All posts in: Cordless Drills

How to extend the life of your tool's rechargeable battery

By Sarah Shelton on January 15, 2013 in

extending rechargeable battery life

Cordless tools let you go wherever the job is, but they leave you at the mercy of your rechargeable battery. If you fail to charge your battery properly, your tools will be rendered useless. But with a little care, you can maximize your rechargeable battery's life.

There are three types of rechargeable batteries. Nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd) batteries have been around the longest and are the least expensive, but they also have the shortest lifespan. The majority of new cordless tools use lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries, which are more powerful, more compact and more durable than Ni-Cd batteries. Nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) batteries are the least common type; they lose their charge quickly when not in use.

The lifespan of a rechargeable battery life is measured in cycles, or the number of times you can charge it before it loses the ability to hold power. Lifespan varies between types and brands, but in general lithium-ion batteries last about three to five years, or up to three times as long as nickel-cadmium batteries, says Elisa Bernick of home-improvement magazine The Family Handyman. 

Here are a few tips to extend the life of your battery. Read more

Recall recap: Lexus, Audi, and Chevy vehicles; Kawasaki drills and Pedigree wet dog food

By Rita Colorito on July 6, 2012 in

You might want to postpone your summer road trip if you plan to drive one of these vehicles: a 2010 Lexus RX350 or RX450H, and a 2012 Chevrolet Captiva Sport. Definitely take these to your dealer before you hit the road. For these and other recalls, read on. Read more

Deal or no deal? Black Friday cordless tools at Lowe's

Home & Garden
By Alex Nunez on November 10, 2010 in

Lowe's

While we wait for a leak of Home Depot's 2010 Black Friday ad that actually has staying power (the retailer is busily hitting sites that post it with takedown notices), the full Lowe's ad has found its way online, and as expected, it's packed with over 100 sale items. As we already noted in an earlier post, some of the stuff, like the old-tech Ni-Cd cordless tool kits, you can probably ignore. If you're looking to upgrade your personal cordless tool stockpile, however, there are some more attractive-looking offerings scattered in the ad. Let's have a look and see whether they're worth braving the crowds for.

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Talkin' tools: Lowe's vs. Ace and Sears on Black Friday

Home & Garden
By Christine Frietchen on November 7, 2010 in

Cordless Drill

Maybe we're not Tim Allen, but ConsumerSearch reviews enough tools to know a good deal from a bad one. If you've got a DIYer on your gift list (or if you'd just like to flesh out your own tool collection), the Black Friday 'season' can be a good time to snap up some deals. We don't yet know what Home Depot will be pushing out, but sneak peeks at Lowe's, Sears and Ace Hardware's Black Friday circulars give us some clues. Read more

Drilling into Black Friday deals at Sears, Kmart, and Lowe's

Home & Garden
By Alex Nunez on November 8, 2009 in

Drill Bit
Now that more Black Friday ads are being leaked (intentionally or otherwise), we're able to get an expanded picture of what some related items will be going for when the Christmas shopping season kicks off in earnest. Today, let's sort through some of the various cordless drill deals to see where the best values are. Read more

Home Depot drills home efficiency message with 15% discount

Home & Garden
By Alex Nunez on October 30, 2009 in

Makita lithium-ion drill

Between now and November 8, if you have an old drill -- even one that's not working -- you can bring it to your local Home Depot and trade it in for a 15-percent discount on a new lithium-ion cordless drill. The promotion is part of Home Depot's "Eco Options" drive, which is focused on getting customers to use more energy-efficient tools, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.  We're kicking ourselves because we recently tossed a couple of old drills that hadn't worked in years during a recent garage clean-up. If your current drill is old and busted, don't make the same mistake we did. This might a good time to upgrade.

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