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Li-ion Batteries

HI Group, I have three Ridgid li-ion batteries that I'm considering rebuilding. Has anyone done this? I've rebuilt Ni-cad battery packs without any difficulty but haven't dealt with Li-ion before. JIm

Reply to
James
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My initial reaction is that doing that sounds potentially dangerous, but you must understand what you are doing!

Reply to
Bill

I took some li-ion batteries to Batteries Plus. The technician said he had been to school to learn how to replace them but that the company forbade them to do it because of the potential danger.

Reply to
G. Ross

If you can replace them with the same cells, it should be fine. Otherwise, as others point out, your charger may not be right. Some of these cells/batteries have internal protection chips so it matters which ones are used. I wouldn't do it.

Likely an overreaction but in this litigious society, it's understandable.

Reply to
krw

Big thing is to use the on board charging chip, and connect them to your cells correctly. If you do not have the chip, your charger will likely not recognize the battery pack and refuse to charge it. It also will not keep the pack correctly balanced and charged and will not shut down the pack when it gets over heated, be it by charging, damage, discharging or hard use. Now that can cause a fire, no doubt.

I refitted Li Ion batteries into NiCad packs. I used the brand's chips and charger in the Li ion pack. I love it.

Reply to
Morgans

A friend of mine just built a high capacity bank of lithium ion cells for his electric Miata - 144 volt pack, each cell about twice the size of a lb of butter. The protection circuits are "generic" - one per cell, and what they do is basically bypass the cell during charging if the cell temperature gets too high or (not sure) if the voltage gets out of spec. The charge controllers/protectors are not specific to the particular cells. There is a way to "turn on" the cell again if it shuts down due to over discharge(low voltage shutdown protection)

Reply to
clare

I am registered for lifetime and had some replaced under that but they didn't say you had to tell them the serial numbers of the new batteries to keep it in effect.I contacted them and they weren't very helpful in getting it changed. Jim

Reply to
James

Good to know should I ever uy a Ridgid and go through that process.

Reply to
Leon

I'm pretty sure that info is clearly stated in their printed warranty and the original registration info.

Reply to
-MIKE-

I know it is on the original purchase but was not aware that replaced parts had to be reregistered.

Reply to
Leon

You would THINK, with them having the warrantee, the serial number of the original registered battery, and supplying the new batttery, they would record and re-register the serial of the replacement - but that would make too much sense for Home Despot (the owner of the ridgid brand, IIRC)

Reply to
clare

Ridgid is owned by Emerson Electric. I don't know that they use the brand for anyone other than HD, though. They certainly sell to others. It's a rather large company.

Reply to
krw

I overstated it. Emerson OWNS the Ridgid brand. I believe in North America the rights to the name are held by Home Depot through a licencing agreement - since no-one else can sell the Ridgid brand of power tools in North America, they "effectively" "own" the brand.

Reply to
clare

Business 101, make the discount or freeby more difficult so that the appearance of a good deal brings the customer in but does not get fulfilled for what ever reason. Coupons bring attention to a product and offer a discount but the amount of coupons that are actually used vs. distributed is very very very small. Free replacement batteries bought by HD and given away is an expense that they would rather not fulfill, so you have to jump through a few hoops as discouragement. The offer of free replacement encourages you to buy from HD and costs them nothing, untimely they have to make good after a period of time. If it was a matter of simply walking in with a battery for exchange they probably would not be able to afford the generous warranty. Making the customer resister and send off for replacement parts after the sale is an convenience that most will forget or not have time to wait for.

Reply to
Leon

It would appear that way but you can buy Rigid brand vacuums and accessories through a number of retailers and Amazon. While HD sells the vast majority of the Ridgid product line some of the line is available elsewhere.

Reply to
Leon

i think it is a unique business arrangement with HD. Some Ridgid tools are and or were available elsewhere, think shop vac, but a vast majority of the new Ridgid power tools are only available through HD.. Ryobi has a similar arangement with HD, years ago you could buy Ryobi most any where. Sears had that, a similar arrangement with the Craftsman brand name, now you can buy Craftsman at Ace Hardware.

Reply to
Leon

I guess I didn't see the registration process as jumping through hoops. We've become so accustomed to instant access/results from everything these days that filling out a registration card and mailing it in with a receipt is seen as jumping through hoops.

Last I checked, those batteries were about a hundred a pop. It took me about 45 mins to complete my registration process. I don't know about you, but I don't make $267/hr. :-)

I haven't had to *use* my warranty yet, however. We'll see how easy the process is whenever that happens. Maybe I'll be back here b!t@hing and moaning about it then, who knows? :-)

Reply to
-MIKE-

"Leon" wrote

At least some packs use the same technology as is found in laptop battery packs. Each cell is tested individually during the charging process and the packs internal chip decides if it will be getting a voltage during the next charging pulse. They equalize the weak cells and bring them up to full strength while cutting power to cells that are full, or to cells that are too hot during the charging process.

I have a hobby charger that charges RC packs much the same way. It has to have the correct hookups to use the full equalizing process. Many say that if the user does not push the cells to absolute deadness, and discharges the whole pack right after a charge once in a while that balancing is not needed. I'm not convinced on that one.

Reply to
Morgans

No doubt however one does not know what is going on in every case with each manufacturer. The circuitry may or may not take care of voltage differences.

I have heard it is best to not run past 80% discharge and I suspect that is why most Li-Ion batteries have gas gauges these days. I have heard that some packs will not allow discharge beyond a certain point.

Reply to
Leon

Perhaps not that bad but you do not have to register 99% of most any products to get warranty work, you only need proof of purchase. Mostly registration helps to speed the process should work need to be done later on.

Exactly and for a few of us that is the case. But if a contractor walks in to buy a replacement drill than he needs NOW and where time is money, the extra steps and time of getting a replacement part is simply ignored. When you need a part NOW waiting for an exchange is not going to factor in.

From what I understand you have to send the parts/tool to a repair facility and wait for the return shipment. If time is on your side, no problem.

Reply to
Leon

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