Cordless drill batteries can make or break a big DIY project. I would know – I’ve just spent the entire weekend wrestling the darn batteries hanging drywall in my new garage using my trusty cable free Makita drill as a screw gun. Of course, my projects almost never go quite the way I’d like them to, but I’ve picked up a few valuable lessons to share along the way.
I sure appreciate the fact that working with out cords is a huge convenience while getting the project done. But I’ve also figured out that NiCad cordless drill batteries seem to only last about long enough for just a handful of screws or holes drilled. Some brands are better than others, but in the end whether using pro equipment such as Bosch, DeWalt, Milwaukee, or Ryobi or the consumer geared Craftsman or Black & Decker tools, battery life remains an issue across the board.
Through my trials and tribulations, I can tell you that you will need at least two batteries to even begin getting the job done efficiently. Start with both batteries fully charged. While using one on the drill, keep the other charging. Just as soon as the battery on the cordless drill dies, swap it with the fully powered battery from the charging base. Keep this rotation going constantly to have enough juice to effortlessly complete the project.
Want to really super charge the process? Learn from the pros like I did – pick up a second charger and another pair of NiCad batteries and stay way ahead of the game. I can thank my brother-in-law for this tip, but I sure wish I would have thought of it sooner!
But there’s one more thing. Probably like most men out there, I didn’t exactly read the manual that came with my drill before I started using it. If I did, I would have known right away that running a battery completely bone dry will allow it to store a better charge. By this, I mean holding down the drill trigger until there’s zero movement at all. This simple tactic also works miracles for extending the life cycle of the batteries over the long haul.