Cordless drill battery repair or replacement?

[george formby]

Thought I would start another battery thread as it is raining..:whistle:

I have a Makita drill which has 14.4v, 1.3Ah Ni-Cd battery impersonators. They will hold enough charge to put a self tapper about 3mm through toilet paper (double ply, wet, with little dolphins on it). Not ideal. I priced up replacements, $80 each. I can buy the same drill new with batteries etc for less than 2 batteries.
Can the existing batteries be nurtured back to life or am I buying a new drill?
Seems a bloody shame to bin a good bit of kit for the sake of batteries.

Opinions & options?

[BoristheBiter]

Buy a new drill.

[george formby]

Buy a new drill.

But I'm of Scottish decent!

[The Reibz]

Sorry bro, your out of luck with Ni-Cad. Once they are gone, they are gone
Best option is to buy a new drill, pref a 18v lithium Ion supply. Had my current drill for 6 years and the batteries can still go a entire day on one charge. (18v Black and Decker) Desperately want a Dewalt for the street cred it brings

[BoristheBiter]

But I'm of Scottish decent!

In that case just steal it.:killingme

[george formby]

Sorry bro, your out of luck with Ni-Cad. Once they are gone, they are gone
Best option is to buy a new drill, pref a 18v lithium Ion supply. Had my current drill for 6 years and the batteries can still go a entire day on one charge. (18v Black and Decker) Desperately want a Dewalt for the street cred it brings

Got a Dewalt Sabre saw, phwoar!

I figured a new drill would be the way to go.
I just use a cordless for odd jobs round the house so how do brands like Ozito stack up in the 18v Li-Ion stakes? Cheap as chips. Yeah, I know you get what you pay for but a dozen screws once a month does not warrant a tradie tool. Got Metabo & Bosch with plugs on for proper jobs.

[george formby]

In that case just steal it.:killingme

That's how I got this one.

[The Reibz]

Yeah Ozito are apparently alright. I brought a 100mm angle grinder of theres and its still going 5 years later, doesn't see alot of use though.
Lithium Ion is awesome

[george formby]

Cheers. Looks like I'm going to have to prise open me wallet & leave the Makita on the shelf for the next 5 years before I chuck it.

[unstuck]

Solder a couple of wires into it with crocodile clips on the end, then you can run it off the car battery.:devil2:

[Laava]

Hey George have you tried downtown tools in whangas? They may be able to help or you could try Cellmate. He replaces the cells and can go up a notch on the aH as well. What about trade me? They often have good deals on new batteries. Another option to save chucking out what could otherwise be a useless tool, would be to bust open the dead batt, prise out the cells and wire in a long lead with a ciggie plug on the end to run off your car etc. of course this means you will need to park in the lounge to get anything done but meh!

Edit, just read Unstucks post and he mentions same thing.

[geoffm]

I replaced the cells in a couple of B&D drills (I had 2 the same with 4 batteries) and a Bunnings cheapie. Can you open up the battery pack or is it sealed. these had a couple of screws so you could open it up. They used Sub-C cells and i bought a pack of 50 with solder tabs on Ebay.
Cheap drills have lousy batteries - it is where they save money.
Geoff

[R650R]

Got one of these from Bunnings awhile back on special, batteries last well and has done some serious work.
Mate in the trade reckons the lithium batteries do degrade a bit of not getting used often so make the time to vandalise something on a regular basis with them :)
Mostly used drilling and screwing ply and timber but has drilled steel no worries when needed, takes up to 13mm drill too.
Yep those older battery drills are worthless now, had old Makita too. there is a new version of the Ryobi battery out too.

http://cdn4.buildingmoxie.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/06/Ryobi-18V-Lithium-Ion-ONE%2B-Cordless-Drill-Kit.jpg

[george formby]

Hey George have you tried downtown tools in whangas? They may be able to help or you could try Cellmate. He replaces the cells and can go up a notch on the aH as well. What about trade me? They often have good deals on new batteries. Another option to save chucking out what could otherwise be a useless tool, would be to bust open the dead batt, prise out the cells and wire in a long lead with a ciggie plug on the end to run off your car etc. of course this means you will need to park in the lounge to get anything done but meh!

Edit, just read Unstucks post and he mentions same thing.

