Archived from the Tools In Action forum (Dewalt). This thread is read-only.
Is it possible to get the battery cells to rebuild your own batteries?
Yes, it sure is possible to get the cells, but DeWALT will not sell them to you for various reasons including safety / liability. You’ll have to buy the cells from a place such as a hobby shop, or battery dealer, or from a battery manufacturer, etc. You’ll also need the proper equipment to assemble the new cells (soldering equipment or a spot welder depending on required method).
What battery model number are you talking about? DC9099 or DC9096 or DC9180 or ?
There are also independent companies out there that can rebuild your battery. www.voltmanbatteries.com
This does bring me to the topic of battery care. NiCad batteries do require maintenance, and there are certainly “best practices”
to maximize battery life.
1- Don’t leave batteries in extreme temperatures. If they are left on a jobsite try to leave them in a cooler to minimize extreme temperatures.
2- If your NiCad’s are not in use, leave them on the charger. This keeps them topped off, (trickle charged) and also increases battery cycle life.
3- Do not discharge the NiCad batteries fully. Memory does not exist is modern NiCad’s due to smart charger technology. Discharging them fully can damage the cells. This is why most Li-ion batteries have circuits that shut down the battery from being fully discharged. A battery is only as good as it’s weakest cell.
Doing these basic steps will ensure maximum Nicad battery life!
This is kind of off topic, but I have some old 12v XR (DW9071)Dewalt battieres and I was told there was a trick to jumpstarting them so I can charge them again, does anyone know about this? Also does the new li-ion chargers have the automatic tune up mode?
There are several theories out there floating around. None seem to be a viable long-term solution. The most popular option seems to be, connecting your battery to a car battery. It does not sound very safe to me, and I wouldn’t recommend it.
To answer your question about the new DC9310 charger, yes it is a 3 stage charger.
JC wrote:
There are also independent companies out there that can rebuild your battery. www.voltmanbatteries.com
This does bring me to the topic of battery care. NiCad batteries do require maintenance, and there are certainly “best practices”
to maximize battery life.
1- Don’t leave batteries in extreme temperatures. If they are left on a jobsite try to leave them in a cooler to minimize extreme temperatures.
2- If your NiCad’s are not in use, leave them on the charger. This keeps them topped off, (trickle charged) and also increases battery cycle life.
3- Do not discharge the NiCad batteries fully. Memory does not exist is modern NiCad’s due to smart charger technology. Discharging them fully can damage the cells. This is why most Li-ion batteries have circuits that shut down the battery from being fully discharged. A battery is only as good as it’s weakest cell.
Doing these basic steps will ensure maximum Nicad battery life!
What if you go a couple months of no use before ramping up usage again? I’m assuming they can sit in the case until you need them, and then you’d charge them up the night before you need them. Will that harm them in any way>?