www.slashgear.com: DeWalt is one of the biggest names that'll pop up when you check out the best major power tool brands. After all, Dewalt's wide range of power tools has won over both pros and serious DIYers with their stellar operation, affordability, and durability. Plus, many of its users are particularly impressed with its range of battery-powered tools, as they promise more freedom and less hassle.
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I just finished writing a paper at Carnegie Mellon University about batteries, recycling batteries I feel is one of the best things that we as an industry can do for the environment. So much of what we do is environmentally important and we go through a ton of batteries especially in the Sound world. So being able to recycle them not only could improve sound economies and budgets because we can reuse them. But also will improve our impact overall. Personally I've been using high quality rechargeable batteries in my sound setups for a long time. While some believe that they provide lower sound quality. I believe that rechargeable batteries have improved over time and now are seriously good competitors to regular nonrechargeable batteries. These batteries in the article are for tools which is another instance where money can be saved and especially the environment can be saved. Some tools can require a lot of lithium cells which if thrown away can be detrimental to the environment they land in, and could potentially cause fires in garbage trucks and landfills if people just throw them away
One issue I have had with DeWalt tools in the past especially battery powered tools is the battery life of said tools. I have just noticed that the battery life isn't ever enough for any project that I am planning to do. On top of that I have noticed that if the battery are left on their chargers for too long that the battery depreciate and last an even shorter amount of time. So it is interesting to hear that it is possible to rebuild and essentially restart the shelf life of these batteries. I know this article said that if you do rebuild the batteries that you most likely wont use materials that are as good as what DeWalt uses, but what if you use even more expensive / better materials than what DeWalt uses. Will you be able to make a battery that is stronger than the original, and will the tools be able to still use them. I personally would be interested to see if someone tried this and tested the differences between the original battery and the replacements that they create themselves.
So when I first read the title of this article “Can You Rebuild Or Refurbish DeWalt Batteries?” my immediate response was “please don’t”. As an avid DIY’er, I am all for rebuilding and refurbishing products. Especially in this time in our world, where planned obsolescence dominates the market and we are encouraged to throw things away without thinking about where those things go, I know I for one want to do everything I can to make the things I own last. However, having also worked under an electrical engineer whose entire job was safety testing lithium-ion batteries, I know that there is not something to be messed with for an amateur hobbyist. What makes these batteries so dangerous is that lithium is a highly reactive alkali metal that explodes when exposed to water. This makes extinguishing it especially difficult to do when emergencies happen. I really appreciate how this article does mention the option of sending it to a third-party repair professional because (if they are actually qualified) they will know how to handle these risks and we will produce less waste in the process.
I think it’s good that people are thinking about or trying to refurbish their tool batteries, but I personally don’t know if it’s worth the risk. If anything, I think the right thing to do would be to job it out to a professional or someone who is willing to take on that risk instead of you. Although, I almost feel like this service would cost more than just buying a new battery. I haven’t looked into it, but I imagine that labor and parts make it more expensive – but then again, new tools are really expensive, too. It would be nice if there were some kind of replaceable power cell in the battery that made switching it out easier, but then it seems stupid to have a removable battery if there’s another removable battery inside of it. Maybe tool companies could have a program where they will take back dead batteries for free, refurbish them, and sell them for a reduced price. I can’t imagine it ever happening, though.
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