Cellmate? Hmmm, somebody mentioned a place in Whangas that recondition batteries.
Looked on trademe & cheapos are still over $50. Also checked out DIY repair & feel that I will end up with broken battery bits rather than broken batteries.
Got me plug in drills so I just cart the extension cable about.
I'm more miffed that a good tool is obsolete so easily.
Will check out cellmate & Downtown tools. Cheers.

[imdying]

I have a mate who runs Milwaukee 28v (it's not actually 28 volt though, just their branding, AFAIK) gear. It's done about 10 years, and the batteries don't hold charge like they used to. It's had serious trade abuse. Given that, I'd recommend them, if you're looking for a replacement. At least I would, but is there new gear as good as that, I don't know :-/

You can still buy nicad batteries, so pop open the battery and measure the dimensions of the cells. After that it's relatively trivial to buy some from the net and refurb the packs for not a lot of money. If you can't get any to fit, then you're out of luck.

Nicads are shite compared to the new lithium gear, if you're flush they're a better option. If you're not doing sustained work, it probably doesn't matter too much.

Personally I don't do a huge amount of work away from a power point, so I buy corded tools, the batteries in those never fuck out <_<

[Robbo]

Once the batteries are gone they are not economic to repair/replace. Bunnings are currently doing a 12v Li-Ion cordless drill for $129 which is a good price or they have a 12v Ni-Cad for $39. Both would be ok for home handyman use but i would'nt do trade use with them.

[awa355]

But I'm of Scottish decent!

So why did you upgrade from the old brace & bit?

I've had to ditch two good drills simply because the batteries died. Cant afford the latest, so getting buy with the old Hitachi corded electric drill. AND a hand drill. ( I'm also scottish )

[Hobbyhorse]

https://www.google.co.nz/#q=simpower+ltd

The above link will take you to Simpower who rebuild batteries. I have used them a couple of times and the batteries have performed well for me. I think they now charge around $100 per battery.

[george formby]

So why did you upgrade from the old brace & bit?

I've had to ditch two good drills simply because the batteries died. Cant afford the latest, so getting buy with the old Hitachi corded electric drill. AND a hand drill. ( I'm also scottish )

Yeah, got a hand brace, too. It's the only drill I have which will put in perfectly straight holes for floating shelves and dowel pins etc. Go figure.

I shall have a spoach on the net & see what catches my eye.
Have emailed the two places in Whangas. Be interesting to see what they come back with.

[bogan]

As far as repairing em goes, probably not a lot of point unless you really like that drill.

Gotta say I'm pretty happy with the Ryobi One+ 18V lithium gear, interchangeable batteries and bare tools and the way to go. Got some herbs to em too, reckon they'd stand up to trade use but not trade abuse.

[Swoop]

Mr Formby, I feel your pain.

My 12v Makita recently shat itself after a poxy 9yrs work. I had the use of a hitachi 18v cordless so wasn't too worried. The hitach impressed me greatly! Driving 75mm stainless screws into fence rails, I was expecting this to last a few hours but it went for the whole day on one charge! I was literally scratching my head at the end of the day wondering how it did that!
The other thing was that it held a charge extremely well. Like... months (no use, then pick it up to perform some random job = still going)!

My Scottish/maori side emerged and I still haven't replaced the Makita, but have resorted to the old eggbeater drill from apprentice days. Ahh, memories!

[Naki Rat]

......
Nicads are shite compared to the new lithium gear, if you're flush they're a better option. If you're not doing sustained work, it probably doesn't matter too much......

The problem with Ni-Cad batteries is that they are more prone to gaining a 'memory' if not fully charged and discharged on a regular basis. Topping up from a part charge is particularly bad practice. The memory effect is irreversable.

This is much less the case with Li-Ion so if you are only using a tool on rare occasions then a Li-Ion battery will be the better choice but obviously more expensive.

