Cordless drill battery rebuild ?

[farmerfish77]

Anyone have any experience with getting batteries rebuilt? I had a couple done a few yrs ago and was'nt totally satisfied. Lookin into a company called Voltman. thnx.

[DCM]

Very interested in this also particularly Li-ion as I have one that does not hold a charge and is no longer made by "Milwaukee".

[Teddy (punchie)]

yes interested to have about 3-4 Dewalts I would like to rebuild.

[HollandNut]

I belong to a WW forum called Sawmill Creek , there was a guy there several years back that rebuilt cordless batteries in Virginia IIRC , don't remember his name , or if he still does it , but he rebuilt with stronger batteries for less than the cost of a new battery .. The new NiCad DW battery is not near as good as the original NiCad DW ..

Hate to spend the money on new Li On units

[Bullshop Junior]

What I wanna know, if there is anyone making a deal that pops into the battery spot on a cordless too and allows you to plug it into the wall.

[alamogunr]

yes interested to have about 3-4 Dewalts I would like to rebuild.

Check them to see if the case is assembled w/screws. If not, I was told they can't be rebuilt.

I'm getting out of the Dewalt tools completely. The beginning of the end was when Black & Decker bought them out. Same for Porter Cable. First thing Black & Decker seems to do is cheapen the product without concern for those of us who were satisfied and willing to pay the price. I did buy a Porter Cable biscuit joiner within days of B&D purchase of Porter Cable. I figured they didn't have time to screw it up.

[Calamity Jake]

If there is a Batteries + Bulbs in your area then rebuild just about anything cordless.
Had a couple of Dewalts rebuilt a couple of years ago, there still going.

[rush1886]

At my local Batteries+Bulbs, they tell me Lithium Ion batteries cannot be rebuilt. I"ve had them rebuild 3 different nickel metal-hydride batteries for me, and each of them is easily 500% better than the factory. Stronger running and hold the charge at least 3 times as long as factory.
I have no personal knowledge of any of the chemistry involved, but I've had great success with the nickel metal-hydride Makita brand batteries I've had rebuilt.
For what it's worth.

[HollandNut]

so who is the new go to for replacing my once loved yellow tools

[jmort]

Used to have all Milwaukee, all made in the USA, then I found out that all common electric hand tools are made in China. If Milwaukee/all others do not care, then neither do I. The $19 "SawzAll" from Harbor Freight works pretty good compared to my $180 Super Sawzall which was better, Made in USA, but rarely do I need the $160 extra power/whatever.

[JSnover]

"Home Shop Machinist" or "Machinist Work Shop" magazine had an article a few years ago about rebuilding/adapting old battery-powered tools. Drop them a line, they were pretty good about locating back issues for me a while back. https://secure.villagepress.com/store/items/list/group/130

[DLCTEX]

Amazon has battery rebuild kits and I bought a battery for my DeWalt 14.4 volt drill for $29 shipped. It was a Chinese knock off but has worked well for six weeks with heavy use on the job. I really like the 12 volt in the small size with the impact feature. Two are 2 years old and have held up to almost daily use with one battery failure after a year. I just bought two more on Amazon.

[CastingFool]

I had a Milwaukee 18 volt battery rebuilt a couple of years ago by Batteries Plus. It was great for a while but then I noticed it was not holding a charge as long as it used to. Now, I may drive 12-15 three inch screws and it's done. It will take a charge quite fast, judt doesn't last.

[JeffinNZ]

Yeap, I had a battery for my 1990's vintage Makita repacked. Twice as good as before. Worth every cent as the drill is from the era when they are were still made to last.

[bangerjim]

so who is the new go to for replacing my once loved yellow tools

In my company, I threw away ALL the DeWalt battery tools a couple years ago and went with Bosch......everything....drills to saws. never looked back! The Bosch Li-Ion technology is so far ahead of the yellow junk, it is really amazing. DW corded tools are still good but you see more DW batteries at the battery trade-in/recycle centers than any tother brand.

