"Lew Hodgett" wrote in news:543b3110$0$1593
:

Having been visited by members of the sticky finger club,
I have been without tools for some time.

Made the decision to get at least a battery powered drill.

Last time around it was an 18 VDC DeWalt complete
with a couple of batteries and a panel saw as a kit
that cost $400-$600.

This time, something for an occasional hole drilling
or screw driving will get the job done.

Time to look at Harbor Freight.

Found a 3/8, 900 RPM 18 VDC drill with a charger
and one battery for $16.99.

Probably has plastic gears, has only a 90 day guarantee
from Harbor Freight, and a charging system that just plain
sucks.

It requires 3-5 hours to charge.

It has a red and a green pilot light.

The green light indicates it is connected to shore power.

The red light indicates the battery is being charged.

There is no indication when the battery is recharged.

Plug it in and wait 3-5 hours, that's it.

Assuming that the drill will perform, a work around
exists for a charging system.

Buy a 2nd drill.

You now have two (2) batteries (NiCad), a back up charger,
and a 2nd drill which is always handy.

Best of all, you have less than $40 invested.

Not a bad deal, if it works.

Time will tell.

Lew



I use timers on my NiCd battery chargers. In the 3-5 hours it takes to
charge a battery, I've usually forgotten about the battery being charged.
Some timers are easy to set up to only shut off, while others require
surgery. (The ones with the pins are super easy. Just remove the 'on'
pin.)

There are some chargers out there, though, that will discharge a battery
if left "unplugged" with the battery in. It's always a good idea to
remove the battery after it's done charging even if you aren't going to
use it.

Puckdropper
--
Make it to fit, don't make it fit.