I think the batteries for my DeWalt cordless drill are on their deathbed. I have a 12v cordless and I just drained both my batteries drilling eight 1/8" holes 3/4" deep in soft wood. I put the batteries on the charger after they died and the charger showed one as being fully charged within 5-10 minutes.
The drill is 2 1/2 years old and only got used for occasional home/jeep projects and the rest of the time it was stored in my garage. I'm really disappointed that it didn't last longer than it did.

I guess this is my excuse to buy a real drill (18v) which is what I've really wanted all along so I can get other tools that use the same battery. Before you ask, the 12v was a wedding gift.

I'm wondering if there's something I could have done differently to extend the battery life?

Should I be looking at something other than the industry standard 18v drills?

All my carpenters use the 18v DeWalt combo packs with great success but there are all these fancy 24v tools out there, and there's the fancy new Hilti drill I've heard about lately.

Any divine wisdom?

Well it riley depends on the drills charger more than the usage but if you flog the tool allot aka over us the tool 14.4v in a reg drill will work for a while 14.4v in a hammer drill that will kill the battery. On the life span you’re lucky to get 2 1/2 years out of it. one of the main facts that could of killed your batteries is that a 9v/12 have been more for home use lately 14.4 & up being able to handle more abuse in looking for a new drill 14.4v & up if your going to riley use it 18v & up are meaty so if you plan on having it in hand allot or above you might want to go 14.4 also stay away from hammer drill option that in a battery operated you wont get you moneys worth out of it if your dealing with allot of stubborn bolts get an impact drill most drills will burn thru a charge in a 4-6 lag's an impact will go thru 16-20 in one charge for someone using it around the shop aka rusted or torked bolts on a truck or car you will get a better use of the drill & battery
Ok now that this is starting to get long winded the battery. The main thing that will kill a battery is the charges the more you burn thu the batt & charge the battery back up the shorter the life the problem is the more you charge it the less it will hold the first times great %100 then only get %98 & so on the way to fix this is how you charge one way is to drain the batt completely the other is the charger itself Ridged has a fan to cool the batt. while charging Hilti has a refresh cycle that you use once a month/ once every 6 months depending on usage the refresh cycle will drain the battery & then due a full recharge to charge all the plates inside completely
Ok know for my 2cents buy Hilti better tools better batteries better service bla bla bla & no I don’t work for Hilti & I have a butt load of yellow & black in my garage

My guys use all different types of cordless shit. The all have a life span to them. 2+ years would be great for a unit that is used every day. We do normally drain the batteries down using the provided flashlights, but... If you dont want your batteries to dye. Cord it. But.. I have heard that some guys rebuild there bats for cheep. I have not dun this yet. Any thoughts???

I dont know what kind of drill it was. but I got it for free for test driving a ford :D. that thing lasted along time over 4 years. I wish I could know what wrong maybe that battery. I all ways let them die all the way. I heard its bad if you just use it for a bit and put it back in the charger

FWIW: http://www.pirate4x4.com/forum/showthread.php?t=490732

The guys I used to work with always bought the 12/14v stuff because it was cheaper. They just would not last at all. I have all 18v and I always keep a battery charging. The newer tool packs are pretty good but real pricey, especially for personal use. If you want to upgrade shop the local pawn shops for the tools, and watch Lowes and Home Depot for their sales of the 18v battery packs (2) for a $100.
Jim

I stopped using cordless drills a few years ago. I got tired of gettign 1/4 of the way through a project and having the battery die and then having to switch everything over to a corded drill. I strongly believe that for home use, a good old fashion corded drill is the way to go as they never run out of juice and they do not get weaker towards the end of the job when I might be low on patience (sp?). I currently have three corded drills, one is at least 38 years old and I have never worn one out. Conversly, I have thrown away a couple of cordless drills because not only did the batteries die but the motors/bushing wore out while doing basic home improvement projects.

I hear those new 24? 26? volt Lithium Ion battery packs in Milwaukee cordless tools generate some serious power.

I have an 18v set (just the drill and skilsaw). Had them for 3 years of general homeowner use. Batteries still perform as new. I always drain them down as much as possible, until the drill won't spin any more - after repeated cycles of letting it rest, then pulling the trigger again (I wish I had the light to drain them with). Occassionally, I'll get impatient and just throw it on the charger after 2-3 times of the above cycle.

There are also times when they'll sit for a month or better with no use. Either partially charged or fully charged. I always rotate them as well - every charge/discharge between the saw and the drill.

I stopped using cordless drills a few years ago. I got tired of gettign 1/4 of the way through a project and having the battery die and then having to switch everything over to a corded drill. I strongly believe that for home use, a good old fashion corded drill is the way to go as they never run out of juice and they do not get weaker towards the end of the job when I might be low on patience (sp?). I currently have three corded drills, one is at least 38 years old and I have never worn one out. Conversly, I have thrown away a couple of cordless drills because not only did the batteries die but the motors/bushing wore out while doing basic home improvement projects.

I use a older Dewalt 12V cordless drill.

I've never had a low battery problem. Basically drilled a 5/16" hole through 5" or so of steel, followed by countersinking 20 holes in 1/4" plate and still had charge at the end.

I just use two batteries, keeping one on a charger. For 1/2" drill duties though, I'll stick to corded.

I generally get 2-3 years out of a battery.

The batteries are the same in 90% of the brands, they're either Panasonic or Sanyo, so for the average construction guy, it's just brand loyalty talking.

The newer Cordless tools that use Lithium-Ion batteries are a big improvement over the Ni-cad batteries that have been used forever.
The reason for the improvement is li-Ion packs don't build up a memory the way that ni-cads do. The chargers cycle the batteries somewhat, but ultimately the best way to treat a ni-cad is to initially drain it, charge for an extended period of time, then use it on regular charging cycles like you would any other cordless tool. Plus the ni-cads overall lifespan is shorter, but they cost less.

The new li-ion tools like the Milwaukee 28v & makita 18v are much lighter & more efficient than the other tools available but $$$$$

The milwaukee is the strongest of the cordless tools, and about the weight of a ni-cad 18v, and the makita is supposed to be stronger than a regular18v but it weighs the same as their ni-cad 12v. Also, the makita has a four magnet motor instead of two to make it more efficient.

IIRC Hilti has a similar motor in design to the makita, but I don't know which battery it uses.

This one is ni-cad, but it's the one I'm saving my pennies for: http://www.festoolusa.com/ProductDetails.aspx?id=2&prodid=PC1230S

You and me both Perry :)

FWIW I prefer a 12v cordless and when I need power I drag out the holeshooter.

I hear those new 24? 26? volt Lithium Ion battery packs in Milwaukee cordless tools generate some serious power.
Milwaukee's V28 (http://v28power.com) Lithium-Ion powered cordless drills, impact guns and Sawzalls are the real deal. I've been using them daily/weekly for the last 8-10 months and the batteries have held up great so far. The 1/2" drill did burn up recently though. It might just be the brushes. I've got to look into it.

Well, as luck would have it I was at Lowe's yesterday right as the tool babe was putting a DeWalt 18v drill/circ saw combo kit on the clearance rack. 1/2 price! Hopefully this one will treat me better than my last.
After thinking about it I will probably buy a heavy duty milwaukee corded drill for heavy duty use once I get some more $$$.
Thanks for all the info.

You and me both Perry :)

FWIW I prefer a 12v cordless and when I need power I drag out the holeshooter.

Same here, I have an older 12V Dewalt I've been using for a while. I fondled the 18+V stuff and found it to be unweildy and would rather use a corded model should I need more power.