If you want to waste money on rebuilding batteries go to Batteries+. They will do it......for a PRICE!!!!!!

bangerjim

[Polecat]

I rebuilt one a yew years ago. Ordered the 2/3 C cells off of fleabay, they were fine held a charge better than the original until one day it started to let the smoke out. My bad I may try it again very careful

[bangerjim]

What I wanna know, if there is anyone making a deal that pops into the battery spot on a cordless too and allows you to plug it into the wall.

Not really possible! The in-rush current is thru the roof. That is why batteries work well. I built a power supply to replace (sortof) the 18v NIMh batteries my 7 1/2" miter saw used. It took a 15 amp 20vdc supply! And it was still slow on start and bogged down pretty easily under load.

In other words.....the battery eliminator would be 4-5x the size of your tool!

Stick with batteries.......Li-Ion is the ONLY technology that works (and works and works and works) in power hand tools. Forget NICD and NIMh......old news.....old technology.....garbage.

NiCad's have horrible "memory" problems and loose power rapidly over time. And NIMh batteries are actually made to drain themselves gradually automatically, so when you go to use them they are always dead!

banger

[bangerjim]

I had a Milwaukee 18 volt battery rebuilt a couple of years ago by Batteries Plus. It was great for a while but then I noticed it was not holding a charge as long as it used to. Now, I may drive 12-15 three inch screws and it's done. It will take a charge quite fast, judt doesn't last.

You are seeing the failures of the NICad and NIMh old technologies. That is exactly what they do over time. The new Li-Ion technology last for years and maintain full charge capacity over that time!

bangerjim

[a.squibload]

Point of technicality:
They don't rebuild the batteries, they rebuild the battery PACK by putting new batteries in it.
Ni-Cad: worthless, except for things like emergency lighting that's constantly being recharged.
Ni-Mh: good stuff, no memory effect.
Li-Ion: the best!

There is a lithium-polymer, model airplane guys liked these except if they get punctured
they can catch fire from the oxygen in the air. Maybe not good for construction tools.

[leeggen]

Hey all, I have a guy near me here in Tenn. that rebuilds batteries for hand tools. Had a couple of mine rebuilt, work great, when they were a yr old had him recycle them so they will get full charge all the time. Guys name is Mark and here is his address and phone #:
Phone #: 931 403 1810
Commercial Tool Service
319 Oakley St.
Livingston, Tn
38570
Oh and he can explain why ion batteries aren't good to rebuild.
CD

[popper]

Nimh are ok, problem is series battery's short out when reverse charged. Batt with no charge go reverse when charged. They also, like all rechargeable so have limited # of charges before they go bad.

[bdicki]

What I wanna know, if there is anyone making a deal that pops into the battery spot on a cordless too and allows you to plug it into the wall.
I know some off road guys that have rigged up some 12 volt tools with cables and alligator clips to run off of a Jeep or truck battery.

[Parson]

Interstate battery did mine, well satisfied

[bangerjim]

Having a professional battery place rebuild (replace actually) your batteries is a possibility. And yes they REPLACE the cells, not "repair" them!

Do no attempt it yourself. Some may be tempted to go to Radio Shack (if you can still even find one!) or some other electronics hose-job and buy C batteries. Those are substandard cells not designed for heavy tool usage. And you CANNOT solder to the tops and bottoms. The bridge connectors between commercial batteries are spot welded on by a special bench top machine. And most already have tabs welded on if there is any soldering involved at the beginning and end of the pack.

Best bet is buy a new Li-Ion system........unless you reeeeeeeeely love throwing good money after bad old obsolete technology tools. I spent hundreds of dollars on DeWalt, Skill, and Makita batteries until my company went all Bosch Li-Ion tools over two years ago. ALL are still going strong on the original batteries!!!!!!!

banger

[MaryB]

I have rebuilt some lithium packs. Have to use the exact replacement cells or the battery management system will go up in smoke along with the batteries.

