Cordless tool batteries going dead over the weekend

[junkyardjeff]

I keep all my cordless tools in one drawer in my tool box at work and now I have to recharge all batteries monday morning,I had a snap on 14.4 impact and a makita 7.2 drill for a few years until I got a Makita 9.6 drill to replace the 7.2 and have been through 3 sets of batteries in the 9.6 over the last 3 years. Now the impact batteries are going low over the weekend and the less then a year old 9.6 batteries are doing the same again,on a table next to the tool box I have all the chargers and sometimes will have a battery sit in one over a weekend if it goes low late friday. I use a car stereo for tunes and have a car battery close to the tool box and is on a battery tender all weekend so can any battery charging close to my tool box cause a magnetic field or something to cause the batteries in the tool in the tool box to go low sitting all weekend.

 

[theknurl]

your problem.....

all my power tools are air or corded.......
have a nice day

 

[slickgt1]

How long are your batteries out of commission? As in not being used. There is a whole science on how to maintain them, especially for an average DIYer who rarely pushes the tool. I would google cordless battery maintenance.

I abuse mine, hard, hilti, makita, dewalt. Batteries last me about 4-5 years. Hilti is only 1 year old and is already got faulty triggers. *************. Makita all the way.

 

[Haveblue]

your problem.....

all my power tools are air or corded.......
have a nice day

I feel the same way! Im tired of having a dead tool every few years...I rarely work where I cant use air, or electric...and the air or corded last for years. Realistically,battery technology is not yet good enough for lasting cordless tool batteries.. or cars for that matter. You will have better results by cycling them often, but they are still limited by a number of cycles.

 

[Bikes&Bowties]

my 18 volt makitas are going on strong after a hard year. The drill andone battery were ran over. Besides the battery casing being broken badly its still kicking ****.

 

[Haveblue]

On a side note, Ive been experimenting with inlet swivels on my air tools..Im finding it makes them way more versatile. No battery in the way in tight spots..its looking like all air with inlet swivels for me!!

 

[junkyardjeff]

Where I work does not have a compressor large enough for serious air tools so it has to be electric or battery powered.

 

[toolslinger]

How you use them, how often you charge them, and the type of battery all make a difference. Believe it or not, those paper things that come with the tools actually have info on how to best maintain the batteries. I didn't read mine either...

We use the heck out of the Dewalt gear I have on a commercial level. Both 14.4, and 18's in NiCad, and NiMH type. The batteries last between 3 and 5 years before their shot. We haven't had any Li-Ion stuff long enough to really torture it. It is important to use the Li-Ion stuff, and keep it charged though. If it sits too long, and the voltage drops below a certain point, the battery is dead. That isn't the case with the others, they can charge from 0 as far as I can tell.

 

[theoldwizard1]

All batteries "self discharge". NiCADs are worse than NiMH. Older batteries are worse that newer.

Not much you can do except rig up away to charge your batteries while they are locked inside your box.

 

[Davefr]

That's why I'm starting to hate cordless tools. You spend more time and expense fussing with batteries then it takes to plug in an electric tool.

Either the batteries are dead when you need them. Or they won't make it through the job without dying. Or they're past their useful life and need to be replaced for big bucks (every 2-5 years!!).

Sure, there's a place for cordless but I'm scaling back to just drill and impact driver for cordless.

 

[kriwoel]

Old battery tech like NiCad and NiMH have self-destruction mode and always dead if stored empty for long time. Thanks to electronic circuit and low self discharge for Li-Ion battery prevent the battery to completely discharged. New tech NiMH cell like Sanyo Eneloop is good as Li-Ion cell, can keep energy up to 85% for a year unused in storage, so they are the best option for rebuild old NiMH battery pack.

 

[MikeF2316]

I keep all my cordless tools in one drawer in my tool box at work and now I have to recharge all batteries monday morning,I had a snap on 14.4 impact and a makita 7.2 drill for a few years until I got a Makita 9.6 drill to replace the 7.2 and have been through 3 sets of batteries in the 9.6 over the last 3 years. Now the impact batteries are going low over the weekend and the less then a year old 9.6 batteries are doing the same again,on a table next to the tool box I have all the chargers and sometimes will have a battery sit in one over a weekend if it goes low late friday. I use a car stereo for tunes and have a car battery close to the tool box and is on a battery tender all weekend so can any battery charging close to my tool box cause a magnetic field or something to cause the batteries in the tool in the tool box to go low sitting all weekend.

The car battery and Battery Tender are not causing your problem. There's no way that setup can be causing any discharging of you cordless tool batteries.

 

[Aussiejake]

Im a diesel tech and I love my cordless impact tools but im really sick of having to replace batteries every six months.

