which cordless tool platform has battery chargers that condition the batteries?

[BTL-A4]

I'm looking for a cordless tool platform that has chargers that condition the batteries or have some sort of battery management system (BMS) so they don't degrade as rapidly. I currently have Black and Decker 20v tools that have worked fine, but the batteries (from 2013) are not holding a charge anymore. I keep them plugged in all the time (yes, I know that's not good, but didn't when I got these) and would like something that does some sort of conditioning/management so they last longer and allow me to keep them plugged in all the time. My Ego battery charger (for my lawnmower) has a feature that lengthens the battery life. I'm looking for something similar.

I think Dewalt chargers do this, but I can't definitively confirm it. Someone asked in the questions section for a Dewalt charger on the Home Depot site: "What happens if I leave the batteries on the charger (plugged in) for long periods of time (Months)?"
The response from "Dewalt Product Expert" was "Leaving the batteries on the charger will harm neither the batteries nor the charger." There was nothing in the product description that stated anything about battery conditioning.

This one from Makita seems to do some sort of conditioning, but I'm still not confident:
https://www.toolbarn.com/collections/tool-accessories-batteries-chargers-tool-battery-chargers/products/makita-dc18sf

Kobalt might work as well, but I'm still a bit confused after reading some answers and questions:
Question: "Once the batteries are fully charged, are they batteries able to be left on? Will it maintenance the batteries and keep them in top condition?
Answer: Hello! Yes, the batteries can be left on the charger for up to 30 days. For any further inquiries, please reach out to our customer support team at 1-888-356-2258.

Question: "Is it ok to store batteries on the charger while it's plugged in, or will that damage the batteries over time."
Answer: "Great question, thank you for reaching out! Best practice is to remove the battery from the charger once it is fully charged. We hope this information finds you well and thank you for your inquiry! -Customer Support

Question: "Kobalt stated in a previous reply, "Batteries can be left on the charger for up to 30 days." Question: What happens after 30 days to those batteries?"
Answer: "Dear Valued Lowe's Customer, This is an excellent question, thank you! Once the battery is fully charged, charging stops. If the battery voltage drops significantly after many months, which is unlikely put possible and not harmful to the battery. The charger will not automatically recharge the battery, unless the battery is manually removed and re-plugged on the charger. Therefore it is safe to leave the battery on the charger and it does no harm to removes it after charging. We hope this information finds you well, and thank you for your interest in our products. -Customer Support"

For Ryobi, the answers to this question from owners all state that you can leave the batteries in no problem, but the Ryobi Tools Team responds that no you can't.

I searched for cordless tool chargers with battery conditioner/BMS but all I got was Harbor Freight/Amazon/Ebay/sponsored stuff that didn't seem to have any conditioning or battery management or links to electronic vendors that are way beyond what I'm looking for.

I need:
-drill (I have 2)
-blower
-string trimmer
-hedge trimmers
-circular saw
-impact drill
-recip saw
it would be nice to have a chainsaw, pole saw, and sander.

I'm a DIY homeowner, so I don't need anything fancy. I do use my drills all the time.

The other option is to buy new batteries.

Any help/input/links would be appreciated! Thanks!

 

[bwringer]

In some cases, it depends on exactly which charger you have.

Ryobi, for example, has both "smart" and "dumb" chargers. The smart ones (Intelliport) monitor battery condition as they charge, and shut off when the battery is charged. The "dumb" ones you get in some bundle deals do not, or at least don't appear to. Plus, they have a stupid wall wart.

Smart -- "Intelliport",

18V ONE+ Dual Chemistry Charger

ONE+™ delivers more value and performance with the smartest charger on the market. It charges all 18V ONE+ batteries in as little as thirty minutes. The...

www.ryobitools.com

Dumb -- wall wart, no mention of battery protection

18V ONE+ CHARGER

RYOBI introduces the 18V ONE+ Lithium-Ion Charger. The 18V ONE+ Lithium-Ion Charger charges all RYOBI 18V Lithium-Ion Batteries, and can charge a 1.5 Ah...

www.ryobitools.com

I'll also mention that you really need to try out some brushless tools. You won't believe the power, battery life, and compactness. Well worth upgrading. For your use case, I can definitely recommend Ryobi's brushless line.

 

[dogdog]

There are no recondition chargers or methods doe li-ion type batteries. Only bms that charges and monitors each individual cells is 3.7v or 4.2v from being over charge or under charge.