[Driver man]

I have rebuilt a number of different battery powered hand tools but mainly makita DW and B&D. All nicads. They generally fail because of a bad cell or several bad cells . Its a simple matter to put a charge into each to see if shorted,open or leaky and then just replace the faulty cells. The older DEWalt 18v nicads I just use the B&D packs that can be fitted with a slight mod with a file. Theyr lower rated but work just fine. I have a local supplier here who stocks a good range of individual cells for most brands. All the battery packs I have seen are screwed together with normal screws. Make sure you keep the mica insulation.

[B R Shooter]

Yes, you can rebuild your own battery packs. I have a Porter Cable drill, both packs wouldn't hold a charge. The packs had a screwed on top, so I carefully took the tops off, and found the correct cell size and voltage. Yes they are soldered/spot welded in series. So make a detailed sketch of the way they are nestled together and the series of positive/negative sequence.

I bought the number of replacement cells online, got some low temp solder from the hardware store. I bought batteries that have a tab on them. they work OK for about half, cause the direction of how the tabs link to each battery changes. So I took the tabs off where they didn't fit, and replaced them accordingly. I used a soldering iron, made the joint and cooled it quickly with a damp rag. They have been working great, and for about a quarter of what replacement battery packs sell for.

[nekshot]

I was feeding about 7 18 volt battery tools every day in the good ole days and I found rebuilts was a hit and miss proposition. When I needed warrenty repairs the local rebuilder(battery plus) seemed like my batteries always were just out of the repair date that they changed with out me knowing. I got fed up and kept buying brand new on the internet at about the same price and they always lasted longer than rebuilds in the long run but some rebuilds really had power on initial use.

[firefly1957]

I have rebuilt my own battery packs by replacing the bad cells with good cell . Low temperature solder does a good job on the cells for connecting them the solder i used was marked for jewelery and i used sand paper to clean the cell ends before soldering. a "C" sized NiCad cell has less energy that a good "AA" NiMH i have been thinking about using them and using twice as many but have not yet.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I've looked into rebuilting battery packs...after a thorough online search, and price comparing for the replacement cells to the chinese knock-off battery packs...The china knock-offs are the way to go. Usually higher AH ratings for longer usage per charge too. My Favorite is the DW 7.2v power screwdriver.

BUT, I'm also with bangerjim. Last year I replaced my Bosc 18v Nicad drill for the New Milwaukee 18v Lith-ion system...SUCH an improvement over the Nicad. also, I love milwaukee's new "hackzall".

[bangerjim]

JonB - - - - I too loved that DW 7.2v swivel screwdriver set. But when both batteries refused to hold a charge long enough to drive a 1" wood screw, in the dump it went. I refused to waste good money on rebuilding an inferior technology that will just fail again in 18-24 months. Now I use the Bosch 18v Li-Ion drill/driver. It weights just a bit more and has power up the wazoooo! Drove over 50ea) 4" lag screws into treated landscaping timbers............ on one battery! Now that's amazing.

Just be careful trying to rebuilding old NiCad or NIMH technology batteries with modern technology LI-Ion batteries! The chargers are NOT compatible and you could end up with a possible bomb or little plastic-fueled bon-fire on your bench! The chargers we have for Li-Ion hand tools are unique to that technology.

Li-Ion technology is amazing. I just took delivery of my 2nd Lexus Hybird Drive company car. The 1st one was 6 years old and that 300+ volt battery under the back seat was still as good as new. They must be good, as Lexus gives them a 10 year warranty.

banger

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I bought the DW 7.2v swivel screwdriver set in 2007, original battery packs died in 2010, I replaced them with the a 3000mAh battery packs, they are physically longer, but fit in the tool the same (I believe the originals were 1700). I'm not sure if what I bought in 2010 are exactly the same as shown in the link, but mine are 3000mAh for sure. I have noticed the charger runs a little warmer...but it ain't smokin ;)
http://www.amazon.com/ExpertPower%C2%AE-3000mAh-Extended-DW920K-2-DW925K-2/dp/B007PKJT6O/ref=pd_sim_sbs_hi_12?ie=UTF8&refRID=11AS9Z3VXA6P2TB4NM1W

