Dewalt Battery Cheat Part 2

[grubbytron]

Good luck not blowing yourself up. Make sure you make a video every time you do this cause I want to see you learn your lesson.

[bernard240vdc]

along with this good setup one could use motorcycle batteries one 12v plus one 6v in series for 18v along with a short cord and you can bring the motorcycle batteries along with you since they are not too big and heavy and i think they are not expensive as those dewalt ones

[95m3ltw]

@bernard240vdc While that would work, motorcycle batteries make a poor choice as they do not hold up to repeated discharging. In fact, in my experience after 2-3 discharges they are typically ruined. Now one could watch the voltage and make sure they are not discharged but that would be annoying or use something like a gel battery that can withstand that type of work.

[schnappy00]

Is that UTP cable you're using to create the high resistance in the wire? It hasn't burnt out from the high current?

[kcanifuku]

correct me if im wrong but isnt the NATO adaptor on that truck 24 volt? it looks like a CUCV if im not mistaken

[aboonski]

@kcanifuku Yes you are correct on both areas. The truck is a 1986 M1008A1 CUCV with the 24 volt NATO Plug on the front. When using a long extension cord, the voltage drops down because of "resistance" and the voltage is perfect to run my 18 volt Dewalt tools.

[Kevin4forums]

the drill isnt running slower because of the long cord, its because its an 18v drill and you're feeding it only 12v

[aboonski]

Right you are! Most of the time I hook into my NATO plug that you see in the front of the grill and the drill runs considerably faster. When I made this video I had not finished making my "cheater cord" for the NATO plug but in one of my other videos you will see it in action.

[tyrefire]

@aboonski Hello and regards from Germany..You should tell in your video that you have 24 volts in your car.People might think they could recharge their 18 volt batteries from an ordinary 12 volt car battery. Stefan

[coondogtheman1234]

I thought about doing this to an old 12V power drill where the batteries were failing. I was gonna completely gut one of the batteries and wire up a thick 12V car lighter cord with maybe a 30 amp fuse or whatever and the result would be a cord running out of the drill battery and you just plug that into a jumpstarters 12V port or a car lighter port and then you have unlimited power for the drill. sadly I didnt do this and just got a RYOBI 18 volt.

[aboonski]

The 12 volt batteries that I have for my Dewalt cordless tools are hermetically sealed shut - not like the 14.4 and 18 volt units that "unscrew" to access the cells inside so I have not attempted to convert one of the 12 volt batteries just yet. Interesting enough, the 12 volt batteries seem to be made better and outlast the larger voltage ones for some reason. I had a totally dead 12 volt battery that took on a full charge after sitting for years without use.

[coondogtheman1234]

@aboonski

yeah the ones on my old drill are like that too you have to break them open then its a pain to get them back together after modding. I dont even know if the contacts on the batteries are actually contacts or they are part of the battery. I didnt get the chance to hack these up and im not gonna either.

[ironlionkalo]

why did u buy a cordless drill?

[aboonski]

At the time of purchase I thought the batteries would have a much longer life span. It was disappointing to see how soon these batteries start to fail. If you are out on a job it's nice to know there is a way to power these Dewalt tools when the batteries decide to go south.

[14gco]

hint cordless power drills are ment for what the name implys to be cordless but it is up to you what you what you want to do but always remember ohms law to long of cord the less power you have to do something.

[aboonski]

Great comment here! One of the benefits of the long cord is that it does reduce the voltage from the 24+ volts that my military truck provides at the NATO plug. My cordless tools are 18 volt and the long extention cord lowers the voltage to around that amount depending on the length of cord I am using and the size of wire inside of the power cord. One of the real benefits of using my truck to power the 18 volt tools is that there is never any "fade" or "drop" in power like in batteries.

[JcXtreme72]

So does that battery still hold a charge and you plug the leads in to use it while it charges or is that one just converted to always be plugged in while your other battery charges?

[aboonski]

There are no "cells" inside the battery case that you see in the video - it is just the empty case that I have wired so that I can use the power from my military truck's NATO outlet. Until DEWALT lowers the price of their replacement batteries I will continue to use this "cheat" to power all of my Dewalt cordless tools. Thanks for the comment by the way!

[4u250ut]

strange to me...its suppose to be CORDLESS now its HOOK UP TO WIRES. to me its strange.

[aboonski]

It was out of necessity that I came up with the idea of using an external source to power my Dewalt tools - Dewalt batteries do not last very long and are way overpriced. Dewalt cordless tools are perhaps the best out of all the cordless tools manufactured today but their batteries are inferior and too dorned expensive.

