Is anyone having trouble with their lithium batteries now that the weather is getting colder? My Milwaukee v28 batteries are almost useless when the temperature is 40 or below. The Bosch 10.8 v are the same. I thought that lithium batteries were supposed to excell in cold weather.
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I have one of the Bosch 10.8 scrfew guns that came out a few years ago. It seemed like less than a year and the batteries were almost worthless.
I havent even had it on the truck lately.
Now that you mention batteries. Both me and my dad bought new 18v DW ni'cads this year. They dont seem to hold much of a charge either.
Maybe DW is trying to make their standard batteries seem like #### to create demand for the lithium batteries that STILL arent out yet. (at least not without a $350 drill attached to them)
Family.....They're always there when they need you.
Edited 11/13/2008 9:26 pm ET by MSA1
No, the lithium's stink in the cold.
Don't leave them in the truck over night no matter what.
LiIon does poorly in cold weather - BUT, since those bosch batteries are so small, store them in your pocket until you need them. Your body heat will keep them in their operating range.
Rebuilding my home in Cypress, CA
Also a CRX fanatic!
Tu stultus es
Paul
I don't mean to be too critical, but the only cold you have in LA is in the freezer.
LOL
Rich
well, Don't forget those nights when his wife doesn't like his...um...jokes
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Pifin
You're not banned yet.
So you had better stay way from any bedroom jokes.
Rich
Yet...You got expectations, eh?;)I thought that was tastefully done, Myself.
Welcome to the Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime. where ... Excellence is its own reward!
Piffin
Maybe in the old BT.
But now change is in the air.
After you read this post then it will self destruct, so that no one can trace it back to me. Just in case I want to get a job in the White House.
LOL
Rich
My most troublesome lithium batteries are those in my laptop - they seem to degrade about 30% a year or more. Reportedly, if stored at 77 degrees F at 100 percent charge, lithium batteries will expend 35% of their expected life at the end of one year. There is a chart at Wikipedia giving the the temperature, extent of charge, and likely aging of lithium batteries in storage:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lithium-ion_batteryAlso from the same article:Guidelines for prolonging Li-ion battery life * Unlike Ni-Cd batteries, lithium-ion batteries should be charged early and often. However, if they are not used for a long time, they should be brought to a charge level of around 40%–60%. Lithium-ion batteries should not be frequently fully discharged and recharged ("deep-cycled") like Ni-Cd batteries, but this is necessary after about every 30th recharge to recalibrate any external electronic "fuel gauge" (e. g. State Of Charge meter). This prevents the fuel gauge from showing an incorrect battery charge.[21]
* Li-ion batteries should never be depleted to below their minimum voltage, 2.4 V to 3.0 V per cell.
* Li-ion batteries should be kept cool. Ideally they are stored in a refrigerator. Aging will take its toll much faster at high temperatures. The high temperatures found in cars cause lithium-ion batteries to degrade rapidly.
* Li-ion batteries should not be frozen [37] (most lithium-ion battery electrolytes freeze at approximately −40 °C; however, this is much colder than the lowest temperature reached by household freezers).
* Li-ion batteries should be bought only when needed, because the aging process begins as soon as the battery is manufactured.[21]
* When using a notebook computer running from fixed line power over extended periods, the battery should be removed,[38] and stored in a cool place so that it is not affected by the heat produced by the computer.
I have the Bosch...
friend has the Milwaukee and another the Makita...
we all have the same problems from cold weather.....
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!
Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Batteries suck, plain and simple.
Call me old fashioned but the only cordless tools I've been real happy with are 14V or 18V nicad drills.
To further distance myself from the crowd, I'll admit that the two cordless drills I have now are Craftsman, both bought on sale at about $50.
Strong, reliable, with plenty of battery life out of each charge. The 18V will usually go all day on one charge. If not, the 14V is ready to fill in for an hour.
Doing pocket screws, the 18V drills the holes and the 14V drives the screws. A near perfect combination.
Their batteries are good for about 200 charges. Then the drill, the charger and the battery get replaced with another, updated model.
Craftsman is trying to be competitive in the cordless drill market and it shows.
My Milwaukee v28 batteries are almost useless when the temperature is 40 or below.
@@@
Wish I had your problem for a day or two. It was 92 on the job today. We took some shade breaks to lower the body temp. I have all this cold weather clothing in the attic - and there it sits.
The ToolBear
"You can't save the Earth unless you are willing to make other people sacrifice." Dogbert
It is pretty easy to tell when a ni-cad battery needs to be replaced but how can you tell when your Ni-MH batteries are going south? Do they act the same? I have a 12v Ni-MH Makita that I do not use often and when I went to use it the other day it had no torque. The drill would run fine with no load but you could keep the chuck from turning with your hand. I tried my second battery and got the same result. I tried recharging the batteries and still no torque. Both batteries are about 7 years old. Any ideas? Steve
Edited 11/19/2008 5:17 pm by Huntertn
7 year old L-Ion at 12v, Makita?
I don't think they had them back then.Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
They kill Prophets, for Profits.
Ok, I'm an idiot. My batteries are Ni-MH batteries not lithium ion. I will edit my original questions. Thanks for catching it.
Steve
No prob. I was mostly curious as to how you beat the rest of the world by a few years!Spheramid Enterprises Architectural Woodworks
Repairs, Remodeling, Restorations
They kill Prophets, for Profits.
I found the Ni-MH would just start to have shorter and shorter run times. Don't recall loosing all torque. Oh yeah, I started getting the double flashing warning lights
on the charger.
Oh yeah, I started getting the double flashing warning lights
on the chargeI wonder if it could be the charger. That happened to me with my panasonic 12v NiMh charger. I switched to another charger (I had an identical one from another set) and the battery charged just fine.
A guy on site today had a 12v Makita and he let me borrow it for a few to troubleshoot. Turns out the problem is with my drill not the battery.
Not sure if that's good news or not.
Warranty?
At 7 years old, get new batteries.
Bother,
Just bought a Rigid set yesterday,, lifetime on batteries. Do they have to come in every night,, does letting them go cold affect the life of batteries,, when they get cold, and warm up does the juice return? Wish I'd seen this thread two days ago.
My 14.4 makita gave up its second to last battery,, a setup ain't much with only one battery. The rigid seemed like a decent deal, 18v,, drill and impact for $249 cdn.
Live and learn,, all expendable,, except my miluakee corded sawsall!
dave
My Milwaukee V28's definately "feel the cold". I park my truck in a garage and it keeps the interior at 50 deg. so they're OK at night. I leave my batts in my truck cab during the day and recharge at night in my shop. All in all they work OK if I'm dilligent about not leaving them lying in the snow or in the wind.