Laptop Batteries and Power Tool Batteries Care Guide
Laptop Battery and Power Tool Battery Care
New Battery Packs
- Must be fully charged before use.
- Will need to be fully charged and fully discharged or “cycled” as much as five times to condition the battery to perform to its full capacity.
- Batteries work better if exercised regularly – the internal chemistry of the battery needs to be in an active state. Charging and using the tool regularly will help to achieve this.
- When charging the battery for the first time – the battery charger may indicate that charging is complete after 10 or 15 minutes. This is normal. Simply remove the battery from the charger/device, re-insert it and repeat the charging procedure.
Battery Charging
- Do not overcharge – a battery that is already fully charged should not be recharged again. This may shorten the life of the battery through over-heating or cell leakage.
- Keep your batteries cool. Charge them in the shade or indoors. After use allow batteries to cool for a while before recharging. Do not put them in the fridge as this can cause condensation to form inside the case, leading to corrosion and other damage. The recommended temperature range for charging is 10oC – 40oC, the battery will get a better charge and longevity if it is recharged within this temperature range. Continual exposure to high temperatures will affect the life of the battery.
- When the tool speed starts to decrease, it is time to recharge the battery. Do not make the tool “labor” as this can damage the internal cells. Do not discharge the Dell gd761 battery to the point where the tool can not turn or function as this can have the same damaging affect.
- Charge the battery just before a job and use it for the full charge to get longer run time. All rechargeable batteries naturally self discharge about 10% in the first 24hrs and 1% per day thereafter.
- Folllow the manufacturers instructions – many chargers have “trickle charge or maintenance charge” functions that can be helpful in maintaining good performance. Some older model chargers must be turned off after a certain time period, it is important to do this otherwise the battery will be damaged.
- It is common to damage batteries of “budget” power tools that use plug pack/transformer chargers by overcharging. One way to avoid this is to charge using the following formula. Calculate the Dell xps m2010 laptop battery capacity eg (1300mAh) x 1.4, divide the result by the output of the charger eg (400mAh) giving charge time in hours.
Power Tool Battery Storage
- Ni-Cd batteries should be stored discharged.
- Ni-MH batteries should be stored full charged.
- If possible use batteries at least every month to keep the internal chemistry active.
- A battery that has been stored for a long time may need conditioning to get it to regain full battery performance.
At the Worksite
- Avoid short-circuiting the MAKITA 8390DWAE Power Tool Battery pack with metal objects across the terminals – drill bits, nails and screws can do this easily within the tool carry case.
- Avoid moisture and water around the battery packs and chargers.
- Avoid big shocks or dropping of the battery.
- Avoid heat as much as possible. It is normal for batteries to get warm during use and charging – let them cool down prior to putting on the charger.
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