The cordless drill battery charger is one of the most overlooked parts when you review a any new drill. Unfortunately since the charger is the actual power source behind every cordless power tool, and yet only seen as an accessory, it is good to examine what makes up a good battery charger before you buy your next cordless drill.
This cordless drill battery charger review is part of a review series on cordless drills.
What a Good Cordless Drill Battery Charger Must Have
The kind of battery charger that matches your cordless drill was the one you found within the carrying case, and that you pulled out to charge your batteries whenever its needed. But, it is also one of the most overlooked accessories for cordless tools.
Battery Charger Types
Basically there are three type of chargers you can get. Mostly differentiating themselves by the charging time you will come across:
- Chargers with 3-24 hours charging time
- Battery Chargers with 1 hour charging time
- Ultra High Speed Chargers with 15-Minute charging cycles or less.
| 15 Minute Cordless Battery Charger | Makita Charger | High-Tech Controlling Charging Cycle |
|---|---|---|
 |
 |
 |
| One example of a modern professional drill charger is Makita’s 15-Minute charger for Ni-MH and Li-Ion batteries from 7.2V to 18V. | The battery pack is slid on the charger to hold it firmly during charging. | Modern electronics ” control it all “. Indicators (visible and audio) let you know about temperature, remaining charging time or any battery failure. |
Most cordless drill kits ( Dewalt, Makita, Bosch, Ryobi, Porter-Cable, Hitachi, Rigid) come with 1 hour – chargers as standard equipment on most models. With the increasing popularity of Lithium-Ion batteries some manufacturers (e.g. Makita) are now even supplying 15-min high-speed battery chargers as standard equipment on some models.
Advanced Chargers, especially the new generation of Li-Ion battery chargers do also have:
- Cooling Fan – driving air through the battery during the charging process
- Electronics/Sensor – which checks the batteries memory chip
- Temperature Control – Checks temperature of the cordless drill battery to prevent overheating
- Voltage Control – Checks voltage of battery to avoid overloading
As you see modern cordless drill battery chargers have become advanced high-tech power tools on its own. So make sure your next cordless drill comes with a professional charger to do the job its meant to do.
Great Way of Double Usage – The Dewalt Cordless Charger – Radio
Some manufacturers find clever ways to make a battery charger an even more useful tool. A very good example is Dewalt ‘s worksite radio – with an integrated cordless battery charger. Suitable for most DeWalt batteries it provides the a 1hour charger together with a work site radio.
Nice and clever way!
 |
After this look into modern cordless battery chargers we will now bring it all together and outline what is the best cordless drill for you in your trade. |  |
| Back to << Cordless Drill Batteries |
Cordless Drill Battery Charger | Read on with Finding the Best Cordless Drill>> |
|---|