How Do Batteries Influence Cordless Drills?
The battery that comes with the cordless drill will determine just how much strength and torque it has. The more voltage a battery has, the more power it will produce. While getting the most powerful drill available might seem like the way to go, there are some downfalls to them. This includes a higher price tag and additional weight.
As an example, let’s look at two different cordless drills. One has 9.6 volts, is priced in the range of $40 – $150, and weighs in the neigborhood of 3.5 pounds. The price depends on the brand and model. The other drill has 19.2 volts, priced between $110 – $300, and has a weight of 10 pounds. If you need a lot of power due to the nature of your work, then getting the 19.2 volt drill may be necessary.
However, if you are only going to use it to do odd jobs around the house and the occasional DIY project, then the 9.6 volt makes a lot more sense. The more a cordless drill weighs, the harder it will be to use and the more tired you will be.
Some cordless drill models have two batteries, so while one is charging the other can be used to power the drill. If you are going to be using a drill for hours at a time, then having two batteries on hand will really come in handy. The last thing you want is for your battery to die right in the middle of a project, and then having to wait for it to charge. If you see a cordless that you want to buy but only comes with one battery, just order another.
Even when cordless drills aren’t running, they will still use up some of the battery. While it may not be much, it will add up over time. Therefore, when you are done using your drill, always remember to take the battery out.
Lithium Ion and Nickel Metal Hydride are the two cordless drill battery types. The latter is the cheaper of the two in terms of quality, so you would be better off not getting a drill with this battery. They tend to have memory issues, and fixing it requires a complete discharge before charging them again. And if you don’t go through this process, the capacity for it to charge will go down. Also, they aren’t as durable as the Lithium Ion batteries, nor do they supply as much power.
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