Archived from the Tools In Action forum (Power Tools). This thread is read-only.
We’ll see what comes of this idea, but I’m considering documenting the status of my power tools and batteries in depth. Simply put, since retiring 2-1/2 years ago, I’ve kept most of my tools and batteries in a non-climate-controlled garage, meaning they’ve been exposed to South Louisiana’s heat and humidity over three summers, as well as the occasional cold spells (like this past week, where the temperature dropped as low as single digits). They’re also not getting any newer, with most of my batteries dating between 2010 and 2018.
I’ve been gradually organizing the tools and pulling batteries to recharge and have found a few dead batteries that I hope to revive: a FlexVolt 6Ah, Ridgid 3Ah, and a Ryobi 6Ah, among others. Right now, the plan is to simply toss batteries that won’t charge into a bin and eventually try jumping them. If unsuccessful, they’ll have to move to a recycling bin. I’ve been pleasantly surprised by Metabo HPT and Bosch, as their 18v batteries have all held up great. I need to check my Hitachi 12v batteries, though, and the EGO batteries seem to be okay besides the 5Ah one that has maybe half the runtime of my other 5Ah. Milwaukee is the clear winner so far, with zero dead batteries between the M12 and M18 ones I’ve found so far. Regardless of their state of charge when stored, they seem to be holding up fine. I guess a key point of concern is how the batteries perform when used demandingly, so that will be part of my report/review, if I decide to pursue this further.
The tools themselves are all doing great, though some have a little mildew on the rubber parts, especially the Ridgid tools. Nothing a sanitizing wipe or cloth won’t remove. The ones I stored outside in jobsite boxes since 2022 still look the same as when I put them in there, and the batteries in the boxes all seem as good as new.
It goes without saying that we should strive to take care of our tools if we want them to take care of us. Honestly, from 2016 to 2020 or so, I bought so many tools that I won’t mind losing a few due to my own lack of caring, so long as I learn something from the experience. After all, we can’t take them with us, won’t get anywhere near what we paid for them if we ever decide to sell, and our kids and grandkids will likely just sell them for pennies on the dollar once we’re gone. In the coming years I’ll use up what I have, and probably ultimately stick to a handful of platforms for specialty tools, with Ryobi serving as my primary platform. We’ll see…
I’m in, crack on!
So far, aside from the aforementioned batteries, I’ve found a couple more Ryobi batteries that aren’t taking a charge, as well as a couple of M12 batteries. Most batteries have 14+ volts, reflecting a possible dead or dying cell, but the Ridgid 3Ah as well as Ryobi 1.5 and 4Ah batteries show zero. Fortunately, the Ridgid battery (an Octane Bluetooth version) was part of a drill kit and covered under the LSA. I sent that off today.
I was able to successfully jump a couple of batteries, including another Ryobi 4Ah and an M12. The dead FlexVolt went from having no display to showing a single bar, though it still does nothing on the charger. In the coming weeks I plan to buy a variable power supply to tinker around with the batteries some more (ideally with minimal heat/sparks/flame/bodily harm). My long-dead DeWalt 4Ah battery that was replaced under warranty seems to have good cells, but a connector corroded away in my truck, so I likely just need to salvage a connector from another 20v Max pack if I find another dead one.
There is lots of useful information on the Battery University site, including this one on Li-ion battery death.