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Cordless drill batteries


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My cordless drill batteries are not the Li-ion ones, whatever was in use prior to them ni-cad something..

And they don't like being left alone for six month. Twice now I've had to replace them with new ones when we return to NZ. They power the drill no problem when we leave but won't hold a charge when we return. I think the issue is Chinese made rubbish because we have a ni-cad(?) powered el-cheapo made in Germany drill on the boat and it is perfectly happy about being left alone for 6 months.

Is there (1) any solution to this and (2) has anyone ever opened up the battery pack a d replaced the cells with those rechargeable ones and if so is it worthwhile/successful?

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NiCad has an issue of growing little strings of crystals that short the cells out. They can often be restored,

Discharge till absolutely flat in the drill by leaving it running till the drill stops running, Then charge fully.
Make up a small load like a lightbulb or little DC motor. Then discharge till absolutely flat again, which may take overnight. then fully charge again.
Every now and then, letting the battery fully discharge and fully charge is good practice.

Yes the packs can often have lots of smaller batteries inside that can be replaced. But just whether you can get the right size to fit into the pack will not be clear till you pull the pack apart. Just solder wires between each battery. The real McCoys will be spot welded tabs.

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Can I expand this thread a little bit by asking.....what are a good set / brand of 12V chargeable drills to keep on my boat...?  Something better than cheap chinese sh%t but not so expensive I would have to take out a mini mortgage.

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Can I expand this thread a little bit by asking.....what are a good set / brand of 12V chargeable drills to keep on my boat...?  Something better than cheap chinese sh%t but not so expensive I would have to take out a mini mortgage.

 

Ryobi 18v! They make a 12v>18v charger that fast and there is a huge range of tools that are reasonably priced, but also have a 7 year warranty.

 

One of my favorites in the range is this fan - sooo good when you stuck in the bilge doing a crappy sweaty job! We have two now!

 

36a856e1-0367-45d2-a974-1c0228a47d54.jpg

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NiCad has an issue of growing little strings of crystals that short the cells out. They can often be restored,

 

Discharge till absolutely flat in the drill by leaving it running till the drill stops running, Then charge fully.

Make up a small load like a lightbulb or little DC motor. Then discharge till absolutely flat again, which may take overnight. then fully charge again.

Every now and then, letting the battery fully discharge and fully charge is good practice.

 

Yes the packs can often have lots of smaller batteries inside that can be replaced. But just whether you can get the right size to fit into the pack will not be clear till you pull the pack apart. Just solder wires between each battery. The real McCoys will be spot welded tabs.

Thank you Wheels,

I figured you would come back with solutions. Going to try the deep discharge method you mentioned.

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There's a reason everything has gone li-ion these days.

Agree. But I've just bought a very nice scroll saw which required a very powerful presentation to the Keeper of the Purse for the release of the necessary funds. I think asking more for a new drill would be pushing my luck. Solution a la Wheels first.

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[Can I expand this thread a little bit by asking.....what are a good set / brand of 12V chargeable drills to keep on my boat...? Something better than cheap chinese sh%t but not so expensive I would have to take out a mini mortgage.]

 

B&D make a drill that has a heap of add ons. The drill head unclips and you then clip on what ever head unit you want. I have one and have found it really good. Only down side is the the Chuck is 10mm, not 13. You can get an impact screw driver head, Multitoool head and a few others I forget at the mo and they are not expensive nor take up a heap of room like an entire tool skin if you go down the track of Ryobi.

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Ok, so this is a bit of a thread drift and combined rant because I am having a high degree of pissed offedness at the moment.

Why is it that we can only buy junk in NZ?

The cordless drill with the dud battery about which I started this post is a 12v green Bosch, made in China. You will all throw up your hands in horror and say, 'bit of rubbish' and I agree with you. And the drill I have on the boat is an identical 12v green Bosch, made in either Germany or Switzerland - Bosch have a plant in each country. It's a good tool. The ni-cad batteries last for ages. The Chuck centres beautifully unlike the one in NZ and it runs a lot quieter. And it has a heavier, more robust feel to it.

So why do we have to put up with the Chinese made crap?

I bought two mirrors for the bikes last week. I opted for the little helmet mounted job because I prefer them but I could see straight away that the pissy little plastic stalk supporting the mirror was way to flexible but no problem, I fixed it by making a doubler out of a spoke and secured to the stalk with a bit of heat shrink. Joke opted for a bar end mirror which fell on on the first bump because the ball joint adjustment fractured. No problem, I fixed it by making a little fibreglass sleeve for it.

But it is a problem in that just about whatever you buy, you have to alter it or repair it to make it fit for the purpose. The mirrors were made by Zefal, a French company who supply our part of the world out of China and Europe out of their plant in France. Guess which product is better.

And concerning bikes, I ride a Cannondale which people who are into bikes will know is a pretty good bike. Or was. The late great American Cannondale is now made in China and is just another piece of oriental sh*t not worth the purchase price as I discovered when the rear wheel collapsed.

Boy, do we all get a bum deal in New Zealand.

End of rant.

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As you step off your soapbox, I am stepping on right behind you.
I don't get why brand names with good reputations choose to produce cheap crap and then sell it as if it were there "real" tool they originally built their reputation on. I had a 100mm angle grinder I used for polishing. It did lots of work and performed really well. I looked at the model number, a 10 and went and replaced it with another 10. One of the big stores had them on sale for $65. A real steal. It didn't stand up to the job for long before I had issues with the front bearing. I spotted the tool rep one day and said how much for another of these. He said $120 trade. Huh?? But so and so is selling them for $65. Oh they are the Chinese made versions. The 10S. They use a bronze bush/bearing in the front instead of the ball race bearing.
I was and still today, stunned. For the cost of a bearing and I guess maybe a few other points, they had two identical looking power tools and one nearly half the price that performed terribly. I also had a new Battery drill via them. Both Chuck and gearbox did not last. As a result, I never bought another of their tools. Why would you when you don't know the difference in build quality from their good tools and cheap tools other than the cost.
OK, stepping off box. It is now available for the next in line.

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