 

[CTyankee]

I'm in the construction business and have used cordless drills, drivers, skill saws, etc. daily over the past 10+ years. Add to that the scores of other tradesmen I know that also use and depend on their cordless tools to perform consistently to ply their trade...I'm baffled by some of the experiences I see posted here.

I can only say that there are countless of us out in the field that heavily use cordless tools...everyday...often under extreme conditions... and don't have any of the problems with them I see posted here.....

 

[Daves69]

That's why I'm starting to hate cordless tools. You spend more time and expense fussing with batteries then it takes to plug in an electric tool.

Either the batteries are dead when you need them. Or they won't make it through the job without dying. Or they're past their useful life and need to be replaced for big bucks (every 2-5 years!!).

Sure, there's a place for cordless but I'm scaling back to just drill and impact driver for cordless.

Im a diesel tech and I love my cordless impact tools but im really sick of having to replace batteries every six months.

These are the reasons I refuse to buy battery powered tools.
The batteries cost more than the tools.

 

[junkyardjeff]

If the shop work at had a bigger compressor I would go back to air powered except for a drill,the impact batteries are a little over 4 years old but I go through batteries for the Makita drill every year. When I was using the Makita 7.2 drill every day I could get over 5 years out of a battery but the 9.6 eats them up,I think I am going to buy one new battery for the 7.2 and put it back in service and buy new batteries for the impact.

 

[98sierra]

I'm in the construction business and have used cordless drills, drivers, skill saws, etc. daily over the past 10+ years. Add to that the scores of other tradesmen I know that also use and depend on their cordless tools to perform consistently to ply their trade...I'm baffled by some of the experiences I see posted here.

I can only say that there are countless of us out in the field that heavily use cordless tools...everyday...often under extreme conditions... and don't have any of the problems with them I see posted here.....

I feel the same way. I'm a professional mechanic and use my stuff every day and haven't bought a replacement battery in years. He'll I GAVE my dad some stuff because it would die and I wanted new stuff..

 

[devoncoolman]

I love my cordless tools way to much to chuck them. My dewalt 18v batteries just took a dump 2yrs old. Snappy nicad 18v just took a dump 4yrs old. My last 18v xrp battery is on its way out. Idk what to do with the xrp tools buy new batterys or retire them? This is just an issue that will always be ongoing. My opinion to u would be buy new batteries and try to keep them charged.

 

[Nanashi]

I have made a big switch from air to battery and I'm loving the freedom of being cordless.

Google battery care and learn something. Don't let your batteries on the charger once they are charged. Don't drain the battery below 15%. Cycle your batteries, don't always just use the same battery. If your leaving for a few days remove the batteries from chargers and equipment.

None of that advice is speculation. Its all common lithium battery care information.

The batteries are expensive but if your not careless with them you should get a few years out of each battery.

I'm sticking to cordless for now. But I still have some air tools like a back up 1/2 impact because it runs at a higher speed and is stronger. Anything I can get in lithium gets replaced if its a decent tool or is more useful but not to large. **** i can't wait until they make impact guns as big as my 7.2v lithium impact and the thing has 1000lbs of torque. How handy would that be.

 

[sberry]

I just spent 900 on new batteries, was lost without the power, it was becoming a real drag.

 

[pepi]

Don't let your batteries on the charger once they are charged. .

This is correct, I learned that one a few years back. Got a Milwaukee cordless drill, lithium battery. My practice had been one in the charger at the ready. First off the drill would seem to run endlessly, that drastically changed. Learned that the lithium batteries are to be removed when fully charged.

The dealer replaced the batteries I had, kind of him because it was clearly my fault. Another fact is the lithiums are designed to run completely down before recharge. So I charge them until they are full and remove from the charger, set aside and use when needed. This solved the short life problem, batteries are not the end all to be sure. The only cordless I have my drill, heavy cutting or grinding air or corded is the norm for me.


"Don't drain the battery below 15%. Cycle your batteries, don't always just use the same battery." Googly info what can I say not the best resource. But it does indeed bring forth the question, how does one know when the 85% discharge has been reached? What is meant by cycling, pulling the dead battery and replacing it with a charged one?

The original cordless tools had nicad and those had a memory, not so with the lithium. So the only run down to 15% and battery roulette rule of thumb is unneeded, as I see it.

 

[junkyardjeff]

I probably run them down too much,if a battery is in the flash light there have been times it was left on and when I came back the battery was completely dead. I bought replacement batteries for the 9.6 at Batteries Plus and they told me to drain them so that is what I have done.

