cordless drill batteries shot

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Oliver Springs, TN
I bought a makita 14.4 Ni-MH combo kit (impact/driver) about 4 years ago and I knew it would eventually happen. The batteries have begun to give up the ghost. Well one started not holding a charge for very long awhile ago, now the second battery is on the decline.

I really like the impact driver. I use it about 90 percent of the time. It's nice to have the drill for when I'm predrilling and can have a drill bit in one and driver in the impact however.

Ah! the immortal question. Should I replace the batteries, have them rebuilt, or look for a deal on just a new impact?
 
I had some 9.6v batteries rebuilt just because I like the feel of the drill motors that used them. I had the batteries rebuilt to a larger mAh and they do have a bit more kick and last longer (I do charge them 4 or 5 to 1 versus my lithium however).

The cost for the improved batteries including shipping was about the same a new lower mAh batteries. I used MTO/Battery Builders and was very satisfied with the service and turnaround time. If you don't love the feel and features of the tool this is a good time to replace. If you like them, a rebuild is a viable solution.

My Makita and DeWalt are both over 10 years old and run great. There was nothing wrong with the tool, just needed batteries.
 
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The cost for the improved batteries including shipping was about the same a new lower mAh batteries. I used MTO/Battery Builders and was very satisfied with the service and turnaround time.
My Makita and DeWalt are both over 10 years old and run great. There was nothing wrong with the tool, just needed batteries.

Glenn,
Thanks for the info on battery re-built... I didn't know that was possible, so have tossed one battery already for my Craftsman battery driver... I use it almost every day and so far, the second battery is hold up nicely... the driver is at least 10 years old and I would hate to lose it because of a battery.

I know that when people came to Lowe's looking for battery replacements, it was almost cheaper to buy new tools... but that was a couple of years back.
 
Same thing here. I have 3 Makita 14.4's and I'm down to 2 batteries. I had 4.
I was totally unaware thet they could be rebuilt:eek:

I have 1 small Lithium Ion driver made by Skil that i've had for well over a year. I just keep it in its recharger and it never seems to quit no matter how many screws I drive with it. If I could afford it i'd buy all new LI tools.

Sometimes I think that my old corded drill is the way to go.
 
The new LiIon batteries are really nice. I have the whole suite of Milwaukee M18 tools and really like them. Even the compact batteries have good life for a woodworker, and the full size batteries in the Sawzall and circular saw are the same. Before that I had a Makita with the 14.4v LiIon battery which I really liked but got a deal on the Milwaukee stuff and wanted to standardize batteries.

When we went to Maine for a week and moved to a new place every couple days I took 1 drill with a 3/8" drive adapter and a 3/4" socket, 1 big battery, and a charger. Running the stabilizer jacks on our camper up and down, including about stalling out the drill on each when the jacks got tight, I only had to charge once late in the trip because I was down to 1 bar of power on the on-board battery meter.
 
I forget his last name too. MTO Battery is his company. I've used them and they did a great job.

However, I think the LiIon batteries are a major improvement and with the that I know of, with the exception of Ryobi and Dewalt, switching means new tools.
 
Thanks for all the replies. I have really used and abused the two drills. I got them when we started building our house. I have really tortured the impact driver and it still keeps plugging along. I've got a PC cordless that I only use in the shop that still works after about 7 years. I hope a new battery and a lot less abuse will make for a longer life for the batteries.

I'll probably be sending one of the two batteries off this week to get rebuilt.
 
I've rebuilt my milwaukee 14.4's a couple of times. You can get the c-plus cells on line. It's been a few years since i did it (last rebuild still holding out fine), and i don't remember the cost. I do remember that it was less expensive than having them redone or replacing them. I upped the MaH when i rebuilt and did have a noticeable upgrade in performance.
It helps that my battery packs are not glued together. I loosen some screws and pull them apart. Rebuilding one pack takes an hour or two with the soldering gun. If you decide to do this yourself, make sure you get the battery cells with the solder tabs on them.
Paul Hubbman
 
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