 

[Citation]

BTL. I think you are dealing with a problem that really doesn't exist in modern Li batteries. For safety reasons all Li-ion chargers have rate and voltage controls. They all monitor individual cell voltages and typically (always?) will balanced the individual cells in the system. None will continue to charge when the battery is full (nor if the battery is too cold or hot).

Back when we had NiCAD batteries, we had a lot of dumb chargers. They just applied a low level current (about 1/10th C, so perhaps 100mAh for a cordless drill) to the battery pack. Often this wasn't controlled and would basically run until you pulled the battery or power cord. However, most good tools (Makita, DeWalt etc) would have fast/peak detecting chargers that would watch battery temps and voltage and used a more complex charge profile. That would result in faster charge times (~2 hrs vs over night) and longer battery life.

With Li-ion cells this extra charge control becomes a safety issue. However, the controllers are also relatively simple and cheap so smart batteries, especially in tools, are the norm, not the exception.

As for reconditioning, like dogdog said, not used or needed. That is a byproduct of NiCad cell "memory". Li-ion batteries just don't have that issue. Other than the fact that Li-ion cell chemistry is inherently reactive (thus batteries must have over and under voltage protection built in for safety reasons), Li-ion cells don't have a lot of the vices of the older cordless tools from the 90s and 2000s.

 

[Firebrick43]

dogdog hit the nail on the head, they are not lead acid or ni cad, no need to condition

 

[BTL-A4]

In some cases, it depends on exactly which charger you have.

Ryobi, for example, has both "smart" and "dumb" chargers. The smart ones (Intelliport) monitor battery condition as they charge, and shut off when the battery is charged. The "dumb" ones you get in some bundle deals do not, or at least don't appear to. Plus, they have a stupid wall wart.

Smart -- "Intelliport",

18V ONE+ Dual Chemistry Charger

ONE+™ delivers more value and performance with the smartest charger on the market. It charges all 18V ONE+ batteries in as little as thirty minutes. The...

www.ryobitools.com

Dumb -- wall wart, no mention of battery protection

18V ONE+ CHARGER

RYOBI introduces the 18V ONE+ Lithium-Ion Charger. The 18V ONE+ Lithium-Ion Charger charges all RYOBI 18V Lithium-Ion Batteries, and can charge a 1.5 Ah...

www.ryobitools.com

I'll also mention that you really need to try out some brushless tools. You won't believe the power, battery life, and compactness. Well worth upgrading. For your use case, I can definitely recommend Ryobi's brushless line.

Thanks for the info.

Here's what Ryobi states in several posts on the HD website under the questions section:
This RYOBI P117 18-Volt ONE+ Dual Chemistry IntelliPort Charger. Disconnect charger from the power supply when not in use. This will reduce the risk of electric shock or damage to the charger if metal items should fall into the opening. It also will help prevent damage to the charger during a power surge. To obtain the longest possible battery life, we suggest removing the battery pack from the charger once it is fully charged and ready for use. For battery pack storage longer than 30 days, store the battery pack where the temperature is below 80°f and away from moisture, store battery packs in a 30%-50% charged condition, and every six months of storage, we recommend charging the battery pack as normal. - Eve

Intelliport is the name for the capability of the smart charger to intelligently be able to keep maintenance on the batteries or as you put it "top off" the batteries. It also will not over charge the battery. The charger in the kit P1811 which is the P118 has the very same technology. The only difference in operation is that the charger in the kit is approximately an hour charge time and the charger listed here is around a 30 min charge time. Other wise the operation is the same.

 

[BTL-A4]

It also occurs to me that these batteries of mine are almost 10 years old. They do wear out, so maybe it's time to buy new ones. It would be about $42-$50 each or so. I have 5 right now, so $210-$250 to replace all of them.

HD has a deal now on a Ryobi kit with a Circular Saw, Drill Driver, Impact Driver, Multi-Tool, Reciprocating Saw, Worklight and a "dumb" charger for $200. The "smart" charger is another $55.

My tools work fine. I'd still need to get a blower, another drill and a hedge trimmer to match what I have now.

 

[bwringer]

Thanks for the info.

