Aftermarket replacement batteries for DeWalt?????

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c2500

Senior Member
Location
South Carolina
Has anyone found a reliable source for replacement batteries for DeWalt? I have 12, 14.4 and 18 volt tools. I have seen plenty of company websites for aftermarket batteries. The problem is that every site I have looked at has typos in the information provided. This leads me to believe they are less than reputable or just some kid selling batteries out of their basement. I have a new style charger that can accept NiCd, NiMh, or Lithium Ion. (By the way, I am not overly impressed with the Nano battery/drill combo) Are there any legitimate aftermarket providers out there?

Thanks,

c2500
 
GilbeSpark

GilbeSpark

Senior Member
Location
NC
When I used Dewalt 18v I would buy older Black and Decker batteries for replacements. They used to have a style that was exactly like dewalt's. They'd even charge on dewalt's charger. If I remember right they would cost $25 or so but they had less capacity, but the price more than made up for it.
 
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whillis

Member
Location
Vancouver, BC
I take my old batteries to a local shop that rebuilds them with larger ampacity cells. The cost is about 1/3 of the going rate for a new battery and they work better. Lifetime is about the same, so it's a win-win for me.
 
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c2500

Senior Member
Location
South Carolina
Have any of you actually bought from the above mentioned links? I have seen some 18 Volts on amazon as low as $50 each...they were unpackaged bulk ones. Unfortunately they don't seem to have the 12's or 14's the same way.

c2500
 
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Lxnxjxhx

Guest
Hosfelt.com, Allelectronics, those type places sometimes get their hands on these products, and at great prices.
 
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chris500

Member
Location
FL, MO, IL, KS, TX
I stopped in a Batteries Plus after reading a thread here about having Dewalt batteries rebuilt. The rebuild was a slightly higher capacity cell, but the price was just under the cost of a new battery. Typically you can get them on sale with a 2 for 1 deal so a rebuilt one would be twice the cost that I typically pay.

It is more and more becoming a disposable world we live in.
 
BackInTheHabit

BackInTheHabit

Senior Member
Location
Lexington, Kentucky
c2500 said:
Have any of you actually bought from the above mentioned links? I have seen some 18 Volts on amazon as low as $50 each...they were unpackaged bulk ones. Unfortunately they don't seem to have the 12's or 14's the same way.

c2500
Click to expand...

You may find the 12 and 14 volt batteries harder to find. Most manufactures are going to or have gone to 18 volt batteries or bigger. Find a new Dewalt 18 volt drill combo. It should last you more than 7 years with daily use, in my experience.
 
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c2500

Senior Member
Location
South Carolina
BackInTheHabit said:
You may find the 12 and 14 volt batteries harder to find.
Click to expand...

There are plenty of 12's and 14.4's available aftermarket with more powerful cells, I just have no way of knowing:

Are they actually well made?
Will they actually back up the warranties?

c2500
 
BackInTheHabit

BackInTheHabit

Senior Member
Location
Lexington, Kentucky
iwire said:
Dewalt still sells a line of tools in 7.2, 9.6, 12, 14 volt versions.
Click to expand...

I wasn't trying to say that Dewalt DIDN'T make them, just that the replacements may be harder to find. Mine have lasted so long that I prefer to just but them new.

I do have a few 7.2v cordless Dewalt drills that I find very useful.
 
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c2500

Senior Member
Location
South Carolina
Yeah they have them....but I am back to are they reputable? The ones I saw didn't have a high feedback amount. Besides, I really was hoping to hear from people who use them day in day out to see how aftermarket holds up.

c2500
 
Rampage_Rick

Rampage_Rick

Senior Member
Location
British Columbia, Canada
c2500 said:
There are plenty of 12's and 14.4's available aftermarket with more powerful cells, I just have no way of knowing:

Are they actually well made?
Will they actually back up the warranties?

c2500
Click to expand...
Any reputable outfit that rebuilds 18V Dewalt packs should have no problem rebuilding the smaller ones. The cells inside are the same, there's just a different number of them. I think the size they use is Sub-C (for which the 18V NiCd has 15, including one in the 'neck')

One of the differences between some guy in his garage and a reputable outfit is soldering the battery terminals vs. spot-welding them. Soldering will shorten the life of the cell.
 
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Okie Sparky

Member
Location
NW Oklahoma
I have used a rebuilder out of Wichita, KS to rebuild a bunch of Bosch batteries for me. This worked out really well. A company also advertises in the back of a trade magazine. I think the name of the company is voltmanbattery.com or something like that. Don't know much about them though. The shop that rebuilt the battderies for me said that they would guarantee their batteries. Also as was mentioned the connections on the batteries should be spot welded not soldered. This rebuilders claim is that the batteries you get in tool sets could be as old as one year, or so due to sitting on a shelf somewhere, after they are manufactured until they are distributed. He buys his cells that he uses to rebuild batteries with direct from the manufacturer, so as to cut out that shelf time. Don't know if that's true or not, but I think that's what they call good salesmanship, you know selling glasses to the blind.
 
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c2500

Senior Member
Location
South Carolina
My search continues....which has helped me to draw some conclusions.

1. There appear to only be a few companies offering aftermarket batteries.
2. Some people are obviously doing drugs before they price them out. Or hope no one has ever thouight to shop them.
3. There are some very dishonest people out there saying their batteries are completely compatible with all chargers.
4. There are a few honest people saying to check charger compatibility.
5. No one takes the time to rate suppliers (at least the ones I have seen..via a Yahoo search)
6. I suspect there are alot of stolen batteries or counterfeit ones running though ebay. New in package for half of retail with 10 available seems a wee bit suspect.

c2500
 
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