How to replace the cells in a 12V Max lithium ion battery pack

[@TB-nz4kf]

Thanks for taking the time to make this video.

[@sherrysusan]

Hi, I was just looking for a video on how to discharge the battery from the drill b/c my hands are getting pretty arthritic and I was unable to disconnect it, stumbled upon your video and watched you take it off a couple times and place it on the charger (I didn’t understand this part either), I just kept watching b/c it was quite interesting … I’ll never do this, but kudos to you

[@GregsShop]

Sorry it took so long to get back to you. I wish I had a solution to your troubles getting the batteries off your drill. They can be difficult to remove probably because the electrical connections need to remain tight. I have the dewalt tools both 12 and 20v, ryobi 18v and Milwaukee 12v. For me by far the dewalt 12v batteries are the easiest to remove. I’m not sure what tools you use but You may try putting a little silicone gel or Vaseline on the runners where the batteries slide on and off the tools. That probably won’t help much depressing the buttons to release the locks but the batteries may slide off easier. Hope that helps. Thanks for watching and leaving a comment.!

[@workonly9476]

Thanks man! Great description and details how to replace it and get it back to work.

[@GregsShop]

Glad the video helped. The pack that I replaced the cells in the video is still working well too. Thanks for watching and leaving a comment.

[@DanielinLaTuna]

Hey Greg, Zac’s maker Facebook page brought me here. Wow, I didn’t realize these things could be repaired. I’ll watch your other videos now. Thanks, Dan

[@GregsShop]

DanielinLaTuna thank you! Hope you enjoy the videos.

[@tomsdreamshopworx]

Greg, I worked at a Batteries plus store for a while. There were lots of government rules about working with Lithium batteries. Regular soldering is not recommended. To much heat build up in the cell. Please be careful! There are many stories about those 18650 cells exploding. We had the spot welder.

[@GregsShop]

Yes sir, I realize that regarding the soldering vs. the spot welder. I don’t have a spot welder and I thought about building one. Maybe my next project. Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment!

[@undernetjack]

I eat lithium batteries all day long, no worries at all.

[@jparent1970]

Is there a way to do this without heat? Epoxy the leads to the battery for example. Taping them tight might be too unstable during use.

[@GregsShop]

No, none of those ways are safe at all. The best way is to spot weld them.

[@johnclarke6647]

You can use a security torx bit on a regular torx bit screw.

[@malayekk6522]

Thank you very much mate. Question: could one install a higher milli amp 18650 in this pack or has to be the same as dewalt original?

[@GregsShop]

I would stick with batteries close to the original. If they are too far out of spec the charger may think they are not charging properly and cut off. It’s hard to say for sure but that would be my approach to it. I have a charger for the 20v that will not charge the larger 4ah capacity batteries, only the smaller ones. I think it depends on what the charger will output.

[@malayekk6522]

@@GregsShop Thank you for the prompt reply. I see both 2013 and 2018 model batteries available on line, my original is 2013 model. How is your time of use experience with the model you have used?

[@GregsShop]

I rebuilt that battery pack 4 years ago and it’s still running. It performs better than the other batteries that have the original cells.

[@malayekk6522]

@@GregsShop that's great, I'm going to replicate your repair, with only difference, that I have a spot welder. Thanks a bunch mate. You have been a great help.👍😃👍

[@GregsShop]

That’s awesome. The spot welder is definitely the way to go. Let me know how it turns out!

[@nps2512]

I presume a 18v battery would just be five 18650. Great vid thanks

[@GregsShop]

Yes that is correct. Thanks for watching and leaving a comment.

[@rvkubotaman]

Greg, what was the cost of the new cells. I got to do this to two packs I got, but they got about 16 or 18 cells, I'll have to open them up and find the bad cells or they all went bad. I think there 2 volt a cell, cause the pack is 18 volt. That turned out good, my pack is about 70 bucks, wonder if I can do it for a lot less than that.

[@GregsShop]

I forgot to talk about the cost. I paid $17.00 for the 3 batteries. The cost of replacing the pack with an OEM DeWalt pack was from 35 to 53 dollars. So on the low end it was about half the price. I realize there are cheaper replacements that are not original DeWalt batteries and I was unfamiliar with the quality of those cheaper packs. I decided to go with the cell replacement because I believe I had more control of getting good cells than cheap rejected cells used in the knock off batteries. As for the batteries in your drill, they are NiCad batteries. Probably not worth doing cost wise and a lot of work to rebuild.

[@swolff5]

Nice job Greg, enjoyed your video!

[@GregsShop]

Glad you liked it. Still using the battery, works perfectly.

[@donmock4278]

I wonder if you charged the old batteries individually if they would work without purchasing new cells?

