Laptop/ drill rechargable batterys.. methods for longer life?

Run the charge out and do not charge after use, store batteries in cold spot!. Some place batteries in a plastic bag for frig storage! Not the freezer box.

I have a fire storm B&D and Crapsman drills , I do use them alot but I do not charge the packs when done. I just throw them in a little frig I have in the shop. They're both 4 or 5 years old and still work great.

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Look at a few battery information sites, and the recommendations for your particular battery chemistry. FWIW, most NiMH authorities say for longest lifetime, to store them 50% charged. I always thought that was a bit ridiculous. How to you gauge 50%?

I always store them charged. They'll get to 50% eventually.....

jak

I had always read that nicads should be run down before being recharged. I've done that with my Dust Buster and gotten excellent battery life out of it.

So -- when you need to use a drill, its battery is both cold _AND_ discharged.

I wonder why no one else has ever come up with this Grand Idea?

I don't know, I do know that I learned that trick from my grandmother. She used to store the dry cells in the frig..

I learned that cold slows things down! including me ! :)

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In case anyone hasn't told you, NiCds and NHMs aren't dry cells. These cells don't benefit from storing cold, but are damaged by high temperatures. Your idea of draining them before storage is almost right. NiCds and NMHs should be stored discharged, but there is no need to discharge them; they'll do that themselves, just fine, and you won't risk reverse charging a cell. Discharging multi-cell NiCds damages more batteries than anything else. Over-charging is second.

I've learned that it also breaks things. No matter what the ad copy says, one size does not fit all.

Running them down before recharge is different from running them down before storage. These batteries tend to have a limited number of charge cycles so, yes, you're better off using the batteries than charging them. Storage is another matter though. NiCds (NMH is a very similar chemistry) like to be stored flat but *NOT* discharged so low that cells get reversed. It's better to let them discharge themselves during storage.

Dustbusters tend to get killed by constant charging in thier cheap-ass charger. Things like DustBusters would work much better if they used lead-acid batteries(SLACs).

Which I don't do.

The Prius doesn't allow its battery to get fully discharged. Also makes sure it isn't overheated during charging. Uses top quality cells too - which you don't get on cheap power tools.

--
*Why are they called apartments, when they\'re all stuck together? *

    Dave Plowman        dave@davenoise.co.uk           London SW
                  To e-mail, change noise into sound.

*THAT* is why your's lasts more than a month. Most keep them in their charger, which allows B&D to sell them another one in a few months. Ideally this sort of device (along with flashlights) would be constantly charged so it's always available for use. This contraindicates NiCds though (SLACs would be a good match).

"William Sommerwerck" wrote in news:gjr7ha$2an$ snipped-for-privacy@news.motzarella.org:

the DB is designed to stay on the charger 24/7/365.(at least my model is) Mine lasted 10 yrs before needing a new pack,which was cheaper thna buying a new DB.

you can buy NiCd cells at Digi-Key specifically designed for continuous charging.

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Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net

krw wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

My DB lasted -10 yrs- on the first battery pack. I had the pack replaced at a DeWalt service center,cheaper than a new DB.

--
Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net

krw wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@4ax.com:

My experience with NiCds is "use them or lose them".

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Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net

I have some from the '60s that still work (I may have finally thrown them out in the last move). As long as they're stored flat they should last virtually forever.

I find that amazing. I've replaced drills (don't/wouldn't own a DB) because a new drill was cheaper than the batteries that come with it. In fact, that's how I built my Dewalt 18V battery collection. ;-) I found an 18V compact drill (already had the standard 18V model) for $100 in HomeDespot. Two batteries were worth $120 ($180 if bought separately). I got another drill, not that I needed it - I have at least six, free. ;-)

What about them drying out?

"William Sommerwerck" wrote in news:gjsuqu$ugp$ snipped-for-privacy@news.motzarella.org:

I don't believe the electrolyte is water-based. I also don't believe that about "stored flat they should last virtually forever",as they will still grow crystal spikes that short out the cell.

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Jim Yanik
jyanik
at
kua.net

In article , snipped-for-privacy@abuse.gov says...>

It's my understanding that dendrites grow in the presence of an electric field. If they're totally flat there should be no growth.

What is "totally flat"? You can't drive a battery pack down to zero, only individual cells.