The world of power tools has advanced and expanded far more than ever before. This is mostly thanks to the introduction of cordless power tools. Cordless tools have far outweighed corded ones due to their ability to be used anywhere without the need for an outlet. This was thanks to the incorporation of a rechargeable battery back in the 60s.
Cordless tools might not be the most heavy-duty solutions but they are quite versatile ones. Since you can not only use them without an outlet but you can also use them in the tightest of spaces. With cordless tools, you’re also considered to be safer but that’s as long as you’re charging and using them the right way.
Types of Cordless Battery Chargers
Intelligent
Used in conjunction with higher quality cordless tools, intelligent cordless power tool chargers are able to communicate with a memory chip inside the battery. This way they assess its charge levels and charge the battery accordingly. Intelligent cordless battery chargers are also made with cooling fans in order to reduce the temperature of the battery before charging. These are more advanced cordless battery chargers that are also safer and charge the batteries more efficiently.
Simple
As you’d expect, simple cordless power tool chargers are made of a plastic cradle that just fits over the contacts of the batteries. Because of this simple design, these chargers are able to only send out a charge of usually up to 10 A. There are no fans or special communications but there are versions of simple chargers where the battery sits in the cradle. This is the only similarity simple cordless power tool chargers have with intelligent ones. Other than that you’re just getting a cordless tool charger that only supplies power and nothing else. No reverse polarity protection for the battery or protection from overcharging.
Types of Cordless Tool Batteries
NiMH
Nickel metal hydride is a type of cordless tool battery that offers an increased capacity to older cordless tool batteries. They are also not as toxic to the environment but are sensitive to charging and storing conditions. NiMH batteries come with a low capacity loss and have a high energy density. But they are not as affordable or as easy to maintain as NiCd batteries. The memory effect of NiMH batteries, when compared to NiCd batteries, is moderate and it can be easily avoided if you charge them properly.
NiCd
A nickel cadmium battery is a lot more rugged and has a longer life cycle than a NiMH battery which is at about 1,000 charges. But NiCd batteries are the heaviest and they are also known to suffer from memory effect. As you already know they are not good for the environment and they can’t store a lot of charge either. NiCd are the oldest type of cordless batteries and because of this, they haven’t been improved upon that much. Especially not with the introduction of cordless tools with Li-ion or lithium batteries.
Li-Ion
The most advanced type of cordless tool battery is Li-ion. This type of battery has the highest energy density and it doesn’t take as long to charge as NiCd or NiMH batteries. They are also the lightest and are less sensitive to damage from temperature than NiMH batteries. Li-ion batteries are able to last anywhere between 300 and 500 cycles and they need no maintenance nor will experience memory effect. Although Li-ion batteries may not seem like the best solution now, in the future they are sure to make for the best-performing cordless tools.
Do’s and Don’ts of Charging Cordless Tool Batteries
Do’s
No matter what you do you should always keep your batteries charged. Even if they’re not being used and just sit around as even then they are slowly discharging. The majority of batteries will last you quite a long time if you keep them at around 70%. Make sure to discharge some batteries completely and keep others like Li-ion down to 20% of charge at all times.
Batteries should also be kept in cool and dry places and they should be used regularly to provide the best lifespan possible. Be sure to adjust the settings of your cordless tool such as torque or speed. This is done so that the battery provides the necessary power draw without you putting a lot of stress on both the tool and the battery.
Don’ts
What you should never do with cordless tool batteries is leave them on the cordless tool charger overnight. While this doesn’t go for Li-ion batteries, NiMH and NiCd batteries can suffer from overcharging. All types of cordless tool batteries should never be overheated as this can cause serious damage and even injure you. Especially when it comes to Li-ion batteries.
You should try and avoid getting your batteries wet or using them all the way until they drop dead. The latter shouldn’t be done regularly, but if done once in a while it won’t affect the lifespan of the battery as much.
Australian World 