 

[theknurl]

your problem.....

all my power tools are air or corded.......
have a nice day

These are the reasons I refuse to buy battery powered tools.
The batteries cost more than the tools.

I just spent 900 on new batteries, was lost without the power, it was becoming a real drag.

i love listening about how great cordless tools are.....then listen to the battery complaints

look at the garbage chucks the drills have, i use Jacobs 33s on my Milwaukee drills
your battery queen push a 4 1/2" self feed bit?
my probably 60 year old Milwaukee triple reduction gear ~3.5 Amp 300rpm drill WILL WIND your arm up if you don't have a FIRM grip on the side handle.....its about 3 1/2" in diameter, i've broken 3/4" masonry bits with it....never stopped it even with 2 people pushing on it

ever use a CP or Ingersoll Rand 95lb jackhammer??????

then use a Bosch or Makita electric one
its like the difference between Mike Tyson and Richard Simmons

ever port cylinders? remember DuMore 1/4" corded electric die grinders???? everybody threw them away and went to Dotco AIR tools
i got one out of FMF's junk box in '76, its worn smooth on some of the outside.....i put a new skate board ball bearing in it and its still going strong cleaning welds 40 years later.....maybe next year i'll oil it

can you imagine electric nailers???? how about a battery powered palm nailer??? all my nailers are Sencos except for my CCC cardboard box stapler

back in the '60s Boeing made an electric rivet gun for rapid upset of high alloy rivets....

the capacitor bank that ran it was the size of a top loading freezer.....no danger there.....the housings were 3/8" thick Teflon

then somebody pushed the safety ground button and vaporized 18" of #4 wire

my compressor has been chugging along since '46.....i have a 100' GoodYear hose on it......what do i want a bunch of battery chargers for???

oh, i have battery powered toys for the girls.......but the mainstay/standby one has a cord on it

no failures in that department allowed

 

[sloppy]

i love listening about how great cordless tools are.....then listen to the battery complaints

look at the garbage chucks the drills have, i use Jacobs 33s on my Milwaukee drills
your battery queen push a 4 1/2" self feed bit?
my probably 60 year old Milwaukee triple reduction gear ~3.5 Amp 300rpm drill WILL WIND your arm up if you don't have a FIRM grip on the side handle.....its about 3 1/2" in diameter, i've broken 3/4" masonry bits with it....never stopped it even with 2 people pushing on it

ever use a CP or Ingersoll Rand 95lb jackhammer??????

then use a Bosch or Makita electric one
its like the difference between Mike Tyson and Richard Simmons

ever port cylinders? remember DuMore 1/4" corded electric die grinders???? everybody threw them away and went to Dotco AIR tools
i got one out of FMF's junk box in '76, its worn smooth on some of the outside.....i put a new skate board ball bearing in it and its still going strong cleaning welds 40 years later.....maybe next year i'll oil it

can you imagine electric nailers???? how about a battery powered palm nailer??? all my nailers are Sencos except for my CCC cardboard box stapler

back in the '60s Boeing made an electric rivet gun for rapid upset of high alloy rivets....

the capacitor bank that ran it was the size of a top loading freezer.....no danger there.....the housings were 3/8" thick Teflon

then somebody pushed the safety ground button and vaporized 18" of #4 wire

my compressor has been chugging along since '46.....i have a 100' GoodYear hose on it......what do i want a bunch of battery chargers for???

oh, i have battery powered toys for the girls.......but the mainstay/standby one has a cord on it

no failures in that department allowed

Cool story grandpa

I can run circles around you with cordless tools and will drill the same size hole without breaking my arm.

 

[slickgt1]

People are crazy to even compare cordless to corded. I personally cant inagine making my arsenal of tools chorded again. Yea i have chorded tools also, but the ones that are necessary.

When people start talking smack to me about air tools, I tell them i will give you a punch sheet of 4 residences you have to go to, and do different minor "fixes". Go ahead lug that compressor 5 blocks from a parking lot, or through a subway, 4 times that day, into places, where most likelly there is no elevator.

 

[sberry]

The modern cordless tool is revolutionary, they have been exceptional. Batteries, tires, all of it has to be replaced.

 

[junkyardjeff]

I decided to give up on the Makita and will be going with a Milwaukee drill that comes with a 3/8 impact,A co worker bought one and that little impact took off a lug nut so it might replace two tools that I am having battery issues with. My 3/8 drive 14.4 volt Snap on impact will be needing batteries too so if that small Milwaukee impact does good then I will have two 14.4 snap on impacts that need batteries that will go on craigslist with the Makita drill.

 

[RV77]

You need to recycle your old batteries and go w/ Li-ion.I made the switch about a year after they came out.They retain their full charge for months w/ no use,even when I dont have the heat on in the garage.