Here's what Ryobi states in several posts on the HD website under the questions section:
This RYOBI P117 18-Volt ONE+ Dual Chemistry IntelliPort Charger. Disconnect charger from the power supply when not in use. This will reduce the risk of electric shock or damage to the charger if metal items should fall into the opening. It also will help prevent damage to the charger during a power surge. To obtain the longest possible battery life, we suggest removing the battery pack from the charger once it is fully charged and ready for use. For battery pack storage longer than 30 days, store the battery pack where the temperature is below 80°f and away from moisture, store battery packs in a 30%-50% charged condition, and every six months of storage, we recommend charging the battery pack as normal. - Eve

Intelliport is the name for the capability of the smart charger to intelligently be able to keep maintenance on the batteries or as you put it "top off" the batteries. It also will not over charge the battery. The charger in the kit P1811 which is the P118 has the very same technology. The only difference in operation is that the charger in the kit is approximately an hour charge time and the charger listed here is around a 30 min charge time. Other wise the operation is the same.

Good to know! This clarifies things, a little.

It also occurs to me that these batteries of mine are almost 10 years old. They do wear out, so maybe it's time to buy new ones. It would be about $42-$50 each or so. I have 5 right now, so $210-$250 to replace all of them.

HD has a deal now on a Ryobi kit with a Circular Saw, Drill Driver, Impact Driver, Multi-Tool, Reciprocating Saw, Worklight and a "dumb" charger for $200. The "smart" charger is another $55.

My tools work fine. I'd still need to get a blower, another drill and a hedge trimmer to match what I have now.

Agreed; you've gotten your money's worth after nine years. Time to upgrade.

The problem with that kit you mentioned is that none of the tools are brushless. The newer brushless tools truly are well worth the added cash.

The brushed motor multi-tool and reciprocating saw are older versions that are quite weak and disappointing (the bare tools have been on deep clearance for some time). The flashlight is sort of worthless; who doesn't already have several flashlights?

The brushed motor circular saw works OK; I've had this one for a while, before the brushless version was available. The problem is that it uses a smaller 6-1/2" narrow kerf blade because of the weak motor, so there are some cuts that you can't make. It does work OK on straight cuts on 2x4s and 5/4 lumber. OK, not great; it stalls frequently if you're not absolutely laser-perfect.

Same for the drill and driver; they work, probably as well or better than your old tools, but they're older tech and way bigger and weaker than Ryobi's newer brushless tools.

Ryobi's brushless stuff is also just much higher quality. Some here disparage Ryobi, but these opinions are based on the older brushed motor tools. The brushless tools are in the hunt with other brands, and it's the widest, most easily available selection of tools out there. (And of course, HD also sells red, yellow, orange, and teal tools if you'd like to spend more and buy into one of those battery religions instead.)


These Ryobi brushless tool sets are much better starting points:

Great deal on a brushless set with a multitool and compact recip plus compact brushless drill and driver. This is where I'd start if I were starting from scratch. It only has two small batteries, so I'd definitely grab the deal below on the two 4AH HP batteries:

RYOBI ONE+ HP 18V Brushless Cordless 5-Tool Combo Kit with (2) 1.5 Ah Batteries, Charger, and Bag PSBCK05K2 - The Home Depot

RYOBI introduces the 18V ONE+ HP Brushless Cordless 5-Tool Combo Kit with (2) 1.5 Ah Batteries, Charger, and Bag. The Brushless Compact drill is 6.4 in. and lightweight while providing 400 in./lbs. of

www.homedepot.com

This is the compact brushless drill/driver set by itself; there are so many situations where the smaller tools make life much easier. And you don't really give up a significant amount of power; they're tiny but ridiculously powerful. Beware of your wrists...

RYOBI ONE+ HP 18V Brushless Cordless Compact 1/2 in. Drill and Impact Driver Kit with (2) 1.5 Ah Batteries, Charger and Bag PSBCK01K - The Home Depot

RYOBI introduces the ONE+ HP 18V Compact Brushless 2-Tool Combo Kit with 1/2 in. Drill/Driver, 1/4 in. Impact Driver, (2) 18V Lithium-Ion 1.5 Ah Compact Batteries, 18V Charger, and Tool Bag. The 1/2 in.

www.homedepot.com

This is a great deal on Ryobi 4AH HP batteries. The HP batteries have extra contacts that deliver extra power for some of the HP tools that can make use of it. For example, the brushless angle grinder and brushless 1/2" impact

RYOBI ONE+ 18V HIGH PERFORMANCE Lithium-Ion 4.0 Ah Battery (2-Pack) PBP2004 - The Home Depot

These RYOBI ONE+ 18V Lithium-ion HIGH PERFORMANCE 4Ah batteries provide up to 4X more runtime, 30% more power, and runs cooler compared to our standard lithium-ion batteries to provide long-lasting reliability

www.homedepot.com

 

[seber]

I don't know about others but Milwaukee chargers monitor the condition of the battery as it is being charged to make sure it is not to fast or too much. Some of mine are over ten years old and going strong. I leave them in the garage where temps get well over 100 in summer.

