MILWAUKEE – two bad batteries in a day??
MILWAUKEE – two bad batteries in a day??
@@@ Anyone else have this problem???
I have the Milwaukee 12v compact driver, purchased 6/08 and not heavily used.
Went to charge the battery after work today. After a bit it gives me the flashing red and green lights of Busted Battery. Put the spare in, same thing.
I suspect the charger has taken a dump. Two batteries broken in one day – and the spare not even used. Your thoughts?
I normally expect two years out of a LiOn battery. Not getting it here. Color me an Unhappy Camper.
@@@ Meanwhile…
My Bosch 10.8 LiOn continues to work along and charge up. The impactor and second driver date from 6/08 (buy one cheap, get one free), but the original pocket driver must be 3-4 years old. Old enough to wear off my date-in-service mark.
The ToolBear
“You can’t save the Earth unless you are willing to make other people sacrifice.” Dogbert
Replies
Probably the charger. Had a bad one right out of the box. They also had a bad batch of batteries. Take a charge, but die quick.
I should check the voltage on the batteries or just use them and see if they die fast.Makita LiOn chargers are rather delicate. On my third. First went Poof with the first battery. Ace Tool had someone on duty the Friday before Xmas and shipped a new one the following week. Like Ace. Love the tools but you would think they could build a professional grade charger.The ToolBear
"You can't save the Earth unless you are willing to make other people sacrifice." Dogbert
This has happened to me several times same batteries and charger.Take the battery out ,unplug the charger for a minute plug back in and install battery this always works for me. I never have gotten around to calling Milwaukee about it
I picked up a charger and 2 batteries frome home depot. They were on the clerance table as the drill was missing. Both batteries flashed red green this was at my clients house. When I was home I tried again and everything was good. So I figured the plug was wired reverse.
I picked up a charger and 2 batteries frome home depot. They were on the clerance table as the drill was missing. Both batteries flashed red green this was at my clients house. When I was home I tried again and everything was good. So I figured the plug was wired reverse. @@@I have tried plugging and unplugging with no joy. All the other chargers at this station play nice. Charger might have malfed.Would cold overnight have anything to do with it? It was chilly here in SoCal (had to wear a jacket before dawn - with the shorts) and the drills sat in the unheated garage.The ToolBear
"You can't save the Earth unless you are willing to make other people sacrifice." Dogbert
Temps above about 95 or below about 30 can affect batteries and charging, but generally between those temps you should have no problem.
A strong nation, like a strong person, can afford to be gentle, firm, thoughtful, and restrained. It can afford to extend a helping hand to others. It's a weak nation, like a weak person, that must behave with bluster and boasting and rashness and other signs of insecurity. --Jimmy Carter
Temps above about 95 or below about 30 can affect batteries and charging, but generally between those temps you should have no problem.@@@I sure don't think we got below 30 in Newport Beach. That's why I winter here - wear shorts 50 weeks the year. Round end of Dec. I seem to be wearing long pants.I was wondering if use in cold caused the polarity of a cell to flip. However, the driver still turns.The ToolBear
"You can't save the Earth unless you are willing to make other people sacrifice." Dogbert
If the polarity of a cell flips the cell will either explode, short out, or go open. The "short out" case is the only one where the battery will continue to function at all, though the tool will have much less power even when the battery has been charged for a full period. And the charger is apt to show the battery as bad and refuse to charge it.But low temps shouldn't cause a cell to flip -- running the battery dead is what causes that.Also, it's worth keeping in mind that virtually all Li-Ion batteries are "smart" batteries with a charge/discharge/cell status monitor built into the battery itself. (This is not the case for vast majority of NiCad and NiMH batteries.) These will generally (though not with 100% reliability) disable the battery before you run it flat, and (again, not with 100% reliability) protect the battery from overcharging due to a defective charger.
A strong nation, like a strong person, can afford to be gentle, firm, thoughtful, and restrained. It can afford to extend a helping hand to others. It's a weak nation, like a weak person, that must behave with bluster and boasting and rashness and other signs of insecurity. --Jimmy Carter
Given that the Bosch LiOns on the same job were a bit weak that AM, but ran and charged later, I suspect a charger malf. Suppose there is a limit to the number of 1.5" screws I can drive for a week with a 10.2 battery.The ToolBear
"You can't save the Earth unless you are willing to make other people sacrifice." Dogbert
Tnx, will give it a try.The ToolBear
"You can't save the Earth unless you are willing to make other people sacrifice." Dogbert
Not really applicable, but the other day I went to grab my "good" camera and the batteries were dead. I use NiMH, and have two sets of those that I rotate along with a set of regular alkalines for "emergency" use.
It had been awhile since I'd charged the batteries, so I took the spare set and put them in the charger, then swapped the alkalines into the camera. No joy -- the camera was still dead as a doornail.
It sometimes does this when the batteries are changed and I wait just the wrong amount of time to get the new batteries in, so I opened up the battery compartment and let it sit for 10 minutes, then tried again. Still no joy, so I reluctantly grabbed my other camera (a "gimme" for "retiring") and went off to take the pics.
Come back and the camera still won't work. Leave it overnight. The next AM I see that the batteries in the charger still aren't showing "charged" (in fact, the light was flashing in a way I'd never seen before), but I decide to swap them out for the other set (though I'm wondering why, if my camera is dead). Then, when I take out the set in the charger I see it's the (non-rechargeable) alkalines, while the (second) dead set of NiMH batteries is in the camera. Put the alkalines in the camera and it's happy again. Bang my head against the wall.
Not really applicable, but the other day I went to grab my "good" camera and the batteries were dead. I use NiMH, and have two sets of those that I rotate along with a set of regular alkalines for "emergency" use.@@@Reminds me, better charge my rechargeable camera batteries.@@@Used to call those Senior Moments. Now I am up to Senior Week.The ToolBear
"You can't save the Earth unless you are willing to make other people sacrifice." Dogbert
I had two of the 12v batts die, both less than a year old. Same symptoms--batteryu dead, gives flashing lights in the charger.
Have two others that are going strong at about a18 months.
Took both dead ones to a Milwaukee service center, counter guy there said he had 12 of the batts returned that week!
Waiting for replacements, free...except for my time and trouble.
OTOH, my Mil V18 and V28 are proving to be really durable and long lived batteries. I think the 12v have QC problems.
Cliff
Lithium Ion batteries do have a shelf life regardless of whether they are used. Fully charged batteries don't last as long, and also high temperatures reduce the shelf life, dramatically. The ideal storage condition is 40% charge and at 0C (32F)...according to the Battery University: http://www.batteryuniversity.com/parttwo-34.htm
Check the longeveity chart, which shows how fast heat and especially full charge affects them. Granted, they aren't much use if they are not charged, and no one needs to spend a lot of time worrying about keeping them in ideal conditions. But I did invest in a tiny fridge to keep them in, when not in use.
Because they do charge fast, I often top up the ones I'll need just before I start loading the van.
And check the manufacture date before buying new ones.
Garrick
I better look up a local service center.The ToolBear
"You can't save the Earth unless you are willing to make other people sacrifice." Dogbert