Zap Ni-Cd Batteries with a Welder
Posted on April 14th, 2010 by admin
Old cordless powertools are everywhere. I often see them at yard sales selling for just a few dollars. It is incredibly easy to revive the old Ni-Cd batteries just using a DC welder. I refresh my old Nikita driver batteries in just a few minutes. Do not try this with other battery chemistries.
Duration : 0:2:38
[youtube PzIlVLOH9XI]
April 14th, 2010 at 11:05 pm
Thanks Man you are …
Thanks Man you are genious.
Best regardas.
April 14th, 2010 at 11:05 pm
Badass man, you …
Badass man, you just saved me from buying a new makita, i have that same exacta makita, used it everyday for 9 years at work. Just did this exact same thing with a battery charger on high, went from 9.3 bolts to 8.3 volts to 11.2 volts, now works like a champion. We’ll see how long she lasts!! thanks dude, people are trying to sell this info on ebay, im like wtf is reconditioning a nicad?? beauty of youtube
April 14th, 2010 at 11:05 pm
I recall having …
I recall having seen some additive on the market for rejuvenating cell grounded? etc. car batteries. I also have doubts this would last long. It would make a good program for Mythbusters if they haven’t already. ;D
I’ve heard proper battery maintenance such as completely discharging a battery first helps, but who does that?
I’ve heard it’s cheaper to just buy a new drill or same model/batteries than buy the battery. Planned obsolescence.
Waiting for free energy technology as usual.
April 14th, 2010 at 11:05 pm
this actually works …
this actually works i had a dewalt 14.4 that held a charge for 5 minutes i zapped them at 150 ah and it worked!!!!!!!! thanks man you saved me 100$
April 14th, 2010 at 11:05 pm
Just makes me laugh …
Just makes me laugh… you didn’t “knock out the memory” by zapping it. LOL. You have to actually cycle it a few times to totally knock out the memory. I love people who think this gives them a new battery… sorry but like jumping a car battery IT DOES NOT! You have salvation build up on the plates, you zapping it just doesn’t make it go away. This is just a quick temp which after a few more days of usage will end up dying again.
MYTH. Please, don’t be stupid & think this really works.
April 14th, 2010 at 11:05 pm
I just did with my …
I just did with my car charger and reversed the polarity first to zap it up.. droped the voltage reall good them put it to charge on it.. for a few minutes and them on the original charger for my 24 v bat and it’s just like new, …. lol cool stuff.
April 14th, 2010 at 11:05 pm
it works to jump …
it works to jump start, I have done it at 3 amps from a 300 amp machine. I don’t know about the longevity of it…….
April 14th, 2010 at 11:05 pm
Good question about …
Good question about reverse or not on a car battery. I honestly don’t know and would be curious to hear your results. I say go for it and be careful.
April 14th, 2010 at 11:05 pm
Hi, I have a 9.6 v …
Hi, I have a 9.6 v makita and I read that I could do the same thing with a 12v car battery. Do you think I should do a reverse zap then a regular zap like you did with the welder? Or does using a car battery make it dangerous for the battery to use reverse polarity? Great video!
April 14th, 2010 at 11:05 pm
No, just Ni-CD.
No, just Ni-CD.
April 14th, 2010 at 11:05 pm
Will this work with …
Will this work with Ni-Mh batteries?
April 14th, 2010 at 11:05 pm
I’m using a small …
I’m using a small MIG welder. I believe other types work such as ARC based. Any welder putting out 26-40 VDC would be a good candidate.
Don’t buy a welder just for this. There are other ways to repair batteries.
April 14th, 2010 at 11:05 pm
Does it matter what …
Does it matter what type of welder you use? I’m looking at getting one.
April 14th, 2010 at 11:05 pm
I wouldn’t say “no …
I wouldn’t say “no danger”. Just that it has not happened to me (yet).
April 14th, 2010 at 11:05 pm
is there no danger …
is there no danger of detonating the battery?
April 14th, 2010 at 11:05 pm
I will try this in …
I will try this in my Ryobi 18 v. battery tomorrow morning , I ‘ll let you know guys whats the result later
April 14th, 2010 at 11:05 pm
A desulfator does a …
A desulfator does a similar sort of zapping.
A charger that can pull the load down then trickle charge (like .1A) would also work.
A resistor can be used to pull the load down.
April 14th, 2010 at 11:05 pm
is there something …
is there something else I could use if I dont have a welder ???
April 14th, 2010 at 11:05 pm
yep, the batteries …
yep, the batteries are still working well. I’ve been doing this trick for almost two years on my old power tools.
April 14th, 2010 at 11:05 pm
IS IT WORKING?
IS IT WORKING?
April 14th, 2010 at 11:05 pm
It lasts for quite …
It lasts for quite a well if you start using the batteries again. NiCD is a extremely robust battery chemistry. These things are good for 1000’s of cycles and can handle extreme temperatures. Any typical battery voltage for Ni-CD power tools will work. I’ve done from 9.6V – 18V+
April 14th, 2010 at 11:05 pm
for how long will …
for how long will it last ?
and this method works for any volt battery i mean the NiCd’s ?
April 14th, 2010 at 11:05 pm
Great. I’ve had …
Great. I’ve had excellent results as well. You will need to regularly charge/discharge that battery to keep it in good working order. Occasional zapping if left neglected again.
April 14th, 2010 at 11:05 pm
This is Awesome! …
This is Awesome! Just tried it on an old 18v battery that would not charge and was reading 10.73v. After zapping it the battery read 17.54v. Then after recharging it the battery had 19.78v and seems to work great. Thanks!!!
April 14th, 2010 at 11:05 pm
Neat.
Great …
Neat.
Great information.