A screwdriver is a necessary tool in the household, but the time comes and its source of energy - the battery stops working. Models are constantly changing and sometimes it is not possible to find the right battery. However, you can completely restore it or extend its service life by 2-3 years. This article tells how to repair the battery of a screwdriver.
When deciding whether it is possible to restore the battery of a screwdriver, it is necessary, first of all, to figure out how to extract elements from it. The battery is housed in a plastic housing of two halves. First you need to unscrew the connecting screws. If the connection is made with glue, then you will have to tinker with a screwdriver or chisel. It should be disassembled carefully so that later you can glue the case again.
Inside are elements connected in series. In some designs, a parallel-series connection is used.
When deciding how to restore a screwdriver battery, it is necessary, first of all, to identify faulty banks that spoil its work. If the battery is dead, it must be charged, and then check the voltage on all elements. It should not differ from the nominal by no more than 10%.
Repair is how to restore the screwdriver as a whole. It is affected by the health of each element. It must have a given capacity, which is understood as the ability to power the load connected to it. Sometimes it is better to replace failed elements that are quickly discharged. They can be detected by corrosion damage or the presence of characteristic traces of electrolyte on the surface.
One or two elements can be a serious hindrance to the operation of the entire line.
If the battery is used for more than 3 years, then most of the elements may be faulty. In this case, it is better to replace them all. It is important that they are suitable in voltage and size. The cost of batteries assembled separately is lower than new ones.
The serviceability of each bank is checked by the value of internal resistance, which should be about 0.06 ohms. To do this, a load is connected to it (a 5-10 Ohm resistor) and at the same time the current and voltage are determined. It is convenient to use low-voltage incandescent lamps. Measurements are made with two different resistances, respectively 30% and 70% of the allowable load. The 2nd is subtracted from the 1st voltage, and the 1st is subtracted from the 2nd current. Then the results of the subtraction are divided and, in accordance with Ohm's law, we find the internal resistance of the battery.
The battery is often sold with a spare. Of the two, you can collect one and there will still be banks in stock. It is desirable to use them somewhere as power sources, for example, for a flashlight with a car lamp.
After diagnostics, the elements that have passed the test are assembled into a line. The selected kit must be soldered in the same order. The body of the can has a negative polarity, and the middle bus has a positive polarity. Then, without assembling the battery, you should connect it to it. In this case, you need to control the temperature of the elements. If they are in good condition, then there should not be a strong overheating. After the charging time has elapsed, as well as after a day, the voltage should be measured on each element. If any battery "sits down" by more than 10%, it must be replaced with a new one. After the battery passes the test, you can finally assemble its case. The fastening screws are screwed into place according to the size, and acetate-acrylate (“Super-glue”) is used as glue. With proper selection of elements, the battery will serve as a new one. After charging, it should be subjected to intensive training, creating the maximum load on the screwdriver until it is discharged. Such cycles should be repeated 2 more times, and then - 1 time per quarter.
Batteries that have not passed the test should not be rushed to be thrown away. The main reason for their failure is the evaporation of water through the sealing gum located between the body and the middle tire. When there is a complete "zero" on it, the battery is briefly charged by pulsed voltage supply of 12 V through a resistance of 40-50 ohms. In this case, it should be controlled that the case does not overheat. If after that there is still no voltage on it, the jar can be thrown away.
To restore the electrolyte, some craftsmen drill mini-holes for the syringe needle in the side recess of all batteries. The jars are then filled with distilled water. After the batteries should lie down for a day. The battery is then “trained”, charged and the voltage on each element is checked. Holes are sealed with silicone.
Batteries inside all look similar. They consist of successively soldered cans. The result is the total battery voltage at the output pins. Elements are used in the following types:
Screwdriver "Interskol" is one of the most popular, due to its versatility. In addition to the main function, it can also serve as a drill.
The batteries in it can be any of all common ones. Nickel-cadmium and metal hydrite are used more often, as they are cheaper and quite powerful. In order for them to work reliably, they must be completely discharged and charged in order to fully utilize the charge. Otherwise, the service life of the equipment is significantly reduced. The reversible loss of cell capacity during incomplete discharge and charging is called the memory effect.
They do not have this disadvantage, but they have a much higher price. During work, when every minute counts, a small recharge is often required to maintain the required power of the screwdriver. Here, such batteries are indispensable, since their capacity can be quickly restored.
The buyer chooses the battery of the Interskol screwdriver independently, depending on preferences, capabilities and the required work. In most cases, nickel-cadmium batteries are used.
