18 volt battery woes

[nekshot]

I have alot of tools for 18 volt batteries(makita and millwaukee). The one tool a Makita sliding miter saw gives glass smooth cuts when full batteries. My batteries are about 8 to 20 years old. They all stay in my shop now but the batteries are in various stages of not charging full any more. It is not the chargers. Is there a electric charger that converts to 18 volt so I can run these with out battery. A cord would be needed. I am done getting them rebuilt.

[6bg6ga]

Batterys only last for several years. I've fought this for 25 + years with my battery tools in the company van. They get to the point where they are good for about 5-10 minutes before going dead. The good news is you can take the batterys apart and change the cells. Change all of them not just the bad ones and this will buy you several more years of good usage. Like having a new battery for a fraction of the cost of a new battery.

[dragon813gt]

8 to 20 years old and still working? Average for me w/ DeWalt XRP batteries was three years. They were used daily and I had a lot of them. The Bosch batteries that I switched to have held up better. But they have a maximum amount of charge cycles. I'm most likely getting close to the limit. I would buy new batteries since you've gotten way more out of them then you should have. They don't last forever.

[6bg6ga]

To obtain max battery life one needs to run the batterys all the way down to nothing and then charge to 100% before trying to use them. Batterys start making a life and this is based on properly discharging them and proper battery charging. Short charge them or don't run them down all the way and the life goes into the crapper. Yes, I have seen batterys last a long time but only when properly stored not too hot or too cold and of course properly used.

[pmer]

Here is something I made a couple years ago. Its a 24 volt DC power supply (adjustable) turned down to a little over 18 VDC. You can run battery powered tools off of a outlet if the power supply has enough capacity. This one does power a 18 volt saw. I dropped the idea of making these but still use this occasionally.

The battery pack is totally gutted out, including the voltage control circuity inside the pack.

[jcren]

There are ready-made adapters for the higher voltage models, but here is a YouTube.
https://youtu.be/kR32C8pdBUQ

[6bg6ga]

That kinda changes the portable idea.

[dverna]

https://www.factoryauthorizedoutlet....SABEgJsu_D_BwE

[JBinMN]

I just take the plug in when the battery is in the charger unit & quickly plug it in & then pull it out repeatedly about 20 times. Then just leave it plugged in to finish charging. I have used this method on maybe a half dozen of my DeWalt coldless 18v batteries. It worked on some & not on others. Some went to full charge, others partial charge, & a couple just did not charge.
I am thinking of trying this next:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xX_44vDvCr8

Here is how I got the linki:
https://www.google.com/search?q=Rech...w=1242&bih=579

I am a "thrifty" person( some call it ,"cheap" LOL ), so I will not go buy a replacement until I have exhausted the other options of trying first.

I do have a repair shop 15 miles away that renovates these batteries & a replacement costs 40 frogskins instead of the 65+ I have seen for factory new ones.

G'luck in your search for a solution & please post what ya find. If nothing else , to give me ideas on what else I could try when I get a "roundtuit" and try something else on them sometime.

[alamogunr]

I bought my first cordless tools(DeWalt), drill, saw, flashlight when 14v was the biggest available. When the original batteries would no longer work, and couldn't be rebuilt, I just bought a new drill since the cost was about the same as new batteries. The replacements could be rebuilt and have been at least once. Part of the problem, I'm sure, is that I don't use the tools constantly like a tradesman would.

Overall, I have gotten so disgusted with DeWalt that if I ever buy another cordless tool, it won't be DeWalt, especially since they have been bought out by B&D. I've never had anything by B&D that worked satisfactorily.

[bedbugbilly]

alamogunr - my experience with DeWalt has been pretty much the same as yours. When I was using them everyday - I had no complaints. When I stopped working and they didn't get used as much - the results were pretty predictable. As far as B & D - the same as what you experienced. The only good B & D power tools I had were a couple of 1/4" drills that were "vintage" - i.e. pre plastic/throw aways. I'm just thinking the bean counters at B & D will eventually run the DeWalt line into the ground - hopefully I'm wrong on that.

[dragon813gt]

Overall, I have gotten so disgusted with DeWalt that if I ever buy another cordless tool, it won't be DeWalt, especially since they have been bought out by B&D. I've never had anything by B&D that worked satisfactorily.

They were bought in 1960. Black & Decker pushed the brand as their professional tool arm. DeWalt cordless tools have always been B&D. They did what Toyota did w/ Lexus and Honda did w/ Acura.

