccarton booked a routine CCTV drain inspection for a well-maintained rental property, expecting nothing more than peace of mind. But beneath the neat garden and solid pathways, our inspection revealed a different story — multiple cracks and offsets in the ceramic drain lines, likely caused by the 2010–2011 earthquakes.
The damage wasn’t causing major symptoms yet, but it was only a matter of time. Thankfully, the property had an EQC (now Natural Hazards Commission) claim on record, and our team was able to guide the owner through the process of submitting a repair claim.
Once approved, we replaced the damaged sections, reinstated the site to its original condition, and left both tenant and owner relieved to have caught the problem early — and grateful it didn’t come out of their pocket.
Have you claimed your free drain check with Enviroflo yet?"
Riccarton landlord’s lucky catch!
A local landlord in Riccarton booked what was meant to be a simple, routine CCTV drain check, just a bit of peace of mind for a tidy, well-kept rental. But under that neat garden and solid paths, our camera told a different story…
We found several cracks and offsets in the old ceramic drain lines, likely hidden damage from the 2010–2011 quakes. Nothing too dramatic yet, but it was only a matter of time before things got messy.
Luckily, the property still had an EQC (now Natural Hazards Commission) claim on record. Our team stepped in to help the owner with the process, and before long, the repairs were fully approved and sorted at no extra cost to them.
We replaced the damaged sections, tidied everything up, and left both the tenant and landlord relieved they’d caught the problem early.
Moral of the story: sometimes a “routine check” can save you a lot of stress (and cash) down the line!
Have you claimed your free drain check with Enviroflo yet?
Poll: If you had a bit of spare cash, would you 'buy' into a pest-free island?
Kiwis have always had a soft spot for our animal friends. With so many unique and quirky birds and marine species calling Aotearoa home, it’s only natural that we feel a deep drive to protect them 🐧🦭
These days, we’re getting pretty creative about how we do it too. The latest idea? You can actually buy a symbolic piece of one of New Zealand’s most remote islands as part of the Auckland Island Restoration Project.
If you had a bit of spare cash, would you 'buy' into the project?
And maybe the bigger question — should we be looking at doing the same kind of thing for wildlife refuges on our main islands too?
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60.9% Yes - restoration needs creativity
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39.1% No - Is this sensible?
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