How to restore the battery of the Interskol screwdriver if it has not been used for a long time? During operation, it is necessary to try so that there is no voltage drop to zero. For a 1.2 V can, the discharge is up to 0.9 V. If it is completely discharged during long-term storage, then Charger may not "see" it. It is necessary to “push” the battery with another, more powerful current source, so that a small voltage appears on it. After that, you can connect it to a regular charger.
Before you restore the battery, you must first disassemble its case. It consists of 2 halves connected with glue. Tapping the battery case gently with a rubber mallet will loosen the adhesive. In some places, there may be problems with disassembly. There may be need for additional hand tool. Next, disconnect the halves of the housing, holding the terminals with a screwdriver.
In terms of performance, the Makita drill driver is approaching a network tool. Autonomous power supply is provided by 2 replaceable Li-Ion batteries. Computer charging technology allows them to be restored in just 22 minutes. At the same time, it is significantly increased.
Faulty banks must be replaced with similar new models. If they are difficult to find on sale, you will have to assemble one from two batteries. Factory welding it can be contact, and when repairing, you will have to create a connection by soldering.
Bosch screwdrivers are perfect for non-professional applications. They are equipped with batteries with Ni-Cd cells. They withstand high load currents, but quickly self-discharge (in 3-4 weeks). At least once a month they must be restored so that they do not fail. In addition, during operation, the elements are unbalanced and capacity is lost over time.
One of the recovery methods is to disassemble the case and “train” each element separately. If this does not help, some of them will have to be replaced. Then the battery will last a long time.
How to restore the battery of a Hitachi screwdriver? Both Ni-Cd batteries must be charged, after which they should be disassembled and the voltage measured on each bank with a load of 1.5 ohms. Elements showing a lower voltage can be thrown away, and one high-quality battery can be assembled from whole ones. Just 1 or 2 banks can spoil the impression of the battery. How to restore the battery of a Hitachi screwdriver, as well as all other models, depends primarily on the type of elements installed in them.
The screwdriver comes with 2 Li-Ion batteries. If one of them is not charging, this does not mean that it is malfunctioning. It is possible that it is too heavily discharged. To do this, you can try to "train" the battery by applying a pulsed voltage to it, and then put it on charge. by the most in a simple way is to connect for a few seconds to a charged battery.
After it was not possible to restore the battery of the Aeg screwdriver in the above way, its case should be disassembled and each can should be checked.
How to restore the battery of a screwdriver? There are several ways. Before disassembling it, you must try to find the cause of the malfunction, which may also be in the mechanism or charger. By following the instructions for using the battery, you can significantly extend its life.
Fig / Photo 1: Screwdriver batteries
It is almost impossible to restore a failed screwdriver battery, but buying a new battery will cost an amount equal to the cost of the power tool itself. Therefore, it makes sense to maximize the battery life of a screwdriver with the help of the recommendations below.
A lot depends on the type of battery. Lithium, nickel and magnesium - each of these types of batteries has its own characteristics that determine the rules for their use.
Li-ion. This type of battery uses carbon as the electrolyte. The device has protective electronics that prevents overheating as well as overcharging. Deep discharge represents the greatest danger during storage and operation. If screwdriver battery will not be used for a long time, it is recommended to leave it at least half charged and store at a temperature of +2 to +15 degrees.
The aging process in the form of gradual degradation of the electrodes significantly shortens the life of the lithium-ion battery for screwdrivers. However, this adverse event can be largely slowed down if the battery is regularly used and recharged. Put the battery on charge as soon as the charge in the battery is less than 20% of the total capacity. In this case, it is desirable to achieve only recharging of 95% of the total capacity, rather than 100%, since overcharging, in turn, is also harmful. Only a new battery is fully charged and discharged to calibrate its parameters.
Nickel metal hydride. The advantages of such a battery include the possibility of long-term storage in a charged state. In this case, self-discharge occurs, but very slowly. Therefore, one recharging every 2-3 months is enough to prevent the battery from completely discharging.
Nickel-metal hydride batteries are not recommended for use at temperatures below -15 and above +40 degrees. Also, the charging process affects their service life - overcharging and overheating are highly undesirable. Therefore, for service batteries for screwdrivers It is advisable to use only branded accessories. Batteries of this type should not be stored at room temperature, but in a relatively cool room.
Nickel-cadmium. The oldest type of battery for screwdrivers, in which the capacity of the positive electrode is less than the capacity of the negative, due to which the positive electrode triggers the self-discharge of the battery. Therefore, it is advisable to leave batteries of this type for long-term storage in a fully discharged state. When using a nickel-cadmium battery, try to completely discharge it immediately before putting it on charge.