 

[BTL-A4]

I don't know about others but Milwaukee chargers monitor the condition of the battery as it is being charged to make sure it is not to fast or too much. Some of mine are over ten years old and going strong. I leave them in the garage where temps get well over 100 in summer.

Thanks! I'm surprised more Milwaukee and Dewalt people didn't chime in.

There's a six-bay charger description in which Milwaukee states: "REDLINK Intelligence: Optimizes charge rates based on the battery type and temperature to minimize charge duration and maximize battery lifespan".

Looks like Milwaukee has REDLINK as some sort of BMS.

 

[BTL-A4]

@bwringer Thanks for all the comments, I really appreciate it! I'll need to check out the brushless line, thanks for pointing that out. One of my complaints about the B&D is availability of tools and batteries. I'd like to walk in and get what I need, and HD seems to stock lots of choices for Ryobi. Along with that, Ryobi seems to cater to DIY/Homeowner types like me. I never really liked the neon green, but it is growing on me.

 

[minke]

... minimize charge duration and maximize battery lifespan". ...

Charge rapidly and maximize lifespan don't go together.

 

[bwringer]

Home Despot has clearly won the cordless tool retail wars; they also stock quite a bit of Milwaukee and Dewalt, and a bit of Makita and Ridgid, and of course you can order anything from these brands and pick it up at the store. If you want "off the shelf", I believe Ryobi has the best availability by far. And of course there's a HD in about every town with a stoplight.

FWIW, there are several very handy cordless Ryobi tools with brushed motors that are just fine. For example, my most-used tool by far is the air pump for $25, and I just bought the cordless trim router on sale for $50. The router works great, although it does chew through batteries if you're swinging a big profile bit, which is to be expected.

If you're a pro, or you just want the best, then Milwaukee and Dewalt are consistently at or near the top of the rankings when they're tested head to head (Project Farm or Torque Test Channel, for example). They do cost a fair bit more to buy in, but you get some important benefits.

You'll also notice the new Craftsman line of cordless tools performs very well for the money, too.

Lots of great choices out there!

 

[vavet]

This is the reason I invested in the Ridgid platform many years ago, for both personal and work tools. The Ryobi and Porter Cable 5 tool sets for $149 or $199 are tempting, especially for light to medium homeowner use, but you inevitably end up in this place where some of the batteries no longer hold a charge. Now...do you spend $100 to replace the battery knowing your other batteries might not be far behind? Or do you dump the whole set and buy new?
With the Ridgid LSA, you call them up (and now you can even do it over chat), give them some basic info, and you'll have a new battery in your mailbox in about 3 working days. You have to register the new tools, batteries, and chargers for the LSA and you have to register any replacement tools, batteries, and chargers for the LSA when you receive them.
If you can find a local service center, that is better than taking it into your local HD where the person might not know anything about how the LSA works.

 

[DekNgo]

This is the reason I invested in the Ridgid platform many years ago, for both personal and work tools. The Ryobi and Porter Cable 5 tool sets for $149 or $199 are tempting, especially for light to medium homeowner use, but you inevitably end up in this place where some of the batteries no longer hold a charge. Now...do you spend $100 to replace the battery knowing your other batteries might not be far behind? Or do you dump the whole set and buy new?
With the Ridgid LSA, you call them up (and now you can even do it over chat), give them some basic info, and you'll have a new battery in your mailbox in about 3 working days. You have to register the new tools, batteries, and chargers for the LSA and you have to register any replacement tools, batteries, and chargers for the LSA when you receive them.
If you can find a local service center, that is better than taking it into your local HD where the person might not know anything about how the LSA works.

This is the first I've heard of the Ridgid LSA - I've obviously been living under a rock....