I use it mainly for assembly of industrial control panels...so mostly pre-tapped machine screws and also for tightening medium sized power wire terminals. Actually this is fairly light duty compared to how it gets used at home for wood working projects. I'm on Year 4 with those china knock-offs and they still hold near Max charge. Too bad you threw your's away, I'd have bought it from ya.

[dbosman]

Having seen and smelled (and reacted badly to the aerosol) a LIon battery melt down that destroyed a MAC notebook, let me say PLEASE do not attempt to repair LIon battery packs your self. It is not worth the potential heat and chemical excursion. The MAC was .75 inches thick when the event started and 2.75 inches thick after the pack very slowly exploded. Explode is what it did, just in slow motion.

[lightman]

Hilti has a lease program that I am thinking about trying. I have heard that they replace the tool and/or battery free for 3 years. I think the drill, driver and sawzall package is like $300 a year.

I've been disappointed in Mikita, Milwaukee, and DeWalt for several years now. Lightman

[bangerjim]

I bought the DW 7.2v swivel screwdriver set in 2007, original battery packs died in 2010, I replaced them with the a 3000mAh battery packs, they are physically longer, but fit in the tool the same (I believe the originals were 1700). I'm not sure if what I bought in 2010 are exactly the same as shown in the link, but mine are 3000mAh for sure. I have noticed the charger runs a little warmer...but it ain't smokin ;)
http://www.amazon.com/ExpertPower%C2%AE-3000mAh-Extended-DW920K-2-DW925K-2/dp/B007PKJT6O/ref=pd_sim_sbs_hi_12?ie=UTF8&refRID=11AS9Z3VXA6P2TB4NM1W

I use it mainly for assembly of industrial control panels...so mostly pre-tapped machine screws and also for tightening medium sized power wire terminals. Actually this is fairly light duty compared to how it gets used at home for wood working projects. I'm on Year 4 with those china knock-offs and they still hold near Max charge. Too bad you threw your's away, I'd have bought it from ya.

Mine lasted about the same time! DW has VERY poor batteries across the board. I have read that in many other places over the years. And the sheer amount of DW battery packs I see at the recycle stations.......OMG! Other major brands are not that prevalent. HF is the 2nd on the dumper list.

I am surprised you NiCAD charger will fully charge those NIMh batteries. I have a couple chargers for AA's that have a switch for the different technologies. Not sure what it does, but it sure makes a difference in the temp the batteries end up at!

Hope others out there that have that little "dead" tool can use the link info you posted! Still, I am extremely happy with all the Bosch Li-Ion tools we now have. No more yellow!

(I or my company are in no way associated with the Bosch Corp!)

banger

[mikeym1a]

If you know a little about electronics, and have a soldering gun, you can do it yourself. There are multiple offers on fleabay for the 'sub c' batteries that are used in these devices. I redid two Ryobi 14.4V batteries. They originally had the old 1200ma nickel-cadmium rechargables batteries. BUT, I got 3000ma NMH batteries, and wired them up. It takes a bit of practice, but it is worth it. I get 4 times the running life between charges. Some people say it's cheaper to buy new, but, that is a decision you will have to make. I've done three, 2 my myself, and one for a good friend. So, it can be done. mikey

[garym1a2]

for about $39 you can get a drill that plugs into the wall that has more power than most cordless drills and no battery to wear out.

What I wanna know, if there is anyone making a deal that pops into the battery spot on a cordless too and allows you to plug it into the wall.

[Bullshop Junior]

I havnt seen a sawzall that cheap though.

