On Nov 21, 12:05 pm, "J. Clarke" wrote:

I don't know about the other manufacturers, but deWalt lithium ion batteries
are interchangeable in their tools with NiMH, so even if they stop selling
the NiMH batteries there are lots of them around that can be rebuilt.

Absolutely true. And as a matter of fact, the cordless tools don't
care what kind of battery they get their power from as long as it is
within the correct voltage variances they can handle.

After a lot of looking around, I decided to have my old NiMh batteries
rebuilt as NiCads.

The NiMh batteries discharged in the truck too fast, and in the summer
they would stay charged in the tool box for more than 2 - 3 days in
the 100+ days we have here.

While I knew that both heat and cold had a very bad effect on all
types of batteries, I had used my NiCad drills for so long I just took
them for granted. I thought the NiMh drill would be OK in the work
truck, like the old NiCad. We don't have much cold weather down here,
an occasional freeze or so, but I guess 140 degrees F in the cab and
tool boxes were way too much for them over the summer months.

In the end, BOTH NiMh batteries only lasted a little over a year.
There is a LOT of information about battery life and usability in
regards to heat and cold. I didn't know there was a difference a few
years ago when I go the NiMh powered drill. I just didn't know there
was that much difference in performance with the batteries, or I
wouldn't have bought NiMh.

I should have been great..... 2.6ma rated, one hour charger, no memory
effect (real or perceived), all metal planetary gears, clutch lockout,
excellent chuck, lots of torque.... I was sold.

Worse drill I ever bought, due to the batteries.

I carved up one battery pretty badly with my Dremel to get it open to
see how it was assembled. I got the second one open (these were not
screwed together) after finding the contact/glue points of the battery
casing.

I cross referenced the old battery type and size and bought a new
Makita NiCad that fits my drill from Amazon. After I sliced the case
open, the "Battery Techs" company here rebuilt the good case for $38
including tax.

Back in the saddle with a great drill that works fine for $90.

One of the keys that made this work though, was the fact that the
Makita charge is a "smart charger" and can detect the difference
between NiCad and NiMh. Changing over the batteries to NiCad didn't
mean I had to buy a new $75 charger as well.

Robert