chris142
Well-known member
Since the charger isn't smart enough to know when to stop how do I know when its fully charged? Can I go off battery temperature? It gets warm and I'm sure hot if I left it on longer
charging HF drillmaster battery?
- Thread starter chris142
- Start date
Zeke
Well-known member
That doesn't sound right. I had a new battery that was DOA from Ridgid. The light never went out. It WAS the battery.
mossyboy6
Well-known member
thatonedude
Well-known member
Its harbour freight, the voltage should be zero. Lol
read the instruction, i believe slow chargers for 18v are supposed to be something like 2-4hr? don't quote me on that
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002K8M9HM/?tag=atomicindus08-20
get one of those, set the timer and use it when you charge the batteries as insurance.
edit:
http://manuals.harborfreight.com/manuals/68000-68999/68239.pdf
your manual says 18v, 3-5 hrs. so charged voltage should be around 19.5v fresh off a 5 hour charge. set the timer for 4-5 hours and be set.
I don't have one of those drills so I don't know for sure. It may say on the battery. Or you can start with a dead battery, charge it for a half hour, test with the multimeter and see where your at. Keep going until the battery tops out.
Edit
Never mind Kracin got it
Edit
Never mind Kracin got it
I hope you bought this recently, ie within the last 90 days and can return it. I considered getting one of the cheap drill kits just for the battery. Coworker has one and said the real weak point is the battery & charger. Not that they're bad, but they get 'dumb' they forget where they are in the charge as they discharge, or while they charge, they would drop out for hours at a time and then suddenly start to charge again.
We took his apart, each of the cells is in good condition and for HF standards they were not put together all that badly.
A good cordless tool is worth the up front cost. Seriously.
We took his apart, each of the cells is in good condition and for HF standards they were not put together all that badly.
A good cordless tool is worth the up front cost. Seriously.
Josey Wales
Well-known member
I'm not suggesting anyone do this. But it's what I did.
I bought this charger and some alligator clips and was done with it.
The "T" and "N" just need to be joined when connecting to the battery.
http://www.harborfreight.com/18-volt-nicd-battery-rapid-charger-for-cordless-tools-68859.html
I bought this charger and some alligator clips and was done with it.
The "T" and "N" just need to be joined when connecting to the battery.
http://www.harborfreight.com/18-volt-nicd-battery-rapid-charger-for-cordless-tools-68859.html
Last edited:
Onefastgsx
Well-known member
It says right in the manual for the drill how long you can expect the charge cycle to take. Also says the light on the charger will go from red to green when charge is complete....
Did you read your manual?
Did you read your manual?
Hi Chris. Assuming that the manual onefastgfx posted above is the correct one for your particular drill, then yes the charger is too dumb to terminate the charge when it's complete, but it does give some indication of the voltage via the red/green leds.
Typically these LEDs just indicate some type of voltage threshold, not the true state of charge. So for example if it's an 18V battery then the LEDs might transition from red to green at about 21.0 to 21.5 volts. This type of indication is not always entirely accurate, especially as the cells start to age, so I'd strongly recommend getting a timer to use with it. As far as possible you should try to terminate the charge before the batteries get more than just a bit warm.
Zeke
Well-known member
The instructions contradict but the best part is 'place the charger on a fireproof surface'. I think they are telling us something.
LA1
Well-known member
what I did was buy HFT's appliance timer #40148 I set the timer for 4 hours. I plugged the timer into the wall and the charger into the timer. Try with a lamp first to make sure you understand how it works. BTW my manual for my HFT drill says not to charge the batteries for more than 4 hours.
Yeah I just re-read that and it's very contradictory isn't it. On one hand they warn you about charging for more than 7 hrs because it can damage the battery, but then they say that when the green LED comes on that it will stop charging?
If it really is supposed to automatically stop charging then why do they need to warn you to stop it before 7 hours. It seems like they don't expect their own auto cut out to work.
Yeah I just re-read that and it's very contradictory isn't it. On one hand they warn you about charging for more than 7 hrs because it can damage the battery, but then they say that when the green LED comes on that it will stop charging?
If it really is supposed to automatically stop charging then why do they need to warn you to stop it before 7 hours. It seems like they don't expect their own auto cut out to work.
that and placing it on a fireproof surface....
bobbycos
Well-known member
I have a few HF drills and charge the batteries for a maximum of 3.5 hours, no more.
The appliance timer idea sounds great, I have to try it out
The appliance timer idea sounds great, I have to try it out
Yeah it doesn't give you a lot of confidence in the product does it.that and placing it on a fireproof surface....
TBH, if I bought a drill and the manual said that the green LED should come on when it's charged, and it didn't, then I'd be returning it for sure. It sounds like a real piece of junk to me.
I've got a cheap "home brand" 12V Li-ion drill with a slow charger like that, but at least the charger does actually work as designed. It doesn't abruptly cut power when the pack is charged like my other fast chargers do, but the red charge LED just kinda gradually fades out and the green LED similarly fades in after a few hours as it approaches full charge. So yeah it doesn't actually cut the power at full charge, it just more or less tapers it back to zero. This is what I was thinking would probably happen with the OP's HF drill, but if it doesn't even do that then I'd take it back.
LA1
Well-known member
on my HFT drill both LEDs come on when charging, the red and green and never go off. My HFT drill only cost $14 ...for that price I can make do.
Bigblue&Goldie
Well-known member
I would probably return this POS and buy one of the budget brands at Home Depot.
I use this simple, easy to use, countdown timer from Woods/Coleman Cable
Not available in the box box stores, online only I guess.
On the timer it says E211835, and TM-090
No manufacturer name is on the timer, but here are the specs molded into the plastic:
15 amp general use, 15 amp resistive, 1000w tungsten
500VA electronic ballast, 120 VAC 8.3A ballast 1/3 HP
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FSQTSB8/?tag=atomicindus08-20
Not available in the box box stores, online only I guess.
On the timer it says E211835, and TM-090
No manufacturer name is on the timer, but here are the specs molded into the plastic:
15 amp general use, 15 amp resistive, 1000w tungsten
500VA electronic ballast, 120 VAC 8.3A ballast 1/3 HP
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00FSQTSB8/?tag=atomicindus08-20