[@GregsShop]

I measured each cell individually. Charging each cell is possible but only with the right charger. Some 3.7v lithium batteries are not internally protected and could explode. You would have to know exactly what cells are in a pack. These cells are internally protected. I have found that it’s just easier to replace all the cells at once. Replacing one cell in a multi cell pack could also be dangerous because the cells are not equalized. The lower cell would cause the pack to equalize and an over current situation could cause a cell or multiple cells to enter into a thermal runaway. This would be very dangerous as well and lead to a fire/ explosion. Also, the best way to attach these cells to the buss bar is to spot weld them. I used solder and this is not really the preferred way but it will work. You just have to know it’s limitations. Lastly, these type of cells don’t like to be fully charged all the time. They also will go bad quickly when their voltage drops to 0 VDC. Most pack chargers will not attempt to charge these batteries if the cells or pack is below a certain voltage. That’s why these packs have multiple leads, so the chargers can analyze the cells individually or in their strings of cells. You may be able to jump start a bad cell with another cell but this still in my opinion is not going to give you the best performance. Best just replace all the cells with high quality protected ones or replace the whole pack. Hope this helps. Let me know if you need more info.

[@kahili56]

Thank you...very useful video!

[@GregsShop]

Glad I could help. Thanks for watching and leaving a comment!

[@Bill-NM]

I just wanted to add to "Tom's Dreamshop" comment - regular soldering (as opposed to spot welding which requires a special spot-welding machine) is A-OK with lithium-ion batteries...AS LONG AS you don't spend too much time fooling around getting the solder onto the tab/battery. You might think that means you should use a low heat setting on your soldering gun, but actually, the reverse is true...you want to use a HIGH heat on your soldering gun (so the melting of the solder happens very quickly)...you don't wanna dilly-dally for several seconds or more trying to get a tab soldered, as the battery will keep absorbing and absorbing the heat you are applying, and at some point, that gets dangerous and/or you ruin the battery. Anyway there's lots of info about this on the interwebs.

[@GregsShop]

Thank you for your comment. I appreciate the expertise and the time you took to write a detailed response. When I rebuilt this battery pack it was sort of an experiment. I have been using it daily for the last few years and it has worked perfectly. I even dropped it a few times. It's not the most economical way as battery packs are so cheap now especially the generic brands. This was fun to work on and record. Thank you for watching

[@GregsShop]

I’ve had a few requests to do an update video on the state of the battery cell replacement. I’ll be putting that together soon. Thanks for watching and leaving a comment.

[@javiercastro1019]

Where can I buy those batteries.

[@GregsShop]

Amazon.

[@GregsShop]

You may try ebay or if you live in the US, Batteries Plus store. Just try to match the batteries as close as possible to the original so the charger won’t get confused and refuse to charge the pack. Also, I’d replace all the batteries and not just bad cells. Good luck!

[@javiercastro1019]

Yes I live in the us.i live in L A.so yes is good idea to try eBay.cause i ready tried amazon but it didn’t work for me.

[@ColdDayInHell]

@@GregsShop Do not buy cells on Amazon/Ebay. There are a ton of counterfeits and that is an accident waiting to happen. IMRbatteries.com liionwholesale.com/ etc

[@polocash11]

Where do you get the internal batteries?

[@GregsShop]

Ebay or amazon. I prefer the Panasonic batteries. If you need to replace one, replace them all so they all have the same capacity.

[@polocash11]

@@GregsShop Thanks, but what do I search for?

[@GregsShop]

@@polocash11 www.amazon.com/Pack-Authentic-3000mAh-18650-Battery-Flashlight/dp/B085ZBMX32/ref=sr_1_fkmr0_1?dchild=1&keywords=LG+3.7v+18650+LGDBHG21865+HG2+LGHG2+High+Drain+Flat+Top+3.7V+3000mAh+20A&qid=1586909048&sr=8-1-fkmr0

[@GregsShop]

@@polocash11 you can also search for items similar to these. LG 3.7v 18650 LGDBHG21865 HG2 LGHG2 High Drain Flat Top 3.7V 3000mAh 20A

[@polocash11]

@@GregsShop Thanks so much for replying... but it may be better to buy this www.amazon.com/Replacement-Lithium-Battery-Compatible-DCB127-2/dp/B07TZ45Z62/ref=sr_1_31?crid=22WKBEUK8XQ81&dchild=1&keywords=dewalt+12v+lithium+battery&qid=1586910404&sprefix=dewalt+12v+lithium+%2Caps%2C173&sr=8-31 Unless this is some knockoff?

[@budbrowny7191]

Da part I need instructions on u did off camera

[@GregsShop]

What part do you need help with?

[@bobcatt2294]

You did not point out the BMS board within the case :(

[@WhiteG60]

DeWalts dont have the BMS in the case, actually. All the smarts are in the tool.

[@bobcatt2294]

@@WhiteG60 Well that does not make sense. The charging device would also need to have a BMS - the purpose of having a BMS is to safeguard each cell from overcharge and over-discharge. Having stated this, the battery would have the BMS within its housing.

[@markborrmannjr]

Should have upgraded to 3500 mah cells