Rebuild Bosch cordless drill batteries?

I suspect that if you do a search for "sub-c batteries" you will fine a source for the batteries that are inside your battery pack. If your pack is like the ones I have opened the batteries are likely soldered together-an easy job to replace IF you can get the case apart. Mine were screwed together but others I have seen were glues. Good luck

Well, the local "Batteries Plus" outlet offered to rebuild my DeWalt

18V XRP packs for $65 each "with far better quality cells than the new ones" and it is tempting... But every Christmas season DeWalt runs a "Two Pack" special on batteries, 2 for $99.

Point one, go looking for sales like that, now's the time. Even with off names (In the US) like Bosch - Yeah, they bought Skil...

Point two, your old packs can be rebuilt, but let someone with the fancy cell connector spot-welder assemble them.

Point Three, check if they interchange. Especially store branded like Sears - I started saving $20 a battery pack when I realized my old Craftsman cordless drill was really a Skil.

Oh, and as an aside Batteries Plus is the only place I've found that stocks the High Rate SLA batteries for UPS's and you just go in and grab one. A $42 battery beats a $99 new UPS. (At Costco - a 1000VA at retail would be ~$140)

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There are at least a few that do that, google will find them, or people will eventually post which ones they have used and liked/hated.

When I was rebattery-ing my Bosch 12V, I found at that time (2003?) that replacement batteries (not Bosch brand, but fit and worked fine) from suburban electronics cost less than having them rebuilt, and for a while I had two still-semi-usable Bosch batteries to back up the new ones. That may or may not currently be true. At this point the replacements have crapped out (lasted longer than the originals) but it's time for a whole new drill this time.

Hmm. There is a brand new BatteriesPlus outlet in Framingham, MA, which is near me. I should wander over and get a quote.

I'm wondering if the sales will cover batteries ten years old, but you never know. And drills will be on sale as well.

Iv'e had the same experience with Sears, getting a repair manual for a GE clothes washer: Sears was $20 more expensive.

Bosch makes their own stuff, so I doubt their batteries cross with anything else. But someone on the newsgroup will know.

The batteries appear to be glued together.

Joe Gwinn

Ecnerwal fired this volley in news: snipped-for-privacy@news.eternal-september.org:

I usually wear out a drill in about two sets of batteries. I'm not "careful" with tools. If they can't take it, they can't take it. Nothing "ginger" ever is done with mine. Even $300 every two years isn't a lot if you use the thing several times a day.

I built a whole house with one DeWalt Pro (and it's still sort of "crippling" along.

Lloyd

There was a thread about this on Mar 18th. Link:

Two rebuilders mentioned were:

I don't use a hand drill that often these days, but I don't baby them either, so my real issue is if it's ready when needed.

Joe Gwinn

I did recall that there was such a thread, but didn't recall enough to find it, but you did recall. For the record, the subject was "Sawsall batteries" and the thread started on 17 March 2011 (for when the tiny url quits working.)

Thanks,

Joe Gwinn

You do pay for the brand name, and can often do better rebuilding the battery pack with better grade and (if possible) larger cells.

The Bosch battery packs are glued together, so it may not be easy to reassemble them.

While I don't have a spot welder for attaching tabs to cells, one can usually buy the cells with tabs already installed. (Soldering directly to a cell is likely to ruin it from overheating.) Or, one can use a large capacitor charged to a few hundred volts to weld a wire to the cell. (This is the traditional thermocouple welder design. Fancy welders do the work under an argon blanket.)

Joe Gwinn

For the 12V Bosch, that's exactly the point - there's now enough wear on the geartrain/clutch that fresh batteries are a dubious investment. Since it _is_ a 12V, I will probably convert one pack into a 12V fused power cord for "short-range corded" use with cars or car batteries, until it gives up the ghost for good. Mind you, what to buy next is a fraught question, which is part of what has kept it limping along as long as it has - but up to last summer the two newer batteries were still pretty usable, though not for as long as when they were new.

I'll get less than one "battery" from my brace and bit, but that's because I'm the battery and won't be around to use it. Is handy when all the electric batteries are dead, and lighter to carry into the woods, too. I've yanked it out when people were doofing about waiting for their

18-24V batteries to charge and kept right on driving things. Probably all of them (I have a few, in different sweeps, or "gear ratios" as well as several of the standard 10" so multiple bits can be swapped between without waiting to swap bits) are older than I am already, so they are fine for many sets of "batteries".

Went to the local Borg to pick up a 2 x 4 and while there I took a quick look to price a replacement 18V. De Walt battery since I have one that needs a rebuild. Sure enough, there are the 18V XRP batteries on the display tagged @ $119.00. next hook over are 2 packs priced $99.00 each, (was $179.00). Took a 2 pack to the check out and sure enough it went through for $99.00. Best price I've seen for rebuild is $58.00. Gerry :-)} London, Canada

If you're gonna buy a new drill, what are your thoughts on Ridgid. They have a lifetime warranty that includes the battery. I'm tempted to go that way, just concerned that their lifetime will be less than mine rendering the lifetime warranty impotent.

I have not really studied the market for drills, although the impression I have from reading reviews of late is that Milwaukee is the best choice, but by a nose.

That said, Ridgid is trying to break into the power hand tool market, and they certainly are a respected brand in Plumbing. They mean well, but it may take a generation or two for them to achieve parity.

Joe Gwinn

I assume these are all De Walt batteries. I don't recall that the Borg has Bosch battery packs.

Joe Gwinn

These guys have done a great job on my production tools for years.

Both VoltmanBatteries and Primacell get very good reviews from HSM inmates. What is tilting me towards Primacell is the following magazine article:

Read the box on the lower right side, where the test results are the VoltmanBatteries and PorterCable (the OEM) achieve 8.5 holes with one battery, while Primacell achieves 9.5 holes, or 12.5% more.

Joe Gwinn

I'm still really happy with the 9.6 V Makita batteries that primecell.com rebuilt for me back in March. Highly recommended.

--Winston

Yes, De Walt. I don't recall Bosch, but then, I wasn't looking for them. Gerry :-)} London, Canada

$300? Rape!

There is a new BatteriesPlus store near me. Think I'll wander in.

Joe Gwinn