[TheBallbag68]

Great Job. When people see how high there electric bill is going to be soon. Due to every body wanting to go green. People will want to be more resourceful. Keep doing what you our doing there are people out there like me that our always wanting to learn new stuff. Thanks

[aboonski]

I HATE outragious prices on anything! When the power company jacks up my rates per kilowatt hour in the near future I will wire my home for 12 volts DC and will run my 120AC appliances via inverters. The only thing that I will have to use the grid for will be the central air system in my house. You cannot live in Florida without air conditioning!

[nobodywantstoknow]

Excellent source for power and serves in a pinch. Keep up the good work and ignore the civilians.

[aboonski]

Thanks for the positive comment! I get very few of these in reality - mostly people who think it is dumb to make a cordless tool into one that uses a cord. Having been in the military for 21 years I have learned to be resourceful in contingency situations where "backups" are part of everyday life as G.I. This isn't for everybody as I mentioned - some people will always have a surplus of "disposable cash" to buy all the batteries they will ever need but I am retired on a fixed income.

[freetobejbp]

When he screws something up and damages the drill he will want it repaired under WARRANTY!

[aboonski]

I've been using my cheater system ever since I first posted this on a daily basis and no problem so far. When you use a very long extension cord with this setup it brings the voltage down from 24 volts to around 18 volts so how could this ever mess up my equipment? "Voltage is voltage" too. One comment I got related to the amperage coming from my vehicle battery to indicate THAT would damage my equipment as well. The only way that would happen would be if the tool developed a "short.

[Mad2Bhere1]

negating the fact that it's the convenience of cordless

[aboonski]

This isn't for everybody but it does offer an alternative when you are out on a job site and your battery "dies". Dewalt batteries are lousey and do not last so I did what I had to do to make use of my tools when the batteries are depleted. Who wants to pay $86.00, plus TAX for a replacement Dewalt battery?

[Mad2Bhere1]

agreed in that case just use the top plate of the battery pack and have the cords run into that a lot less bulky, also looking for alternatives to batteries not sure I want to support a over expensive drug habit of a batter replacement company lol see there vids to know what I mean

[aboonski]

I don't know about you but I am "drug free" and always have been. I hope that Dewalt sees my videos and contacts me but so far that has not taken place. Dewalt really needs to lower the price of their replacement batteries - that's what this is all about.

[freetobejbp]

You should have got a Makita!

[gtarbmx]

go to home depot, get the same battery. switch the guts with your old one. and the return it. i've done this about 5 times now. it's worth it and you won't have to run this ridiculous frankenstein rig at a job. last thing you want is a general contractor or owners wondering what the hell is this creep doing with a car battery.

[aboonski]

This is perhaps the BEST comment I have been given so far! I never though about that but it would be one way to give back to the company that makes such crappy power supplies for their otherwise superb power tools. Right now I continue to use the "cheat" system because I know I will not have to experience any "fade" or "taper" of the power while I am working on a lengthly project.

[gtarbmx]

the drill is extremely durable. i've had the previous version of the one you have for over 8 years now. the batteries are really crappy but i think i'll have to suck it up and the lithium ones. trust me it's worth it cause it will save you a lot of time and hassle at work. they charge in about 30 minutes and can even last an entire day. i also have the makita top of the line tools but the transmissions on those already gave out and makita's waranty is very shady.

[aboonski]

This is good information and I probably will go out and buy a lithium battery after reading about your experience with them as compared to the Ni-Cads. Dewalt probably has a max of ten bucks in each battery, counting materials and labor (in Mexico) to put these on the shelf over at Lowe's or Home Depot. There's just no excuse for the price of these things and basically my video here is an attempt to send a message to Dewalt that has yet to be answered. Thanks for the comment!

[shotgunsniper1]

The car battery in 12 volts and the drill requires 18.

[aboonski]

When the battery starts tapering off and becomes close to "dead", people tend to continue using their cordless tool until it stops; many times the output voltage is way lower than 12 volts at that point in time. Dewalt 18 volt tools run fine on 12 volts but even better on the 24 volts that my NATO plug offers on my military trucks. When you consider using a 50 or 100 foot extension cord, there is a voltage drop due to "resistance" which results in about 18 volts while you are using the tool.

[sponkacom]

very nice;) 5*****

[aboonski]

Thanks for you comment! I figured someone might see the benefits for having another way to power a Dewalt cordless tool. Once I run out of serviceable batteries for my 18 volt Dewalt tool, this is what I will be using. I will not pay $86.00, plus tax for a stupid battery! I am also considering the use of a transformer to power my equipment which will plug directly into my "cheater battery" when I am using my Dewalt tools in the house and a Ryobi 18 volt slave battery as well.

