Cordless Drill

**Ian Butler** · 2nd March 2011, 08:22 PM

I know this isn't a Triton topic but maybe someone can help with some advice about cordless drills. Having had a Ryobi cordless with a Ni-Cad battery since 1998 and which hasn't performed from day one I'm looking to upgrade. My dilemma is that I only use the thing very occassionally (maybe because my Ryobi is unreliable) so I'm wondering whether the battery type is something that has now become more important. Most of the later types use a Lithium Ion battery. Can anyone inform me if the Lithium Ion battery is more suitable for occasional use. If so what voltage should I be looking for?

All advice appreciated... Ian

**chrisb691** · 2nd March 2011, 08:52 PM

I bought a Ryobi, with Lithium batteries before Christmas, and used it for the first time yesterday. No problem at all, and I got the job done without needing to charge. Previously, I was in the same situation as you, and always had a flat drill when I needed it. So I'm very happy at this point.

As an additional bonus, the batteries only take 3/4 hr to charge, so they seem ideal for my usage pattern.

I can't comment on longevity, and only time will tell.

**crowie** · 3rd March 2011, 08:46 AM

G'Day Ian,
Not sure if this'll help, just my personal experience!
I have a number of old NiCad Battery Cordless drills and they all loose there charge over time if I don't regularly use them & of course recharge; they have a memory which also means they need to be fully discharged before the recharge in order to get the most out of the battery.
A drill I have with a NiMh batteries don't have the memory recharge issue but still does seem to lose its charge over time though longer.
My new drill has the lithium batteries and it seems to have neither of the above issues through I think from memory that it too will slowly discharge it's self over a considerably longer time.
My best advice is to always purchase QUALITY tools, the tradesmen’s range so that as a handyman your purchase will be for the long time investment and not a "use it & ditch it" tool.
Cheers, Crowie
PS - Others with more knowledge and expertise may be better qualified to advise you on the correctness of my experiences

**Ian Butler** · 25th March 2011, 08:32 PM

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alibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> My apologies for this late reply – I've been away. Thank you both for your very prompt and informative replies. In the interim, since creating my initial post, I did some research on Li-on batteries and found that yes, they indeed, outperform all earlier battery types. And then on Friday, I received my copy of the 'Crash Comic' (CASA Air Safety Digest) and to my surprise there was an article about Li-on batteries. Well the carriage of LI-on batteries by air. Apparently, they are quite unstable and quote, "are emerging as a 21st century aviation hazard.", and being "as unpredictable, intense and persistent fire starters". But as I don't intend to take a Li-on battery powered cordless drill with me when I fly I doubt there'll be a problem. Interestingly the article did raise the fact that they can explode in a charger if they're over-charged. There was a case locally, here on the NSW Central Coast, where a retail store was destroyed by fire caused from exploding Li-on batteries left on charge well past the recommended charge time.

Anyway I'm convinced so, sometime this weekend, I'm off to make a selection and purchase a quality Li-on cordless drill!

Thanks once again for the first-hand advice.

Cheers, Ian

**malb** · 26th March 2011, 03:47 PM

Ian, I don't know how much you plan to spend on a drill, but the trade level L-ion units have smart chargers which monitor and control the charge very carefully to avoid any hazard. I use Makita 18 V L-ion gear and they have a microprocessor build into the battery that the charger accesses. The micro monitors the battery usage and even appears to be be able to disconnect the load if the battery is about to be over discharged.

The charger has access to info about how the battery has been used, and it's current temperature. The chargers incorporate a variable speed fan that blows into the battery housing to cool cells, and the charge current is controlled to limit cell temperature. A battery which has been working hard and heating up is charged more slowly if immediately set to charge than it would if it had a period to cool between use and recharging.

The lower end units may not have the smarts that the trade units have, but then that also applies to to NiCd/NiMH systems as well, the bargain systems can literally destroy their batteries in a few fast charge cycles unless very carefully user monitored.

All battery systems have their down sides, particularly heat and overcharging. Lithium is also a hazard if the cell cases get punctured as the contents then become a fire hazard. This is why they are not popular as air freight. While it is extremely unlikely that the batteries would be the primary cause of an incident, they are likely to promote secondary fires after an impact if they are damaged, reducing the chances of crew/passenger survival. They are still acceptable for use as propulsion batteries in hybrid cars etc, hence the green HYBRID number plate badges similar to the red LPG ones.

**Barry_White** · 27th March 2011, 11:57 AM

I bought a Ryobi L-ion 2 speed 14.4 volt drill with two batteries last year and have been impressed with it. It seems to have a smart charger that doesn't let you over charge the battery.

It also has a built in facility to stop you flattening the battery by stopping operating and if you pull the trigger again it will drill for a minute and stop again so you just put it on charge which takes about 40 minutes to fully charge again.

It also seems to hold the charge if left for awhile.

**Ian Butler** · 31st March 2011, 08:59 PM

Thank you everyone for your input and advice.
I did buy a trade unit, a mid-range Hitachi which does have a 'smart' charger. Used it for the first time last weekend and now I realize that I should have bought one several years ago when they first came on the market. Initially, I'd decided to but an 18v unit but was offered a deal I couldn't refuse for 14.4v version via a friend who works for Hitachi. So hopefully now I can get on with the projects I have in mind and can put my faithful old spiral ratchet screwdriver away. Although the screw driver was a brute of thing, nearly 45cm in length when extended), its given me a lot of good service. One thing is for sure, my wrist will appreciate the cordless unit. Thanks again all... Ian

**Bushmiller** · 31st March 2011, 10:31 PM

Ian

You beat me to the punch. I was going to recommend either the Panasonic 14.4V or the Hitachi 14.4V. Both are little jewels. I and my son have the Panasonics and we also have the drill drivers.

They are truly amazing. My son maintains he can put a 4" batten screw into hardwood without pre-drilling, but I haven't seen him do that.

If you are feeling particularly flushed do consider the drill/driver mate to your Hitachi. It is like a minature rattle gun. In fact you can use it to undo the wheel nuts on your car with an adaptor.

Regards
Paul

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