Power Tool Battery Tips

If you've ever went to use your favorite cordless tool and found the battery dead or took the battery off the charger and have it go dead prematurely, then you know the frustration that comes along with owner cordless tools.

Tip #1. Heat is not a battery's friend.

Heat will kill a rechargeable battery just about quicker than anything I can think of. It also reduces the battery's life span. If it seems you're constantly buying battery's or if it seems you're not getting good usage times between rechargings, take a look at how you're charging your batteries.

Keep the recharger in a cool place. Recharging your batteries in a 100 degree garage is a good road to a short battery life.

During recharging, try and keep a fan on the charging unit. Batteries can build up a lot of heat during recharging and they need help disapating the heat.

Tip #2. Battery packs are not indestructable.

I'm constantly amazed at how careless many people are with their battery's.

Crack a housing and you might as well open the wallet back up. Store the tool and battery in the case it came in if at all possible. If no case is available, then a soft sided tool bag with some cushion will protect the tool and battery until it's time to use it again.

Tip #3. Water is a Killer of batteries.

You'd think this would be common sense, but I see cordless tools laying in back of pickups and on the jobsite during wet weather and just have to wonder how many battery packs the owner must have had to buy.

Keep the battery pack dry and clean. Wipe any moisture off as soon as it gets on the tool. If it starts to rain, it's time to take a break.

Tip #4. To Drain Completely or Leave Some Charge.

There is some controversy about how to charge a battery. I've experimented with different way of recharging my batteries and have come to one conclusion.

For modern batteries, it doesn't matter whether you run the battery completely down or not. By completely down I mean until the tool does not perform adequately. As soon as the cordless drill won't screw a deck screw in all the way, the battery goes on the charger and a fresh one is popped in.

I've known some people who would clamp the trigger down and fully discharge the battery but I have never seen it make a difference.

One thing I never do is leave the battery on the recharger for an extended amount of time. Even with the tools that don't get used that much, once the battery is charged it is taken off the charger.

Tip #5. Always have a backup.

You just never know when the battery will go. Always have a back up ready to go. This usually means a third or fourth battery. It's cheap insurance against having to work with hand tools!

Tip #6. Make Sure You're Using the Correct Charger.

Another one of the things you'd think would be common sense, however I see people trying to recharge their Makita batteries on their Dewalt chargers all the time and wonder why it doesn't work.

Recharging your battery on the wrong charger is certain death for your cordless battery. The battery and the charger should tell you if they are a match or not. You can also find this information in the owners manual for most tools.