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Dead Porter Cable Batteries

raybrowne | Posted in Tools for Home Building on August 5, 2004 05:53am

Had a Porter Cable circular saw and drill, barely ever use them and left them in a toolbox at the shop(unheated when I’m not there) since maybe March or so…went to use the tools last night and the batteries were dead, as in not even able to charge.. argh. Saw had been used maybe 5 times total and the drill battery wasn’t especially old either; all the Dewalt batteries in the same box are still working as well as ever.

 

-Ray

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Replies

  1. DanH | Aug 05, 2004 09:40pm | #1

    If more than one battery refuses to charge I'd suspect that the charger is bad.

  2. mikerooney | Aug 05, 2004 10:29pm | #2

    Check the terminals for corrosion. I had this problem with PC, Makita's stored right next to them, no problem. Called PC Service center, they essentialy told me to go p*ss up a rope. Gave the drill to my wife.

     

  3. User avater
    RichColumbus | Aug 05, 2004 10:32pm | #3

    Had similar problems with my PC tools (drills).  I replaced the batteries... same problem a few months later.  Replaced the charger... same problem.  Replaced the tools with DWalt... no more problem.

    1. User avater
      Sphere | Aug 05, 2004 10:54pm | #4

      I have 2 drills, 4 batts, 2 flashlites, 2 chargers...all PC, all corroded..my buddy gave me his set (like mine) cuz of it, he went through 4 batts and 2 chargers...

      My DW's and Maks...are all fine, it must be inherent in PC's 

      Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

      Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations. 

      1. PaulT | Aug 06, 2004 01:53am | #5

        milwaukee batteries outlast mak and dw by a long time

        1. User avater
          Sphere | Aug 06, 2004 01:57am | #6

          I don't doubt it, but I know they won't do one thing fer sure..

          FIT any of my drills...{G} 

          Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks

          Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations. 

    2. TurtleBoy | Aug 06, 2004 06:30am | #9

      Rich,

      I have a PC cordless drill, it's OK. I bought the 18v DW kit with circ saw, recip saw, flashlight, and 1/2" hammer drill. It's less than two years old and both batteries seam to have started to drain with very little use and plenty of time on the charger. I have always placed them on the charger once they began to lag.

      How do I find out if it is the charger, the battery, or the tool.

      I have a Makita 12v impact driver and love it. I just hope that it outlast the others.

      Anyone have any advice?

      Turtleboy

      1. User avater
        RichColumbus | Aug 06, 2004 06:44am | #10

        >>How do I find out if it is the charger, the battery, or the tool.

        If it happening with multiple tools...  with multiple batteries... my guess would be the charger.  But you could take the set to the DW service center near you to get them checked out (just a reminder that B&D and DW are the same service center).

        FWIW,  I had a DW hammer drill that was just not acting right.  Puffs of smoke when I would let off the trigger (not good).  I took it into the DW Service Center and they looked at it.  They said it had some flaw... and they replaced it at no charge.  I believe the thing was 3 yrs old at the time... so I was quite surprised.  New one runs great.... no problems.

  4. junkhound | Aug 06, 2004 04:38am | #7

    I'm suspecting PC's have a slight power draw if not removed from the tool. Son's NEW PC drill does the same thing, he metioned it to me, I told him it is normal battery self discharge thinking it was over a coupleof months, but he said it was over a period of just a week.

    Try unplugging the battery from your tool, noticed nobody in previous posts had any specifiec either, good post, something I was just thinking about today.

    Hmm, never dissassembled a PC battery, they are NiCd aren't they, and not the cheesy sealed lead acid????

    1. Splinky | Aug 06, 2004 05:08am | #8

      I have identical PC drills bought about 2 years apart from each other. I think that the older chargr is going bad. It only half-way charges batteries (all 4 being okay). Try another charger.

      (side note) I think you can buy a bad whatever from any big company (PC, DeWalt, Bosch ... it doesn't matter), I use them all and I am not a "purest" for any brand.David H. "Splinky" Polston

      Founder of Sawdust, Norfolk, Virginia

      1. User avater
        IMERC | Aug 06, 2004 09:09am | #11

        HEY!!!! Leave Bosch outta this....

        Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming....                                                                   WOW!!!   What a Ride!

        1. Splinky | Aug 08, 2004 03:16am | #20

          Sorry .... ix-nay on the osch-Bay!!    =o)David H. "Splinky" Polston

          Founder of Sawdust, Norfolk, Virginia

    2. DanH | Aug 06, 2004 04:08pm | #12

      Almost certainly NiCad.

      Most tool batteries can be rebuilt (new cells) by outfits like "Batteries Plus" for about 2/3 the cost of new.

      Re battery life, one thing that can kill them dead is leaving them on charge for too long. Some chargers are better than others with regard to this, but all will "cook" the battery eventually.

      Unlike lead-acid, it's not necessary to keep NiCads charged to keep them from going bad. In fact, for batteries only used rarely it's better to not recharge them periodically (when you're not using them) but instead just recharge before you need them. Let them just self-discharge when not in use.

      1. glatt | Aug 06, 2004 07:03pm | #13

        Also, with NiCads, it's better to use them until the tools tops running, draining them completely, before you recharge them.  If you routinely recharge the batteries before they need it, the battery eventually "thinks" it's run down before it should be.  It develops a "memory" and can only hold a partial charge.

        Here's a good resource on battery care and use.

        http://www.atbatt.com/info/battery.htm

        1. DanH | Aug 06, 2004 11:01pm | #14

          I've had some battery experts (design battery systems for laptops) debate that point. Rather than true "memory" (a phenomenon seen with early NiCads), what's generally happening is that the cells get out of balance -- some charged more than others. Running the battery down to ALMOST flat (avoid complete flat) and then letting it "self-discharge" for several weeks before recharging is the best way to fix this.

          Which may point at the reason for the PC batteries failing, if indeed the device draws power when off: If the batteries are run completely flat after cells have gotten out of balance, some cells may suffer "polarity reversal" (essentialy get charged backwards). This will generally short the cell. When you stick it back in the charger the battery draws too much current and either the internal fuse of the battery blows or the charger blows.

          1. glatt | Aug 07, 2004 12:24am | #15

            Well, I'm no battery expert, so I certainly could be wrong, but I have read about the memory problem with NiCads, and I've experienced it myself with AAs I used in my digital camera.  When I switched to NiMH batteries, the memory problem went away.

            I've also had NiCad battery packs slowly die on my cordless tools.  I always chalked it up to memory problems.  I suppose it could have been something else.

          2. DanH | Aug 07, 2004 01:40am | #17

            Batteries do wear out over time. They essentially have a fixed number of charge/discharge cycles before they go bad.

            And, actually, NiMH batteries DO have a memory problem, similar to the early NiCads.

        2. junkhound | Aug 07, 2004 12:30am | #16

          it's better to use them until the tools tops running, draining them completely

          That is another urban myth, the total number of charge/discharge cycles you can get out of almost any type battery is SEVERLY diminished by totally discharging every cycle. I've seen proprietary data and real time cycle testing on NiCd, NiH, Li-ion, and PbH2SO4 batteries and all are the same story.  There is a very fine tradeoff for 'high end' usage (like spacecraft, or even power tools) on what the depth of discharge should be for best overall life cycle costs.

  5. User avater
    dieselpig | Aug 07, 2004 01:43am | #18

    Well this little matter is certainly getting cleared up nicely, huh?

    Opinions on this one seem to be right there with crawlspace venting and Tyvek vs felt!

    1. raybrowne | Aug 07, 2004 04:59am | #19

      Yeah, depending on the school of thought I treated the battery perfectly by removing it from the tool and storing it with no use or I destroyed it for life. There was no rust on any of the tools I had in the toolbox with it so I don't think moisture was a issue in there so there shouldn't have been any corrosion. Regardless it seems the charger is the problem as I got a slight response from the battery the other day..going to post in the trade forum if anyone wants a used 4 times pc 19.2 volt circular saw + battery for a rabbet plane or other interesting hand tool.

      -Ray

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