How to Charge a Makita Screwdriver Properly

Hello! The network often asks how to store the screwdriver batteries correctly so that they do not fail prematurely. In this article I will try to answer the question posed.

At one time, I also asked this question, and one wonderful thought occurred to me: “Why not look at any screwdriver in the instruction manual?”. With this “brilliant” thought, I took instructions from Makita and. Found only general words in it. Well, this is about what you need to store so that the battery contacts cannot be accidentally closed with a paper clip, coin or other metal object, that the storage should be in conditions where the air temperature does not exceed 50 degrees, well, and the like, which is of course also important but it’s kind of clear.

And everyone is interested in about such questions:

• At what charge level should batteries be stored?
• Do they need to be removed from the screwdriver, or can one be left inserted?
• How long can I store without recharging?

As a result, after reviewing the instructions from different manufacturers, I managed to find some useful information. Over, even if you look at the instructions of different screwdrivers of the same manufacturer, but differing in the type of battery, it will be the same. At the same time, if the manufacturer believes that it is necessary to indicate some specific information for certain types of batteries, then it is indicated, but in general, for all types of conditions, the conditions are basically the same.

Here, for example, is what AEG writes:

And here is the information from DeWalt:

Or here Makita for all types of batteries gives universal advice, recharge the batteries every six months of storage, if they have been idle for so long.

In general, what can we say based on information provided by manufacturers? Let’s go in order.

What is the best way to store batteries. Charged or discharged?

If the battery is nickel-cadmium or nickel-metal hydride, then it must be left with a full charge if you plan to store it for less than 30 days, and with a charge of 30-50% of the maximum capacity if the storage period exceeds 30 days.

According to DeWalt, lithium-ion batteries must be left fully charged. Although this is a strange rule, because of all that I had to learn about this type of battery, I know that lithium-ion batteries self-discharge very slowly (they lose about 4% per year). Apparently DeWalt in this case simply decided to play it safe, because the user can leave the battery completely seated in storage. Many probably know that lithium-ion batteries have electronics that shut off the current supply when the charge level reaches a certain minimum mark. For the user it will be zero, but in fact there is still a charge there. And if such a battery is left to be stored without pre-charging, then it simply can even reach a real zero even with its low discharge rates. And for lithium-ion batteries, this is death. They cannot be completely discharged, which is why electronics are worth it. Here at DeWalt and reinsured. Well, I think so.

Do I need to remove the battery from the screwdriver during storage?

Here we use simple logic. Screwdrivers from the factory come packaged so that one of the batteries is inserted into them.

At the same time, the manufacturer, I think, took into account that the device can not reach the end consumer right away. For some time, which can be measured over the years, a screwdriver can simply be in stock.

Since the manufacturer initially packs them with an inserted battery, it means that they can be stored in this way.

How long can batteries be stored without recharging?

As you can see from the above information from manufacturers, recharge long-lasting batteries you need every six months.

But since the instructions are universal, this rule also applied to lithium-ion batteries. It seems that with their extremely low self-discharge, such batteries can be stored without recharging for several years. Unless of course they were completely planted before storage.

And here one more question arises: how can the batteries be stored for years in warehouses until they are purchased by the end user and not deteriorate?

But once they are brought into a state of full capacity, they begin to require recharging every 6 months.

To summarize, we draw the following conclusions:

• Nickel-cadmium and nickel-metal hydride batteries must be fully charged if the shelf life is less than 30 days, and leave them with a charge of 30-50% of the total capacity if the shelf life is more than 30 days, and they should be recharged every six months for long-term storage ;
• With lithium-ion batteries, you can do the same procedures, but it seems that if you do not stick to it, then nothing bad will happen to them, the main thing is not to leave them for long-term storage fully planted.

Well, I hope I managed to clarify this issue. Thank you and see you soon!