Oh So Many Batteries and so Many Temperatures

[TracyP]

Now that I hope I have your curiosity up. I want to ask what you do with your batteries that power the most used cordless power tools that you have. How do you protect them from extreme heat or cold? Both of which can permanently kill a rechargeable battery. Do you bring them inside or leave them in the shop?:dontknow: If you leave them in the shop, do they survive?:dontknow: Climate controlled shops exempt from this thread.:tongue2::tongue2:

 

[JackLeg]

My mess stays in the unheated shop. If it can't take it, tough!

I used to leave my chargers on, but no more, since you guys talked about fires starting from chargers. :icon_scra

I just try to keep my batteries charged up and hope!

:dontknow:

 

[PChristy]

Tracy, I have one of those cheap 18v B&D Firestorms - I have left out in the shop in the hottest part of summer and I have left out there in the coldest part of the winter for the past two years and the battery hasn't gave out on me yet - but since I have said this it just might die on me tomorrow

 

[mshel]

+1 on leaving them in an unheated shop. I haven't noticed a drastic drop in power. If one runs down, I pop in the spare and put the low one on the charger and in 15 mins, it is ready to rumble.

YMMV

Mike

 

[McRabbet]

+2 -- my shop gets down to about 50-55 in the winter and may get to 75 in the summer. I have all Ni-Metal Hydrides and they seem to hold their charge during any season. I also have multiple brands and sizes -- Bosch 14.4 and 18 Volt and Makita 14.4 volt. Oldest Bosch was purchased in early 2003 and both batteries are still fine.

 

[ptt49er]

+2 -- my shop gets down to about 50-55 in the winter and may get to 75 in the summer.

That's not extreme temperature changes, that's pretty comfortable. LOL

Mine are living in an unconditioned shop now, hopefully they'll hold up well.

 

[CrealBilly]

My batteries stay in the house - seems that my drills make it into the house for some reason or another and stay there.

 

[Trent Mason]

Mine stay in the shop. I don't have time to think about it. I've had my Ryobi 14vt for 4 years and the batteries finally went to crap on it. I'm just relying on the B&D :roll: right now and that one is going to crap. I think it is time, rather than temperature that kills batteries. Just looking forward to having a better drill. It's was right at the top of the list until I got the lathe. :rotflm:

 

[CaptnA]

I've never had a problem with temperature extremes affecting my batteries, and mine stay in an unheated unairconditioned shop.
As for age, one set is pushing 5 years and they still cycle well.
We have DeWalt rechargeable tools on most all of the engines at work and of course walkie talkies (3-4 per apparatus). With about 15 companies not counting chief officers fire marshals etc, we found the single common factor that affects battery life at work where we've followed their battery history has come down to over charging.
Once we got people to stop leaving the batteries on the chargers, battery life has jumped markedly. The next thing that affects duration is periodic running the battery dead before recharging. Yes there are different things for different types of batteries. This is just the gist of what we found. Battery maintenance to us literally can affect life and death.

 

[Gofor]

I use 12v NiCads (DeWalts). 1st four (came with the tools) lasted about 6 years (5 in FL and 1 here) before they wouldn't charge any more. Bought two new ones 2 years ago and they seem to be holding up fine.

The first ones were sorely abused: Run down to zilch and sometimes sat for a couple months before getting another charge (I was TDY a lot) The current ones get a charge at least monthly, but often as much as every couple weeks. They reside in my shop, non-climate-controlled, but with a southern exposure to the door, and a freezer in it running, it has yet to get below freezing (altho 40 degrees is common this winter.)

I did find out over the past couple years, when working projects during the 100+ heat waves - keeping them out of the direct sun especially when charging, and setting them in a cooler (along with 2 liter bottle frozen in freezer for chill) before charging and between uses greatly lengthens the service time in hot weather. The projects were building handicapped ramps, a deck, and closing in a carport, and involved changing the batts between drivers, and panel saw, so all got a couple charges a day.

With the new ones, I do not run them until they stop. I change out/charge when they first start bogging down when drilling or driving screws. Problem is that it will take another couple years before I know if this will make a difference tho:eusa_thin:eusa_thin

Go

 

[DavidF]

Mine stay in the unheated shop, no temp related issues as far as I know. As for keeping them on the charger; if I don't, the NiCads are always flat when I come to use them, just the nature of NiCads as opposed to NiMh I suppose.