[MaryB]

Different battery chemistry than the sub c sized and AA sized LI bats. LiPolymer is bad news


Having seen and smelled (and reacted badly to the aerosol) a LIon battery melt down that destroyed a MAC notebook, let me say PLEASE do not attempt to repair LIon battery packs your self. It is not worth the potential heat and chemical excursion. The MAC was .75 inches thick when the event started and 2.75 inches thick after the pack very slowly exploded. Explode is what it did, just in slow motion.

[bangerjim]

I havnt seen a sawzall that cheap though.

Stop by any Harbor Freight store with your 25% coupon!

bangerjim

[Lloyd Smale]

got to agree with some of the others. Save a bit of money and go with Li-Ion. I could never go back to those heavy old dewalts again. My Li-Ion milwalkees wieght probably half as much and have more power and hold a charge much longer. I can remember when the local contractor built my new barn a few years back. Li-Ion technology was relitively new and i had just gotten the milwaukees. One of the guys borrowed impact to drive pole barn screws and didnt want to give it back. Another ended up using my drill to do the same. Both said it was amazing how much the lighter weight made there day easier and both said they were changing batterys about half as often as with there dewalts. Granted there dewalts were USED and could have been tired.

[HollandNut]

I bought one of the DW 18v cordless kits waay back when they first came out , and those batteries lasted for many years .. I recall putting a new metal roof on my barn and those batteries ran from daylight till dark without recharging them ..

[dragon813gt]

Back to the OP's question. Do not buy from Voltman. My previous employer sent out to Makita batteries to be rebuilt by him. They worked for about a month. They did run longer. But after a month they stopped running longer and then they stopped holding a charge over night. My only complaint w/ Rigid ProPress tools is that they use Makita batteries. They have always been horrible.

[Alan in Vermont]

And the sheer amount of DW battery packs I see at the recycle stations.......OMG! Other major brands are not that prevalent. HF is the 2nd on the dumper list.



(A) Has it ever occurred to you that maybe you see more DW batteries going bad is because there are more DW tools in use than any other brand. Almost everything I see used on jobsites is yellow.

(B) We also know you love the latest generation of Bosch Li-Ion tools, you make sure to point that out in most of your posts in this thread.

I like the new Bosch too but I can't justify the cost to swap everything out at one time.

For now I'm going to keep enough batteries functional to keep four drill fed for my currently (No pun intended) casual use. As the tools die I will upgrade to whatever is the hot item at that time.

Now,, back to on-topic; Interstate Batteries offers battery pack overhauls at their retail stores at 50% the cost of an OE pack. I had two 14.4 V DW XRP packs done there in June of 2012 and they are still functioning fine.

I had Voltman rebuild two packs for my Milwaukee 18 V 1/2" impact wrench. IMO, Milwaukee 18s are the poorest lasting battery I have ever worked with. The Voltman rebuilds lasted as long (3 of cycles) as OE did and seemed to last(IMO) as long under use while making more "power" from the tool.

You can buy replacement packs for many batteries online, Amazon in particular, that drop into your original case. I'm going to be trying both 14.4V & 12V versions for my DW tools and at least one for the 18V Milwaukee.

[alamogunr]

I haven't gone to the trouble(and won't) of setting up a scorecard of like and dislike of the various brands of cordless tools. It seems to be pretty evenly distributed which, to me, means that cordless tool batteries are a luck of the draw thing.

I already posted my opinion of DW but can't say anything about other brands since I haven't tried them. I'm not a tradesman and only use tools as a homeowner. My DW batteries(14.4V) that came with the second drill I bought because the first batteries gave up and couldn't(wouldn't) be rebuilt by Batteries Plus, haven't lasted as long as the first ones.

I do have a Bosch kit that includes a drill and impact tool and 2 Li-Ion batteries. These small tools are great when a lot of torque is not required.

[bangerjim]

(A) Has it ever occurred to you that maybe you see more DW batteries going bad is because there are more DW tools in use than any other brand. Almost everything I see used on jobsites is yellow.