I use Milwaukee 12V w/ no issues.But I do charge them when they are down to 1 l.e.d. light ( battery indicator ) on the drill.

 

[theknurl]

Cool story grandpa

I can run circles around you with cordless tools and will drill the same size hole without breaking my arm.

1st i'm not a grandfather or father, but the girlfriends are less than 1/2 my age

you can push a 4 1/2" self feed bit all day long with a battery powered drill.....really????? using how many batteries?
you can with my Hole Hawg

have you ever used an electric CORDED jackhammer?????

its like fu**ing with a limp **** after using an 80 year old CP or IR 95 pounder

People are crazy to even compare cordless to corded. I personally cant inagine making my arsenal of tools chorded again. Yea i have chorded tools also, but the ones that are necessary.

When people start talking smack to me about air tools, I tell them i will give you a punch sheet of 4 residences you have to go to, and do different minor "fixes". Go ahead lug that compressor 5 blocks from a parking lot, or through a subway, 4 times that day, into places, where most likelly there is no elevator.

why would I take air tools to do maintenance/repair work???????
i'd take corded ones......they always work

total maintenance/repair costs on all my air and corded tools

>new switch for my 1st version variable speed Milwaukee SawzAll
>replaced motor on my 1946 2 hp compressor
>made a new seal for the pressure switch on the compressor
>welded the leak in the compressor tank
>bought new Milton air fittings
>replaced 7-8 power cords
>replaced 2 ball bearings in my air die grinders
>replaced the water solenoid O-ring in my Lincoln 300/300
>changed the grease in the Milwaukee triple reduction and IR electric impact
>put a new belt on my old Royal drill press
>replaced the power panel.....burned out the 100 amp buss bar

>* put seals in my Pre War Blackhawk PortaPower, I know, its not corded or air powered

so just for shits and giggles i spent ~6-7 bills on parts and maintenance......

since i was 12.....i'm 66

in round numbers thats $13 a year.....total maintenance cost

and your batteries cost you what per year including charging costs?
and how long do your plastic wonders and their batteries last?????

i've never worn a USA made corded or air powered tool out

in all honesty my Phillips battery powered tooth brush can't be faulted either

and battery powered tools weigh more and are way bulkier too

 

[bonneyman]

I'm another of the "went back to corded" drill crowd.

Originally, the Makita 9.6 volters were NiCds, and those darn things just lasted and lasted. I think I only had one battery for about a year or more. Finally, dropped the battery and chipped the plastic case right by the contact, so, broke down and got another one - just to be safe. Seemed OK.
Whenever they went to metal hydride batteries it went down hill. The grey cases. Bought a new charger, made sure I properly drained the batteries and let cool to room temp BEFORE recharging, never let the batteries sit totally discharged for an extended period, etc. Nothing helped. I don't know if it was an intentional design downgrade, things just being made cheaper, or the company decided to dump the 9.6v market. They just were not as good anymore.
I finally decided to go back to corded 3/8" drills. Found an old Skil drill at the local habitat store for $15. Had a new trigger and 12 foot cord installed on it. Now with a widow maker, I can reach all around an AC unit without having to worry about losing juice.

 

[firebox40dash5]

1st i'm not a grandfather or father, but the girlfriends are less than 1/2 my age

you can push a 4 1/2" self feed bit all day long with a battery powered drill.....really????? using how many batteries?
you can with my Hole Hawg

have you ever used an electric CORDED jackhammer?????

its like fu**ing with a limp **** after using an 80 year old CP or IR 95 pounder



why would I take air tools to do maintenance/repair work???????
i'd take corded ones......they always work

total maintenance/repair costs on all my air and corded tools

>new switch for my 1st version variable speed Milwaukee SawzAll
>replaced motor on my 1946 2 hp compressor
>made a new seal for the pressure switch on the compressor
>welded the leak in the compressor tank
>bought new Milton air fittings
>replaced 7-8 power cords
>replaced 2 ball bearings in my air die grinders
>replaced the water solenoid O-ring in my Lincoln 300/300
>changed the grease in the Milwaukee triple reduction and IR electric impact
>put a new belt on my old Royal drill press
>replaced the power panel.....burned out the 100 amp buss bar

>* put seals in my Pre War Blackhawk PortaPower, I know, its not corded or air powered

so just for shits and giggles i spent ~6-7 bills on parts and maintenance......

since i was 12.....i'm 66

in round numbers thats $13 a year.....total maintenance cost

and your batteries cost you what per year including charging costs?
and how long do your plastic wonders and their batteries last?????

i've never worn a USA made corded or air powered tool out

in all honesty my Phillips battery powered tooth brush can't be faulted either

and battery powered tools weigh more and are way bulkier too

Have fun holding that Hole Hawg up over your head under a car for a while. Or getting it into a spot with less than 18" behind it. I'll take my nice, light, compact M12 for that. Ever think perhaps some people have different uses for things?

