Charging batteries before they are dead.

[mrbreezeet1]

"We have found that when it is cold they do not last as long. Also the charge needs to be in a semi warm area (not in a garage). Also, the battery needs to be drained most of the way before charging. Repeated recharging of a half dead battery dramatically reduces the life. But any battery manufacturer will tell you that."

Read this at a review. Is this still true of the NiCads?
These are the 18 Volt Dewalt. Of my 2 Batteries, one is XPR, one is not.
I always tell this guy at work not to charge the batteries unless they are dieing, but he insists on topping them off, but l still say it's best to run them till they are starting to die.

 

[Lightfoot]

"We have found that when it is cold they do not last as long. Also the charge needs to be in a semi warm area (not in a garage). Also, the battery needs to be drained most of the way before charging. Repeated recharging of a half dead battery dramatically reduces the life. But any battery manufacturer will tell you that."

Read this at a review. Is this still true of the NiCads?
These are the 18 Volt Dewalt. Of my 2 Batteries, one id XPR, one is not.
I always tell this guy at work not to charge the batteries unless they are dieing, but he insists on topping them off, but l still say it's best to run them till they are starting to die.

I usually run mine all the way down. If they get low, i have a special clip i made to hook up to the battery with a flashlight bulb on it, it finishes the job. Then i recharge them. I don't know if it helps, but it doesn't hurt.

 

[itguy08]

The short answer is - it doesn't matter - NiCad, NiMH, LiIon - charge them whenever you feel like it. If you want to run it down, jsut run it down until it stops giving good performance and then charge it up. You don't have to **** the life out of it.

The "memory" effect was found by NASA in satellites. If you recharge a NiCad at the exact same time every time, something (I forget what it's called) in the battery starts growing and that's the memory effect. Problem is it has to be exact all the time for this to happen. With satellites they are in the sun (charging) for the same amount of hours each day and in the dark (not charging) the same amount of time. So unless you always ran your tool in the exact same manner day in and day out there is nothing to worry about.

What most people think of NiCad memory is Voltage Depression which is from the constant trickle charge most chargers do. This slightly overcharges the batteries and I believe also forms those growths.

For NiCad/NiMH I'd do a full discharge once in a while - it will serve to redistribute the electrolyte in the cells and can make a difference. If nothing else, an overnight equalizing charge (leave it on the charger) once in a while is a good idea too.

For LiIon - charge them whenever - they don't exhibit memory under any conditions. If you do happen to run it down till it cuts off, charge it as soon as possible (like at the end of the day) as they don't like to be run 100% flat and while the tool will stop before the cells are 100% flat, LiIon can self discharge and does not like to be sotred in low states of charge.

 

[Vvmvbb]

Continual deep discharge of NiCd's will lower the battery's useful life span.
Continual shallow discharge will result in memory.
A periodic deep discharge will clear the memory effect without significantly shortening the batteries life span.

 

[djjsr]

Seems to be a difference of opinions here.

I wonder which one is correct?

 

[itguy08]

I may have been slightly mistaken as I did it from memory for NiCad's...
http://batteryuniversity.com/learn/article/memory_myth_or_fact

The best thing would be to charge whenever and run the tool down every once in a while. That's sometimes my usage pattern so it works out well.

 

[mobiledynamics]

All my are LIONS these days....but for long term, I try to keep them a about 75% charged. Can't recall where I was reading the tech heebie jeebies on it.

But between NiMH and NiCad, I actually preferred the NiCads as they did not discharge as fast as NiMh when not in use ( I'm a seasonal weekend warrior with my drills).

 

[Lightfoot]

Seems to be a difference of opinions here.

I wonder which one is correct?

It's the internet. Always more than one "expert", and they usually disagree-imagine that!
I'll just keep doing what i'm doing, it works. My batteries are nearly three years old. If, when they go bad i'll go get more. None of them last forever.

 

[mobiledynamics]

It's the internet. Always more than one "expert", and they usually disagree-imagine that!
I'll just keep doing what i'm doing, it works. My batteries are nearly three years old. If, when they go bad i'll go get more. None of them last forever.

When they go bad, to me it's not worth it to buy new batteries. A new set/KIT with batteries is generally cheaper ..

 

[Zeke]

I have battery packs that are years old. They get used frequently and charged when the tool torque went off. Usually not left in the charger and usually not taken out until charged.

Batteries that are warm because of recent use or left in the sun sometimes won't begin the charge because the charger thinks they are too warm. So, I always insert them at room temp.

Whether my method is correct or not, it works for me.

 

[wafrederick]

There is the taping of the trigger down metheod,not recomended.Reverses the battery cells inside and kills them.

 

[demographic]

Every cordless tools batteries I have bought for the last twelve years has said in the instructions that you specifically should not run the battery down till it stops totally before recharging.

Thats been from Ni Cads through Nickle Metal Hydrides to Lithium Ions and thats been the instructions with the tool.

I'll believe them over any random numpty I meet on a building site that puts a clamp on the trigger of his cordless to run it right down.

 

[Lightfoot]

When they go bad, to me it's not worth it to buy new batteries. A new set/KIT with batteries is generally cheaper ..

done that before.
then ya got an extra charger and tool(s)

 

[Sureshot]

I just bought a Ridgid hammer drill, impact driver, two batteries, charger, and tool bag for 199 and the same batteries are 130 each on the same shelf.

I already had the drill and driver but these new ones have led work lights in them and the charger is wall mount and I like it better than the one I had. A person can always use two drills or two drivers when doing projects to keep from continually switching bits/tools.

 

[jchetty]

Every cordless tools batteries I have bought for the last twelve years has said in the instructions that you specifically should not run the battery down till it stops totally before recharging.

Thats been from Ni Cads through Nickle Metal Hydrides to Lithium Ions and thats been the instructions with the tool.

I'll believe them over any random numpty I meet on a building site that puts a clamp on the trigger of his cordless to run it right down.

This. But we all know how much we read instructions

 

[Lightfoot]

This. But we all know how much we read instructions

Ain't that the truth?
the instructions are simply the manufacturer's opinion

 

[itguy08]

A person can always use two drills or two drivers when doing projects to keep from continually switching bits/tools.

Amen! I have 5 drills:
1 Hitachi 10.8v
1 Milwaukee M12 hammerdrill
1 Milwaukee M12 right angle
1 Milwaukee Fuel 18v hammerdrill
1 Craftsman C3

Only 2 impact guns, the Hitachi 10.8v and the Milwaukee M12

It's nice to be able to be working with the wife (yes, we can work together) and have her sart at one end and you at the other and meet in the middle. Or when I was bulding my workbench: Drill bit in 1, countersink in the other, socket in 1 (for the lags to attach it to the wall), and bit in the impact. Makes things go way easy!

 

[mrbreezeet1]

OK, so I guess charge whenever, fun all the way down once in a while.