(B) We also know you love the latest generation of Bosch Li-Ion tools, you make sure to point that out in most of your posts in this thread.

I like the new Bosch too but I can't justify the cost to swap everything out at one time.

For now I'm going to keep enough batteries functional to keep four drill fed for my currently (No pun intended) casual use. As the tools die I will upgrade to whatever is the hot item at that time.

Now,, back to on-topic; Interstate Batteries offers battery pack overhauls at their retail stores at 50% the cost of an OE pack. I had two 14.4 V DW XRP packs done there in June of 2012 and they are still functioning fine.

I had Voltman rebuild two packs for my Milwaukee 18 V 1/2" impact wrench. IMO, Milwaukee 18s are the poorest lasting battery I have ever worked with. The Voltman rebuilds lasted as long (3 of cycles) as OE did and seemed to last(IMO) as long under use while making more "power" from the tool.

You can buy replacement packs for many batteries online, Amazon in particular, that drop into your original case. I'm going to be trying both 14.4V & 12V versions for my DW tools and at least one for the 18V Milwaukee.

A) "We report....you decide!"

B) I appreciate and value reading other's success (and failure) stories on here. I trust the people on here to give fair and balanced opinions and reviews of things. Much more than the "customer reviews [smilie=p:" on most web sites! That is what I am trying to do here. It works for me. And it will work for others that are willing to buy new stuff instead of feeding old obsolete equipment. As the yellow (or whatever color you like) stuff goes belly up, swap it out. That is what we did. If it ain't broke....don't fix it. But when the time comes, don't fix it with a Band-Aid, knowing it is going to sub-perform and fail in a few months again.

I have used every brand of cordless tool made, both domestic (if can even find 'em today) and foreign, and there are ones that are just not that good....even though their "color" and reputation should make them good.

I still grab corded tools when an AC plug/extension cord is within reach!

banger

[HollandNut]

I expect a lot from my tools , and you should as well .. I use the cordless tools a lot and am hard on them . As I stated in post #42 , my first DW 18v batteries were awesome .. Last year I replaced them with 2 new kits , because two drills with two batteries and a charger in each kit at $99 , is a lot cheaper than two XRP batteries .. Well less than a year into the new tools and they hold a charge for "maybe" five minutes of light work ..

Li ON is next and soon I might add , and it wont be 'yellow' and believe me , it hurt to write that ..

[dragon813gt]

Li ON is next and soon I might add , and it wont be 'yellow' and believe me , it hurt to write that ..

It shouldn't hurt because having brand loyalty is stupid. I buy the best tools for the job. Which is why my work van and home are full of a colorful array of tools. I ditched DeWalt not because of poor battery performance. That didn't bother me because my employer replaced them and I had sixteen of them from buying their tools over the years. I ditched them because of clutch burn out. They are just horrible drills lately. I chose Bosch as brand replacement because they have all the tools I use across their range at good prices. If they didn't perform I would ditch them and start over. Tools are a write off for me so I like buying them :)

[bangerjim]

Because I have a LOT of tools and experience with them, people always ask me "Are HF tools any good?"

I say, "If they are for week-end handy man jobs and honey-do's around the house, they are fine. If you make your living with those tools, buy the very best and not HF!"

Personal reviews are the best feedback a person can get on anything as they are generally un-biased and are from real world use and experience, not some design engineer's imagination or marketing clown's computer word processor.

I only mentioned Bosch tools because I have already done the use, abuse and longevity testing against most other major and minor brands out there. My opinions are offered purely for the act of being helpful, as my company does not sell or trade in any form of hand or power tools at all!

I, too, would dump Bosch and look around again if I found the number of problems & pre-mature failures I have encountered with all other brands.

