rebuilding battery packs By LUKE (Read 917 times)

[LUKE]

Has anyone tried rebuilding battery packs??? bought a 4yo 18V dewalt reciprocating saw for a good price (almost steal)., battery is pretty much saying goodbye ,but somehow still can store little power., wondering if rebuilding NiCad battery packs is just a myth or is a possibility?? ,,,any experience? wanna share??

[mthomas]

Luke,
What questions do you have?

[LUKE]

tommy,,my questions are the ones with question marks at the end..lol..you silly doc,,LOL!!

[jct842]

I have weighed the idea of cordless 18 volt drill battery rebuilds. I got on internet and priced individual cells. I ended up just buying a new drill and 2 batteries from harbor freight. there is a plethora of cells out there all with different current ratings. I was going to just buy the batteries from harbor and transfer the cells but for all the work it aint worth it. one other thing, when a manufacturer makes a tool with a given design battery after 4-5 years the battery may be shot but if you buy a replacement it will likely have been made about the same time as the worn out one and therefore have little life left in it.

[Alleyoop]

You are better off just buying a new one. The battery packs cost almost as much as the whole package would cost. You can rebuild them but each individual battery alone are very expensive to begin with and you will find that it is cheaper to either buy a new battery pack for the saw or drill or buy the whole package.

I know I Fly RC airplanes which use battery packs for the receiver in the planes as well as the battery in the transmitter.
Alleyoop

[robb]

I have 2 Dewalt sawsalls, 3 dewalt drills, flashlight....all 18V and no good batteries for them. I have found that it's cheaper to use corded tools [ they are more powerful also ] and buy a small generator [ coleman powermate 1.5 KW works fine ] for when no power is available. I of course took the batteries apart when they were first going bad. They look to be connected by a printed circuit. If you must go cordless I recommend ryobi; batteries are much cheaper. Robb

[jhbietz]

The Excide battery store will rebuild and upgrade most battery backs for around $40.00. Not worth it for a cheap cordless but if you have a good Dewalt or Bosch its something to consider.