Thread: 4 batteries one tool

NiCd batteries can be left off charge and unused for quite a while without any issues, but if they go totally flat you may as well throw them out.

I'd be tempted to sell 2, no point having 4 batteries for one tool, but keep them topped up and cycle through them and you'll be fine.

Originally Posted by pjt

Is a recharge best every so often even if I haven't used the battery? Absolutely not.
Is a small charge like an hour a week good bad or indifferent? Absolutely not.
Do I just leave them to go flat? Yep, or fairly flat anyway.
Do I have two in constant cycle and not bother with the 2 others? I reckon.

NiCads are cantankerous little suckers Pete. If you keep topping them up they will develop a memory for a low charge amount - i.e. you will put them into a state will they will only ever accept the sort of charge you have been giving them - a top up, regardless of how flat they are.

In fact, unless you are a really high volume user, by having four of them you may well send them ALL to an early grave.

I'm not sure about them going completely flat - I seem to recall hearing that this buggers them as well.

Like I say, they are cantankerous. You begin to understand why LiIon is all the rage these days.

Right you are FF, I forgot about NiCds and 'charge memory', run them down and charge fully is best.
Using them till they're TOTALLY flat will kill them, I learnt that one the hard way

So, sounds like......
running them until absolutly dead flat is a no go,
charge up at first sign of slowing,
charge and leave charged,
after a time maybe discharge and then recharge spare unused batteries...time left might be depend on actual battery condition at a guess, maybe check with a multimeter every so often.
cheers everyone



Pete