In article ,
TheOldFellow wrote:
On Mon, 06 Apr 2009 11:03:00 +0100
"Dave Plowman (News)" wrote:

In article ,
TheOldFellow wrote:
Nicad and Nimh batteries are a waste of money - however cheap they
are.

********. Good quality Ni-Cads or NiMH are fine for cordless tools.
They just have different characteristics to LiOn.

Poor quality cells of any type are a waste of money.


I thought that too - until I bought a Metabo Li-On drill 3 years ago.
14v works like 18v, always ready, no worries about putting it away
discharged, charges in 15 minutes... The list goes on and on.

I'd expect a top of the pile make to be good regardless of the battery
type. Ultra fast charging may be useful - but a better solution is two
batteries which will recharge within a normal time for one being used up -
and if this is 15 minutes you're probably not using the correct tool for
the job. ;-)

The more infrequently you use it, but assuming you need to do quite a
bit when you do need it, the more sense it makes to have a Li-On drill.

I have a NiMh drill which seems to hold its charge quite well enough for
my use. Which certainly isn't every day. Good Ni-Cads don't self discharge
as fast as some think either.

I don't use any other cordless tools, so I can't say anything about
them.

Poor quality in any tool is a waste of money - you learn that
quite early on - the trick is avoiding them, and price/branding isn't
what it used to be. I have an B&D 1/4" router that is over forty
years old - still works fine - I wouldn't buy a B&D toilet roll today.

B&D have always been a bit variable. A brand doesn't necessarily guarantee
consistency of design or quality. Except perhaps at the top end.

What really matters with any cordless tool battery wise is that the
battery retains its performance for a good time. And I'm pretty certain
when LiIoN become common at the bottom end they'll have no better a
service life than the others they replace. After all they want to shift
new product after a while.

--
*Be nice to your kids. They'll choose your nursing home.

Dave Plowman London SW
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