Free batteries for life seems almost too good to be true. Do other manufacturers have similar agreements? Why isn't Ridgid dominating the market just because of their LSA?

 

[bwringer]

Why isn't Ridgid dominating the market just because of their LSA?

Because there are several conditions that you have to follow to the exact letter, or they will reject your claim. There have been quite a few complaints about this.

And Ridgid's tool selection is pretty limited. They are very nice quality tools, though.

And because this is just far less of a worry these days. Decent quality lithium batteries last a long time. Unless you get a DOA battery (in which case you'll be able to use the normal limited warranty), there's not much to fret about. People worry about the batteries mostly because they remember how bad NiCad and NiMH batteries were.

 

[rancherbill]

Here's what I would do based on reading your posts.

Buy the Ryobi deal. Continue to use your existing Black and Decker tools. At some point as an option when the B/D batteries are really NFG buy a Ryobi battery to B/D tool adapter.

Get Ryobi tools and batteries that are ONE+ It has battery protection. Lithium batteries can be damaged if you run them when the voltage is low. The One+ batteries shut off and you have to recharge the battery to reset the battery.


https://www.google.com/search?q=ryo...EENi4xM5gBAKABAcgBCMABAQ&sclient=gws-wiz-serp

 

[BTL-A4]

I like the idea of the Ridgid battery LAS, but not the hoops. And, they don't make a string trimmer.

I think I'm going to go for the Ryobi. I cashed some savings bonds (thanks Grandma, RIP) and can use that. I don't need everything at once, either, so I can wait for deals. I went to HD yesterday to look at the tools and they told me that some of the deals were online-only. At least I can have them shipped to my house for free.

There's a deal now in which you buy a smart charger with a 4A battery and get a free tool. I think I'll get the blower. It's $159 for all 3 items.

 

[toolenthusiast]

I just checked my lone B&D battery. It’s got a 2015 date code on it. I’m sure that its performance has degraded somewhat, but not enough to be noticeable to me.

I’m gonna let my GJ friends in on my secret to conditioning my cordless tool batteries, but y’all have to promise not to spread this outside of our hallowed forum.

Close the door to the computer room, check over your shoulder, make sure you’re alone.

…

…

…

…

When the battery gets low and the tool starts to get sluggish…

I put the battery on the charger until the light turns green.

 

[BTL-A4]

You'll also notice the new Craftsman line of cordless tools performs very well for the money, too.

For some reason, I hadn't even considered Craftsman. I checked and it appears they have some sort of "smart" charger, based on replies from Craftsman on the Lowes website in the Questions section.

QUESTION: Is this a smart charger? ie. Can the battery be left on the charger and plugged in?
ANSWER: Hello and thank you for your question. Yes, you can leave the battery on the charger while plugged in. Once the battery is charged the charger will go on a safe mode.

However, they have some brushless tools, but not all of them. They call their brushless line "V20 Brushless RP". It's usually noted in the description. I'm not sure if this matters for my needs, but you did mention to look for it with the Ryobi. I'll have to keep researching and go have a look at the C-man tools at Lowes. Thanks!

 

[BTL-A4]

When the battery gets low and the tool starts to get sluggish…

I put the battery on the charger until the light turns green.

In my research, that's what I've gathered from multiple sources; don't run the tool all the way down. Recharge it at the first sign of slowing down. Charge it normally, then take it off the charger.

Lithium batteries don't lose much, if any, charge when they are stored. I've left mine on the drills for weeks at a time and they work fine when I go to use them. I just didn't know you weren't supposed to run them all the way down.

 

[DekNgo]

Because there are several conditions that you have to follow to the exact letter, or they will reject your claim. There have been quite a few complaints about this.

And Ridgid's tool selection is pretty limited. They are very nice quality tools, though.

And because this is just far less of a worry these days. Decent quality lithium batteries last a long time. Unless you get a DOA battery (in which case you'll be able to use the normal limited warranty), there's not much to fret about. People worry about the batteries mostly because they remember how bad NiCad and NiMH batteries were.

Makes sense. Thanks.

 

[Citation]

I just checked my lone B&D battery. It’s got a 2015 date code on it. I’m sure that its performance has degraded somewhat, but not enough to be noticeable to me.

I’m gonna let my GJ friends in on my secret to conditioning my cordless tool batteries, but y’all have to promise not to spread this outside of our hallowed forum.

