Battery Care for Cordless Tools

Battery-operated tools give you mobility in the field--unless the battery’s dead. Here are some tips to prevent battery snafus:

Heat is your battery’s biggest enemy. It saps energy and shortens its life. Store cordless tools in a cool place. Don’t leave them out in the sun or keep them in a hot truck or a car trunk.

If a battery gets heavy use and runs down, let it cool off before recharging because chargers generate heat too.

Use tools until the battery runs all the way down. Partial charges create problems. Also, so-called quick chargers don’t always bring all cells up to full power, so after 10 or more “quick” power-ups, charge a battery overnight to top it off.

Finally, if not used often, a battery will run down.