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Old 17th Dec 2018, 11:21 pm   #21
Radio Wrangler
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Default Re: Battery failure in battery drills etc.

I had a DeWalt 18v circular saw. Very handy for working on roofs. It had a large battery capacity for its era but it ate batteries. The tool had to be nursed, fed slowly and carefully along the line to be cut. Eventually battery life fell to one 8' cut per charge. Batterues would be expensive, a new tool more so.

But I went with their 54v saw. Wow! Eye opening is an understatement. I gave the old saw to someone who wanted to play. The new tool cuts 18mm ply or OSB without slowing... bring 'em on! several sheets on a charge. The 54v batteries switch to 18v and are compatible with 18v drills. So when I needed a small low power drill, I got an 18v Li-Ion one. Yep, it's good. My heavy duty 14.4v drill had three battery packs, all getting low on life, so my Christmas present to myself was a heavy duty three gear 18v drill which takes the same batteries. £99 bare so I added a couple of 5AH packs and a charger. So I'm well pleased.

The improvement is dramatic. To the point you might regret effort spent persevering with the NiCd or NiMh variants if these are tools you use heavily.

David
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Old 17th Dec 2018, 11:25 pm   #22
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Default Re: Battery failure in battery drills etc.

Re-building a battery pack is unlikely to be economically viable In most cases; but if there is some reason for keeping that particular tool as opposed to a modern replacement, it's good to know that it is at least possible.
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Old 17th Dec 2018, 11:31 pm   #23
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Default Re: Battery failure in battery drills etc.

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Originally Posted by ex 2 Base View Post
...sometimes one cell has reversed its polarity...
Sadly this is an all-too-common problem with simple NiCd or NiMH battery packs of series cells with no battery management. During rapid discharge, the first cell to become discharged quickly becomes reverse-biased by the remaining charged cells, and can be irreversibly damaged.

Modern LiIon packs contain electronics that monitor the voltage across each individual cell and prevent any one cell being discharged too deeply by shutting off the entire pack.

Santa is reputed to be bringing me a new LiIon cordless drill...
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Old 18th Dec 2018, 1:14 am   #24
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Default Re: Battery failure in battery drills etc.

As long as you're good till then
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Old 18th Dec 2018, 7:56 am   #25
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Default Re: Battery failure in battery drills etc.

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I’ve ceased replacing them nowadays, partly due to the virtual impossibility of soldering to the battery pack terminals, whick I think may be stainless steel.

TIP: If you file the strips or terminals first then you will find that the solder flows nicely.

The terminals of these cells are actually spot welded but appear to be plated with some kind of metal that solder just will not adhere to, maybe nickel?

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Old 18th Dec 2018, 8:55 am   #26
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Default Re: Battery failure in battery drills etc.

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TIP: If you file the strips or terminals first then you will find that the solder flows nicely...
Tried that, also a rotary abrasive point on a Dremel. Got it to ‘take’ in the end, but it was a right pain and there was no “nicely” about it!

Another TIP: cut the metal strip so that it’s the width of a male Lucar spade connector. A closed-up female connector will then push on and make a tight mechanical and electrical connection. I did this successfully on my latest Li-Ion conversion.
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Old 19th Dec 2018, 12:53 am   #27
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Default Re: Battery failure in battery drills etc.

I have despaired of several 'budget' cordless drills in the past. About 3 or 4 years ago I was tempted by a good deal on a Ryobi. Also bought a bare drill a bit later. They have been astonishingly good so far - work their way through concrete as well as my Bosch mains drill...and they seem to keep a charge well.
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Old 26th Dec 2018, 3:57 pm   #28
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Default Re: Battery failure in battery drills etc.

side issue but has anyone used one of those convertors that allow a 18v Lithium Ion battery to be used with the older 18v Dewalt tools. It fits in the space where the old Nickel Hydride batteries fit and allows one to plug in the new flat sort of batteries. Wondered if there were any downsides to using them.
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Old 26th Dec 2018, 7:06 pm   #29
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Default Re: Battery failure in battery drills etc.

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Santa is reputed to be bringing me a new LiIon cordless drill...
Well I must have been especially good this year, because he brought me an 18 volt one with a two-speed gearbox and TWO battery packs! I’m a very happy bunny.
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Old 27th Dec 2018, 9:22 pm   #30
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Default Re: Battery failure in battery drills etc.

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side issue but has anyone used one of those convertors that allow a 18v Lithium Ion battery to be used with the older 18v Dewalt tools. It fits in the space where the old Nickel Hydride batteries fit and allows one to plug in the new flat sort of batteries. Wondered if there were any downsides to using them.
Or indeed Bosch 14.4v ones. I have a nice collection of Bosch 14.4v Nicad / NiMH tools and although I have a decent selection of Nixx batteries that work fine it would be good to know if alternatives would keep the (multiple) tools going. And I'm talking probably half a dozen drill / drivers, a couple of torches, circular saw, jigsaw, angle grinder, and planer.
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Old 28th Dec 2018, 9:36 am   #31
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Default Re: Battery failure in battery drills etc.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Phil G4SPZ View Post
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hunts smoothing bomb View Post
TIP: If you file the strips or terminals first then you will find that the solder flows nicely...
Tried that, also a rotary abrasive point on a Dremel. Got it to ‘take’ in the end, but it was a right pain and there was no “nicely” about it!
Interesting, I have been doing this for years with no problems with all manner of Ni-cd and Ni-mh baatteries. I wonder why it doesn't work for you?

Cheers
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Old 28th Dec 2018, 7:27 pm   #32
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Default Re: Battery failure in battery drills etc.

Using Lithium batteries in a NiCad or NiMH power tool - assuming you have an appropriate charger for the Lithium battery, there remains the problem of protecting the Lithium battery from excess load current, and preventing deep discharge. It is quite noticeable how Lithium powered tools stop abruptly as the battery discharges, whereas NiCad power tools just grind inexorably slower.

Sometimes the protection circuit is in the battery pack, otherwise it should be in the adaptor.

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