Power tool battery Info

You Asked:

I really like what you do.

Why do you have different prices for the same type 18v Milwaukee NiCad? Are the higher price batteries better than the lower price batteries?

Can you repair Milwaukee Li-Lon V-18 batteries? We have 6 of them.

If so, what is the warranty?

My Answer;

Firstly, Thank you for the vote of confidence in the Eco Friendly program.

Secondly, The price difference in similar battery packs is based on the way I package them. There are Green rebuilds with salvaged used cells, Green rebuilds with recycled new cells.

I believe the quality is good in either rebuild but the output of the battery will vary on the available output of the cells I get.

There are many projects around the world where batteries were built for specific applications other than tool batteries and they have been placed on the market for cell salvage.

To salvage new cells from terminated projects is the prime way to make my Green project similar to a complete rebuild. The only difference is not being able to dictate the output of the cells I use. Batteries that have a output of 1.5ah are the most preferred for maximum advantage of the specific chemistry. When we use cells of 2.4ah output the peak output at full charge is significant. The down side to this build is the discharge is rapid and does not let the cell go through its regeneration process before discharged.

The output spec on available cells are as wild as MPG on vehicles. It looks good on paper but you better not drive into the desert utilizing the printed promises.

Thirdly, I can rebuild the Milwaukee V18 Lipo pack. The V18 departs from the normal offering of cell application from the 18650 Li Ion series most common in the industry to the larger Lipo A123 cell in your batteries. The new cells are readily available and if the circuit board is intact the rebuild is straight forward and rewarding.

I hope that is not to much information but I have a habit or rambling.

Wanrranty for rebuilds is 180 days.

Please let me know if I can help you.

Thank you,

Eco Friendly Battery Rebuilds for Power Tools

I worked a whole winter on development of the Eco Friendly Rebuild so I could offer a low cost alternative for complete rebuilds or new replacement.

The most difficult function was developing an accurate way to determine the difference of a shorted cell and a cell that was reusable. Once I worked out the procedures of testing I offered the rebuild and noted in the offer that most battery packs deemed unusable had only a couple of bad cells in the mix.

For the first year the success rate on rebuilds were excellent with less than one percent of the packs being returned for repair. That percentage still exists today but the amount of dead cells in a pack has gone from a couple to the whole pack. I still am producing Green rebuilds and feel confident in the markets success to keep pushing forward however the large supply of surplus used cells is nearly depleted.

Most people that use their head for more than holding up their hat have figured out the value of my (Green)offer and have taken advantage of the program and have used this offer rather than a complete rebuild.

What this has done is diminish the amount of usable cells that were gleaned from complete rebuilds  that is required to keep my program going.

I will have to designate the amount of  bad cells that can be in a battery pack to qualify for a Green rebuild  and require complete rebuilds on those packs that exceed that number. This should bring more usable used cells back into the program.

This has been an interesting development.

Makita Li-Ion power tool battery option

For those people who have a problem with Makita's circuit boards "untimely" time out problem I have posted an option to allow the rebuilding of these batteries and I have recently posted a battery/charger package on eBay.

I have tested these batteries throughout the charge/discharge range and find that the four algorithms assigned to safety function normally and it is now possible to take those timed out batteries and put them back into service.

The charger I have assigned to the package will work with any 18v Li-Ion battery allowing broad range use.

I have modified the case to accept the new charger leads and the hookup is simple. In fact in my lab this is the same type of charger I use on all my rebuilds.

If this information is important for people that purchased these batteries and do not want to scrap them and replace with new can take advantage of this Resurrection program.

If anyone is interested in the program I need cases to work with and I believe this option is a reasonable way to overcome an inconvenience as well as added expense. There are many of these affected cases being sold as rebuildable in many venues and I do not believe the information is widely understood that if they have timed out they can not be charged on a proprietary charger.

I bought two (2) dozen New Craftsman Diehard Li-Ion batteries that had a similar circuit board problem.

I was able salvaged ten (10) cases and circuit boards to rebuild. I added new cells and have offered these batteries which are basically brand new to the public. These batteries were never issued to the public but sold as salvage. I am so Eco Friendly oriented I had to give it a try. I will go back and pull the remainder of the circuit boards out and find those that only have a charging problem and offer them in a similar package as listed above.

Li-Ion cells are inherently dangerous and no one should believe they can cut corners with these cells and eliminate the safety protocols. I have deliberately popped these cells with abuse and they are nasty.

Li-Ion is the cell of the future and with respect and care will replace all other cells eventually.