Regarding Bunnings' own brand Ozito tools my previous employer had a drill that performed brilliantly and refused to die despite spending periods of weeks not being used (in various states of charge). An Ozito mitre saw I purchased however was a piece of shit and was unable to cut square due to an (unadjustable) misalignment of the blade spindle - purchase refunded by Bunnings. Guess buying cheap is always going to be a lottery :rolleyes:

My 18V Hitachi drill is a beast! Purchased it 'refurbished' on Trade Me to build our PV installation and with a 12mm socket attached it drives 150mm long 12mm coach screws home and will have a go at f*cking my wrist if it gets half a chance :shit:

[george formby]

Bunnings have an Ozito 18v Li Ion combo at the mo for $200. Drill, impact driver, torch (Eh?) and a wee saw. Might be okay for the tutuing I use my cordless stuff for. Building things for the Chancellors nick nacks.

[Robbo]

Bunnings have an Ozito 18v Li Ion combo at the mo for $200. Drill, impact driver, torch (Eh?) and a wee saw. Might be okay for the tutuing I use my cordless stuff for. Building things for the Chancellors nick nacks.

That's a good price for an Li-Ion combo and if you're not using it for a trade tool i'd go for it. 18v will give you plenty of torque.
I've been running an 18v Li-Ion Metabo for three years now as a trade drill and have'nt had any problems yet.

[HenryDorsetCase]

my brother employs about 8 people whose job it is to assemble kitchen units from cut pieces. they use battery drills day in and day out. each guy has two: one with a drill bit, one with the screwdriver bits (they use those Robinson square drive heads).

They use black and decker, having been through every other brand..... they used to buy Makita exclusively but no more....

I have two Makita battery drills: one has the same issue but I couldnt bring myself to chuck it out and the the other is sort of on the way. I leave one battery in the charger all the time because whenever I want to use it the battery in the drill is fucking flat .....

Liking the brace and bit idea personally.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/building-renovation/tools/hand-tools/drills/auction-734566504.htm

tempted to grab this myself.....

[george formby]

my brother employs about 8 people whose job it is to assemble kitchen units from cut pieces. they use battery drills day in and day out. each guy has two: one with a drill bit, one with the screwdriver bits (they use those Robinson square drive heads).

They use black and decker, having been through every other brand..... they used to buy Makita exclusively but no more....

I have two Makita battery drills: one has the same issue but I couldnt bring myself to chuck it out and the the other is sort of on the way. I leave one battery in the charger all the time because whenever I want to use it the battery in the drill is fucking flat .....

Liking the brace and bit idea personally.

http://www.trademe.co.nz/building-renovation/tools/hand-tools/drills/auction-734566504.htm

tempted to grab this myself.....

I like. Mine is crusty as but very precise. Can't drill a level hole with a power drill to save myself. I love the old hand tools but being new to the game it's a steep learning curve figuring out how to use them properly.

[unstuck]

tempted to grab this myself.....

Same as mine. Good gear.:2thumbsup

[imdying]

The problem with Ni-Cad batteries is that they are more prone to gaining a 'memory' if not fully charged and discharged on a regular basis. Topping up from a part charge is particularly bad practice. The memory effect is irreversable.In regards to all day performance.

[HenryDorsetCase]

Here is a link that is relevant to our interests:

http://gizmodo.com/scientists-solved-the-mystery-of-why-rechargeable-batte-1583247838?utm_campaign=socialflow_gizmodo_faceboo k&utm_source=gizmodo_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

[BadSarah]

http://www.trademe.co.nz/building-renovation/tools/power-tools/batteries-chargers/auction-733105000.htm

Need a new battery too- a friend of mine says there's no difference in the motors and these will run with the 18v battery giving better torque
http://www.trademe.co.nz/building-renovation/tools/power-tools/batteries-chargers/auction-733765888.htm
I would guess with my drill being a HP146F2B I could use the 18v HP188F2B battery...

[bogan]

http://www.trademe.co.nz/building-renovation/tools/power-tools/batteries-chargers/auction-733105000.htm

Need a new battery too- a friend of mine says there's no difference in the motors and these will run with the 18v battery giving better torque
http://www.trademe.co.nz/building-renovation/tools/power-tools/batteries-chargers/auction-733765888.htm
I would guess with my drill being a HP146F2B I could use the 18v HP188F2B battery...

And how do you plan on charging it? or for that matter even fitting it into the drill as it is clearly a different case sizing.

[BadSarah]

And how do you plan on charging it? or for that matter even fitting it into the drill as it is clearly a different case sizing.

