Battery Care

[Lodge]

I just purchased a new 18v drill. The batteries in my old craftsman drill had crapped out. I was wondering what the best method is for caring for the batteries to ensure that they last a long time. Hopefully, I will not have to take advantage of the warranty anytime soon. Should I run the battery down all the way before charging or just charge it when I am finished working with it for the day? Should I leave the batteries on the charger all the time or just charge them and store them in the case. Is it okay to leave a battery in the drill if I do not use it for several days?

[Bo_hamrick]

Lodge,

A couple of things to consider when taking care of your batteries. (1) Batteries hate extreme heat and extreme cold. So during the day when not in use do not leave them in your truck if it is very hot outside. and dont leave them in an uninsulated place during the night if it gets cold. Also there is no need to run your battery all the way down to charge. It will not give you any real advantage. The main thing to consider is that all batteries have a cycle life. I do not know Ridgid's but Ihave heard at least 500. everytime you put it on the charger...that is a cycle life so if your battery is not drained. use it untill it goes bad. One other thing to think about is that all cells in a battery charge at different rates and when manufacturing the cells there is no way to tell... it just happens so if your battery is not getting a good charge you may want to tune it up. I dont know about ridgid but I know DeWalt and Milwaukee have tune modes on their chargers.