When buying a new screwdriver, understand for yourself the rules for operating its battery. Use the power tool according to the type of battery. To charge, use the charger included in the kit, while adhering to the mode recommended in the instructions.
Almost every battery in a power tool is the most expensive part of it. A screwdriver is no exception, because a replaceable battery can be from 30% of the total cost of a tool. After discharging the device, you need to purchase a new screwdriver, but to save money, there is another option - restoration, which will extend its service life.
The problem with the rapid self-discharge of the battery is quite common. It consists in fast charging, which takes place in 20 minutes and the same short work.
This situation may be the result of incorrect operation of the thermal sensor located in the removable battery. This temperature sensor may not be installed in the original way. You must return it to the place of purchase.
If the battery begins to discharge quickly after prolonged uninterrupted use, which could happen after a fall, you need to take it to repair.
Screwdriver after prolonged use, it happens, fails. Its working element may stop charging, which will lead to the impossibility of performing the functional abilities of the tool, the tool, roughly speaking, will “die”.
In order to extend the life of the tool so that you do not have to remove it from the visibility zone, you can try three methods in turn. Each subsequent one is considered more complex and costly. They consist in:
The battery can last about three to four years with proper use and storage. In practice, this period is sometimes reduced to two years. It is very expensive to change the tool all the time, so it is better to choose right away best option for one purpose or another.
There are 3 different types batteries:
Regardless of battery type, battery life depends on the number of charges used and how it is stored. That is, the more the tool works, the faster it discharges. At the same time, “simple” operation negatively affects the period of use, especially if you store the tool in the state when it sat down.
Is it possible to reanimate all types of batteries? Better repair nickel-cadmium blocks, which are available in almost all modern screwdrivers, lend themselves.
For the recovery process, you need to understand the basics of electricity. That is, to have school knowledge about the operation of batteries.
For work you will need tools and materials:
A donor is needed to resuscitate the battery. In the configuration of the screwdriver, it may be available, or you need to find it yourself, for example, by removing it from another old device.
To start the operation, it is necessary to fully charge (about 6 hours) both batteries, swing it. After that, remove the plastic cover from the part to be restored with a screwdriver. This procedure must be done carefully so as not to damage the latches. Otherwise, for subsequent assembly, you will need glue, like "Moment".
The ni cd battery device is manufactured using the same technology, so any battery can be made a donor of this type.
Such devices are separate components - blocks, with a nominal voltage of 1.2 V and an energy capacity of 1200-1500 MA / h. They are found in Interskol screwdrivers. Each block affects the power, that is, with its value of 12 V, the number of blocks is 10 pieces, 14.4 V - 12, etc. After changing the battery, the power may drop for the first time of operation, but then everything will be restored.
18 V is a common power that corresponds to the presence of 15 blocks. As a donor, you need to choose an electrical appliance with a voltage of 14.5 V, that is, a 12 V car battery will not work.
For these types of batteries, you will need to remember where the plus, minus and charging contacts are located. The voltage control board, located on the batteries, most often fails, or rather, their stabilizers and protective diodes.
The voltage at the battery output is checked, if the value is much less than normal, resuscitation is performed.
The featured brands come with a lithium-ion battery. Reviving them requires a soldering iron and sleight of hand, because if you do everything slowly, the service life may decrease, or the battery will explode altogether.
All broken or frayed wires inside the battery must be isolated, for example, with electrical tape or replaced with new ones in advance.
For restoration, torn off metal elements are soldered - tapes that can be taken in old blocks.
For assembly, it is necessary to return the cardboard gasket between the blocks and the board to its place. This is required to prevent shorting. Then the contacts are isolated.
29841
Screwing a screw is one of those tasks that seem to appear out of nowhere, but with enviable constancy. Fixing a warped closet door, hanging a mirror in the hallway, attaching a shelf in the bathroom are minor everyday problems that need to be solved daily. It is possible to tighten a bolt, screw or self-tapping screw with a screwdriver, but not always. Those who have tried it know that it is a thankless task, a long one, and the result is often zero. And you need to quickly and efficiently.
Buying an electric one for everyday household chores is the best way out. Not to mention that it is indispensable in the work of professionals. It is used at construction sites, during repairs and in furniture workshops. Using a screwdriver, they install drywall structures, install windows and doors, fix skirting boards and assemble furniture.
Choosing a screwdriver, focusing solely on its cost, is a gross mistake. They differ in power and various functions. In order not to make a mistake when choosing, you should carefully study it specifications before the purchase. The main ones are rotation speed, torque and battery type (in a cordless tool). But reading digital data is half the battle, you still need to be able to navigate what indicators are needed specifically for you and for the planned work.
