Actually, I really kinda like my old Porter Cable drill (it's a 3/8" Model 876 that uses Model 8723 14.4V 2Amp-hour NiCad batteries), and all this talk about rebuilding batteries makes me wonder if it wouldn't be worth doing so. $80 for a new battery is pretty ridiculous, and rebuilt ones aren't all that much cheaper... Any idea what it would cost to rebuild the ones I have? Any recommendations on a reputable rebuilder (I'm in Austin, BTW)?
The help I get from this group is *much* appreciated, BTW. These days I'm to the point where trying to track down "the answer" on Google just makes me cross-eyed and grouchy, and I *still* don't trust the result. Thanks guys!
From what I understand buying replacement batteries does not mean you get fresh. Basically there is a shelf life and the new battery you buy might be limited in life. Rebuilding while not too much cheaper usually means a fresh battery pack and typically better batteries installed.
>>> Thoughts? Any direct experiences comparing these two puppies? Others I
Yeah, I held both those drills in my had at the local Home Depot last night, and the Makita is about a 1/2 pound lighter and just feels better in the hand. The price on both was the same as Amazon's current price ($179) but they were sold out of the Milwaukee. I'm still pondering...
Have the same drill except mine also has the hammer function. Use it everyday and it has plenty of power. No problem with batteries yet and it holds a charge for most of the day. Again I use it everyday for long periods of time. It takes a lickin and keeps on tickin. I'd buy another in a heart beat!!!!
I had the 14.4 1/2 PC which I loved. Had it for 7 years and replaced batteries once I think. I used it everyday also. The only problem was it was stolen from my truck. Bought a new replacement PC and ended up returning it because it was junk. Bought the Makita and love it. But having the old PC batteries rebuilt is not a bad idea if the drill is still strong. That drill is pretty much bullet proof!!!
With good reason. I used to remark or post in response to something that was specifically in my field of work or experience if I knew it was wrong. Now, I watch the tone of the thread and see if the OP is a first time poster, or if the thread turns to politics. Then I don't bother.
The internet is still a vast treasure trove of information, but it still needs to be viewed with a suspicious eye. I am like to find something that piques my interest that is presented as a "fact", just to store it away in the back of my mind for further use.
I cannot imagine any other medium that has spawned more experts on any subject than the internet.
Anyhow, at the risk of sounding like one of those know-it-alls, this is a neat piece of work that details out some of the workings of a NiCad battery. If you read this carefully, you can see why the NiCads fail. The crystals that form inside the batteries from normal use make it harder and harder for the battery to fully charge.
The crystals are formed at a much faster rate when the NiCads aren't properly charged, then discharged through normal use, or stored, then discharged and recharged. (See page three of the pdf).
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guys that claim to be able to revive a NiCad battery have had some luck doing it.
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break down the crystalline structure inside the battery by "shocking" the battery, restoring its ability to receive and hold a charge. This blitz conditioning is supposed to work well about half the time, depending on who you talk to. Interesting that someone figured that out, but it held no interest for me. Money is tight for me... but not that tight.
My guy Robert can be found here:
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had no idea they had a website. Since you may wind up shipping them out anyway, he might be a good source for you.
When you have your batteries rebuilt, there are a few criteria:
- you must be able to disassemble the battery by backing out security screws. None of the folks I talked to will cut open a case any more
- you need to find out what mh hour rating they are building to. In my case, I stuck with 2mh, as the 2.3mh upgrades were 30% more. Try to get something similar to what you have if you have been happy with the performance in the past
- make sure they rebuild batteries as a large portion of their business. Old batteries or old rebuild methods aren't worth fooling with
- make sure they use name brand or industrial type batteries. It isn't unusual to be able to get better batteries than your original equipment
- when they assemble your battery pod, make sure they spot weld the batteries together. Soldering isn't as good, doesn't last as well, and isn't as sturdy in the field. According to Robert, they solder joints don't maintain their electrical connectivity as well either; I am guess because the actual connection isn't as sturdy as a spot weld.
When I had my Makita 14.4 drill rebuilt, I switched from NiMh to NiCad. (As a note, you should make sure that your charger will charge the battery type you change to if you make that decision!) My Makita charger works with both NiCad and NiMh, so I was set.
To have the batteries rebuilt, Robert's guys had them out to me in two days. (Online guys - 3 - 4 weeks with shipping!). Cost was $36 per battery. I have only been using them in the drill for about 2 months, but they seem great.
Using that bulk rate USPS box, you could get both your batteries over here to San Antonio for about $8.
A buddy of mine bought some instructions on how to do it on eBay for a few bucks, and he said it worked fine - brought some dead batteries back to life. I'll try it at some point on some old tools I don't use anymore, and haven't in years. If it brings those back, well, Lazarus walks again!
On Sat, 09 Jan 2010 11:35:12 -0600, the infamous Steve Turner scrawled the following:
Oh, I thought you had mistyped and meant "nads". I'm actually quintradextrous and can hold tools with my prehensile appendage. But never the nads! Ouch.
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