Cordless Power Tool Batteries Care Guide
We’ve seen a big shift the past few years as battery technology has transitioned from nickel-cadmium to the lithium-ion cordless power tool batteries you likely use today. This transition is what has caused a lot of confusion, as some people still abide and preach by age-old mantras applicable only to the older nickel-cadmium variety. This post specifically looks at getting the most out of the Lithium-ion (Li-ion) power tool batteries likely used in all your modern electronics – smartphones, tablets, cordless drill, electric lawnmowers, etc.
Don’t Keep Power Tool Battery Fully Charged
Keeping batteries fully-charged for long periods of time is something you want to avoid as well. This could spell trouble for things we use infrequently, and perhaps leave sitting on their battery chargers, such as cordless power tools or electric lawnmowers. Leaving your lawnmower battery plugged-in and charged for days will diminish its life — the chargers they are packed with are often not intelligent enough to turn-off when capacity is reached.
For most everyday devices we depend on this isn’t an issue — as we often take our tablets, and smartphones mobile and off-grid. Laptops typically have smart chargers or built-in software that prevents over-charging. How well this works or doesn’t may depend on the model and manufacturer. In most cases, if you’re planning on being plugged-in for a while at the home or office and can remove your DEWALT DW9091 Power Tool Battery…do it. This keeps the battery away from the heat of the CPU and reduces your chance of overcharging if reliable intelligence isn’t built in.
Don’t Fall into the Fully Discharge and Recharge Routine
This is perhaps the most prevalent myth carried over from the Nickel-Cadmium power tools battery days. For those batteries, fully discharging and recharging helped because they experienced ‘memory effect’ — a phenomenon when the battery remembers a charge capacity for better or worse. This memory effect is not experienced by Li-ion cordless drill batteries and a routine of fully discharging and recharging them is actually detrimental to their longevity.
Store Power Tool Battery at Room Temperatures
Li-ion batteries don’t like is heat. In fact, prolonged exposure to temperatures above 85 degrees F can cause stress to the battery. For this reason it’s important to keep your laptop, tablet, or smartphone in a well-ventilated space while working. Don’t leave it lying on the bed, cuddled in some sheets, as the heat will eventually take its toll on the battery. For this same reason it’s important to store your MAKITA 6093D Power Tool Battery and perhaps even electric lawnmower batteries indoors. Find a spot for them in an office closet or air-conditioned space indoors.
Store Cordless Drill Battery at 50% Capacity and Recharge every 2 Months
If you plan on storing your power tool batteries for a long period of time, please try to store at 50% battery capacity and give them some juice every couple of months. Storing at full charge again can reduce the battery capacity and life, as well as leaving the batteries dormant for an extended time.
