Rebuilding Cordless-Tool Batteries
The cells in a cordless tool battery pack can be replaced with aftermarket versions. But is it worth doing? May 22, 2007
Question
I have a few Dewalt xrp batteries that either won't hold or take a charge. Wondering if anyone has tried resurrecting one?
Forum Responses
(Cabinet and Millwork Installation Forum)
From contributor J:
I had the folks over at PrimeCell rebuild one for me. It worked so well I sent them all the others I had in the shop. More power, longer run time, same charger. They have a website (primecell.com) that lists prices and such. Give it a look.
From contributor B:
If you don't mind working with a soldering iron, look on EBay. They have an online store that sells the cells to make a battery. The ones I looked at for Dewalt were about $24 for 16 or 18 cells.
From contributor I:
Do you remember how you found that site? I have done a bunch of searching on EBay and there are hundreds of auctions for batteries and related items, but haven't been able to find one specifically for Dewalts.
From contributor B:
The seller was called All-battery Direct.
From contributor A:
Check your phonebook or the net for Batteries Plus - they are a chain that does rebuilds. They did all of my DW stuff and were very good and reasonable - I think it was about 35 bucks for a 14.4, and they upped the amp hours about double.
From contributor H:
I bought some inexpensive 18v batteries for an import tool, took them apart and resoldered the cells into the housing on my Milwaukee 12v system. A couple of things would keep me from doing this again. First, the quality of the cells. They didn't last more then about 6 months before losing charge capacity. Since a new battery usually gives me 2 to 3 years of service, this was totally inadequate. Second, soldering on the cell housing is very difficult. I even purchased a high output 1/2" tip soldering iron, which helped, but still yielded inconsistent results. Further, I'd be leery of cells purchased online unless they were from a very reputable dealer. There are a lot of low quality cells available and it's easy to be sucked into purchasing ones that will not last.
From contributor L:
In Atlanta I talked to a company called TopCell. They sell aftermarket batteries. They are new but seem to be less expensive than original. The website is namerep.com. It's not a rebuild, but it is an alternative.
From contributor H:
I too stopped at TopCell. When I got home I went to their website to check out pricing. 1.4 amp hour batteries for my 12v Milwaukee drills were $8 less ($46 as versus $54) than the Milwaukee brand from McMaster Carr industrial supply. They were .1 amp hours stronger, though. I decided it wasn't worth the small savings to not have a known brand... even with the slight increase in amp hours.
