Cordless Drill Batteries – Do You Know What To Look For?
When you are asking yourself about the best possible cordless drill for your specific needs, one of the most important matters to address is the capacity of the cordless drill batteries as expressed in volts and amp-hours. These two factors will determine how powerful the cordless drill is and how long you can actually use it on an ordinary charge.
Amps and Voltage Explained
Let’s start with the volt first as this is the more prominent technical specs in a cordless drill. Simply put, volts refer to the quantity of power the cordless drill battery will deliver. Most cordless drill battery packs have the single 1.2-volt battery cell as its basic foundation, rows of which are then connected to make the various sizes of the rechargeable batteries.
You will see cordless screwdrivers with volts at 2.4 to 7.2 while the larger cordless drill batteries have upwards of 10.8 volts. Your choice depends on how powerful you want the drill to be – the higher the volt, the more powerful it is.
Moving on to the ampere per hours, this figure is an indication of the length of time that the battery will provide the necessary power for the cordless drill. On labels, you will see it as mAh (milliamp hour), which refers to the storage capacity of the battery and, hence, its length of time for effective operation.
When you compare two batteries, the same voltage but different amp-hours means the same power but at different operation time. The general rule is that the higher the amp-hours, the bigger and heavier the battery will be. You may have to balance the requirement for power and operation time in relation to the size and weight between cordless drill batteries.
Types of Batteries
It is not just the amps and volts that you must consider in choosing the best cordless drill battery. You also have to consider the pros and cons of the three main types of these replaceable parts.
First, the lithium-ion batteries are the most advanced type. Because of the absence of the memory effect, the battery is longer-lasting in both the sense of longevity and effective operation time. However, over time the battery’s capacity to deliver current diminishes over time.
Second, nickel-cadmium batteries are the most commonly used but are also often one of the most expensive. Although it is also harder to damage, it is toxic that recycling is a must.
Third, nickel-metal hydride cordless drill batteries have long lives with up to 500 recharge times, rapid charging period and no memory effect. An added advantage is that it has no toxic chemicals.
So, which of these batteries is the best? Well, it depends on what you require from a cordless drill battery. For example, if you are an environmentalist, then the nickel-metal hydride battery is the best.
The important thing with cordless drill batteries is that you are able to use them in the way that you envisioned. Ask the salesperson about the technical specifications and ask a licensed carpenter, if you must, just as long as you choose the right one.