I hope I have been of at least a bit of service to your tool needs and not ruffled any "brand color" feathers.


banger

[jonas302]

We had a bosch 24 volt kit that lasted a darn long time 5-6 years but when it came time to replace the batteries they were to expensive Most of my personal cordless tools are Dewalt they are a good value and batteries dont break the bank they are very available and fit a huge year span something that cant be said for a lot of cheaper brands

I have had no luck sending batteries out or or having interstate do them they just didn't perform as well or as long as when the tool was new
it took a few years but I realized tools work a lot better plugged into the wall or air line reciprocating saws in particular by the way the last Milwaukee I bought on auction for $10 probably because it had that pesky cord on it

[Sweetpea]

Ok, at work, we ran a couple of sets of Makita impact drivers HARD for 10 years, never a problem with the drills (except the one time it was dropped and a brush got loose, 5 minute fix).

We went through a set of batteries a year, (L-ion) and the drills were just starting to get tired, when somebody stole all our cordless tools a few months back.

Switched to DeWalt, because they had the brushless motors.

When I buy for myself, it will be Rigid, due to the lifetime warranty, even on batteries!

[mikeym1a]

for about $39 you can get a drill that plugs into the wall that has more power than most cordless drills and no battery to wear out.

Yeah, but I can't use that one 150ft from the house......................

[Lloyd Smale]

my milwaukee li ion batterys are going strong after 4 years. I dont use them everyday like a contractor but theyve built 3 pole barns and been used more Id bet then the average home owner wood. I had good luck with logevity with my old dewalts too. They didnt hold a charge near as long though and feel like your holding a piece of lead after using a tool with li ion batterys.
(A) Has it ever occurred to you that maybe you see more DW batteries going bad is because there are more DW tools in use than any other brand. Almost everything I see used on jobsites is yellow.

(B) We also know you love the latest generation of Bosch Li-Ion tools, you make sure to point that out in most of your posts in this thread.

I like the new Bosch too but I can't justify the cost to swap everything out at one time.

For now I'm going to keep enough batteries functional to keep four drill fed for my currently (No pun intended) casual use. As the tools die I will upgrade to whatever is the hot item at that time.

Now,, back to on-topic; Interstate Batteries offers battery pack overhauls at their retail stores at 50% the cost of an OE pack. I had two 14.4 V DW XRP packs done there in June of 2012 and they are still functioning fine.

I had Voltman rebuild two packs for my Milwaukee 18 V 1/2" impact wrench. IMO, Milwaukee 18s are the poorest lasting battery I have ever worked with. The Voltman rebuilds lasted as long (3 of cycles) as OE did and seemed to last(IMO) as long under use while making more "power" from the tool.

You can buy replacement packs for many batteries online, Amazon in particular, that drop into your original case. I'm going to be trying both 14.4V & 12V versions for my DW tools and at least one for the 18V Milwaukee.

[garym1a2]

My generator has wheels. Not to mentioned that I have never seen a circular saw nor sawzal that was cordless and could actually cut some wood. For the price of Bosch tools you could buy the generator and use much more powerful tools.


Yeah, but I can't use that one 150ft from the house......................

[dragon813gt]

Not to mentioned that I have never seen a circular saw nor sawzal that was cordless and could actually cut some wood.

I will give you the circular saw part. But sawzall, you must be joking? I can't tell you how many renovations I did entirely w/ a battery powered DeWalt sawzall. A cordless sawzall is one tool you never want to be without. For prolonged use such as demolition then I would want a battery powered one.

The current generation of batteries are powering some legitimate tools. The grinders can actually use a cutting wheel now. For small jobs like cutting holes in panels for controls these are perfect for me. Why run a cord. Let alone wheel out a generator. Bosch brand tools are no more expensive then other name brands. They only look expensive in comparison Chicago Electric and Ryobi which are homeowner brands.

[AkMike]

Have you guys tried to 're-flash' your worn out batteries? I did this for a friends batteries on a cordless grease gun and it worked!
He'd found a video at youtube that showed what was to be done so with out anything to lose we tried it with success.

