They run down when I use them in the saws cutting trim and molding. The drivers/drills are OK, but the saws really suck up the power, so I don’t have much choice, because they are a hell of lot quicker and easier to use than dragging in my miter saw or big circular saw for wood smaller than a 1″X4″. They make it very easy to go outside to make the cuts without having to run extension cords.
I understand what you’re saying, but what I do with tools determines when I can recharge.
]]>Steve, if they’re going to change 20 watch batteries, yes, they’re worth being loyal to. I had a watch that went dead so I tried to change its battery. The new battery didn’t work either. The watch itself was dead, the new battery was fine (took it out of its card fresh and brand new, measured out on the voltmeter). Oh well, some watches just die for no reason, sigh. But anyhow, it was a major PITA, and if someone is going to do that to *twenty* watches for you, well.
]]>I run my Lion’s down before I put them on the charger. With a notable lack of outlets, and a dislike for the power company, nothing with a transformer stays connected longer than necessary. My tool batteries get topped just before use after a long break, but I’m waiting for them to charge to go do something. I developed my battery habits with NiCads, so it is generally don’t charge until dead, and then fully charge.
]]>Bryan, lithium batteries are indeed a boon. Just don’t leave them on the charger after they’re charged. That’ll brick them. Did that to one of the expensive 18v batteries for my Makita power tools, forgot it on the charger after it charged, it ended up going through multiple discharge/charge cycles over time until it bricked. What I like most about the lithium batteries is that their discharge is *very* slow. After a year I can grab one of the batteries, sling it into the hand tool of choice, and be at full power. Then when I toss it on the charger afterwards, it’s not 5 minutes later that the charger beeps to let me know it’s fully charged again. Cool!
]]>One of the best things about the Nikon is the lithium ion battery pack that will charge from a USB port if I leave it connected after downloading pictures.
]]>Neither of our cameras works well enough at the moment to offer mother-and-daughter cat pics. In my case, those AA rechargeables, the best rechargeables I’ve ever owned, have finally given up after 5 years of hard use. Of course they are no longer manufactured. I understand they’ve come out with some new ones with a new virtue: substantial shelf-life after you charge them. But I haven’t gotten over to Batteries Plus to see if I can buy some. If it weren’t for Batteries Plus about a mile from here, I’d just web-order them, but I always talk myself out of doing that in favor of buying them in person, once again delaying potential cat pics…
]]>A wind change is all that is required for 20°+ temperature shift in an hour, which happened early this morning. You go to bed shivering and wake up sweating, or vice versa.
]]>The rain has been spotty today, but the temperature has certainly climbed with a wind shift. I keep putting on and then taking off layers of clothes some days.
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