Power Tool Battery Rebuild DIY

You Asked,

Is it possible to purchase cells and cases to rebuild as a DIY project?

My Answer,

Firstly, thank you for the order of 3 Craftsman Lithium batteries. I will get them packed up and out in tomorrows mail.

Secondly, I get most of my cases from the customers when they need an upgrade or rebuild. It is better for them to send me their cases to make sure I can fill their orders.

I do buy recycled cases from a variety of entities and rebuild them for direct sales.

I do buy cells wholesale to rebuild with.

Cells are available for DIY if a person feels they have the ability to do the rebuild.

I operate a complete battery lab with all the necessary equipment to get the job done. The equipment alone costs tens of thousands of dollars and a person would have to have a big need for rebuilt batteries to justify a DIY operation.

There is also a large learning curve to properly rebuild batteries alone with the computerized equipment to test with.

The Lithium Ion batteries you have purchased have an inherent danger factor in the cells that requires a computer within the battery to control the balance of all cells. The computer will shut down the battery or charging event if there is any fault withing the pack. If misused, the cells will explode and could possibly ruin your day.

I would discourage you from rebuilding unless you have been properly trained in the chemistry of these power units. I rework a large number of batteries that customers made an attempt to rebuild.

With that said, It would not be me that would dictate to talented individuals to not learn about the industry.

Thank you for asking,

Ernie

Rebuilt tool battery charging hints

You Asked.

When did you rebuild this battery and how long will it hold a full charge?

My answer,

Hi,

I rebuilt the battery in the recent past. It does not have a sticker on it so that means it has not been inventoried as stock yet.

As a matter of information only, a battery built with sub c cells by nature will lose
approximately 1% of its voltage in 24 hrs. Conceivably in a 30 day time period the battery, rebuilt, or brand new, will lose approximately 30% of its charge.

This knowledge is very important to me when I hear from someone that their battery is in excellent condition with little use on it as it sets around most of the time. All batteries have to be maintained to survive. A ni-CD battery will become useless if not maintained after the initial charge takes place.

Thank you for your interest.

Ernie

Upgrading Milwaukee M18 XC power tool battery

You asked,

Can you rebuild this pack with larger capacity cells, yet retain the BMS and mounting point so I can still be attached to the weed eater as well as the factory charger?

My Answer,

Interesting question.

If you have a M18 XC battery the capacity should be rated at 2.8ah. The ratings are not linear and to acheive listed capacity you have to fudge the numbers. Nevertheless the output is what it is regardless at how you play with it.

Your battery has a double stack, or (10) ten cells rated at 1.4ah giving you a total of 2.8ah. If we can find a good cell of 3.0ah rated output you could conceivably increase your run time by 100%. But in the real world with pack losses in multiple bus connections, ambient and operation temperature, tool condition, fudge factors, etc, the mathematically reality is lost.

The answer to your question is, Yes we can increase the capacity by changing the cells.

The questions I have is; Will the circuit board take the extra heat without shutting down the pack, as they are designed to do, and would that cause you a problem to let the pack cool down, or could we install a fan as some high voltage batteries have to help it cool.

The last question I have is, how much would you want to spend? I love doing these things but there are always consequences that have to be understood. It is similar to our racing program where we had to ask, How fast do we want to go and how much do we have to spend? We called it "Cubic Dollars".

Keep in touch, I would love to work with you.

Thank you,

Ernie

Craftsman Li-Ion 19.2v power tool batteries

I have purchased a sizable number of Craftsman 19.2v Li Ion tool batteries that have never been in a tool.

It seems that there was probably a manufacturing glitch  that rendered all these new batteries into unusable fodder.

After receiving the first order I disassembled each battery to analyze the problem. In every case there were a series of bloated cells that were subjected to high voltage, heat or both.

In some cases the pressure in the cells vented fluids into the pack corroding those metal parts that were exposed. Those cells that were not effected were as new, testing to 4.2v each. There were not many in each pack and none in some. There was random bursting of the cells position and that leads to no obvious conclusion as to a specific cause.

Nevertheless, I have assembled a number of those battery packs with existing cells or in some cases new cells and tested them thoroughly, not only with test equipment but in actual tool tests. The performance is exceptional.

I might state that some circuit boards were damaged in the event of question and there is no hope for repair on them.

I have placed one of these rebuilt batteries in my eBay store and have many more available.

This is a great chance to get as close to a new battery as is available at a reduced cost. I am asking $65.00 each for the completely warrantied battery pack.