Makita 18v batteries

[brightspark]

[QUOTE="GW8IZR, post: 1118405, member:


Do you spot weld the connections? I havent determined what I would call a safe technique for Li yet so I'd be keen to know what you do.[/QUOTE]soft solder them

 

[GW8IZR]

soft solder them

Nah.. definitely not safe, to solder would be far too hot. Now a very quick spot weld would work ( thats how they are made in the first place )

 

[brightspark]

Nah.. definitely not safe, to solder would be far too hot. Now a very quick spot weld would work ( thats how they are made in the first place )

have u got a spot welder then

 

[Kram]

No point replacing with nimh, it will work fine with lithium. Just be aware cordless tools can overheat and lithium will let you use it for much longer.

I avoid playing with li cells and just get a lipo hardcase. Use a short lead to the tool - also makes tool much lighter to use.
An rc charger will work with any cells, and quite cheap.

 

[GW8IZR]

have u got a spot welder then

No I haven't but its not inconceivable to make one, I can very easily create a timed pulse and the energy source is easy - it would need a bit of trial and error to work the weld current and duration before moving on to a real battery but nothing more complex than I've done in the past.

 

[Ruffian]

[QUOTE="GW8IZR, post: 1118405, member:


Do you spot weld the connections? I havent determined what I would call a safe technique for Li yet so I'd be keen to know what you do.

soft solder them[/QUOTE]

To be fair after doing some looking around most people do just solder the tags back onto them.
Seem to work in the reviews and write up's I have seen. And hopefully I can get slightly uprated cells over the 4ah standard deWalt ones.

(Hopefully closer to 7/8ah for my cordless grinder and hedge cutter)

 

[brightspark]

ive been soldering rechargeable batteries for years in to emergency light units . only takes seconds with a decent iron and no heat damage to them

 

[GW8IZR]

ive been soldering rechargeable batteries for years in to emergency light units . only takes seconds with a decent iron and no heat damage to them

If you try to solder the metal tags on a Li cell make sure you film it..

I know what can be done but I'd strongly advise you or anyone else against soldering them, once they get into thermal runaway you pretty much have to wait for them to stop burning themselves, they are not quite the same as a 'rechargeable battery'

 

[Richard.]

thing is i think my makita nicad stuff is better than the millawakee Lion stuff i replaced it with

How?
We had a makita at work. Big red 18v nicad batteries. It was awful. Big heavy clumsy and gutless.
Yeah the drill body was reliable but that’s about all it’s got going for it. We replaced it with a Bosch gsb18 ve brushless model. It’s 100% better than the old nicad makita in every way. Smaller lighter and no comparison in power. I own m18 Milwaukee stuff at home and I wouldn’t say there was even a close comparison between it and a 10 year old makita on nicad batteries.

 

[Batfastard]

Check this out for welding li-on cells

 

[GW8IZR]

Check this out for welding li-on cells

Yes there are a few of those type of videos on line, its not too bad doing that end of the cell but the +ve end is a touch more tricky - an arduino and a biggish FET would sort out a safe and critically repeatable pulse but the welding bit needs to be both electrodes with a small insulator - it certainly looks practical to do and far safer than letting the thing burn your shed down ;-)

 

[Ruffian]

This one actually has both terminals so would be nice and easy on positive side also,

Such a simple design.

 

[123hotchef]

How?
We had a makita at work. Big red 18v nicad batteries. It was awful. Big heavy clumsy and gutless.
Yeah the drill body was reliable but that’s about all it’s got going for it. We replaced it with a Bosch gsb18 ve brushless model. It’s 100% better than the old nicad makita in every way. Smaller lighter and no comparison in power. I own m18 Milwaukee stuff at home and I wouldn’t say there was even a close comparison between it and a 10 year old makita on nicad batteries.

better built is what I should have said