HOW LONG DO CORDLESS DRILL BATTERIES LAST?
Cordless tools are great, they make moving around and using power tools much more mobile than traditional corded tools. Until they don’t!!
Having a flat battery can be a real hassle. I run my Hikoki cordless drill driver with 2 batteries, one in the drill and one on charge. This works really well, as the 1 hour charge time means I always have power available when I need it.
That was until recently when one of my batteries decided it wouldn’t hold a charge anymore, I tried to recharge it and boost it to no avail, It was dead and needed to be replaced.
This got me wondering, how long I had been using this battery and how long should an 18v cordless battery last before they need to be replaced?
I did some research and asked a few manufacturers for their input and put together the following article.
Lithium Ion batteries have an expected working life of 1000 charge cycles, which means on average they will last between 2-3 years. Batteries that are charged once a day will last 2.7 years. Temperature and usage will affect how long a battery will last.
That said, my Hikoki batteries lasted over five years before they both needed to be replaced, so let’s take a look at factors that can increase and decrease the life of a cordless drill battery and how you can get the best use from yours.
How long do Batteries last when not being used?
Constant use is a major factor in the life span of a battery, but first, let’s consider battery storage.
The time a battery spends not being used, but sitting on a shelf in your workshop or in the DIY store before being sold can affect its performance and lifespan.
Several things will increase or decrease the battery pack’s lifespan on the shelf.
- How much charge was the battery holding when placed in storage?
- Is the battery stored in hot or cold temperatures?
- Is the storage environment dry or damp?
- Is the battery kept on the charger, on the tool, or on the shelf?
- How was the battery made?
- What is the quality of the electronics that control the current within the pack?
With all these factors playing a part on the battery and its ability to hold a charge, most manufacturers and users find that the average battery pack shelf life is similar for batteries that are stored correctly.
Batteries that are stored correctly, following the manufacturer’s guidelines should last between 3–6 years before they lose all charge and need to be replaced.
When a battery pack becomes worn or is not used for a long period of time, the charge capacity will be reduced and once it drops below a certain level the battery will no longer hold a charge at all.
That typically means the battery has come to the end of its usable life, occasionally it is possible to boost a dead battery to gain a little more life from them, however, in most cases they will need to be replaced.
I contacted Milwaukee Tools when looking into this subject and their recommendations for maximizing the time a battery can be stored are:
Store batteries in a cool, dry location
Avoid storing in freezing or damp conditions in a workshop as moisture can damage any battery
Avoid leaving batteries in direct sunlight where the temperature is high
Store batteries disconnected from the tool or Charger
HOW MANY CHARGING CYCLES WILL A BATTERY TAKE?
The repetitive strains of recharging and discharging a cordless drill battery eventually wear out the internal battery materials to the point they no longer hold a usable charge.
In general terms of charging cycles, Lithium-ion batteries are designed to handle between 300 – 1000 cycles. Charging a battery once a day provides a working life of 1-3 years.
Manufacturers like Panasonic suggest that allowing batteries to cool and recover between charges can help to prolong the battery life.
How you treat your tools will also affect how many charging cycles a battery will handle before is indeed replacing
Factors that affect how many times a battery can be recharged and discharged include:
- The type of power tool being used,
- The workload on the tool
- The condition and age of the tool
- The ambient temperature, both during use and storage.
Treating battery packs with some care rather than throwing them around like a football will help extend the life span.
Regularly maintaining and cleaning your power tools to keep them in the best condition will also make both the tool and the battery last a lot longer than if they are covered in dirt and left to fester after a heavy project.
Power tool manufacturer Makita provide the following tips for maintaining maximum battery life:
- Charge the battery cartridge before completely discharged. Always stop tool operation and charge the battery cartridge when you notice less tool power.
- Never recharge a fully charged battery cartridge. Overcharging shortens the battery service life.
- Charge the battery cartridge at room temperature, or above 10 °C (50 °F) and below 40 °C (104 °F)
- Let a hot battery cartridge cool down before charging it.
- When not using the battery cartridge, remove it from the tool or the charger.
- Charge the battery cartridge if you do not use it for a long period (more than six months).
When you choosing a manufacturer or power tool, take a look at their warranty coverage for rechargeable batteries, this can be a good indicator of how long the manufacturer expects batteries to last.
For more information on Cordless drills, take a look at our cordless drill buyers guide explaining what to look out for and how to choose a cordless drill
This article was written by: Richard Quinton – The DIY Help Desk Owner, Engineer & technical specialist.
Richard is one of the key partners in The DIY Help Desk team. He is a qualified Engineer, writer, and publisher, educated to Master’s level. He is a keen advocate of DIY and home improvements.
Richard enjoys helping others to learn new skills and reach their goals and believes that passing his knowledge and experience on through his writing is an effective way to positively impact the lifestyles and well-being of others on a larger scale.