Apparently the only difference (two different pics from two different suppliers) is in the battery cells, but I didn't think about the charging aspect. Damn

[BadSarah]

Perhaps I should stick to the original plan of replacing the drill full stop, especially since after reading this thread I'm a little wiser as to battery choice... I obviously use mine too infrequently :(

[jasonu]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xX_44vDvCr8

I've got the same tools as this guy and have 3 dead batteries.
I will try it and post the results.

[HenryDorsetCase]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dD9UbOzqZLA

[george formby]

Here is a link that is relevant to our interests:

http://gizmodo.com/scientists-solved-the-mystery-of-why-rechargeable-batte-1583247838?utm_campaign=socialflow_gizmodo_faceboo k&utm_source=gizmodo_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow

Oh! This thread keeps on giving. Got a new word now "glom". Gonna try & use it in a sentence tomorrow. Cheers.
Any hoo. Status update.
One of the postee's (that's a free word to ewes all) mentioned a kitchen fitting co using two drills. Hello, I thought, I spend more time fiddling with me chuck than I do drilling, as it were. If I can get the same drill, new batteries & all etc then I'm going to save a lot of time. A bit each way. Heh.
So I pop in to see if the Chancellor wanted a bucketful of pies for lunch & shared the idea feeling a bit smug. Pop went the smug bubble & out patoomed the :love::love::love: "T'is a bad idea" she said around her Chicken Tikka in puff pastry (a whole chicken), I was crest fallen, "I've just ordered you a new Bosch. It will be here next week & can drill down coz it has an interchangeable thingy which lets you drill in tight spaces". :woohoo: My equipment is generally too big for tight spaces and I end up having to twiddle it with me fingers.
Roll on next week. And the inevitable "Can you just....." Happy days.

[Akzle]

Thought I would start another battery thread as it is raining..:whistle:

I have a Makita drill which has 14.4v, 1.3Ah Ni-Cd battery impersonators. They will hold enough charge to put a self tapper about 3mm through toilet paper (double ply, wet, with little dolphins on it). Not ideal. I priced up replacements, $80 each. I can buy the same drhttp://jaycar.co.nz/productView.asp?ID=SB2468&w=ni%2Dcd&form=KEYWORDill new with batteries etc for less than 2 batteries.
Can the existing batteries be nurtured back to life or am I buying a new drill?
Seems a bloody shame to bin a good bit of kit for the sake of batteries.

Opinions & options?

environmentally, get new batteries.

OR repack them yourself:
http://jaycar.co.nz/productView.asp?ID=SB2468

OR put a cord and some aligator clips on it and keep it in the car/boat.as a corded drill.

OR, ni-cd os old tech, and heavy, a new drill should be litium ion. - much lighter. and sexy.

[Drew]

You can often make one good battery pack from two duff ones.

They open up, and are essentially a bunch of 1.5V cells soldered together. Identify the dud cells by charging it before pulling it apart, and running the drill for a short burst. The dead ones will have no charge nearly straight away.

[Voltaire]

Get with the consumer program and buy a new one.
( says he with a mint Makita with dead battery sitting on shelf but too old skool to throw it away)

[Akzle]

You can often make one good battery pack from two duff ones.

They open up, and are essentially a bunch of 1.5V cells soldered together. Identify the dud cells by charging it before pulling it apart, and running the drill for a short burst. The dead ones will have no charge nearly straight away.
this.
except that they are nominally 1.2v cells.

[SPman]

Desperately want a Dewalt for the street cred it bringsYou realise they are only a Black and Decker in drag!

[Madness]

Once Ni-Cad batteries don't hold a charge any more you can often extend their life by freezing them overnight (in a plastic bag, just in case) before thawing in the sun & re-charging. An old wives tale from way back but it works. :niceone:

[george formby]

Whats the thoughts on that vid with the guy sparking his battery off a charger? If it works on Ni-Cads that's one thing but if it blows up the charger, shed or me, totally another.
Re Dewalt. I got my Sabre saw for $60, pre loved. Looks like it's an ex hire tool or has built half of Auckland. Not pretty.
I've thrashed it since it came home, got a growing collection of shagged blades. I cut up 9 tires today, each into 3. First few I used the saw to cut them up completely but the damage the bead core does to a blade finally made me relent & do the last cuts with a grinder. Tires are ridiculously tough, not the rubber, the wire. I'm suffering from smoke inhalation & some kind of shaking condition in me arms but the Dewalt barely got warm. Bit of a beast.

