Tips to Make Your Batteries Last Longer — Extends Battery Life SIGNIFICANTLY!

Cordless tools make our lives much easier, in a number of ways, but we’ve had batteries tap out on us after just a year and others that have lasted long beyond their warranties. Since our inception, PTR has tested batteries from DeWalt, Milwaukee, Makita, Skil, Metabo HPT, and countless other professional tool brands. With that said, no matter who made them, there are three things that can kill a battery faster than anything else: temperature, vibration, and moisture. That might seem like a no brainer, but you’d be surprised by how much longevity your batteries could be losing just by storing them out in that hot garage! In this video, we cover exactly how these environmental factors affect your battery packs and what YOU can do to extend the life of your units.

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[donnysanner]

I think you forgot a major component of charging. I use milwaukee mostly but this works across the board. When u get home and u have all night to charge ur it on the slow charger that we all hate. I have packs that are 7-8 years old by keeping them in the house when possible and throwing an electric blanket over them in extreme cold job conditions. Don't store them on concrete and if ur giving a battery he'll keep track of it's it's getting hot...switch it out when possible. Cheers and I hope this helps

[RobertShaverOfAustin]

I wish you guys would do a video on the impact of selecting a battery configuration to commit to when planning to buy a set of tools. Every manufacture has their own battery configuration. Even within one manufacture they have multiple battery types. What are the pros and cons based on which tools I might want to buy. At the moment I only have one tool that takes a battery but I'm about to start purchasing more for my garage workshop and would like to be armed with more data before sinking hundreds of dollars into new equipment.
Thanks for an outstanding channle. *SUBSCRIBED!*

[BassHeadsProduction]

i have several makita 18v batteries for various cordless tools for home use (each probably gets recharged 2-3 times a month) had them for almost 7+ years now and they still seem to keep their full charge and last a while.. 7 years seems like a long time though… question- can batteries that old become “dangerous” or fire hazards? or is the main concern just will they eventually stop holding a charge for an adequate time?

[joser]

I haven't seen this next question pop up nor I get an answer for it anywhere. Is it better to keep the batteries on cordless drills or take them off when not in use? Will the batteries hold better charge on or off the tool when not in use? Thanks

[richstrassberg]

Howdy! I hope that you and your family are well. Thanks for the battery life tips. I am interested in purchasing a Milwaukee M18 12 Ah battery, to replace my five year old 9 Ah. It is mainly used for the string trimmer. My question is whether to save about $75 and purchase two 6 Ah batteries or one 12 Ah battery. I’ve seen testing videos comparing the Milwaukee batteries; however, never using a string trimmer. I’m only weed-whacking my acre property around eight months a year. My older battery isn’t holding its charge long enough and I end up using two 4Ah batteries to continue: I do notice a slight loss of power. Will I lose power using a 6 Ah battery, for a string trimmer, compared to the 12 Ah battery?

Thank you for your time and I hope that you do have time to reply. I hope that you and your family stay safe and well.

[NickWindham]

What degrades lithium ion batteries the most is keeping them 100% charged for a prolonged period of time. If you keep them between 20% and 60% state of charge most of the time and store them around 40% when not used for prolonged periods, you can double their lifespan. That’s tough to do, but there are exceptions. You can get away with discharging to as low as 5% as long as quickly charge it above 20%. The battery management systems in these batteries add their own buffer of a few percent at the top and bottom of the charge range. So, same goes for charging to 95%. You can do it without significantly impacting battery life as long as you bring the state of charger at least to below 60% soon after.

Around 40% is the least stress state of charge for a lithium ion battery.

Lastly, rapid charging from 5% to 50% has negligible effect on lifespan. However, fast charging from 50% to 95% does decrease lifespan significantly. Make sure your rapid charger is smart and lowers the rate of charge as state of charge increases. If not, you could swap batteries from your rapid charger at 50% to your slow charger.

9/10 users won’t do half of these things because they’re inconvenient and because battery warranties have gotten better. If you buy from a brand with good warranty service, you’re almost better off using and abusing your battery so it fails before your few year warranty is expires so you get a brand new battery. Then, nurse the replacement battery unless it too gets a few years warranty.

[GeorgieCt]

They say optimal is 68 degrees but chart shows very 32 degrees at 40% and hold allot more. Idk my Milwaukee batteries I rarely leave in the heat or extreme cold and many still run for a while after daily use

[shurina]

I've kept mine in my truck all winter so far and haven't noticed any changes. May even be better??

[NWGR]

I utilize all of those tips except for storing at 40% charge; it's just not practical.

[azcanuck]

I was always told to use a battery for a full cycle (100%-0%). Does charging a 20%-50% battery affect the life span?

[loganbartlette]

Most of my m18 are 2.5 years old. They sit in the back of my truck, bouncing around, in Minnesota winter, and in summer too. Not one of them hasn't been dropped of scaffolding I'm sure. They all seem to work fine. I paid for durability and they have done fine by me so far