Chicago 18 Volt Battery

[Echo]

I bought a sawzall from Harbor Freight a couple (maybe 3) decades ago, and needed it today. The snow load was such that a couple of limbs on a native Palo Verde tree broke, and are hanging down. I figured I would charge up the battery for the sawzall, so plugged it in yesterday. Today - no joy. Battery took no charge. So I hied off for Harbor Freight - and found that they don't carry that 18-volt battery anymore. Dang! Went to Batteries Plus - and they have none, nor do they even carry it anymore. The only solution they could come up with was to rebuild this battery - I asked how much, and he said "Seventy-five dollars". Mercy.
I went to Amazon, and they had some 18-volt batteries, but none like mine. Samo w/eBay.

OK, guys (& Gals). Any ideas? The best I can come up with is give it to Goodwill and go buy a new one, with modern battery design.

[Moleman-]

Rebuild it yourself. Take your battery apart and look at the individual batteries. Likely they're sub-c sized batteries. There may or may not be a resister somewhere in the charging line coming in. I rebuilt the batteries in my milwaukee 18v a few times until it took a nasty enough drop onto a concrete floor that the chuck wobbled too badly so I bought a new drill. Usually it was cheaper to go buy a HF battery pack, take apart their configuration enough to get the batteries to fit in the milwaukee pack and resolder them. Heat isn't their friend, so use a decent solder gun to get it done quickly. I have also ordered larger capacity sub-C batteries, but the HF route was cheaper. Bet there are youtube videos of it.

[jonp]

Sawzall's at HB are $25 on sale. If the one you have is 30yrs old then chuck it and buy a new one. 18v are the ones they have now.

https://www.harborfreight.com/18-volt-cordless-variable-speed-reciprocating-saw-with-keyless-chuck-68852.html

[Smoke4320]

With the 20% off coupon just over $20.00 less than a a replacement battery

[10x]

I have a 2000 watt generator. I am done with batteries that die in the middle of a job, or are dead when you need them.

[Winger Ed.]

Find your receipt and try to get it warrantied.

[starmac]

I have a 2000 watt generator. I am done with batteries that die in the middle of a job, or are dead when you need them.

I used to be like that, but these modern high end portable tools have changed the way I think. It is rare that I use air or drag an extension cord out anymore. All my tools are the same brand though and I have a few extra batteries too, so I have enough batteries to do anything I want to without worrying about them stranding me. The batteries also have a gas gauge on them too.

[samari46]

I used to love the DeWalt 14v I bought years ago. Great with the fast charge system. My wife bought me a new battery powered drill and the chuck jaws were so soft that after a few uses wouldn't the drill I was using to make a hole in aluminum. DeWalt doesn't sell the 14v batteries and even their radios won't charge them. So having said that dug out my old Porter Cable corded drill and a makita corded drill cleaned and oiled the chucks and away we go. Outside of that all my portable saws,sanders, router, and others have cords. No batteries to mess with and once plugged in away I go. And those old drills have nice hardened jaws in the chucks. And if I get really desparate a 6kw generator lives in the garage. Frank

[Bulldogger]

If you're talking an older HF 18V setup you're talking Nickel Cadmium (Ni-Cad) batteries or possible Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH). Both of these last FAR less time than the new Lithium battery technology. You can rebuild the packs, as another mention, I've done it myself. I'm saving up for Lithium. You can get an entire build done on one charge, a whole day I've seen them last. The price is offset by the lack of frequent charging, as I see it.

If you spring for a new lithium rig, I doubt you'll be disappointed.

BDGR

[elk hunter]

I've had some Dewalt tools and so far can't say I've had very good luck with them. When I bought a new 18 volt drill and impact driver I went with Ridgid because when I bought the combination they had a LIFETIME warranty even on the batteries. You do have to register them on-line but when the batteries die I'll get new ones for free.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

20+ years...maybe even 30 years :shock:
I'd say it's time to replace the whole unit...and Lithium battery option is the way to go.
If you want/need cheap, Walmart has a china-sawzal with 20 volt Lithium battery for $50.

[Echo]

OK, I'm going to HF after lunch...

[RED BEAR]

For years i wouldn't even consider a battery powdered tool but needed one to polish headlight lenses and it has me sold will admit i bought three extra batteries to make sure i always have one. Use it more than i ever thought i would.

[tomme boy]

Most of these use 18650 batteries. They can be rebuilt easy if you know what you are doing

[jimlj]

The new battery tools I have are so much better than the ones I had 20 years ago, I wouldn't think of buying a new battery for a 20 year old tool.

[Freightman]

HF has saws on this mo for $19 with battery.

[Lloyd Smale]

I have a full set of Milwaukee lithium tools. You can have the corded ones. I can use my battery stuff at home and I can throw it in the jeep and go and build a deer blind in the woods. I can crawl up on scaffolding without a cord or have to look for an outlet every time I want to use it. Lithium batterys are what made them. Before they were slow charging, not very long lasting and heavy. Today a drill doesn't weight anymore then a corded one and youd have to do one huge amount of drilling in a day to drain the battery and if you do pop in a spare throw the other one on the charger and I guarantee its charged before you wear down the other one. Mine are 10 years old now and still going strong but everytime I look at those lithium dewalts I drool. Might plug in a skill saw on occasion but my corded drill and sawsall haven't been used once since I got the Milwaukee's. even the battery skill saw gets used a heck of a lot more then the corded one. Now let me tell you how much I love my little stihl lithium battery chain saw. that thing is about amazing.

[Mal Paso]

I assumed the Harbor Freight battery operated tools were pretty much disposable. You can still get batteries for the 2, 25 year old 9.6v Makitas I have left but they never get used as the Lithium battery tools are SO MUCH BETTER. The new BATTERY POWERED Milwaukee 1/2 inch impact wrench beats the Snap-on Air Powered Wrench for power. I don't need to buy a large air compressor any longer. The Milwaukee easily does the 130 ftlb lug nuts on my truck on the number 2 setting (out of 4). Batteries won't soon replace my 13 amp worm gear framing saw or 5 hp chain saw but I am looking for a small battery chainsaw.

[shortlegs]

I feel for you! I have bought brand name tool packages cheaper than buying new batteries for the tools that I have. I now take an inverter and use my truck battery to run corded tools. Batteries seem to fail when you need them most. When the name brand power tools fail I replace them with cheap HF tools and throw them away when they fail. When using extension cords, make sure they can handle the amperage for the tool and length of extension cord.

[Lloyd Smale]

buddy had a 5 year old dewaltt 1/2 battery impact that quit working one day. he sent it in to dewalt and they send him back a brand new lithium model with a battery and charger. Wonder if harbor freight would do that. My much less expensive millwaukees are about 10 years old and are still going strong and the lithium batterys still have good life when charged. I almost wish they quit so I could justify upgrading. Guess a guy could swap his nice 1911s in for 3 or 4 high points too and get by. No thanks.
I feel for you! I have bought brand name tool packages cheaper than buying new batteries for the tools that I have. I now take an inverter and use my truck battery to run corded tools. Batteries seem to fail when you need them most. When the name brand power tools fail I replace them with cheap HF tools and throw them away when they fail. When using extension cords, make sure they can handle the amperage for the tool and length of extension cord.