[JBinMN]

Whoah! Surprising news to me.

Long ago...I started out with Makita when they were, I think, 9 volt or something like that. Still have a few & they still work. But, then I needed more power for most jobs & went to DeWalt. Use the Makitas for light work now a days. I still have 3 cordless 18v drill-drivers ( one a hammer drill driver) as well as a cordless sawzall, small circular saw & flashlight kit, all DeWalt and all have served me well for about the last 18 years +/-. They are still working great to this day & other than a few batteries as mentioned in that time. I have had no issues.

I am surprised that they are part of a B&D corporation, as I never heard that before, but I certainly would not hesitate to buy one again, if need arose. And this was not just hobby use. This was full time, almost every day construction use. I was a construction contractor with my own business for about 30 years, (now semi retired due to health issues) & my business & crew required that I have tools that were quality & tough. Those tools by DeWalt I mentioned, & others like corded drills(3/8 & 1/2 in.), several drywall screwguns, 2 - 12 in. compound mitre boxes, a portable worksite table saw, and 2 jobsite radio chargers. At least that is what comes to mind, but there might be more. Of course I have other tools from other makers, like Milwaulkee, Porter Cable, Bosch, Paslode, Bostich, etc.. All have done fine. DeWalt included.

IMO, Most quality tools from any maker either wear out or break under heavy use. Sometimes a repair is in order, but that has been my experience with all makes that are common to light commercial & residential professional use. So, yes I am surprised to hear about DeWalt being a part of B&D.


Anyway, Back to the OPs subject ... I also would be interested in a corded replacement for the batteries if one was available, just like the OP, nekshot. So, I think I will be doing a little searching myself for an 18volt DeWalt setup, unless someone mentions it here.
I am also still interested to hear of anyone else who may have a different way to get these old batteries to regain some regular use without replacement. DeWalt or any other kind.

[David2011]

To obtain max battery life one needs to run the batterys all the way down to nothing and then charge to 100% before trying to use them. Batterys start making a life and this is based on properly discharging them and proper battery charging. Short charge them or don't run them down all the way and the life goes into the crapper. Yes, I have seen batterys last a long time but only when properly stored not too hot or too cold and of course properly used.

This was sort of true when Ni-Cads were the standard but even then it was a bad idea to run them too low. If run low enough under heavy draw the polarity would reverse. The current lithium batteries don't develop a memory as Ni-Cads did so there is no benefit to running them down too far. I've been flying RC airplanes dependent on these types of batteries since 1977 and have gotten pretty familiar with them.

[alamogunr]

Overall, I have gotten so disgusted with DeWalt that if I ever buy another cordless tool, it won't be DeWalt, especially since they have been bought out by B&D. I've never had anything by B&D that worked satisfactorily.

Sorry! I confused DeWalt with Porter Cable. I've got several Porter Cable tools and was satisfied with them. They were made about 20 miles from where I live. When B&D bought them out, I swore off DeWalt.

[shaune509]

cordless battery's are like printer ink, the companys make ALL there money on the needed supplies and give the main item away cheep. three tool sets on sale for $120, replacement battery for $60+ each or printer for<$200 and ink for $80 and needed every month or so.
Sears sold Craftsman name to B&D this year if I recall right.
Shaune509

[RogerDat]

Complete Battery Source will do remanufacture or has them. They have a finite life span. The Li-ion don't have the memory effect but they do have a expected number of charge cycles. It's a pretty big number but each time you charge the battery you use one, makes more sense to charge after using 3/4 than after using 1/4 of the stored power so you get more use from fewer charge cycles. I also think I remember they Li-ion lose more charge from sitting. But it might have been Alkaline or the rechargeable camera batteries that I'm thinking of.

My phone vs. my wife's phone. She charged all the time, I charged when down around 10% Her phone hit the "won't hold a charge" stage of battery life first. Anecdotal but I think over several years of use the difference in number of charges per month made itself felt.

[Djones]

Power tool manufacturers test their cordless tools with a DC power supply that converts the AC in a stable dc supply. You can make one like Pmer did.

[Djones]

Here is a handy chart that shows which power tool companies manufacture each brand.

http://www.popularmechanics.com/tech...tools-graphic/

If you can get litium ion batteries for your saw that is what I would suggest. NiCad batteries aren't on the same level.

[goste]

Djones,
Thanks for that link, that was an interesting read..