Thread: Cordless Batteries Not Holding Charge......Any Ideas

The proces is called deep cycling. I remember some harware stores have (had?) a machine to recondition batteries by busting the 'memory' electronically.

I don't know the theory, or if it works, but a camera salesman spent some time trying to convince me to try freezing the batteries, then recharging them. (who knows...maybe it was a sure-fire way to finish them off, creating yet another sale?)

How long have you had and used the batteries?? It could be that they are just worn out. Ni-Cad batteries aren't as reliable as the newer Ni-MH.
Ni-Cad batteries also seem more sensitive to charging times. If you leave the constantly charging, it will significantly reduce their live span.

freezing batteries never has seemed to work for me.

Beaver, I have always found Battery World more than helpful when it comes to Batteries.

<TABLE dir=ltr cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=4 width=546 border=0><TBODY><TR><TD dir=ltr align=left width=110>DARWIN<!--mstheme--></TD><TD dir=ltr align=left width=183><!--mstheme-->Unit 4, 21 DeLatour Street
Coconut Grove NT 0810<!--mstheme-->



</TD><TD dir=ltr align=left width=115><!--mstheme-->(08) 8985 1991<!--mstheme--></TD><TD dir=ltr align=left width=106><!--mstheme-->(08) 8985 1997</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>
Battery World is a franchise operation, and I've dealt with one of their Melbourne franchisees for a number of years. They're a most knowledgeable lot.

(With a forum name like "Beaver" are you Cdn?)

Hi,

I just had a similar problem with my drill (Ryobi 12V). Found the batteries were going to cost around $50.00 each for new ones so I settled on a new drill instead. The price of drills has dropped so much now (unless you can afford Festool, De Walt etc., not me though) so it wasn't really worth it.

I ended up with a GMC 24V for $95.00 from Bunnies. Not sure what hardware/tool stores you have up your way but I know Bunnies down here have been selling the 18V GMC for $45.00

Regards

It can depend on the brand of battery drill. I bought two Ryobi 12 volt drills and from day one they would not hold a charge overnight without even using them. I perservered for 2 weeks charging and flattening them to no avail.

I ended up buying a DeWalt 18 volt and the batteries will last for weeks using them constantly with out recharging.

The older style NiCads were always notorious for the 'memory' problem, and, so far as I am aware, there isn't a reliable way of overcoming this.

If they won't take and hold a charge, then I'm afraid that they're just som much junk - but don't just 'bin' them as Nickel isn't very nice and Cadmium is positively (sorry - no pun intended) lethal. You might have to trawl your local yellow pages for a site that will take them.

BTW, I have a Bosch 18v (I think) cordless, and the batteries will last ages, and hold their charge for months. Quick to recharge too. An 8 or 9 year old little Makita cordless is still a reliable user, even though it's batter isn't very big - but being a small drill, it's still a handy gadget to have.

Cheers!

depending on how old ur battery is, and how many charegs it has had, it the battery may simply be worn out. Rechargeable batterys have a certain lift span, and i guess thats where quality comes into play. Nicads certainly to have a 'memory' affect. Thats why i always make sure the battery is discharged before recharing.

Interestingly the Cordless drill with 2 suspect batteries is a 12v Ryobi, same as both Skratbags and Barry Whites........................

Skrat,

I'll be in Adelaide in about 6 weeks, so I will check out my options then, too much packing to do in the meantime for any meaningful woodworking anyway.

Thanks for all of your replys, this newbie says Cheers.

DPB,

100% Pure Aussie, if I understand you correctly asking my Nationality.

My forum name connects me with both my career and my passion for woodworking.

Cheers

Beaver

Originally Posted by Beaver

My forum name connects me with both my career and my passion for woodworking.

Cheers

Beaver

You build dams? :confused:

Originally Posted by Beaver

I have two 12v Ni-Cad Batteries for my cordless drill, which are not holding charge. :mad:

After charging as normal, they are not last much more than 5 minutes without going flat again. I am not working them hard either.

I remember reading somewhere about batteries developing memory, and some process to fix this problem.

Any suggestions or ideas would be appreciated.

Maybe its our lovely Darwin weather playing havoc with them too.

Cheers

Beaver

Beaver
Have a look at
HOMEMADE TOOLS AND JIGS
There is a post there by Niki on Batteries which has some detailed discussion on the problem
Cheers
HarcX

I'd say your batteries are just worn out. They only have a certain amount of cycles in them, maybee 500 if your lucky, in the perfect conditions.

The NiCd memory effect business is an urban myth, but it still keeps coming up. In summary, if you overcharge a NiCd battery, it develops a voltage depression which makes the battery appear to go flat earlier than you would expect. Since the discharge curve is so steep, sensitive devices which rely on battery voltage to detect when it is almost flat, will report that it is almost flat early due to the voltage depression, when in fact the cell still has significant charge. The voltage depression can be rectified by discharging the cell to its full discharge level.

Many people misinterpret this phenomemon and conclude that the battery somehow remebers its last discharge level on the next charging cycle. This is not the case. The only effect that the current charge level has on the next charging cycle is that it's much easier to overcharge a NiCd cell whose current charge state is unknown, than it is to overcharge one which is known to be flat.

The so-called "memory effect" is a simple case of user error in overcharging the cell. If you don't ever overcharge a NiCd cell, there's no need to discharge it before recharging it again.