Which battery for a screwdriver is better to choose? Types of batteries for a screwdriver, their pros and cons, nuances of operation. How can you replace your own battery in a screwdriver? We make a charger for the battery with our own hands.
Which battery for a screwdriver is better to choose
A cordless screwdriver is a fairly convenient and demanded tool. The independence from the power supply makes this device mobile and allows you to work in hard-to-reach places. But despite all the advantages, the rechargeable battery (AKB) is the weak link in a screwdriver. Therefore, when choosing a power tool, you first need to understand what types of batteries exist, what is their difference, the pros and cons of different types of batteries.
Nickel-cadmium batteries
This type of battery is the most common, although it is over 100 years old. NiCd batteries have good capacity and low cost.
Nickel-cadmium batteries have the following advantages.
- Durability. With proper operation, the battery can last 8-10 years.
- Ability to work at low temperatures. The battery power is practically not reduced, which allows using the tool outdoors in winter.
- A high degree of reliability and unpretentiousness to working conditions.
- The battery can withstand a thousand charge-discharge cycles.
- The battery can be stored for a long time in a discharged state.
Since NiCd batteries are not “afraid” of full discharge, you can work with the tool until it stops completely, that is, until the battery is deeply discharged. Only then can you put it on charge without fear that the battery capacity will decrease.
However, nickel-cadmium batteries are not without their drawbacks. The toxicity of the internal filling of the battery causes disposal problems.
Batteries of this type are quite heavy when compared to other types of batteries. In addition, they have a “memory effect”. This phenomenon occurs in a nickel-cadmium battery when it is prevented from fully discharging. If you turn on such a battery for recharging, then it will “remember” this value and during further work it will discharge exactly to this mark. This will lose a significant portion of the battery’s capacity. The figure below clearly demonstrates how the “memory effect” appears.
Lithium-ion batteries
Li-Ion batteries significantly outperform other types of batteries. The advantages of lithium-ion batteries include the following:
- Almost complete absence of "memory effect";
- You can recharge the lithium-ion battery at any stage of discharge, without fear of loss of capacity;
- No power loss at low battery charge;
- The effective service life is 5-8 years;
- Low self-discharge;
- Takes little time to charge;
- There are no toxic elements;
- High power with small dimensions.
Cons of lithium-ion batteries:
- Sensitivity to impacts (may explode with strong impacts);
- The battery does not tolerate a complete discharge and overcharge from this battery fails;
- Discharges quickly at low temperatures;
- High price;
- Service life is lower than that of nickel-cadmium batteries.
It is difficult to say unequivocally which battery is better. Mainly, you must decide for what purpose you are going to purchase a screwdriver. If for home use, which implies infrequent switching on with long interruptions in work, then you need to choose a tool with a nickel-cadmium battery.
Lithium-ion batteries are the professional choice. They are designed for continuous, long-term and uninterrupted operation. The recharge time of the battery is also important for a professional tool. But it is worth remembering one rule: a lithium battery cannot be brought to full discharge.
Replacement with lithium batteries
Replacing NiCd cells with Li-Ion is also not difficult. It is known from the school course that if the batteries are connected in series, then their voltage ratings will be summed up. For example, your screwdriver runs on a battery with a voltage of 14.4 V, which means that it can be replaced with four 3.3 V finger batteries. This voltage will be enough, because the lithium batteries do not “sag too much” when starting the device.
It is recommended to buy batteries from well-known manufacturers, for example, Sistem A123. The LiFePO4 battery of this company has a capacity of 2400 mAh, sufficient for the normal functioning of the screwdriver. If you buy batteries via the Internet, they will cost you less, around 900 rubles for 3 pieces.
You will also need to purchase soldering acid instead of alcohol flux. In this case, overheating of the batteries will be minimized. The soldering iron must have a power within 65 watts.
You can learn more about how batteries are replaced with lithium batteries by looking at this.
Lithium-ion batteries
Li-Ion batteries significantly outperform other types of batteries. The advantages of lithium-ion batteries include the following:
- Almost complete absence of "memory effect";
- You can recharge the lithium-ion battery at any stage of discharge, without fear of loss of capacity;
- No power loss at low battery charge;
- The effective service life is 5-8 years;
- Low self-discharge;
- Takes little time to charge;
- There are no toxic elements;
- High power with small dimensions.
Cons of lithium-ion batteries:
- Sensitivity to impacts (may explode with strong impacts);
- The battery does not tolerate a complete discharge and overcharge from this battery fails;
- Discharges quickly at low temperatures;
- High price;
- Service life is lower than that of nickel-cadmium batteries.
It is difficult to say unequivocally which battery is better. Mainly, you must decide for what purpose you are going to purchase a screwdriver. If for home use, which implies infrequent switching on with long interruptions in work, then you need to choose a tool with a nickel-cadmium battery.