Basicly use a bigger battery charger and reverse the polarity for a bit to kill the memory and then reverse that and charge it.

It worked on several batteries after that.

[MaryB]

Do NOT try that with a lithium battery, it might explode

[AkMike]

I've "exploded" carbon cored batteries before. It's more of a burst not an explosion. But yes don't hold them near anything that you hold near and dear to you. ;)

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Have you guys tried to 're-flash' your worn out batteries? I did this for a friends batteries on a cordless grease gun and it worked!
He'd found a video at youtube that showed what was to be done so with out anything to lose we tried it with success.

Basicly use a bigger battery charger and reverse the polarity for a bit to kill the memory and then reverse that and charge it.

It worked on several batteries after that.
I never tried this, but I've read about it many years ago (like the 1980s, when I was in Electronics school). Actually what I read was using a circuit from a camera flash unit to to give a quick burst of high voltage across a Nicad battery to "burn" open any carbon paths (that act like tiny short circuits that slowly kill a battery).

[AkMike]

I'm in Ukraine at the moment so I can't run out to see which type of battery these were. What ever Lincoln uses for their grease guns! Look that up then do a search on youtube about fixing these batteries. It worked for me and it might work for you. And the best part is that it didn't cost much to try. :D

[lksmith]

What I did with mine for an old cordless Craftsman drill (much better than anything new I've used) is I took one of them apart, since it didn't work I figured what can I lose. I looked saw that Atwoods has come of their 24v battery pack on clearance for $5 so I bought one to examine (nothing to lose right?) and it turns out that the batteries inside the pack were the same size as the ones in my Craftsman pack.
I took it apart and soldered them together in series to A) fit in my pack and B) get the appropriate voltage.
after I saw the first one worked I went and bought 2 more to rebuild my other defunct pack and to have the batteries for when my other one for when it dies
Aside from my shoddy soldering, they are every bit as durable as the factory ones.
I did drop a them a few times and had a solder joint break, but that was solely do to my bad soldering skills.

[lksmith]

Have you guys tried to 're-flash' your worn out batteries? I did this for a friends batteries on a cordless grease gun and it worked!
He'd found a video at youtube that showed what was to be done so with out anything to lose we tried it with success.

Basicly use a bigger battery charger and reverse the polarity for a bit to kill the memory and then reverse that and charge it.

It worked on several batteries after that.

How do you do that to a battery pack with voltage over 12vdc?
I don't have a 24v charger to do that to my 19.2 batteries and don't know anybody that does

[bangerjim]

How do you do that to a battery pack with voltage over 12vdc?
I don't have a 24v charger to do that to my 19.2 batteries and don't know anybody that does

That is an old trick I used as a kid to try to "burn the shorts" out of NiCad batteries.

You have to hit each individual 1.2v cell with at least 1.5v or higher and high amperage (6-8A capacity). The meter on your power supply will slam against high on the amps for a second or two and then gradually drop back down to a more normal 1A or so.

It sort of kind of almost works on some batteries. What is does is actually burn the internal shorts (charge memory) out of the NiCad internal structure and allows it to take a normal charge....for a time. Many will not do anything but get hot. DO NOT even think about using your car battery to hit the 1.2v cells!!!!!!! It takes a regulated variable DC supply to do it effectively. Some have used 1.5v D cells with limited success.

I quit doing that long ago when NiMH came out.....they could blow up if you do that to them.

But hitting a 12V NiCad pack with 14V will not fix that one or two cells in there that went bad. Waste of time. You need to address each individual cell.

I have done this to hundreds of NiCads in years past. You may..............just MAY.......get a few more charges out of the weak cells. Not really worth the time and effort to tear the pack apart and mess with it.

bangerjim

[doc1876]

We have a place here in southern St. Louis area called Ellis Batteries, and they do rebuilds, and are very good at it.


Ellis Battery
6764 HWY 67
Fredericktown, MO 63645
800-455-0206 | sales@batterygirls.com