Close the door to the computer room, check over your shoulder, make sure you’re alone.

…

…

…

…

When the battery gets low and the tool starts to get sluggish…

I put the battery on the charger until the light turns green.

With NiCad batteries it was best to fully discharge before charging again. With Li-ion batteries it's better to not fully discharge them. Also if you aren't going to use the tool for a while don't charge it before storing. Li-ion is happiest at about half charge. Most of the time these differences are to big so just use as handy. Btw, it is great that li-ion don't lose charge during storage like older batteries. I hate that my NiCad drills were always low on charge when I wanted to grab them for a quick job.

 

[BTL-A4]

Well, I took the plunge and bought my first Ryobi tools. Got a "smart" charger, 4.0Ah battery and a brushless blower for about $159. They have a deal in which you buy the charger and battery (starter kit), you get a free tool.

I also bought the brushless kit they have on special now for $199, along with a 2-piece 4.0Ah battery set for another $99.

I'll get the rest of what I need in the spring when I can use it.

I talked with a buddy of mine and he really likes his Ryobi tools, and he's harder on them than I am.

I listed all my B&D tools for sale as well. I was thinking I might just get new batteries, but I read the reviews of the Ryobi stuff and they all seemed pretty good. The specs on some of the B&D stuff that I want weren't that good compared to the Ryobi, either.

 

[GordonRoy]

I'm looking for a cordless tool platform that has chargers that condition the batteries or have some sort of battery management system (BMS) so they don't degrade as rapidly. I currently have Black and Decker 20v tools that have worked fine, but the batteries (from 2013) are not holding a charge anymore. I keep them plugged in all the time (yes, I know that's not good, but didn't when I got these) and would like something that does some sort of conditioning/management so they last longer and allow me to keep them plugged in all the time. My Ego battery charger (for my lawnmower) has a feature that lengthens the battery life. I'm looking for something similar.

I think Dewalt chargers do this, but I can't definitively confirm it. Someone asked in the questions section for a Dewalt charger on the Home Depot site: "What happens if I leave the batteries on the charger (plugged in) for long periods of time (Months)?"
The response from "Dewalt Product Expert" was "Leaving the batteries on the charger will harm neither the batteries nor the charger." There was nothing in the product description that stated anything about battery conditioning.

This one from Makita seems to do some sort of conditioning, but I'm still not confident:
https://www.toolbarn.com/collections/tool-accessories-batteries-chargers-tool-battery-chargers/products/makita-dc18sf

Kobalt might work as well, but I'm still a bit confused after reading some answers and questions:
Question: "Once the batteries are fully charged, are they batteries able to be left on? Will it maintenance the batteries and keep them in top condition?
Answer: Hello! Yes, the batteries can be left on the charger for up to 30 days. For any further inquiries, please reach out to our customer support team at 1-888-356-2258.

Question: "Is it ok to store batteries on the charger while it's plugged in, or will that damage the batteries over time."
Answer: "Great question, thank you for reaching out! Best practice is to remove the battery from the charger once it is fully charged. We hope this information finds you well and thank you for your inquiry! -Customer Support

Question: "Kobalt stated in a previous reply, "Batteries can be left on the charger for up to 30 days." Question: What happens after 30 days to those batteries?"
Answer: "Dear Valued Lowe's Customer, This is an excellent question, thank you! Once the battery is fully charged, charging stops. If the battery voltage drops significantly after many months, which is unlikely put possible and not harmful to the battery. The charger will not automatically recharge the battery, unless the battery is manually removed and re-plugged on the charger. Therefore it is safe to leave the battery on the charger and it does no harm to removes it after charging. We hope this information finds you well, and thank you for your interest in our products. -Customer Support"

For Ryobi, the answers to this question from owners all state that you can leave the batteries in no problem, but the Ryobi Tools Team responds that no you can't.

I searched for cordless tool chargers with battery conditioner/BMS but all I got was Harbor Freight/Amazon/Ebay/sponsored stuff that didn't seem to have any conditioning or battery management or links to electronic vendors that are way beyond what I'm looking for.

I need:
-drill (I have 2)
-blower
-string trimmer
-hedge trimmers
-circular saw
-impact drill
-recip saw
it would be nice to have a chainsaw, pole saw, and sander.

I'm a DIY homeowner, so I don't need anything fancy. I do use my drills all the time.