Lithium-ion batteries are the professional choice. They are designed for continuous, long-term and uninterrupted operation. The recharge time of the battery is also important for a professional tool. But it is worth remembering one rule: a lithium battery cannot be brought to full discharge.
Nickel-cadmium batteries
This type of battery is the most common, although it is over 100 years old. NiCd batteries have good capacity and low cost.
Nickel-cadmium batteries have the following advantages.
- Durability. With proper operation, the battery can last 8-10 years.
- Ability to work at low temperatures. The battery power is practically not reduced, which allows using the tool outdoors in winter.
- A high degree of reliability and unpretentiousness to working conditions.
- The battery can withstand a thousand charge-discharge cycles.
- The battery can be stored for a long time in a discharged state.
Since NiCd batteries are not “afraid” of full discharge, you can work with the tool until it stops completely, that is, until the battery is deeply discharged. Only then can you put it on charge without fear that the battery capacity will decrease.
However, nickel-cadmium batteries are not without their drawbacks. The toxicity of the internal filling of the battery causes disposal problems.
Batteries of this type are quite heavy when compared to other types of batteries. In addition, they have a “memory effect”. This phenomenon occurs in a nickel-cadmium battery when it is prevented from fully discharging. If you turn on such a battery for recharging, then it will “remember” this value and during further work it will discharge exactly to this mark. This will lose a significant portion of the battery’s capacity. The figure below clearly demonstrates how the “memory effect” appears.
Why Nickel Cadmium Batteries Are Good
Lithium-ion battery types for the screwdriver. The coolest to date. They are used in high-tech gadgets: phones, digital cameras, electric vehicles. They also equip cordless tools. The li ion screwdriver has excellent battery capacity and voltage. These battery characteristics determine the power of the device. It is not surprising that most screwdrivers are equipped with lithium batteries, especially the professional grade, where power, endurance and productivity are important.
Pros of li ion batteries:
- Large capacity and high voltage;
- Withstand more than 3 thousand cyclic charges and discharges until capacity is lost;
- There is no memory effect (inability to reach 100% of the indicator, if before that they cut down 70% when charging, for example);
- At room temperature, self-discharge is extremely slow, about 1.6% per month. This is important when the device is used from time to time;
- A wide range of temperatures is allowed: from 20 to 60. The optimum temperature for work is 23-25 degrees above zero.
Minuses:
- Severe frost (below 20). Worst enemy for capacity and charge.
Ni-Cd batteries have nickel as the cathode and cadmium powder is used as the anode. This design is good because it can withstand various temperatures, even extremely negative ones. Another advantage. Such batteries can be stored uncharged for a long time, this does not affect the capacity. That is, in the pros we have this:
- Normal operation in severe frost. Therefore, when doing outdoor installations in winter, it is better to choose a nickel battery rather than a lithium battery.
- No need to charge for long-term storage.
When choosing a battery type, li ion or ni cd, remember that nickel cadmium loses:
- In the number of charging cycles (3-10 times, depending on the model);
- In self-discharge. It is 10% per month of the charge;
- When charging low-capacity batteries. This process takes a very long time, up to 7 hours. Fortunately, not all Ni-Cd batteries have long charging times. Pro-class screwdrivers from Sparky, Makita, Metabo are charged for 30-50 minutes with high current and do not heat up.
- Memory effect prevents 100% charge from being reached.
Ni-Cd batteries have nickel as the cathode and cadmium powder is used as the anode. This design is good because it can withstand various temperatures, even extremely negative ones. Another advantage. Such batteries can be stored uncharged for a long time, this does not affect the capacity. That is, in the pros we have this:
- Normal operation in severe frost. Therefore, when doing outdoor installations in winter, it is better to choose a nickel battery rather than a lithium battery.
- No need to charge for long-term storage.
When choosing a battery type, li ion or ni cd, remember that nickel cadmium loses:
- In the number of charging cycles (3-10 times, depending on the model);
- In self-discharge. It is 10% per month of the charge;
- When charging low-capacity batteries. This process takes a very long time, up to 7 hours. Fortunately, not all Ni-Cd batteries have long charging times. Pro-class screwdrivers from Sparky, Makita, Metabo are charged for 30-50 minutes with high current and do not heat up.
- Memory effect prevents 100% charge from being reached.
What type of battery is best for a screwdriver: Li-Ion, Ni-Cd, Ni-Mh
Cordless screwdrivers are used for various tasks with fasteners in places where there is no outlet. over, craftsmen adore this tool and use it even in a room with a normal electrical network due to the fact that the device does not have a cable that gets confused and interferes. To ensure that the battery-powered screwdriver is always ready for work and does not let you down during tasks, you need to know which type of battery is best for the screwdriver. Modern manufacturers use these types of batteries:
- Lithium-ion (about 3 thousand charge cycles);
- Nickel-cadmium (from 100 to 900 charge-discharge cycles);
- Nickel-metal hydride (withstand up to 500 cyclic charging procedures).