We are here to help. In the cordless drill arena ther are three principal types of battery and they are:

 

1. NiCad

 

2  NiMH

 

3  Li-Ion

 

Each type of battery has a place in the tool store and here we shall explain what each type is and why it is found in a cordless SDS drill.

 

 

The most common type is the NiCad or Nickel Cadmium battery, it is the forerunner of the rechargeable battery world. The NiCad is found in many, many electronic and electrical goods from your drill to a digital camera. They are cheap, due to the sheer volume produced and they work in a broad range of temperatures.

 

NiCad batteries are reliable and will accept a charge cycle around a 1000 times. The drawbacks with these batteries are: They are fairly heavy.React adversely to poor charging patterns, so called battery memory where the cells will not charge to full capacity. The cadmium is a bad thing environmentally. Taxes are being levied to reduce their use.

 

 

A lesser well known type of battery the NiMH is being produced in larger numbers due the the tax restrictions placed on the NiCad types. Makita and Hitachi are developing the NiMH to sell in Europe especially. The NiMH is overall a lighter battery and the density of charging capability means it will run longer than an equivalent NiCad.

 

The downside to NiMH cells is that they do not like extremes of weather and may not work at all below 0 degrees centigrade. They also cannot accept recharging as often as NiCad and so will need to be replaced sooner. Actual figures depend on charging patterns, use and temperature. Some companies reccomend storing them in the fridge!

 

 

The big daddy of rechargeable batteries is a recent innovation and is being taken up by many cordless drill manufacturers. The Lithium Ion battery is the best performing battery of all, lasting around 100% longer than NiCad cells and is the lightest of all batteries. They are also unaffected by temperature so making them the best of all three kinds.

 

The problem with Li-Ion batteries is the price, they are the most expensive of all but when you take the weight, run time and longevity into account they are the sensible choice.

 

So when you look for new cordless drill batteries you now know what you are looking for.