I don't disagree with you that higher voltage batteries make for a better tool, but I have a few 18V tools in decent shape that I can no longer get OEM batteries for. The fact that they wholesale discontinued them is bullshit - other manufacturers seem to be still making older packs for their devices. I wouldn't care if they made an alternative or an adapter that worked, but reviews of the OEM converter device suggest it drains the batteries just sitting there. They must be using an always running switch-mode supply with no current detection to do the conversion.