 

[Davefr]

Have fun holding that Hole Hawg up over your head under a car for a while. Or getting it into a spot with less than 18" behind it. I'll take my nice, light, compact M12 for that. Ever think perhaps some people have different uses for things?

...and why would you be using a 4.5" self feed bit while working under a car??

It boils down to picking the right tool for the job and that spans corded, cordless, pneumatic and hand.

 

[firebox40dash5]

...and why would you be using a 4.5" self feed bit while working under a car??

It boils down to picking the right tool for the job and that spans corded, cordless, pneumatic and hand.

I know right? It's almost like that's what I said...

Boggles the mind, but I'm probably going to pick up a cordless wet/dry vac soon. Blasphemy I know, but 99% of my use for one is for 5 minutes or less and I don't feel like wheeling the corded one over and dicking with a 50' cord when that takes longer than I spend using it. I'd probably feel different if i had to clean up behind the guy who somehow used his 4.5" self feed bit "all day long."

(Seriously, what the hell would you do with one for an entire workday? Demolish a building one circle at a time? I've never needed one once in almost 30 years of living, so it's hard to imagine what I'd need one for 8 hours or so for.)

 

[crewchief888]

It boils down to picking the right tool for the job and that spans corded, cordless, pneumatic and hand.

exactly !!

all of them have their intent and purpose.

with all the options on the market today, you'll probably find the "perfect" tool for every job, no matter how big or small.

comparing a 9.6v cordless drill to a hole hawg is like comparing a yugo to a humvee.

makes almost as much sense as my 22yo stepdaughter does....

 

[GSteg]

It boils down to picking the right tool for the job and that spans corded, cordless, pneumatic and hand.

Amen.

I'm not prejudice. Corded, cordless, air, oil, etc. I'll use whatever gets the job done.

 

[crewchief888]

Amen.

I'm not prejudice. Corded, cordless, air, oil, etc. I'll use whatever gets the job done.

yep, me too.


i'm not gonna start the compressor, drag an air hose, or plug in an extension cord with a corded drill to run 2 screws into a sign on the garage wall.

i keep my cordless tools in my basement workroom, along with some most corded woodworking/DIY tools, as well as a portercable pancake compressor, and nailers
couple of B&D corded drills, a cheap B&D jigsaw, sawsall and air tools are in the garage.

 

[theknurl]

Have fun holding that Hole Hawg up over your head under a car for a while. Or getting it into a spot with less than 18" behind it. I'll take my nice, light, compact M12 for that. Ever think perhaps some people have different uses for things?

why would I use a Hole Hawg with a 4 1/2" self feed bit on a car.....

maybe you don't know what a Hole Hawg is.....

its only 6 1/2" long and its designed to work between studs

http://www.milwaukeetool.com/power-tools/corded/1675-6

bet your M12 is longer than that

 

[sloppy]

why would I use a Hole Hawg with a 4 1/2" self feed bit on a car.....

maybe you don't know what a Hole Hawg is.....

its only 6 1/2" long and its designed to work between studs

http://www.milwaukeetool.com/power-tools/corded/1675-6

bet your M12 is longer than that

Maybe you dont know what under a car is?? The point people are trying to make is a freaking Hole hog ***** for normal use. A 4.5" self feed bit Yeah sure I will go grab a hole hog cool. A 1/2" bit I will use the cordless hell a 4.5" holesaw I will use the cordless to..

Under a car working overhead a cordless tool wins all day. weight ease of use speed all go to the cordless tool for most jobs..

I do maintenance work and almost always pick the cordless tool and never have anymore battery issue's then I would have lack of power or other issue's that come up with corded tools..

You sound like a old guy that worked threw the **** ages of cordless tools and your not looking at the new market of cordless tools that are better in most respects to their corded counter parts.. Stay in the stone age bud..

By the way the M12 weighs about 3lbs not that this any kind of a comparison I wouldnt pick a M12 for any job a hole hog was needed for.

 

[junkyardjeff]

I will be getting a M12 thursday and the 3/8 impact that comes with it almost has the power my Snap on 14.4 3/8 impact and its smaller,a co worker has them and have been using them to see how I like them and I can not wait to get them,

 

[welder4956]

I found a video on Youtube on repairing/replacing battery packs. Anyone tried this yet?