96-speed

iTrader: (19)

Do you guys leave your stuff plugged in/charging 24/7? I rarely use my cordless drill--once a month, tops.

I had a POS Ryobi that I left plugged in all the time. After it being plugged in for about 9months straight (w/o use) Itried to use it and it was a goner. A friend of mine gave me a used Dewalt cordless drill and I'd like to have it around for a while.

Also, how long will a cordless drill hold a charge, without usage?

Any ideas?

TIA,
Ryan

eschoendorff

iTrader: (1)

I keep my Ryobi and Ridgid stuff on the charger 24/7. Probably not supposed to do that, but I've gotten decent life out of my batteries...

Armageddon

iTrader: (41)

I leave mine on 24/7

96-speed

iTrader: (19)

I s'pose I'll experiment and see how long it holds a charge without usage. I'll check it once a week and report back .

helgrind

I would definitely NOT recommend leaving batteries on the charger all the time, remove them within 24 to 48 hours of charging. If they are NiCad's, its also good to fully discharge them before charging; this will help with memory.. a loss of capacity. If you plan on storing them for long periods make sure that they are fully charged... but its recommended that you 'exercise them' once a month or so if I remember correctly. NiMH aren't as bitchy as NiCads, but read the manual that comes with your drill, it will tell you exactly how to care for the batts. If you don't have it you can usually find them on the manufacturer's website.

Lythropus

iTrader: (13)

At work we have racks of chargers and if you leave them on all night they are never quite the same...

06sierra5.3

iTrader: (7)

if its a trickle charger it shouldnt matter. ive had a makita drill with the same two batteries for 5 years, theyre always on the charger never had a problem.

MeentSS02

iTrader: (11)

I went the other direction...I left them off the charger for a couple months at a time (don't use my cordless drill a lot), and both batteries ended up dying (must have discharged completely).

JPMuscle

ive never had a problem leaving my dewalt stuff on 24/7

mitchntx

iTrader: (14)

I have 5 DeWalt 18V Drill/Impacts and 5 chargers, 1 of which is a "Smart" charger where it discharges the battery and then recharges it. I have a total of 8 batteries.

I keep a battery in the motors 24/7 and the remainder of the batteries on the charger which means I always have 1 charger empty. I always put the dead battery in the empty charger, then pull a battery off the charger to the right of where the empty charger was. That way I get uniform rotation.

I've been going through this regiment for 3 or 4 years now and have replaced 3 batteries in that time.

slow4.7on20s

i leave my craftsman on 24/7 and have no problems

koolaid_kid

iTrader: (21)

I used to leave them off the charger, but every time I went to use it, the batteries were too low. Now I keep one on the charger all the time, and I always have a full battery to use. Been doing this for at least 5 years now.