Without a charger your cordless tools are worthless. Ah's, voltage and connections, you have no idea? We help you choose a new charger.
A how-to for choosing the right battery charger for your tools
Without a battery, cordless tools are worthless, but without a battery charger, your battery is worthless. The right battery charger extends the life of the battery and ensures the shortest charging time. In this manual, we try to make choosing the right battery charger easier. If you follow the steps below, you will always end up with the right battery charger.
1. What are the differences between battery chargers?
First of all, it is important to mention that a battery charger has a great influence on the lifespan and functioning of your battery. The vast majority of capacity loss of your battery is caused by incorrect use of the battery and battery charger. Overheating or an incorrect charging cycle for the battery can lead to an explosion or a defective battery.
High quality chargers often have more sensitive sensors to detect potential problems. Examples of problems can be large voltage differences or temperature differences between the cells.
1.1 Battery Chargers for Ni-MH & Ni-CD
A rough distinction can be made between three categories of chargers, namely slow chargers, fast chargers and super-fast chargers.
Slow: These chargers need 14-16 to charge a Ni-CD charger. The biggest advantage of these chargers is the low purchase price.
Fast: Charging time has decreased to 3 to 6 hours. For these chargers it is important that they have different phases in the charging process. Overcharging the battery can lead to memory effect with Ni-CD and to a lesser extent with Ni-CD.
Super fast: The fastest chargers can fully recharge Ni-CD and Ni-MH batteries within an hour. Charging these batteries as quickly as possible helps to limit the memory effect in the battery. These chargers can also switch to ' trickle charging '. In this case, a fully charged battery is not overcharged and the condition of the battery remains optimal.
Buying tips for Ni-CD & Ni-MH chargers
- Buy the fastest charger you can afford. This will improve your battery health.
- Buy a charger with protection. Too high a temperature or large differences in charging voltage can lead to an explosion.
- Pay attention to whether your charger supports Ni-MH. Incorrect use of a NI-CD charger for a Ni-MH battery can cause accidents.
1.2 Battery Chargers for Li-Ion
Li-Ion battery technology requires an advanced charger. These chargers check the voltage and temperature of the individual cells in the battery. In order to do this, Li-Ion batteries are equipped with a printed circuit board to provide this information to the chargers. Li-Ion battery chargers can charge a battery in about 30 minutes, depending on whether active cooling is used. Active cooling allows the charger to charge faster without the temperature rising.
Buying tips for Li-ion chargers
- Look into active cooling to limit potential damage to the cells
- Buy a battery charger with sensors that closely monitor your battery
Find the right charger for your tools in 3 steps
When purchasing a new battery charger, ask yourself the following questions:
....do I need a Ni-CD, Ni-MH or Li-Ion battery charger?
....in what time do I want my batteries to be charged?
....do I want a cheaper charger or do I want a charger that won't damage my batteries?
