Battery Depot

How to Resurrect a Drill Battery

It's possible to revive both nickel cadmium (Nicad) and nickel metal hydride (Ni MH) Ryobi cordless drill batteries. These batteries wear down and eventually die over their normal life cycle. The cordless drill battery resurrection process is simple and quick, but can be hazardous if you overcharge or mishandle the rechargeable batteries.

Mark the positive and negative leads on the battery case, using the voltmeter to determine which is positive and which is negative.

Unscrew the cordless drill battery case to reveal the rechargeable batteries within the case. Carefully remove the top of the cordless drill battery case. Keep the screws and the spring in a container so you can find them during reassembly.

Lift the battery cells from the battery casing. If the batteries are shrink-wrapped together, cut enough of the plastic away with scissors to reveal the top and bottoms of the battery cells.

Locate the point at which the wires from the battery pack terminal run down through the silver cardboard insulator. Mark this opening before you remove the battery terminal for easier reassembly.

Loosen and lift off the terminal piece, using needle-nose pliers. The metal band underneath the terminal piece must be insulated with electrical tape before you proceed.

Remove the silver cardboard insulation piece and place this piece aside. Remove the shrink wrap from the top and bottom of the battery cells, so the battery leads are exposed.

Test the batteries within the pack to determine which cells need reconditioning. Use the battery tester and mark all batteries that are not at full charge capacity.

Find the positive, or raised end, on the first battery to be reconditioned. Place the black alligator clamp from the 12-volt power source on the negative end of the battery cell, while holding the red alligator clamp to the positive end for no longer than two seconds.

Release both clamps. Using the battery tester, test the battery cell to see if it has been fully recharged. If not, repeat the zapping process.

Put on safety goggles, insulated gloves and long-sleeve shirts before beginning the reconditioning process.

Don't get your wires crossed or an explosion may occur.

Repeat the zapping process with all Black & Decker power tool batteries until they have all been reconditioned and then reassemble the battery pack.

How to Replace Power Tool Drill Brushes

Bosch manufactures a variety of power drills, both corded and cordless. Both types of drills have an electric motor that uses brushes and a commutator on the motor's armature. These brushes can wear out over time and need to be replaced. Bosch positioned the brushes so that they are easily accessible without having to remove the entire motor housing.

Remove the Dewalt power tool battery or unplug the power cable from the power outlet.

Insert a flathead screwdriver just beneath the brush cover on the right side near the rear edge of the drill motor housing, and pop out the brush cover.

Insert the screwdriver into the red notch of the carbon brushes. Lift the brushes out of the motor housing, noting the direction that the brushes are facing so that you can put in the replacement brushes in the same way.

Insert a clean cloth into the brush holder openings to clean them in preparation for the new brushes.

Insert the new brushes into the openings. Replace the brush cover.

Run the motor with no load for two minutes to burn in the brushes.

Always use Bosch-approved brushes to replace your drill's worn brushes.

Never attempt to replace the brushes without first disconnecting the drill from either the Bosch cordless drill battery or AC power.

How to Improve a Power Tool Battery

A cordless drill can be an excellent tool for home improvement jobs or commercial jobs. There are many different volt sizes of Makita batteries for cordless drill. They come in 9 volt, 12 volt, 18 volt and some 24 volt. Of course, the higher the voltage, the stronger the drill.

Improve a cordless drill battery and make it last longer by charging your battery completely when you first buy a cordless drill. Many people make the mistake of charging it for only 10 or 15 minutes. This actually lowers the life of the battery. Manufacturers recommend a full charge the first time you use a cordless drill because the battery has a memory. If it's not charged completely the first time, the battery's memory will consider that a full charge, and the battery won't last as long as it should on a charge.

Keep your cordless drill battery strong and improve its performance by charging it completely after your battery runs down. The way to tell if your battery is fully charged is to look for a red and green light on the charger. When the red light is on, your battery is charging. When the green light is on, the charger has cut off and your battery is fully charged.