The other option is to buy new batteries.

Any help/input/links would be appreciated! Thanks!

Have a look at the Blue Bosch Professional range
Bosch Gal
Bosch GAL 18V - 160C
is a 16amp charger with Bluetooth connectivity which allows loads of different settings and speed of charge , It is capable of charging all professional back catalogue batteries LI to I think 2008 and is an extremely fast and capable charger which can also run a health check on your phone on the Bosch app of the battery whilst charging

 

[duneslider]

There is no conditioning needed for Lithium based batteries. All lithium based batteries will have a BMS (talking about major drill battery manufacturers). Most chargers are "smart" but most of the smarts are in the battery bms and not the charger. Charging slower is better long term than faster. No major manufacture will have a bms that allows you to drain the battery from use lower than it should be, so go ahead and use it until it stops. Makita has a complete cut off point, it just kills it at the assigned low voltage. I don't use other brands enough to know how they do it.

Lithium batteries have a life and a lot of that has to do with charge cycles. Leaving a battery on the charger means it will charge up fully, then slowly discharge until it hits a point that the charger will start charging again, that cycle will continue as long as it is on the charger. If left on the charger long enough you could use up enough cycles that the battery isn't great anymore. They claim for long term storage it is best to leave them in a slightly discharged state usually around 40-50% is what they say. All batteries seem to have a different self-discharge rate and from what I have observed it has more to do with parasitic loss from the bms.

I can't find any info on what bosch claims they do for the special storage mode, so I could only speculate on what it would be.

 

[GordonRoy]

There is no conditioning needed for Lithium based batteries. All lithium based batteries will have a BMS (talking about major drill battery manufacturers). Most chargers are "smart" but most of the smarts are in the battery bms and not the charger. Charging slower is better long term than faster. No major manufacture will have a bms that allows you to drain the battery from use lower than it should be, so go ahead and use it until it stops. Makita has a complete cut off point, it just kills it at the assigned low voltage. I don't use other brands enough to know how they do it.

Lithium batteries have a life and a lot of that has to do with charge cycles. Leaving a battery on the charger means it will charge up fully, then slowly discharge until it hits a point that the charger will start charging again, that cycle will continue as long as it is on the charger. If left on the charger long enough you could use up enough cycles that the battery isn't great anymore. They claim for long term storage it is best to leave them in a slightly discharged state usually around 40-50% is what they say. All batteries seem to have a different self-discharge rate and from what I have observed it has more to do with parasitic loss from the bms.

I can't find any info on what bosch claims they do for the special storage mode, so I could only speculate on what it would be.

Bosch GAL 18V - 160C
storage mode can be done on the Bluetooth Bosch app , it charges the battery to 50% then stops charging , most agree that 50% is a good pointer to store the battery
(hope this helps)

 

[GordonRoy]

bosch charger infocharger info

charger info

 

[seber]

Fully discharged is the worst you can do to lithium. Followed by leaving it in full charge. Full charge state encourages oxidation, I don't have the ability to do what I'd like with tool batteries, but laptop computers have a system for keeping the battery above 20% and below 80%. That is what really increases the life. When lithium battery manufacturers talk about charge cycles, what they are really talking about is how many times you can take it to full discharge. Not how many times you put it on the charger. Ideally you would charge at 40% and only up to 60%. Done that way, cycles would not even be noticed.

 

[duneslider]

They tend to say that 5-10 shallow discharge/recharge cycles is the same as 1 full discharge/recharge. I have been getting 10+ years of solid use out of my makita batteries and I don't do anything special, I use them till they stop and then recharge, I typically top them off after use too. But I am using them fairly frequently so they aren't really sitting being stored.

I can't complain with 10+ years of service life and definitely get my moneys worth I feel.

 

[dnschmidt]

I have MIlwaukee, DeWalt, Bosch, Metabo and Ryobi batteries and I have a policy of throwing out (actually putting in the recycle box at Home Depot) any battery that's over 10 years old no matter the brand or condition. I just did this with 2 M18 XC 3.0 batteries and 2 M18 XC 4.0 batteries from 2014. They still charged to four bars but runtime is half of what it was when new and I have a lot of 21700 cell M18 Milwaukee batteries (>50 M18 and >25 M12 (these don't use the 21700's due to size limitations) so tossing a few every year isn't an issue for me.