Cordless Tooll Battery Rebuilders

[pirate]

I did a search on the site and read everything here about tool battery rebuilds. I did not find any comments about those who have had batteries rebuilt and how they functioned or which companies they used. I have a couple Dewalt 12 volt drills that have given me good service. I actually bought one of the drills because it was almost as cheap to buy the drill and two batteries as it was to just replace the two batteries for the drill I had. I now have 4 batteries that have lost most of their power and will not hold a charge. I'm thinking about having them rebuilt as new ones are expensive and over twice the cost of rebuilds. I also have a Sears 19.2 Drill with other tools but like the Dewalts because of their size and power with good batteries. The company I'm thinking about using is "Battery Builders" in Wrightsville PA. What have been your experiences?

 

[Danglerb]

I would look first to a local company, otherwise one problem and the shipping eats any savings. Good fresh batteries should make it better than it was when new.

 

[Jeeper]

Any one open up your battery pack? DIY rebuild...

http://www.instructables.com/id/EBWNM4PCAIEV2ZHAV5/

 

[PAToyota]

My local BatteriesPlus rebuilds batteries. I'd check the local Yellow Pages before shipping things anywhere...

 

[rsanter]

there is a guy on ebay selling instructions on how to revitalize used bateries. I looked at the feedback and it all looks good.
what do you guys know about this?

I used to work for black & decker. what we found was that it was generally just one cell that actually died on the battery pack. we would charge the cells and check them with a VOM to see which one that was not holding the charge and we could replace that one. this was somethignthat we would not do for customers (policy) but we would do it for ourselves and for friends.

bob

 

[Franz©]

Thr ePay deal involves zapping the battery with a hi amperage sourse. One even advocates using MIG to do it. It's a good idea if you're going for a Darwin award, or have a strong desire to go thru the rest of your life blind or without hands that function.

Zapping NiCads is an old idea, and works if the defective cell hasn't gone to reverse polarity or totally crapped out.

Rebuilding generally involves replacing only the completely defective cell or cells, and is a very profitable situation for the rebuilder. Personally I just get some subC cells and rebuild my own pack when necessary.
Given the price some ePay sellers and Froogle sellers are getting for new batterys it might be more cost effective to buy complete new batterys than to rebuild old batterys right now.

 

[engnerdan]

I hate to go against Franz, but I have zapped nicads and it does work. I used an old 10A 12Volt battery charger (not the fully auto ones) and a face shield and welding jacket (just as a CYA deal). You put the positive on the positive side of one of the cells (individual batteries) and then tap the negative to the negative side of the cell. It sparks and makes some noise, but it works. Is it dangerous YES, am I telling you to do it NO, all I am saying is it works.

What "zapping" nicads is suppose to do is breakup the crystals or buildup on the plates. I have also built a mechanical pulse charger that did wonders on whole battery packs but also did a number on all the electronics in the house from the inductance in the mechanical contacts.

-Dan

Disclaimer - Do no do anything I have mentioned above, its all made up.

 

[eschoendorff]

I hate to go against Franz, but I have zapped nicads and it does work. I used an old 10A 12Volt battery charger (not the fully auto ones) and a face shield and welding jacket (just as a CYA deal). You put the positive on the positive side of one of the cells (individual batteries) and then tap the negative to the negative side of the cell. It sparks and makes some noise, but it works. Is it dangerous YES, am I telling you to do it NO, all I am saying is it works.

What "zapping" nicads is suppose to do is breakup the crystals or buildup on the plates. I have also built a mechanical pulse charger that did wonders on whole battery packs but also did a number on all the electronics in the house from the inductance in the mechanical contacts.

-Dan

Disclaimer - Do no do anything I have mentioned above, its all made up.

Sounds like you know how to have some fun. One of these days I'm gonna zap one of my Ryobi battery packs with my welder - and take pics for Franz

 

[Vicegrip]

i have a dead DeWalt 18 volt battery. I 'll post the results if I can still type after...

BTW DeWalt came out with the lithium ion 18 volt battery pack. Backwards compatible with the entire 18 volt line. Saw it at HD...$175 for one battery and a charger. OK....I think I will go MiG pop the old one and see what happens.

 

[rsanter]

i have a dead DeWalt 18 volt battery. I 'll post the results if I can still type after...

BTW DeWalt came out with the lithium ion 18 volt battery pack. Backwards compatible with the entire 18 volt line. Saw it at HD...$175 for one battery and a charger. OK....I think I will go MiG pop the old one and see what happens.

so the old charger will not work with it??

bob

 

[Franz©]

Dan, you need to go back and READ what I typed.
Zapping will work in the specific defect you mention on NiCads. Mororola made a fortune selling zappers for NiCad packs and it worked about 60% of the time most often on packs that had developed memory due to use. Zapping will not recover every defective NiCad, and in my opinion it's flat nuts to do it with a welder, or when you're holding the pack in your hand. I value my body parts, and have little desire for embedded battery parts, although the cardiologist I fired had some ideas about an implanted battery.

Hell, I'll launch golfballs out of a mortar with half an ounce of black powder, but I damn well won't hold a NiCad pack that is being blasted with a high current powersourse. Your risk taking behavior is your choice.
...............................................................................................................

 

[chad pickens]

I have 18v dewalt cordless tools and I needed new batteries ,we have a batteries plus here in town and I checked with them and I think it was 45.00 each rebuilt. I ended up buying batteries on ebay and got a better deal. I dont remeber what I payed but I remeber it was alot less, I bought 4 batteries at once

 

[rsanter]

I just bought another dewalt set and the batteried I have are still great. if anyone needs a new 18v dewalt battery...let me know

bob

 

[sethbriancollins]

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=93655

i bought one of these on sale for 4.99

rebuilt my 12v xr dewalt with it works great, doesn't have quite the same lasting power as the original it tends to **** out a bit sooner, but works brilliant compared to the near dead one, i have 5 leftover cells and if i had a few other dead batteries this would be a great deal, you have to know how to solder because the cells aren't quite in the same arrangement. my battery has screws holding it together so it was a simple affair opening it,
some others need to be cracked open and glued with some model cement. (it will melt the plastic back together)

 

[russlaferrera]

i have a dead DeWalt 18 volt battery. I 'll post the results if I can still type after...

BTW DeWalt came out with the lithium ion 18 volt battery pack. Backwards compatible with the entire 18 volt line. Saw it at HD...$175 for one battery and a charger. OK....I think I will go MiG pop the old one and see what happens.

Vicegrip, Type two results, one how good it went, and a 2nd don't do this I blew up the house and burned down the garage.

After you do this press send on whatever one that you need. Just trying to help!!