Cordless Drill...To bury or new batteries????

[Jay Yoder]

I have an older 19.2v craftsman and am thinking it is time to send it to drill heaven. The batteries no longer hold a half charge and when they are fresh, I run the drill motor and it smells of burning circuits. I am not being sentimental, but I like the drill & flashlight. I was debating if i should get some new batteries but mostly for the flashlight. We have semi-frequent power outages and the fluorescent flashlight is a life saver...does craftsman make a lithium ion upgrade kit, similar to what Ryobi sells?

[Dave Lehnert]

Yes Sears has the upgrade packs and charger but it would be cheaper to buy the Ryobi (they make Sears) Kit for $179. And get a new drill and light. I have the Ryobi and like it a lot.

[Harley Reasons]

Yeah chunk the "Crapsman" stuff and go with the Ryobi set. There are so many different tools that the 18v battery will interchange with that you'll wan them all. Replacement batteries are $49.97 for two of the nicads. Or you can go with the Li-ions from the beginning with the 4 pc green set.
Also, for a few dollars more the Ridgid tools are very good. They come with a 3 year standard manufactures warranty and when you register your tools you will receive a Lifetime Service Agreement (LSA). Free parts, free service, free batteries for the rest of your life. Heck of a deal!!

[Randal Stevenson]

Also, for a few dollars more the Ridgid tools are very good. They come with a 3 year standard manufactures warranty and when you register your tools you will receive a Lifetime Service Agreement (LSA). Free parts, free service, free batteries for the rest of your life. Heck of a deal!!

One BIG problem with the Ridgid, their other batteries (ones sold seperately from the tools), do NOT qualify for the LSA. My old impact (which is good), has only one battery with it, and it doesn't last long enough for me.

[glenn bradley]

My C-man died quick and I sent it away. My DeWalts and Makita's just keep on workin'.

[peter de tappan]

There are battery rebuild services that are a much cheaper option than tool or battery replacement. Check out primecell.com and mtobattery.com. Your battery, if rebuilt, may be better than the original.
From what I've read neither Craftsman nor Riobi batteries are "best in class".

[Mike Circo]

I had the same dilemma a few months ago. An old Bosch drill just wouldn't keep a charge in the packs.

Rebuilding the two batteries, by MTO I think, would have cost me about $75 with shipping both ways. I almost pulled the trigger until I found a place called "reconditionedsales.com"

I was able to get a "rebuilt" 14.4 volt Hitachi drill, with case, flashlight and a set of driver bits for $60. The drill had a couple of marks on the batteries, so it was used, but the bits, charger, case and flashlight seemed brand new.

Came with a warrenty too.

I liked that old Bosch, but for this price I couldn't be happier. It may not be as rugged as a $150 or more Bosch, Porter Cable or Dewalt, but for my use (hobbiest) it is light and usable.

Just an option to consider.

[Ted Torres]

I have an older 19.2v craftsman and am thinking it is time to send it to drill heaven. The batteries no longer hold a half charge and when they are fresh, I run the drill motor and it smells of burning circuits. I am not being sentimental, but I like the drill & flashlight. I was debating if i should get some new batteries but mostly for the flashlight. We have semi-frequent power outages and the fluorescent flashlight is a life saver...does craftsman make a lithium ion upgrade kit, similar to what Ryobi sells?

Hi Jay,

I've had the C-Man 19.2 volt set up for 6 years...have 8 of their tools (Drills, Fl. and Inc. lights, Recip saw. Cic. saw) that have met my cordless needs well for the investment I made. Within the past 6 months, 3 of the 6 batteries would charge up and work, but couldn't hold a full charge for more than a couple of days. Found a C. battery sale where they were about $20\ec., much better than trying to have them reworked.

Now, if you suspect drill problems, may be time to replace it also (like mine a lot). I find the fluorescent light valuable, able to run for days on one battery charge! The new Lithium-Ion 19.2 volt system looks sweet, but is steep at $100 for just 1 battery and a charger! :(

There are better cordless set ups out there, however most at a much higher cost!!

Good Luck,

Ted

[Harley Reasons]

One BIG problem with the Ridgid, their other batteries (ones sold seperately from the tools), do NOT qualify for the LSA. My old impact (which is good), has only one battery with it, and it doesn't last long enough for me.
All of the new batteries DO come with a 3 year warranty so all is not lost. The LSA on batteries is Ridgid's HOOK to get you to buy the big sets. Still, having the LSA on one or two batteries is better than not having it at all I guess.

[Jay Yoder]

Thanks for all the replies...I do own the Ryobi 18v system...so far the regular NiCads have not matched these C'man 19.2 for longevity, or ability to hold a charge when they were new. But i do love the ability to be cordless! I just picked up one of the LiIon upgrade kits, so i will see if that is better...I used the C'man drill pretty heavy, but probably did permanent damage the day i decided to drive concrete screws with the C'man drill w/out the clutch...live and learn i guess...i just hate to throw something away that may still have life in them. I get tired of trashing and replacing, instead of reusing/rebuilding...

[Tom Godley]

I have the dewalt 18 v tool set -- I rarely use anything other than the hammer drill -- I must say it has never failed me and works great.

The original set of batteries lasted just over three years and about a year ago I was able to buy a set (two) on Amazon for just under $100.00.

I have had the opportunity to use the new Mikita Lithium driver - it is so much smaller and lighter. It was a real improvement.

I think when its time for new batteries the dewalts will go - the new crop of cordless tools is a real step up.