Proper lithium ion battery charging practices

[alpaca]

Is it best to throw the batteries on the charger when not in use to top off, or use it before it until it starts losing power to charge?

 

[OHMS LAW]

I have heard to use them all the way down then charge them. That's what I do with my 18v

 

[chadster1]

Is it best to throw the batteries on the charger when not in use to top off, or use it before it starts losing power to charge?

I have never seen any recommendations. I do know that there is circuitry in the batteries that monitors state of charge and charging rate.

In other words, put it on the charger whenever you feel like it.

 

[chadster1]

I have heard to use them all the way down then charge them. That's what I do with my 18v

That was true for nicad batteries. Lithium batteries don't develop a "memory" like a nicad can.

 

[alpaca]

I have heard to use them all the way down then charge them. That's what I do with my 18v

that's what I had always done till I read an article (don't know if the guy that wrote it knew what he was talking about) saying that fully discharging is only a good idea for nicad batteries since they have a memory. I think he said it's best to fully discharge them every couple months for the milwaukee batteries if you want the battery gauge to be accurate.

 

[N128CG]

Keep the batteries in the 30-70% range as much as possible this will make them last as long as possible (same goes for any lithium battery (phone or whatever)). But in reality it doesn't matter much. You can charge them whenever you want. They don't have a memory like nicad batteries do (already said above).

 

[Nanashi]

Lithium batteries are durable but the absolute best advice is this, try to not let them go below 10-15% and that's it.

Lithium batteries don't like to be fully discharged. Also even though 99% of all lithium batteries have a monitoring system to keep them from overcharging i still do the old school practice of removing the batteries once they are charged.

The reality is this there are only a few rules with lithium batteries. Don't run then till their dead and don't expose them to extreme temperatures.

 

[LB-1911]

that's what I had always done till I read an article (don't know if the guy that wrote it knew what he was talking about) saying that fully discharging is only a good idea for nicad batteries since they have a memory. I think he said it's best to fully discharge them every couple months for the milwaukee batteries if you want the battery gauge to be accurate.

In regards to Milwaukee M-18 batteries You can draw your own conclusions -

M18™ Li-ION BATTERY CHARGERS & M18™ Li-ION BATTERY PACKS
http://documents.milwaukeetool.com/58-14-1801d8.pdf

 

[terry603]

my lithium drill says to not let it discharge completely, but, to charge it any time I want t

 

[uart]

Keep the batteries in the 30-70% range as much as possible this will make them last as long as possible (same goes for any lithium battery (phone or whatever)).

Good advice.

But to be a a little more specific. Lithium batteries prefer not to be used when the SOC (state of charge) is too low, and they prefer being stored when the state of charge is too high.

It's no problem to use a Li-ion battery at over 70% SOC, and it's no problem to store them at relatively low charge like 30% to 40%. Just be sure they're not too low if you're going to store them for a long time, as it's definitely bad for them to go completely flat in storage.

So just to summarize that. They'll last a little bit longer if you mostly store them (between use) at less than 70% and you mostly use them at greater than 30%. This of course implies that it's best to charge just before usage if possible.

BTW. Since the tools and the chargers protect the tools pretty well these days, if you don't do the above then they'll probably still last pretty well anyway.