Finding the cordless power drill that most accurately fits your needs are often complicated. There are an outsized number of various functions and specifications to think about , the foremost important of which is that the sort of battery used.
Cordless electric drills or the other cordless tools can use three differing types of batteries: nickel cadmium (NiCd), nickel metal hydride (NiMH) and lithium ion (Li-ion).
Nickel-cadmium batteries
NiCD batteries are the oldest of those three types and are still widely used because they can’t get replaced under harsh conditions. additionally , they’re cheap and have a substantial cycle life. generally , lithium-ion batteries and nickel-metal hydride batteries are better. Nickel-cadmium batteries are the oldest batteries, so a number of their characteristics are somewhat outdated. for instance , they’re heavier than other options, and therefore the capacity is lower. If you employ NiCd batteries, one thing you would like to concentrate to isn’t to let their charge fall below 70% between charges. Doing so will shorten their lifespan.
However, you ought to perform deep discharge once a month approximately , otherwise the nickel-cadmium battery will have a memory effect. Another thing to recollect is that nickel-cadmium batteries got to be cooled before being charged.
There’s another thing: If you care about the environment and find that cadmium will damage the environment if stored improperly, you’ll be disappointed. One of the explanations why NiCd batteries haven’t been retired is their overall toughness and impact resistance, also as high and low temperatures. additionally , their cycle life is about 1,000 charges, which is basically impressive. Additionally , they also provide better current.
Although it’s not recommended to go away the batteries during a deep discharge state, if NiCd batteries are used, they’re going to not be as easily damaged as lipo batteries or nickel-metal hydride batteries. If you check out the entire thing from an economic perspective, nickel-cadmium batteries also are less expensive than other options.
Overview of nickel-cadmium batteries
1.2Ah – Low capacity of 1.2Ah
About 1,000 charges means long life
Acceptable 15%-20% discharge
Fast charging time
They need proper maintenance, like monthly deep discharge No need for normal maintenance to urge high storage effect impact Extremely rugged
NiMH batteries
Nickel-metal hydride batteries are more attractive than nickel-cadmium batteries, but they even have some improvements compared to nickel-cadmium batteries. one among the most important improvements is that NiMH does much less damage to the environment.
Their biggest advantage is capacity. thanks to the upper energy density, sometimes the capacity is 2 or 3 times that of NiCd batteries. Like NiCd batteries, NiMH power tool batteries also are sensitive to improper storage and charging conditions. they’re lighter than NiCd batteries and cheaper than lithium batteries. However, NiMH batteries are very sensitive to storage and charging conditions, and wish to be properly stored and maintained to increase their service life. Unlike NiCd batteries, NiMH batteries are more sensitive to high and low temperatures. an honest rule of thumb is to store and use them between 33°F and 103°F.
If you are doing not use nickel-metal hydride batteries or are during a deep discharge state, nickel-metal hydride batteries will suffer more damage than nickel-cadmium batteries. Their lifetime and storage capacity are going to be shortened. a bit like nickel-cadmium batteries, they ought to be charged at 70% capacity, but deep discharge is performed every three months to avoid memory effects.
NiMH batteries
Cycle life depends on storage and maintenance, but can reach the lifetime of nickel-cadmium batteries
Fast self-discharge 20%-30%
2.2Ah to 3.0Ah capacity
Fast charging time Medium maintenance, usually deep discharge every 3 months.
If properly maintained, its memory effect is worse than NiCd batteries.
Lithium Ion Battery
As the newest of the three cordless tool batteries, if all aspects are considered, lithium ion batteries also are your most suitable option . Of course, they’re not without shortcomings. for instance , they’re costlier than nickel-cadmium and nickel-metal hydride batteries. Their biggest enemy is heat, which may deteriorate internal components and alter the electrochemical processes that happen inside. Age and continuous use also play a crucial role in shortening lifespan. Although they are doing not seem to be the simplest choice thanks to their short life, they need a better capacity and may be quickly charged. The technology of lithium-ion batteries remains improving, so it’s interesting what is going to happen to them within the future. One thing that doesn’t need improvement is their weight, because they’re the lightest of the three sorts of batteries.
Additionally , i discussed earlier that nickel-metal hydride batteries have high energy density, as do lithium-ion batteries, but lithium-ion batteries are less sensitive to temperature changes than nickel-metal hydride batteries. Other sorts of batteries require regular maintenance because they’re easily suffering from memory, while lithium-ion batteries won’t suffer from this .
Although the opposite two sorts of batteries must adhere to specific shapes, so tools must be designed around them, the development of lithium-ion batteries allows them to require any form, in order that they are often physically designed to supply a far better balance and/or performance tools.
In terms of storage and charging, as long as you are doing not store them in an overheated environment, you’ll use them at will, because they’re going to not be suffering from self-discharge or memory effects.
Their charge/discharge cycle is additionally better than that of other sorts of batteries. most significantly , unlike nickel-cadmium batteries, lithium-ion batteries don’t damage the environment.
Lithium-ion battery overview
Shorter life cycle: only 300-500 recharges,
2-3 years almost no self-discharge
The most expensive of the three batteries
Ultra-high capacity: 3.0Ah and above
Almost no maintenance
No memory effect
Lithium-ion batteries are better in terms of performance, but their prices are significantly above nickel-cadmium and nickel-metal hydride batteries. Even so, NiCd and NiMH batteries are still better than lithium-ion batteries in some ways, and counting on the sort of labor you are doing , they’ll just be a far better choice.