bbakernbay Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 One of our Club Directors and I were out yesterday doing some signing. I brought my new Ridgid Li-Ion rechargeable and he had his Craftsman Ni-Cad. It was just a few degrees below freezing, a beautiful day to be on the trails. My Lithium-Ion driver was useless in the cold, his Ni-Cad was great. I did some checking on the internet and sure enough, lithium-ion has many benefits but cold weather operation is not suited to Li-ion. Lots of contractors are pissed as a result. Stick with the Ni-Cads for trail signing. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlowTouringGuy Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 Interesting. I did not know that. And, I'm sure, many others did not either. Thanks for the post ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reved Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 One of our Club Directors and I were out yesterday doing some signing. I brought my new Ridgid Li-Ion rechargeable and he had his Craftsman Ni-Cad. It was just a few degrees below freezing, a beautiful day to be on the trails. My Lithium-Ion driver was useless in the cold, his Ni-Cad was great. I did some checking on the internet and sure enough, lithium-ion has many benefits but cold weather operation is not suited to Li-ion. Lots of contractors are pissed as a result. Stick with the Ni-Cads for trail signing. My 18v Dewalt has been used and left in the truck for 3 weeks and has been working great. I can't remember if it is NiCd or NiMH. Had to go look and it's NiCd. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Quimby Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 Easy fix is to secure a chemical hand warmer pack to the battery. Works like a dream. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlowTouringGuy Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 Easy fix is to secure a chemical hand warmer pack to the battery. Works like a dream. THANKS !!! Maybe I can get my Lithium-ion Vibrating Butt Plug to work in the Igloo tonight ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fred Quimby Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 Easy fix is to secure a chemical hand warmer pack to the battery. Works like a dream. THANKS !!! Maybe I can get my Lithium-ion Vibrating Butt Plug to work in the Igloo tonight ! Don't forget the lithium grease! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SlowTouringGuy Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 Easy fix is to secure a chemical hand warmer pack to the battery. Works like a dream. THANKS !!! Maybe I can get my Lithium-ion Vibrating Butt Plug to work in the Igloo tonight ! Don't forget the lithium grease! thankths Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbakernbay Posted December 13, 2010 Author Share Posted December 13, 2010 Thanks Fred, I'll try that next time we're out. Simple solution. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MXZ Mike Posted December 13, 2010 Share Posted December 13, 2010 You may want to check with Duwalt....usually the lithium-ion perform much better in the cold. I have used the Energizer e-photo AA Lithium-ion cells in camera, flashlights, and GPS units for winter sledding and fall/spring camping (even my Lithium-ion VHF does very well)...they work much better in the cold than any other technology thus far? I recommend the AA for all devices that take them (in cold weather)...but admit I am surprised it doesn't work well in your Duwalt? Perhaps it isn't a true Lithium-ion technology? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-Fly Posted December 14, 2010 Share Posted December 14, 2010 Spoke with the Dewalt rep at the cottage show...yup, below 5 deg Celsius lithium-ion degrade quite fast.....it's just physics. They are awesome for anything warmer so wait until February, Dewalt is putting Lithium-Ion on sale, they work with all Ni-Cad devices....lighter and a lot longer! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cehyoopers Posted December 14, 2010 Share Posted December 14, 2010 all the info I am reading say the opposite to what is being said here,,,, Nickel metal hydride (NiMH) advantages: -- lighter than NiCad -- 2-3X capacity to equal size NiCad Nickel metal hydride (NiMH) disadvantages: -- fewer life cycles compared to NiCad -- shorter run time -- performs the worst in cold temperatures, so keep that in mind if you plan to use tools powered by NiMH outdoors in cold weather -- higher self-discharge level than NiCad -- voltage drop at near-discharged levels Nickel cadmium (NiCd) Batteries: According to Wiki pedia: the 'nickel-cadmium battery (commonly abbreviated NiCd and pronounced 'nye-cad') is a popular type of rechargeable battery for portable electronics and toys using the metals nickel (Ni) and cadmium (Cd) as the active chemicals.' Nickel cadmium (NiCad) advantages: -- longer life cycles -- performs in cold temperatures (perform well to 20F) -- lower self-discharge level than NiMH -- no voltage drop at near discharged levels Nickel cadmium (NiCad) disadvantages: -- Heavy, making it harder to use for longer periods of time -- May suffer from 'Memory Effect' or 'False Bottom Effect' if constantly discharged half-way and then recharged (wiki pedia) The Lithium ion (Li-Ion) Battery: The new comer to power tool batteries, Lithium Ion are hot because they have 'one of the best energy-to-weight ratios, no memory effect and a slow loss of charge when not in use,' according to Wiki pedia. Lithium ion (Li-Ion) advantages: -- High performance in cold weather - to 0F - great for winter outdoor use -- Light weight. You can lift tools powered by Lithium Ion over your head all day. -- Increased life cycles over NiCad and NiMH, so it keeps going past other batteries -- more rapid charge times that get you back on the job more quickly Lithium ion (Li-Ion) disadvantages: -- less tested than other battery formats - in early stages of development -- has a shelf life based on life of battery, not related to charge or charge time -- can sometimes erupt or explode in high heat - hot cars, direct sunlight, etc, or sometimes after tampering. a more dangerous battery than the others -- permanent damage to battery if stored at too-low discharge level, so be careful and keep these charged well Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bbakernbay Posted December 14, 2010 Author Share Posted December 14, 2010 I'll see if my Ridgid also works with Ni-Cads. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-Fly Posted December 15, 2010 Share Posted December 15, 2010 Lithium also hold their charge for months, nothing else does that! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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