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dead batteries


steamshovel

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I have several dead batteries for my hand held drills. They won't take a charge. New batteries are pricy. I had an e-mail from (EZ battery reconditioning program ). They say their method will recharge any battery. Has anyone heard about this company? I like cordless and want to stay that way mostly.

 

Preston  

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I read somewhere that a person could replace the batteries themselves so I took the top off of a Dewalt cordless and sure nuff there are regular C or D cell rechargeable batteries..been about 7 or 8 years ago and can't remember which but the smaller size I think I am sure. I think anyone can replace them if you know how to solder them back together. Just redo them just like youj take them apart ..That line was for the not bright guys.  Just remember take the top off with out screwing it up too bad for you will have to put it back on. There will be some soldering to do then I epoxied the top back on and it went about six more years till it stopped taking a charge.  

   Then I switched over to cordless that cost about the same as the batteries cost without the labor to replace them. We bought 2, 24 dollar drills from Walmart three years ago and they work  good then about three weeks ago they had the same drills for 19.88 each so we bought 2 more.  Only one battery comes with each drill and this way we each got 2 batteries  each... and and extra drill if one goes bad... They come with a no hassle 2 year warranty so for 20 bucks each I would say a bargain... And they are certainly lighter to hold all day instead of a 20 lb drill...

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Batteries plus and Battery Source, both chains, will look at the type of battery your unit uses.  They take a pack off the shelf and you plug them in and ready to go.  My Dewalt had two battery packs that came with it.  When they refused to take a charge, I went to the store, the guy looked at what I had in my hand, got the correct voltage and size and for $50 per pack, I was out the door and it has worked well.  They do exactly what Patch said to do, but I don't have to solder, make sure it is in the right sequence and put it back together.  They do that and you get a pack that looks like the original with new batteries.  I would check them online.  And, you get a core refund when you turn in your old battery pack.  

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I'd search for the after market battery packs. Theya ren't available for every brand, but can be had for the most popular ones. I just bought 2 packs for my Milwaukee M12 tools off Amazon and so far they seem every bit as good as the OEM. In the past I've bought them for Dewalt as well. If your tools are old enough to have the NiCad battereis, you can upgrade them to the NiMh ones and the old charger will charge them just fine.

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Did it all. They had different capacities. I tried the car charger trick. Worked some. When it was all said and done. I didn't want a battery any less powerful than I started with.. I was withing $20 of new ones and said forget it. Wasn't gonna be a bad or good review. Just a happy review. As Ole clint says....."For a few dollars more"......

 

R20845_For_a_Few_Dollars__49648.1483588113.380.500.jpg

Edited by BillyJack
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To your original post:  The material used in the batteries makes a difference (Li, NiCad, etc.), but about a decade ago I bought a reconditioner for NiCad that did work.  Goes through a "deep discharge" cycle several times to remove the "false memory" in the battery.  It did recover a number of old batteries, and they seemed to have "like new" charge states/life after the process.  My old Prius used NiCad and their literature claimed that by managing the charge state (not too low or too high) they got extended use; it seemed to work:  first set of batteries lasted almost 11 years, 130,000 miles; second set only about 80,000 miles.  But the concept of recovery seems valid. 

 

I use the Ryobi 18v system for about 25 tools (yard and shop).  They make a charger that holds 6 batteries, monitors them 24/7 to keep at full charge, and some of my battery mix must be almost 20 years old (?), still working well, and appear to hold full charge.  Those are Lithiums, so again "reconditioning" as a concept seems valid.

 

I think in the future, if the electric car thing really takes off, we'll see the various mfrs agree on a few standard sizes of battery packs and then gas stations will convert into charge exchange stations (similar to propane tank exchange), where you swap batteries for fresh charge ones, paying for the energy swap.  That could be automated to the point where the stop/swap is about what we do now for gas.

Edited by PeteM
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12 hours ago, RedMGB said:

has anyone tested their lifetime replacement warranty?

Yes, several times now.   I purchased the 24V system years ago and when the first set of batteries died (after 6 years), i called them up...had to take the batteries, charger and drill to HD at the time, and they  tested and said - you need new batteries (no shirt shylock).  They sent out a new set and i was good to go for a year.   that set died...they replaced them again (4 years on that 3rd set); and when they wouldn't take a charge i took everything back to HD and they said, hey, you don't have to bring them here anymore...just call the 800 number; which i did.   They only had one (?) in stock and shipped it right out.   called them a couple of months later and they shipped the second one.   That was a couple of years back and they're still good.   They said to just recycle the previous set.   I keep them registered and they have never complained one time about replacing them.  Contrary to some complaints i have read, they have been good over the phone and on their web site.   I love that heavier than a brick 24V 1/2" drill (set came with circ saw, recip saw, and a light...should have purchased the sabre saw, too).   I won't buy the new batteries from anyone...because you can't register them for the LSA.   Keeping this baby until one of us dies first.  :DevilLaughing:

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14 hours ago, BillyJack said:

Did it all. They had different capacities.

Billy If you are talking about mah which it is true relates to how long a battery will last on a charge but has nothing to do with the power output. I have rebuilt several batteries and yes it does get old but the difference between 10-15 and 60 is a vast ocean to cross.

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Something I picked up from a Streamlight Rep, they expect the rechargeable batteries to last at least 1,000 cycles.  So get this revelation, everytime you put your flashlight in the charger, that is a cycle.  So if it is not dead, and you just want it topped off you cost yourself a cycle.  365 days a year adds up quick to 1,000 cycles.  Now they have gotten reasonable with the battery cost, now $20 but the flashlight ain't cheap. Off a tool truck, expect $200 min, online $130 ish.  

 

My solution to increase battery life was twofold.  I made  a charging station with a timer, you set the timer for say 2 hours and then the outlet cuts off, no topping off if the charger has no power.  Second thing I did was take a old unit and get a fresh battery.  Now I always have a spare full charged battery and still get he break on the number of cycles.  Did the same at home.  Limit the charger to topping off and just grab it and go.  BUT no matter what a extra battery is still a must.  

 

Here is setup I use.  I have been getting about 7 years on a Streamlight battery, have yet to have a Milwaukee M12 fail, or the DeWalt either.

 

IMG_0606.JPG.2eff59fac0a46406c25e169e31a11d03.JPG  IMG_0850.JPG.4a333fe154485e25f77e8b80c2bcd080.JPG

 

 

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Not nearly as sophisticated, or as effective as what you did; I have all my chargers on an electronic timer that comes on for about 2 hours once a week. All my OEM M12 batteries died after about 4 years...so that may be the cycle thing you explained. I like that your setup a lot....have to give that some thought. But my timer does make the batteries last longer than forgetting to unplug the chargers for a week or more....which was my old method.

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