Craftman Cordless Drill

[greenpjs]

My wife bought me a 19.2 volt craftsman drill 5 or 6 years ago. I use it regularly and love it. I added the small circular saw and the small vacuum a few years later. Both work well for occassional small jobs. The three original batteries eventually went bad, so I bought two new ones which are still working but probably will need to be replaced in the next few years. That leads me to my question. I read somewhere about having tool batteries rebuilt to save money (and the environment). I looked at quite a few online businesses and the going rate is around $50 per battery. That seemed high so I went to the sears site and found I could buy new ones for $30 to $35 each. What am I missing? Why would it cost more to rebuild old batteries than to buy new ones? All the rebuild sites bragged about their price being half of new batteries, but instead, they seem to be almost double. I think all the batteries I have looked at are NiCDs, but some don't say and could be NiMH. Capacities range from 1500 mAh to 2100 mAH. Capacity doesn't matter much for my small jobs. Having one in the tool and another charged and ready to go has worked out well.

Pat

[krw]

It's rare to see new batteries for $35. They're usually closer to $100 (two almost the price of a new tool) so $35 (what it cost me for my PC drill) is cheap for a rebuild. If you bought new batteries for less than a rebuild, good deal. BTW, don't think you're "saving the environment" with a rebuild. The only thing you're "saving" is a couple of ounces of plastic. The batteries are new and the old are chucked.

Just be careful not to put NiMH batteries in a charger not specifically designed for them.

[Ed Pawlowski]

Most of the re-builders offer a higher capacity battery that will last longer. Primecell.com is $51 for a 19.2V. You have the choice of buying Sears again for cheap, or a better pack for higher cost.

This is a good explanation of what they can do for you Standard capacity packs: They are usually sold in pairs, in kits with do-everything attachments. They were made at minimum cost, with small size cells, that provide little operating time. These batteries often spend more time in the charger, than they do in the tools. The batteries are usually only 1.0 AH cells, we rebuild them with the highest available capacity. (depending of the model the upgrade can be 1.3 AH or higher. The result is usually a 25 to 35% increase in run time.

Extra, XR or Maxi etc. battery packs. These are large capacity NiCd packs, they are usually 1500 to 1700. We only replace these with 2.1 to 2.4 AH cells for a 40% increase in run time.

NIMH -Maximum capacity packs: NiMh batteries are usually available in two battery sizes. Small packs were 1.5 AH and large battery packs were 2.2 AH to 2.6 AH We rebuild the small case with 2.1 AH and the larger packs are improved to 3.3 AH. Either rebuild usually adds 50% more run time.

Our price to rebuild Tool Batteries is based on the voltage and cell type (NiCd or NiMh). FOR ANY BRAND NAME. The brand name or model number does not change the price.

[krw]

The Dewalt DC9096 18V "XRP" pack is 2.6Ah. A pack of two is around $120.

[ransley]

I think you should pick up a few packs, I just asked my worker who is borrowing my drill why he isnt using his any of his 2- 19.2v sears and one 18v sears , he said the batteries are about 80-90$$ and they are bad, I will tell him about sears online. The reason is they have extra I guess, the buy alot of them in bulk cheap and are selling off a load real cheap. Batteries in bulk manufacture are the highest profit margin on the tool. Is it sears regular site?

[ransley]

Sears site has a 19.2v drill and battery for 49.99 and a 19.2v 4 piece combo for 90.00 so they are discounting what they cant sell. I wonder if the 20$ 14.4 v will work in the 18v drill.

[Red]

If you're handy with a soldering gun you can search the web for 'nicad batteries', buy the ones with soldering tabs attached, and rebuild your own battery packs. You just need to make sure you orient the new batteries the same as the old ones before soldering. Suppliers usually have a sale of some brands and you can get a decent deal.

Red

[Red]

Sears is having a clearance on lots of their stuff. Air filters for my garden tractor's Kohler engine were regularly $15, marked "clearance" for $8.99, and rang up for $5.99. When I checked out they didn't even try to talk me into a Sears credit card. Makes me wonder what they're up to?

Red

[Red]

BTW they are pushing a Sears reward card, and the sales person said except for Sears hand tools with the lifetime guarantee, no other products could be returned unless they were listed on your rewards card.

