We have a 9.6v Dustbuster that lost it's NiCd batteries rather quickly,
at least compared to the previous, lower voltage, Dustbuster. I have
ordered new cells to replace these, but I'm wondering about the
"charger" that the Dustbuster has. It's just a wall wart and a diode.
I.e., a trickle charger.

I seem to recall that trickle charging is not the best for NiCd's.
Right?

If not, I'm wondering whether I can use the "smart" charger that came
with my 9.6v Makita cordless drill. I'll need an adapter, clearly, but
is the Makita charger somehow specific to the Makita batteries, or will
it smart-ly charge any 9.6v NiCd?

Bob