[Laava]

Whats the thoughts on that vid with the guy sparking his battery off a charger? If it works on Ni-Cads that's one thing but if it blows up the charger, shed or me, totally another. .

Basically Mark if you got an honest life expectancy from your drill's batteries, there is no amount of black magic that is going to restore them! They are fucked for a good reason. I have tried the defibrillation and the freezing on a couple of lots of batteries in the past to no avail.

[george formby]

Basically Mark if you got an honest life expectancy from your drill's batteries, there is no amount of black magic that is going to restore them! They are fucked for a good reason. I have tried the defibrillation and the freezing on a couple of lots of batteries in the past to no avail.

Nice. A good debunking, thank you. I reckon the drill has done it's fair share of work. But black magic? I keep hoping.

[unstuck]

https://encrypted-tbn0.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcSObflf1WXEEmMuYxMzxxU7DThRckNkQ fRwLWjygK1qfu67P930Aw

[george formby]

I keep my gold under me sporran. :bleh:

[unstuck]

I keep my gold under me sporran. :bleh:

Must be a small pouch then.:msn-wink:

[george formby]

Must be a small pouch then.:msn-wink:

You saying I'm poor or under endowed, eh, eh?

[Laava]

Still.....
4 fucking pages! For batteries! Fucking awesome! Where's Ed?

[george formby]

Still.....
4 fucking pages! For batteries! Fucking awesome! Where's Ed?

Yeah. I'm disappointed with that.

I had hoped that this thread would develop the same intensity & detail as Ed's.

I reckon the vast majority of KB'ers own a " rechargeable tool ", male amd female. A topic worthy of vigorous discussion across the boards. Pics would be good.

:pinch:No. Probably not. Definitely not. Don't. No pics.

[Winston001]

Like everyone else I have a perfectly good nicad drill with stuffed batteries.

So a few months ago bought a 10.8v Black and Decker lithium-ion. Wasn't certain it would have enough power but have a plug-in drill as a reliable backup. Anyway I'm very pleased.

I've used this drill more than any drill I've ever had partly because its kept in my vehicle (so its always nearby) and partly because its light and powerful.

[MarkH]

Mate in the trade reckons the lithium batteries do degrade a bit of not getting used often so make the time to vandalise something on a regular basis with them :)

Your mate knows fuck all about Li-Ion batteries!
They degrade over time whether used or not but do NOT degrade any faster if not used, if anything they degrade faster when they are used.


The above link will take you to Simpower who rebuild batteries. I have used them a couple of times and the batteries have performed well for me. I think they now charge around $100 per battery.

I've had a battery rebuilt by them, they did a good job but way too dear to be worth it.


I've got the same tools as this guy and have 3 dead batteries.
I will try it and post the results.

If the batteries are tired and don't last long this trick wont work, but if the charger is just not charging because the battery voltage has dropped too low then this might indeed work. The idea is simply to raise the voltage up so that the charger sees an acceptable voltage from the battery and will then be willing to charge it. The fact that the voltage is too low means that damage has already been done to the cells, but at least LiFePO4 cells aren't explody.
I'm assuming that 19.2V means 6 x 3.2V LiFePO4 cells, probably A123 brand cells since they do make cells for power tools.


I have a B&D drill and also a reciprocating saw & torch set, all using the same batteries.
With only occasional use the 3 tools all are in great working condition, but the original batteries (1 with the drill and 2 with the reciprocating saw) are all well fucked as they are over a decade old. I had 1 rebuilt by Simpower, but that was pricey and I didn't want to pay that for the other 2. I rebuilt the other 2 myself with LiPo packs that I got from Hong Kong, they work great. I can't use the original chargers though, but I have a couple of hobby chargers that can do the job. So far I've had no problems but I have to be careful because LiPo packs can be a bit on the explody side - or more accurately there is potential for a 'vent with flame' occurrence. In hindsight I should have gone with a rebuild using A123 cells, but I'm not sure if they would have fitted.

