rebuilding ni-cad batteries

larry merlau

Member
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18,741
Location
Delton, Michigan
has anyone done it them selves, i have a pair of panasonic 15.6 batteries that have about done there last, called a guy on them and he said he could rebuild them but didnt give price on the phone?? so i was looking at them today and see that they are screwed together the case that is, so maybe a DIY guy like me might be able to buy parts and get them back into shape, but am asking if anyone has done it and am i dreaming about trying it myslef???
 
Generally (YMMV) the OEM cells are sopt-welded together, which most home shops aren't equipped to do. You can get cells with tabs already welded on, but then you still have to soft-solder them together.

MTO sells rebuild kits, but they cost nearly the same as having MTO do the rebuild.

For my DeWalt and Fein batteries, I just let them do it. Seemed easier, and there were no cost savings.
 
Just a general contribution; the four batteries I have had rebuilt by MTO (2 Makita and 2 DeWalt) have performed without issue for years. I don't run cordless drill motors all that much but, they have all been recharged many, many times. If there was a warranty selection back when I did it, I have forgotten about it ;-)
 
Just a general contribution; the four batteries I have had rebuilt by MTO (2 Makita and 2 DeWalt) have performed without issue for years. I don't run cordless drill motors all that much but, they have all been recharged many, many times. If there was a warranty selection back when I did it, I have forgotten about it ;-)
if you dont use cordless drill motors much what do you use???
 
A philosophical difference here. When I look at the cost to rebuild a battery pack, it's usually half the cost of a new drill. In most cases, if I have both battery packs needing to be rebuilt, it's more than the cost of a new drill when checking sale prices. I'd rather have a whole new setup, I guess. :dunno:
 
well bill, i understand that concept,, but the new ones seem to be 3.3 amp hr and some are only 3..depends on where you look..so i was looking to maintain the heavier amp hrs if i could..if the clutches were shot then it would be a no brainer but the clutches are still good..:)
 
Larry makes a good point. The kits come with the low end batteries (like the partially filled toner cartridges in your printer). I had mine rebuilt to the higher mAh for abut the cost of new "original" batteries. Quite a difference. Your housings dictate how robust a cell you can run (at least in the case of my old 9.6v batts). I had two sets of DeWalts with the same part # but, different sized housings. Talking to MTO I decided to send the larger housings as they could be upgraded. The Makitas only came one size and were capable of a mAh bump as well. Still going . . . I just checked . . . , I had them rebuilt in December of 2007. They are pitiful compared to my lithiums but, reliable as can be and still going strong.
 
hey jim did you get the extended warranty or just use the 6 month one?

I didn't even know they offered an extended warranty! Like Glenn, though, I've never had a problem with any of their rebuilds, so an extended warranty would've been wasted money anyway.

My oldest rebuilds are from 2007. The newest from earlier this year. All are better than new.
 
I haven't rebuilt drill batteries but I have done other rechargeable devices. I don't have a spot welder, but I have soldered wires to the ends of ordinary rechargeable batteries (like the ones sometimes on sale at Harbor Freight) see http://www.harborfreight.com/pack-of-4-nimh-rechargeable-aa-batteries-90148.html . I have substituted NiMH for NiCad without problem if I figure the charger can handle the faster charge rate.

When soldering to the batteries, you need to be "on your game" so you can make a quick, good connection without overheating the batteries.
 
Generally (YMMV) the OEM cells are sopt-welded together, which most home shops aren't equipped to do. You can get cells with tabs already welded on, but then you still have to soft-solder them together.

MTO sells rebuild kits, but they cost nearly the same as having MTO do the rebuild.

For my DeWalt and Fein batteries, I just let them do it. Seemed easier, and there were no cost savings.


Yes, old-old thread. But MTO seems to no longer be in business.
 
The other option would be a battery adapter to use a newer tool's battery with the older tool of the same voltage. Doing this with my Hitachi batteries, though the battery adapters are easier to find for brands like Dewalt, Milwaukee, and Makita. Search ebay and amazon to find a few of them.
 
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