Red

[krw]

Those aren't "soldering tabs". They're intended to be welded. Soldering to the tabs *might* work, but the heat doesn't do the cells any good.

No, backwards isn't good at all.

[Red]

Wrong. They are called solder tabs. See:

I've rebuilt several battery packs by soldering the tabs and have never had a problem with the batteries.

Red

[ransley]

Any heat is a nicad killler even the heat of sun and overcharging, but it takes time to kill them. Ive heard of freezing the cells before soldering. I soldered a set and clipped on several heat clamps but the cells still got real hot. Freezing is a good option but usualy by the time you finish the cells wont fit back in the pack since factory machine soldering is compact, my pack was a worthless mess when I finished.

[ransley]

I bet they are discontinuing 19.2 nicad and lowering prices to move product on slow sales items. The prices I saw online were really good, better than any HD Ryobi sale, the sears was 19.2v 89$ for a circ saw, drill, vac and light. I can also imagine the cordless tool market is saturated with tools. HDs rigid line is becomming scarce for certain items in several stores

[krw]

I don't care what those fools call them. They are *NOT* solder tabs. They're intended to be spot welded.

[krw]

You're probably right about the saturation, but I think it's also the economy in general. I noticed that HD cut way back on their inventory and even models carried last year. I picked up four Bosch 12V LiIon batteries a couple of months ago for $19 each. Apparently they discontinued the Bosch cordless tools, so dumped their battery inventory. The local store only carries the low end lines anymore. The Lowes, right across the street still seems to be pretty good, though.

[Stormin Mormon]

Man, that's spooky. Must be something really wrong. Did they at least offer you a MA (Maintenance Agreement) on that?

[Tony]

From what I have seen... if there is a tab on both ends, it's for soldering to a PC board. I've installed hundreds of them. Maybe over

1000 of them.

If it doesn't have solder tabs, it's either made to go in a battery holder, or have tabs spot welded for a battery pack.

I've rebuilt a couple battery packs, and if the batteries all had a tab at each end, it would never look so neat and compact as the originals because in battery packs the welded tabs go different directions. That would be difficult to weld them in the proper direction.

There is a chance some may come with tabs on one end, then it's also for spot welding together for a battery pack. They can still rotate it so the one tab is pointing the right direction and the other end gets welded in what ever position is needed.

Look at some old, old mother boards and you will see a battery soldered on the board. That was before they went to the user replaceable flat ones. Actually the flat ones can also come with solder tabs also. I've replaced some of them also in equipment I've worked on.

[Ed Pawlowski]

wrote

I don't doubt you, but . . . . . . I did a quick search to see what others call them. Most companies selling the cells call them solder tabs or flat tops. One called them tagged. Those Brits call a hood a bonnet though so don't trust them.

NiMH rechargeable industrial batteries of all sizes, most of whichare tagged for soldering or making into battery packsSo far, none have called them weld tabs. You have a lot of work ahead of youcorrecting all these people.

[Red]

Just like soldering copper pipe correctly, there is a proper technique to soldering battery tabs. First off is the correct heat. A 25w pencil soldering iron is too small - it overheats the battery before the tab is soldered. So will a big assed gun. A 40w does just fine. If you are neat the batteries will fit back in the pack. Tin the solder tabs. Fold the tab to overlap the adjacent tab. Snip any excess. Use a toothpick to the 2 tabs in contact with each other while touching the overlap with the hot soldering iron. Get off as fast as soon as you see the solder melt. Being fast prevents heat buildup in the battery. Anyone who has soldered printed circuit boards without raising the lands can easily solder battery tabs without damage. As I said, I've rebuilt several, they fit back into the case, and the batteries work fine. But I don't think I would try soldering the flat top batteries because the heat requirements are vastly different from just soldering tabs. Red

[Red]

Or to each other. Soldering is soldering.

You'll never see the difference once you put it in the battery case and put the top on.

The tabs are of soft metal and can be easily folded to what ever angle you need to meet the tab from the next battery. Squeeze the fold with a pair of longnose pliers and it's nearly flat as the tab. True it's not pretty, but once in the case no one will see it.

My point exactly. Those batteries were soldered without destroying them, contrary to some other's opinions.

Red