[Icemaestro]

Didn't read all of this but seems appropriate - could you put a new Lithium ion (same voltage) battery into the drill? Or do they make those battery packs different - I have a drill that's 4yr old batteries are starting to give up a bit


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Drew]

Didn't read all of this but seems appropriate - could you put a new Lithium ion (same voltage) battery into the drill? Or do they make those battery packs different - I have a drill that's 4yr old batteries are starting to give up a bit


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
They have totally different shaped cases.

Those 14.4 Makita batteries are still sold new, and they're cheap. Might as well buy another I reckon.

[Hoon]

I repacked my batteries with some 3600 mah NiMh sub c cells I had lying around from my R/C car racing days. You need a decent soldering iron. This revived my 10yr old B&D drill which still kicks ass.

One bonus is that the battery capacity is triple what it used to be (guessing the old ones were about 1200mah). Also if you are going to change to more modern battery technology (nicad, NiMh, lipo etc) then your existing charger might not work anymore. I have a smart balance charger on my bench top so not an issue for me.

[unstuck]

They have totally different shaped cases.

Those 14.4 Makita batteries are still sold new, and they're cheap. Might as well buy another I reckon.

Got one of those 14.4 Makitas, and the fucker wont die. Got a B&D 18v and a couple of Ikon cordless drills that are all under 5yrs old and fucked, but had the makita for about 15yrs and it goes every time.:woohoo:

[MarkH]

Also if you are going to change to more modern battery technology (nicad, NiMh, lipo etc) then your existing charger might not work anymore.

I would definitely recommend being careful with Li-ion batteries if you don't know about safe handling & charging. There is no way an older NiCd or NiMH charger is going to be suitable for charging Li-ion batteries - they use a completely different charging algorithm (CC/CV instead of delta V).

I spent over US$120 on a hobby charger that can charge up to 20A/350W which can handle NiCd, NiMH, Pb, Li-Ion, LiPo and LiFePO4 chemistries. I have no problem charging whatever batteries I use in my power tools. I can balance charge a 4S LiPo battery pack for my B&D drill, but that doesn't mean that everyone would be OK changing their old NiCd battery pack to Li-ion batteries.

For those that don't want to change chargers it would be a good idea to just buy new batteries or get the battery pack rebuild with the same type of cells. Changing battery chemistry is best avoided unless you know what you are doing.

[schrodingers cat]

Would someone please ban Hoon and MarkH.
They are guilty of making sensible posts. Off with their heads.

[george formby]

Got one of those 14.4 Makitas, and the fucker wont die. Got a B&D 18v and a couple of Ikon cordless drills that are all under 5yrs old and fucked, but had the makita for about 15yrs and it goes every time.:woohoo:

That's the little bugger I have with fooked batteries. Mint wee tool but getting it to go is the issue. They are cheap now, too. It's making more sense by the day to buy the same again & run two drills. $119 at ITM for the whole chibang. If I can find one for a hundy I'm in.
Oh, got the beast my G/F jacked up for me last night. All I can say at this stage is "crikey!". Comes in it's own tin...

Pics & quick review of the new Bosch posted tomoz, if i can find it again.

[Swoop]

I noticed Mitre 10 advertising a B&D lithium drill for under $100- on the telly last night.

[george formby]

:killingme I give you "the beast"!

297644

You can imagine my reaction seeing this weapon when I actually thought I was getting a cordless drill. Any hoo...

I had to have a wee play with it & much to my amazement it is very good at it's job, screwing screws. Puts 2" screws into cross grained macrocarpa no problem, easier than a drill actually, it's slow & very torquey so no skipping about. And yes, it has an attachment for screwing round corners.

[Akzle]

You can imagine my reaction seeing this weapon when I actually thought I was getting a cordless drill. Any hoo...
'sat one of dem 10.8v fuckkahs?

[george formby]

'sat one of dem 10.8v fuckkahs?

It only has a third of them v's but will strip the screw before it stops turning.