[sponkacom]

interesting, thanks for a great night you want;))

[WhatM3Worry]

Have you considered re-packing the packs yourself?

Individual cells are fairly cheap and budget hobby packs are real cheap. If your 18V pack is nicads or the newer NiMH there will be 15 cells inside..15x1.2V per cell.

I am an R/C hobbyist and could send you a link to some reasonably priced sources if desired...short of that I see nothing wrong with your alternative and it should be fine..

[WhatM3Worry]

Cont.

I did something similar once except I built a giant pack onto a belt..I could run all day but it was heavy and awkward  so I just repacked them after that. Start up cost to go to lithium would be expensive using dewalt lithium packs but they use the highest quality A123 brand cells

But keep in mind they also require the appropriate charger.A fire is likely to start if you use your conventional nicad charger Due to the different charging requirements of lithium cells.

Have a great Holiday

[bitsurfer0101]

@WhatM3Worry How could you make your own packs for drills? I worked on a shed last year and could've used that trick. Thanks for the tip in any case.

[sbrognam]

Can you explain in more detail, or maybe even post of video of how you wired things inside the empty battery casing? Thanks, I would love to do this on my dead batteries

[aboonski]

I plan to make up a couple more of these and will post another video of the step by step process of conversion. I don't ever plan to buy another Dewalt battery in the future because of the inferior quality of their batteries. Once I get time I will be working on making up a prototype Ryobi/Dewalt 18 volt battery that will eliminate the need to hook into an external power source (like my military truck) to run your Dewalt tools. Dewalt quickly squelched a commercially made adaptor recently.

[Coxfame]

you just need to identify your neutral and positive.

[usmcoth]

Nice 2.5 ton and good redneck tech work.

[aboonski]

Thanks for the comment and compliment on the truck. I am definitely a redneck and live in West Melbourne Florida, redneck capital of the world.

[bugsycline]

I LIKE it

[aboonski]

Thanks for the comment! I continue to look for ways to get around buying any more Dewalt batteries. Their cordless tools are perhaps the best on the market but, "A product is only as good as its most inferior part"; in this case it would be their battery packs which just don't last. I made another video showing the use of my military truck's 24 volt system running Dewalt 18 volt cordless tools.  Check that one out!

[applegangsta1]

BUY A CAR CHARGER!!!!

[30GB]

i made the same thing with a 12v drill its great last forever i only need to chard once a month

[SlipKnotRicky]

Great Idea!!!

You must work for yourself, an hourly worker would never think of that! LOL

[aboonski]

Actually I am retired now so my mind is free to think up things like this. With only 12 volts to use from one of the vehicle batteries, you lose a lot of power and rpm with your tools especially if you use wimpy extension cords and not contractor grade power cords. Dewalt batteries just don't last and you have to do something otherwise you wind up with a very expensive useless tool once the battery goes!

[zerectors]

Nice and thanks have that problem all the time. do you wire it strait to the wires that go in the battery? does this harm the battery since its 18 volts ? Thanks

[aboonski]

Remember, I have removed all of the cells from inside the Dewalt battery. Once I did that I drilled holes through the Dewalt battery case and installed plugs for negative and positive leads. This allows you to run any 18 volt Dewalt cordless tool from a car battery or another electrical source like a transformer, etc. Recently I used my 18 volt Dewalt saber saw with this system and it ran but rather slowly and did not have the power or torque that the full 18 volts offers - but it worked!

[robertb6963a]

Beats the hell out of plugging the charger into a $1000 generator. Good money saving tip! But how is the ext cord being plugged into the drill?

Thanks so much!

[aboonski]

I took a bad 18 volt Dewalt battery and pulled the guts out of it. I installed two connectors, one positive and one negative, that plug into a cheater cord that I made from an old washing machine electric power cord; you plug that into the extension cord that you intend to use for the job. I made another video that shows how this works but did not go into too much detail about the connections inside the "cheater" battery. Very simple really.

[robertb6963a]

Awesome, thanks! But I meant how did you get the connectors into the battery.

[Ravinsomniac]

WOW..

He made a drill with a cord !

I wish I had a drill with a cord.

What next?

A

[aboonski]

I guess you didn't see the reasoning behind this. Batteries have a tendency to let you down when you need them the most. A lot of people who are employed the Air Conditioning trade or carpentry field can tell you that they are sometimes out in the middle of nowhwere without hoousehold power. All this does is provide continuity when you would otherwise be dead-in-the-water when the batteries are drained.

[Bugstomper2]

KEWL!