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Thread: Value of NiCad Tools (esp. drills)

  1. #16
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    I use 18v DeWalt tools with cheap aftermarket NiCad batteries. I was without cordless tools for about a decade, but in 2018 or so I saw a well used 8 tool assortment with 2 chargers on Craigslist for $150 and bought it, and now I use some of them every day. If the drill or the impact ever die I will try to replace them, since I've gotten used to them and find them handy. I think that platform will go on for a while with aftermarket support since it was pretty popular in its day.

  2. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by Maurice Mcmurry View Post
    "Impact" has not made its way into my wood working vocabulary or tool kit.
    Gotta fix the cars too. WWing isn't the only hobby or chore to do around the house.

  3. #18
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    About like asking what kind of value there is in 1970s typewriters. With brushless motors and Li-ion batteries, your equipment is now horribly antiquated.

  4. #19
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    Having tried everything from 9.6V to 18V for the work I do and the jobs I need the tools for, I opted to stay with the 9.6V tools. My main logic was that only having 8 cells means less chance of a cell going bad and cheaper to fix when one does go bad.

  5. #20
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    Many libraries use IBM selectric (is that their name?) typewriters as it allows them to adjust and "manually edit" (ie place whatever they want where ever they want on the page). Like the NiCad tools, not a lot of value but to the right person there is some value.

  6. #21
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    Quote Originally Posted by Maurice Mcmurry View Post
    This is a sad assessment of current affairs. I fight against it. Another reason I keep using NiCad is that I can pull one out of the van on a cold morning and it works. Even on a very cold morning.
    That is true. NiCads are not subject to the same issues as the other chemistries in cold temperatures.

  7. #22
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    I really do need some new drills. I will keep my old ones a while longer. Battery Outfitters and others do a good job keeping battery's available for lots of old tools, appliances and electronics, no soldering or hacking required. fixing a charger can be as simple as replacing a capacitor. When I open a charger up I need help from Dads former farm and shop hand, a quiet Korean War veteran, who spent 4 years as radio opperator on a secret, tiny island in the Pacific.
    Best Regards, Maurice

  8. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by Maurice Mcmurry View Post
    I really do need some new drills. I will keep my old ones a while longer. Battery Outfitters and others do a good job keeping battery's available for lots of old tools, appliances and electronics, no soldering or hacking required. fixing a charger can be as simple as replacing a capacitor. When I open a charger up I need help from Dads former farm and shop hand, a quiet Korean War veteran, who spent 4 years as radio opperator on a secret, tiny island in the Pacific.
    Unless it is the Craftsman charger(s) I have where they underrated the wattage of the resistor and they burn out. I'm surprised I haven't had them catch on fire.

  9. #24
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    Nov 2013
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    I still have a old, very, very used Hitachi 9.6 drill I use sometimes. One battery holds a decent charge, the other, not so much. If the price was right, I'd pickup another battery.

  10. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by Maurice Mcmurry View Post
    Using a heat gun is the way I open and close them.
    "Impact" has not made its way into my wood working vocabulary or tool kit.
    I never had used an impact screwdriver till I got this kit. They're not as fast as some drivers, but they're compact and light and strong. If I'm going up on a ladder or crawling under something the impact driver is much handier, and it fits between stud frame members better since the body is only about 6" or 7" long. I also have a 1/2" square drive Makita corded impact wrench that I bought secondhand for parting out dead tractors (back when I did that) and also use for driving lag screws or putting nuts on bolts quickly. It makes a 1/2x3-1/2" lag screw drive into a pilot hole as easily and quickly as a deck screw is driven with a cordless drill.

  11. #26
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lisa Starr View Post
    I still have a old, very, very used Hitachi 9.6 drill I use sometimes. One battery holds a decent charge, the other, not so much. If the price was right, I'd pickup another battery.
    I bought some China Direct on eBay. They were not very good. This outfit has been reliable.

    Screen Shot 2022-11-28 at 7.39.41 AM.png
    Best Regards, Maurice

  12. #27
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    Apr 2021
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    My father loved those NiCad drills, the old blue green Makita models. He was skeptical of the flashy new models.

    When I gave him an M18 Milwaukee Fuel drill/driver set a few years ago for Christmas - it made him a believer in the new technology, which was no easy feat.

    Upgrade to 18v brushless motors and Lithium batteries - you won't regret it...


    (I did keep the free tool that came with it, but don't tell anyone )

  13. #28
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    SE PA - Central Bucks County
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    Some tools can take upgraded batteries to replace the NiCads...my original 12v Festool drill/driver was like that. But a lot of the older NiCad tools just don't have good options for that.
    --

    The most expensive tool is the one you buy "cheaply" and often...

  14. #29
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    The Milwaukee fuel it the one that I am drawn to. I think it would also be a good platform to build an electric assist bicycle around.
    Best Regards, Maurice

  15. #30
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    Feb 2004
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    Perth, Australia
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    I have and use a 25 year old 12v Panasonic drill …



    It originally ran on NiCd, but about 2 years ago I switched to NiMh. These use the same charger.

    If it is going strong, why not use it?

    Regards from Perth

    Derek

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