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$50 site donor 2026
In utility room to stay cool and isolated - slow charge only …
How do you guys manage tool batteries and charging?
- Thread starter UncleDave
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Propflux01
$100 Site Donor 2026
Yes, the DJI batteries do self-discharge. Takes about 9 days from 100%
I'm using the standard Dewalt chargers. My batteries lasted 10 years, then they are all pretty much done. No particular care. Also of note, 100% of the housings failed/cracked/deteriorated before the cells quit. An example of what happens, mine are even worse and actually falling apart. Prob due to FL heat. I used a hot glue gun to keep them together.
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I never leave batteries on chargers unattended. Last winter a local HVAC contractor had one charging on the dash of his van warming in his driveway before heading out, looked out the window and cab was on fire. It burnt through the dashboard.
With multiple batteries on hand I'm never powerless, I'll toss one on a charger while using another so it tops off.
Tool batteries are hit or miss IMO, some last forever, some not.
Milwaukee Li seem to be pretty good so far, I have every Ah size in my care at my snowmobile club running E chain saws, impacts and drills to name a few applications. They get hard use year 'round and have held up so far using the fast chargers.
I've got more issues with volunteers beating up the tool vs batteries. About 20 batteries in play in the assorted capacities.
With multiple batteries on hand I'm never powerless, I'll toss one on a charger while using another so it tops off.
Tool batteries are hit or miss IMO, some last forever, some not.
Milwaukee Li seem to be pretty good so far, I have every Ah size in my care at my snowmobile club running E chain saws, impacts and drills to name a few applications. They get hard use year 'round and have held up so far using the fast chargers.
I've got more issues with volunteers beating up the tool vs batteries. About 20 batteries in play in the assorted capacities.
I manage batteries by not using them. I mostly use manual tools and my two hands.
I also try to manually stop charging batteries (various DeWalt, and the pair of 10Ah EGO 56V for my snowblower) at ~80%, unless I know I'm going to use them within a day or so. The smaller capacity batteries that came with my drill/driver set don't have SOC indicators, so they just get charged to full, and are first up to bat for small jobs.
The EGO batteries have a self-discharge feature, similar to DJI - except it doesn't start for 30 days which IMO is a bit long. Since I will inevitably get distracted during charging and come back to a full battery, I ended up buying the 400W PSW inverter from EGO. This way I can burn off some charge if needed. The additional benefit is that I can charge the batteries via the inverter using up to 100W of USB-C PD input, which allows me to avoid hammering them with ~500W from the charger which came with the snowblower. A little under 1C is far from reckless for lithium ion, but <0.2C is gentler.
The EGO batteries have a self-discharge feature, similar to DJI - except it doesn't start for 30 days which IMO is a bit long. Since I will inevitably get distracted during charging and come back to a full battery, I ended up buying the 400W PSW inverter from EGO. This way I can burn off some charge if needed. The additional benefit is that I can charge the batteries via the inverter using up to 100W of USB-C PD input, which allows me to avoid hammering them with ~500W from the charger which came with the snowblower. A little under 1C is far from reckless for lithium ion, but <0.2C is gentler.
I don't really "manage" ours? We just have Rigid batteries and we just have a couple chargers on the shelf in the mud room. Dead batteries get put on the charger and left there days or weeks, and the spare charged batteries are either beside the chargers, or in the tools. I don't do anything but use them, or charge them, and Rigid sends me new a one when one dies.
They all have some circuitry to prevent over or under charging, and seem to go for 10 years with no special care, and are free if they fail, so I don't worry about it too much.
They all have some circuitry to prevent over or under charging, and seem to go for 10 years with no special care, and are free if they fail, so I don't worry about it too much.
I was fixed solely on Milwaukee but have since started transitioning over to Rigid due to their lifetime warranty. So far I have not had to use either warranty, but I have so many batteries that I charge them and put them in a box until ready to use.
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- Oct 30, 2021
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I’ve been using fast charging for my Ryobi stuff and fully discharging and charging the batteries 
no issues so far but only been using them for 2yrs. The Ryobi batteries are definitely holding up better than my Milwaukee’s M12 and M18 batteries had to warranty a 3 already.
no issues so far but only been using them for 2yrs. The Ryobi batteries are definitely holding up better than my Milwaukee’s M12 and M18 batteries had to warranty a 3 already.- Joined
- Oct 30, 2021
- Messages
- 728
Ridgid tools are the best bang for the buck. Especially with that LSA
I'm in the camp of not really managing batteries. I have chargers in the garage and in my basement and keep some of each in both. The only thing I really make sure I do is remove the batteries from the charger once charged and move all batteries into the basement in the winter. Possum, the charging station is very impressive!
I avoid all this nonsense by only using corded tools.
Then you have to bring the work to the tools, or run a generator, and or a compressor with air lines.
You still have to deal with nonsense, just different nonsense.
A workable solution, but tough to build something like a deck that way.
I use extension cords. They work better than batteries.
Never had one reach out to the end of my 1.75 acre property.
Last week I spent about three hours using a cut off wheel on old fencing on the far end of the property - an extension cord wouldn't have worked.
And depending on the tool, my big batteries put out more power than a 15 amp circuit will.
Whats your yard tool strategy?
Cord or gasoline? Leaf blower, hedgers, trimmers, pole saws, mowers?
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I try not to leave my batteries on the charger but it happens sometimes. I have only had 2 Makita batteries go bad and they were in a refurbished drill set so who knows how abused they were. I have not had another 18V Makita battery go bad in 10+ years and they are kept in an extremely hot garage during the summer.
I'm using the standard Dewalt chargers. My batteries lasted 10 years, then they are all pretty much done. No particular care. Also of note, 100% of the housings failed/cracked/deteriorated before the cells quit. An example of what happens, mine are even worse and actually falling apart. Prob due to FL heat. I used a hot glue gun to keep them together.
Dude. I've never seen anything like that.
I've seen mounts wear out.
I've never seen cases disintegrate like that. I guess if you got a decade out of them they don't owe you anything, but mechanical before chemical failure is new to me.
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