Clean the cordless drill battery contacts as a way to improve its performance. Batteries usually have two contacts (one negative and one hot). Use a rag and clean away any dust or debris on the contacts. Make sure that your cordless drill contacts are also clean of debris.

Know that you can improve a Dewalt cordless drill battery by upgrading the battery that comes with the drill you've bought. Some companies have started making lithium batteries for your cordless drill. These batteries are stronger and last longer, therefore you can do more work with less charges.

Hitachi Power Tools

In 1994 Hitachi added manufacturing tools to the U.S. Its power tools are designed for both the residential and commercial sectors. The company has over 4,000 distribution centers and 1,000 service centers. Many of the tools it offers are only available in North America. New development is producing additions to Hitachi's power tool line on a continuous basis. Its power tools cover a wide variety of uses.

Hitachi cordless drills are powerful, balanced and come in a variety of styles. The 14.4V and 18V are available with a Lithium Ion power tool battery for Hitachi. The drill can be purchased separately or as part of a variety of kit combinations.

Circular saws from Hitachi are available with and without cords. As of November 2010, the company has eight styles to choose from. The saws are a little on the heavy side but are powerful for getting the job accomplished.

These heavy duty demolition tools include demolition hammers, rotary spline and masonry cutting tools. Designed for the rough jobs, the rotary tools transfer energy into the tool and away from you.

Hitachi offers table saws for use at work and home. The cabinet table saw has an induction motor. A 15-amp motor comes with the 10-inch table saw. Job-site and other table saws are available.

Angle grinders and die grinders are manufactured by cordless drill battery for Hitachi. They come with power of 5 to 15 amps. Lots of power allows you to feel the work but not the vibrations.

How to Fix an 18V Ryobi Drill Battery

The Ridgid Tool Co., founded in 1923, produces professional tools, including power drills, many powered by 18-volt lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery packs. Li-ion battery packs have gradually replaced nickel-based battery packs because Li-ion is more powerful, weighs about 40 percent less and holds a charge longer. If you find your Ridgid 18-volt battery pack begins to lose its charge quickly, or you notice a lack of power, it can be caused by shorting in one or more of the Li-ion cells in the battery pack. Try fixing the cordless drill battery for Ryobi before buying a new one.

Remove the cover from the 18-volt Ridgid drill battery. You will find it's held in place by up to eight Phillips screws, depending on the type of drill battery. Remove the screws using a suitably sized Phillips screwdriver, then gently lift the cover. You can't completely remove the cover because there are wires from the battery cell connected to the terminals on the battery cover. You can see the Li-ion cells inside the battery case once you have put the cover to one side.

Lift the complete 18-volt Ridgid cell pack from the battery case. You may need to remove any screws holding the bottom plate in place. You can access the Li-ion cells once the cell pack is removed. The cells are soldered to metal plates and are wired in series. Each cell produces 3.6 volts, so there are five cells in the pack and 10 soldered connections.

Heat a soldering iron. You need to melt the solder between each cell terminal and the metal plate. This fixes bad connections.

Put the end of the soldering iron directly onto a metal plate immediately above a cell terminal. Look between the metal plate and the cells and you can see the soldered connection. Wait while the solder melts. Remove the soldering iron. Use the end of a flathead screwdriver to carefully put a little pressure on the metal plate on the same place as the end of the soldering was placed. Let the solder harden (a matter of seconds), then remove the screwdriver.

Repeat the process on the remaining nine connections, using the soldering iron to melt the connections between the cell terminal and the metal plate. Apply a little pressure on the metal plate using the screwdriver while the solder hardens on each connection.

Let the cell pack cool completely. Replace the five cells into the battery case and screw the bottom plate back into place, if it was held this way.

Replace the battery pack cover. Use a Phillips screwdriver to tighten the screws that hold the battery cover in place. Put your 18-volt power tool battery for Ryobi on charge. Replace the battery pack in the Ridgid drill tool once charged. You should find the battery is fixed, so you won't need to get a replacement.