Dead Cordless Tools

[Marc St Louis]

Most of us use cordless tools, I don't use them for building bows but I use them for other purposes.  I've had 2 pretty decent cordless drills that I bought several years ago, one a 14.4 and the other a 12 volt, and the battery packs finally died.  The battery packs can be quite pricey so I was looking for an alternative method of fixing them.  I did a bit of research and found several methods of rejuvenating the batteries on YouTube, this being one of them http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g0JbNX4K4fQ.  Using a 12 volt battery I zapped each battery in the 14.4 packs individually for 2 seconds and it worked.  I was apprehensive at first so I used a 1/4 Plexiglas shield but it worked quite well.  One of the packs had been dead for over a year and it fixed that one to.  Now I have 2 battery packs that work just like new.  I haven't done the 12 volt yet but I will.  All these years of throwing away these types of batteries that can be recycled is over with. 

Isn't YouTube great?

P.S.  This is the YouTube vid I used http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ja2TXbkDI2I&feature=related

[Lee Slikkers]

I'll have to watch that when I have more time but I understand what you mean about recycle and the extra $...I went to use my Dremel this weekend, battery pack dead, dead.  Have 2 other cordless drill packs that are dead as well.  Thanks for the tip Marc.

[Josh]

cool thanks for the link!  I will have to remember that for future reference. 

[jeffhalfrack]

  Are  you  friggn  kidding  me???   the  money  that  I've  spent!!!  never  again!!!!!!!!!!!    thank you!!!!!  JEFFW

[criveraville]

Thanks for the link Marc.. I have spent WAY too much money on battery packs.. Also guys you can pick up "dead" battery packs at yards sales for quarters or sometimes they just want to give them away.. That's where I would start.. Yard sales and such..

[Marc St Louis]

Please be aware.  As the guy said in the second link I posted, if you zap it for more than 3 seconds you will have a "FUBAR" and that is not good.  I did it for the count of 2 and it was plenty.

[Lombard]

Beware of the dreaded FUBAR, which was preceded by the SNAFU. SNAFU quickly becomes FUBAR. There is no smiley available of an ambulance hauling your blind butt to the hospital.

[criveraville]

To make it school apropriate I went with MUBAR --- Messed......   

[stickbender]

     Cool!  Thanks, that will help out a lot!  I had also seen the one on the 6 volt light batteries, when opened contain a whole bunch of AA batteries.  A whole lot cheaper than buy them in the four and eight packs.   Seems there is always a way to do something once thought not possible.

                                                                          Wayne

[skyarrow]

Well it works our makita 18vlt batter was giving a bad battery light on the charger so i zapped it with my mini arch welder it took two tries and I had to fully discharge it two times before it took a proper charge now today I just zapped our old 18vlt makita that the first one replaced hopefully it works with them also if you want pics of my mini arch welder let me know