The screwdriver can work from the mains or from the built-in battery. Not only the mobility of the tool, but also its power depends on the type of power supply. Small and handy cordless tool is the best helper for home master. It has all the necessary functions, and it weighs very little, and the hands do not get tired. But the main downside cordless screwdriver- low power - will play a cruel joke with those who plan to use it as a professional tool. That is, a lot and often. For the pros, you need a completely different power. The price of a professional is higher. Most often it is tied to an outlet, but it tolerates intense loads well.
The most expensive part of the tool. More than half the price you pay for the battery. In order not to run every 20-30 minutes with a cordless screwdriver to the outlet for recharging, read the battery passport. We recommend that you carefully consider these parameters.
Battery capacity directly affects the duration of work. The higher the capacity, the more time it can work without recharging. Capacity is measured in ampere-hours and depends on which element is installed inside the battery. Cadmium batteries have the smallest capacity, and lithium-ion batteries have the largest. Therefore, for long-term work, choose a lithium-based screwdriver. It costs 2-3 times more expensive, but gives a guarantee of work for several hours.
Charging times vary by model. A professional tool needs about an hour. Amateur - 5-7 hours. Buying a screwdriver that takes more time to charge than it works is a forgivable mistake for a home master. This tool is rarely used. And its long recharging does not bring inconvenience. For the "pros" - a long charge time nullifies all his work. The charging time depends on the specifications of the battery and charger.
A screwdriver is a versatile tool. Usually, in addition to "twist-unscrew", he is also able to drill. But not all models have this feature. Often the customer assumes that when purchasing a single speed tool, they will be performing screwdriving and drilling tasks. This is a common mistake. To work in screwing mode and in drilling mode, it must be equipped with a speed controller. Drilling is performed at a different speed than twisting. Work with the different materials means different turns.
If you take a screwdriver once or twice a year, then it is better to buy an electric tool that works from an outlet. After all, each battery has its own shelf life. It needs to be charged and discharged, if not constantly, then often. Otherwise, it loses a lot of capacity. If the storage period is exceeded, the electrolyte is stratified, the metal plates inside are covered with salt.
Having made a mistake with the choice of a battery and not knowing the features of its operation, you will eventually realize that it does not suit you at all. Therefore, keep in mind that three types of batteries are used in screwdrivers:
A powerful screwdriver is needed for long-term work with maximum load. If these are not planned, you should not choose a large power. Powerful has its drawbacks:
For home work, it is better to take a screwdriver less powerful, compact, but with good torque.
If it has a shock mode, then this does not mean at all that it will be able to hammer a wall or a stone. A screwdriver is not a hammer drill. Run-out mode is used to drive bolts and screws more efficiently.
There are two types of cartridges:
Quick-release - much easier and more convenient. If you have to work with a frequent change of consumables (for example, a drill, a bit), then it is recommended to take a screwdriver with a quick-release chuck. The key cartridge greatly slows down the work.
If there is another battery in the kit, this is a huge plus for your screwdriver. Spare battery gives additional features. While working on one battery, the second can be charged, and then vice versa. It turns out continuous work. But for household chores, one battery is enough, you should not overpay for an extended package. But for professional works- it great option, in some cases, you can stock up on one more battery for the future.
The cheapest packaging option is cardboard. But he won't last long. The packaging will break. Then there will be nowhere to store a screwdriver. For an amateur who bought an instrument for an apartment or house, this will not be a problem. But a professional master needs a case. You should choose it in a plastic case. It is convenient for storage and transportation. There are also thoughtful modular cases. They are attached to each other, can be transported on a wheelbarrow. These are optimal plastic suitcases for professionals like L-boxx or MetaLoc. Cases with such a system are often used by popular tool manufacturers: Metabo, Bosch.
To buy a screwdriver from an incomprehensible manufacturer - to be left alone with a broken tool. No warranty, no service, no parts. Never be tempted by the too low price of China-under-China power tools. Please note that the "gray product" does not have an official warranty, but reliable trade marks give both a guarantee, and service in the service centers.
Most screwdriver models use batteries to charge the battery so that the tool can be used anywhere without being connected to electricity.
To ensure a long battery life, at least for the period specified in the data sheet, several important conditions must be considered:
Accumulator charging
They have two types - impulse and normal. Pulse devices allow you to quickly charge the batteries (one hour), usually charging the battery for 5-7 hours.
Battery storage
Tool operation
Overheating adversely affects the long-term operation of all types of batteries. Lithium-ion batteries are not well tolerated low temperatures. The normal operating range of all batteries is 10-40°C.