[pete376403]

I noticed Mitre 10 advertising a B&D lithium drill for under $100- on the telly last night.
18V, $99 with two batteries? They are ni-cd, not lithium. I went in today to get one, but came out with a $199, 2 x 18v lithium B&D "Matrix" that has interchangeable attachments (router, impact driver, jigsaw, sander, type pump, etc) Interestingly enough, replacement lithium batteries are $99 each. Replacement ni-cd for the $99 drill are $120 or thereabouts

http://www.blackanddecker.com.au/powertools/productdetails/catno/BDCDMT180/

[george formby]

18V, $99 with two batteries? They are ni-cd, not lithium. I went in today to get one, but came out with a $199, 2 x 18v lithium B&D "Matrix" that has interchangeable attachments (router, impact driver, jigsaw, sander, type pump, etc) Interestingly enough, replacement lithium batteries are $99 each. Replacement ni-cd for the $99 drill are $120 or thereabouts

http://www.blackanddecker.com.au/powertools/productdetails/catno/BDCDMT180/

And where exactly did you go in? I like multi function.

I need to find 1/4 and 3/8 adaptors for me beast. Be perfect for sockets.

[Winston001]

Multi-function eh. Fair enough George, maybe tools have reached the point where that works.

My experience is to buy the tool for the job. Electric machines which claim to be all things to all users have in the past, been a damned waste of time. Lightweight and frustrating. Maybe that has changed.

For what it is worth I have bought cheap angle grinders and hammer drills from Supercheap on sale and to my surprise, haven't killed them yet. $20 each.

The 10.8v Li-ion Black and Decker I bought from Mitre 10 (case and two batteries) was $90 but it was the display model and the last one. Nevertheless in hindsight I'd happily pay $150 for it. Velcroed a set of drills into the case and fitted a few screwdriver points as well. Plus got a very cheap set of socket drivers (Fuller) which stay nearby.

[Swoop]

18V, $99 with two batteries? They are ni-cd, not lithium.
Bugger. Thought I saw "lithium" on the telly but guessed that there would only be one battery pack with the drill at that price.

[george formby]

Multi-function eh. Fair enough George, maybe tools have reached the point where that works.

My experience is to buy the tool for the job. Electric machines which claim to be all things to all users have in the past, been a damned waste of time. Lightweight and frustrating. Maybe that has changed.

For what it is worth I have bought cheap angle grinders and hammer drills from Supercheap on sale and to my surprise, haven't killed them yet. $20 each.

The 10.8v Li-ion Black and Decker I bought from Mitre 10 (case and two batteries) was $90 but it was the display model and the last one. Nevertheless in hindsight I'd happily pay $150 for it. Velcroed a set of drills into the case and fitted a few screwdriver points as well. Plus got a very cheap set of socket drivers (Fuller) which stay nearby.

Multi function is not a priority and I doubt interchangeable drives, say from a drill bit to saw would stand up to a beating for long. I have plug in tools for smoke & sparks. Having various options with one cordless for a bit of DIY shelf making or some such makes sense because I usually end up with half the contents of the shed scattered through the house. Tidying up is often the longest part of a job.:facepalm:

[bogan]

Had a look at them B&D multifunction jobbies today. I dunno, on the one hand, no way that plastic joint between motor/handle will hold up as well as a single piece case; especially considering the differing force requirements of each tool. However, it'll hold up for a good long while of hobby/diy use, and might end up being cheaper on a per tool basis... Would have to see price comp vs ryobi gear as the feel much the same overal quality and tool range/battery.

[pete376403]

I've got an older B&D Firestorm multifunction, which, like the other cordless tools, has only been retired because the batteries have given up and replacements cost more than a complete new drill. The rest of the hardware (drill, jigsaw, finishing sander) is still as tight as the day I got it.

So now I have three perfectly good drill motors which are not worth keeping but too good to throw away. And the new one

[Akzle]

I've got an older B&D Firestorm multifunction, which, like the other cordless tools, has only been retired because the batteries have given up and replacements cost more than a complete new drill. The rest of the hardware (drill, jigsaw, finishing sander) is still as tight as the day I got it.

So now I have three perfectly good drill motors which are not worth keeping but too good to throw away. And the new one

five bucks and a bag of chips for the lot.

[pete376403]

five bucks and a bag of chips for the lot.

You pay the freight?

[Akzle]

You pay the freight?

you drive a hard bargain.

Still, might be cheaper than me driving to town...deal-e-o

[pete376403]

PM me with details. Especially detail the size of the bag of chips (how many kilos)