Battery capacity is one of the main criteria for choosing such a tool.
Therefore, before buying a screwdriver, pay attention to the choice of battery and the study of the operating conditions of the device. In this way, you can compare the performance of the tool with your requirements and will not disappoint you in the future.
Tel. 063 977-93-42; 095 258-61-30; 068 197-06-78;
Part two.
In the first part of the article, we found an unusable element in the nickel-cadmium battery assembly. What to do next with a broken battery? Is it possible to recover this item?
It is the options for repair, repacking and restoration that we dedicate the second part of our article.
There are essentially two repair options - the first is an attempt to shake and restore the damaged element, the second is to replace it with the same one with the same capacity.
The option of repairing an element is fraught with difficulties of the following nature - as a rule, the element dries up - that is, loses its tightness - the electrolyte boils out of it (during loads due to poor contact) if the electrolyte has not completely boiled away, then it is possible to restore the operation of the element by compression or shock therapy her element is flashed with a strong voltage of higher voltage and current - which starts the processes inside the battery.
It should be noted - that you should not confuse the methods of restoring lead-acid batteries from cars and nickel-cadmium batteries from portable tools. The difference is that lead-acid batteries lose capacity mainly due to sulfation of the plates, while nickel-cadmium batteries most often fail due to shock loads - they overheat and the electrolyte simply boils out of them.
Nickel-cadmium batteries are by nature very patient and this fact makes them the most suitable for harsh working conditions, they have a relatively weak self-discharge current - on the first day 10%, and then no more than 2-3% per month. However, in practice, this property sometimes turns against them - strong starting currents passing through the battery - heat up not only the engine of the same screwdriver, but also the battery itself, and therefore endanger it.
Nickel-cadmium batteries also have a so-called memory - with insufficient discharge followed by a charge, the battery loses its effective capacity.
This problem is quite easy to deal with - we will return to this issue a little later.
So, we have a bank that does not accept a charge - and we will change it. The question arises where we will get the element for replacement - everything is just from exactly the same battery of the same screwdriver - we have two more batteries - and we will make two absolutely working batteries out of three non-working batteries and there will still be a supply of live batteries.
Don't let the age of the batteries scare you - six years is not an age for a nickel-cadmium battery, batteries aged 10-15 exist and are still in use. True, it should be noted that the capacity of such batteries eventually falls by 20-30% of the nominal value - therefore, we recommend buying screwdrivers with capacitive batteries right away - they are less susceptible to the aging effect.
So we repeat the experiment with the search for bad cells in the two remaining batteries - in the first case, one element was found in the second of two. The assembly in which we will make two bad elements a donor.
We solder the elements.
For soldering, we use a low-corrosion flux - as well as tin as a solder. This is necessary so that the jumpers are not the resistance of the circuit between the battery cells.
After soldering the elements, it's time to check. And battery training followed by erasing the memory effect. We take two enumerated battery assemblies and assemble them into cases. It is clear that the elements of different assemblies have a different charge - and alignment is required - for this we will train the battery.
As in the case of identifying bad elements in the assembly, so with training - we will first charge and then discharge the batteries.
We install the batteries in the charger, preferably at night, since in addition to the main charge currents, there are supporting currents that make it possible to recharge.
After charging the batteries, let them cool down for a day.
We measure the battery voltage - 16.1 V and 15.9 V - an excellent voltage of a charged battery, approximately 1.33-1.35 V per can.
After that, we proceed to intensive training. For training, we chose a 35 black self-tapping screw - we will twist it into a freshly cut maple stump. Maple is essentially a very hard wood and the work of a screwdriver will be quite stressful ...
The first battery started working - the first impression is very good, the first hundred twisted and unscrewed screws have passed - the screwdriver does not feel tired, and the tool and battery are already heating up. We change the battery and repeat a hundred cycles of twisting and twisting (see.
photo below)
We change the batteries in sequence during operation. Let the screwdriver cool down after 300 cycles.
So the result - the first accumulator - 316 cycles, the second - 324.
Conclusion: the battery has acquired a powerful charge that will allow it to be operated in operating mode for a long period of time.
Why are three cycles enough - firstly, it takes time, secondly, we don’t need to use ultra-deep discharges followed by a shock charge, it will not be critical for us to tighten the screwdriver by 30-40 screws more or less, because we have two batteries and we alternate them at work.
Subsequently, it is advisable to repeat such training cycles no more than once a quarter, while trying to completely discharge the tool and charge it. And then it will serve you for many years.
See continuation at ch.
For battery repair, as well as the purchase of cells (cans), please contact our specialists:
