20 years ago, Harbor Freight used to sell refurbished DeWalt tools. This was before Harbor Freight had their own hand power tool brands like Bauer, and a host of other new HF brand names whose names I can’t remember.

Back when the father was running the chain, there was only CenTech, Central Machinery, and Central Pnuematic. I’m not even sure…[Read more]

I doubt that it is Makita. It looks like an an aftermarket automotive driving, flood, or fog lamp connected to a small project box that is either stepping down 18v to 12v, or is simply running a 12v lamp at 18V, with a toggle switch.

Makita’s UL website shows several lamps, but nothing like that.

If that lamp housing is the heat sink that it…[Read more]

Does anyone reading own any Bosch 18v battery operated tools that utilize the charger shown in the photograph above?

I don’t own any Bosch battery operated tools. If I did, I would surely put a meter to to these terminals to see if the terminals are hot if the charger is plugged in, or to to confirm that that they are not, and further figure out…[Read more]

Are the fully exposed contacts on a Bosch 18V battery charger “live” when the charger is plugged in?

theamcguy wrote:Unique Device Cleans Paint Rollers in a Flash

https://www.ronhazelton.com/blog/turbo_jet_paint_roller_washer?utm_source=Ron%27s+Weekly+Newsletter&utm_campaign=cebdea9818-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2019_07_14_12_11&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_39db751e08-cebdea9818-21794521

And for older homes that do not have pressure vacuum breakers or anti…[Read more]

When you say 4×4 posts, do you mean steel bollards, or 4×4 wooden posts?

Missing on the Atlas Machinery list of a dozen different attachments to the Power Head… is the Makita Coffee Harvester… a fan shaped rake that wiggles side to side. Canada isn’t exactly the ideal climate for growing coffee beans, but for the man who has everything, a detail like this cannot be overlooked.

Miamicuse wrote:For some reason I am not aware of the lithium ion AA/AAA batteries.

I for the most part have been using Sanyo’s Eneloop rechargeable AA and AAA NiMH batteries because they seem to leak much less than those I experienced before.

But sometimes rechargeables can be a pain compared to throwaways. I will have to look at these l…

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Miamicuse wrote:

Boschmanbrian wrote:
Would they be okay to use in smoke detectors ? Especially since they sound like they would last much longer

I am sure you could but smoke or fire alarms would be one device that I wouldn’t mind changing annually, especially since they need to be periodically tested anyways, and you get an audible warning w…

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Miamicuse wrote:For those who keep their tools in their work vehicle 24/7, subjecting their tools to extreme heat and cold, I am sure you have dealt with leaked AA or AAA batteries inside your flashlight ls, stud finders, millimeters, voltage testers, continuity probes, laser measures etc…

I noticed Amazon has “leak proof” batteries made by Anker…

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They should have paid off a civil engineering professor to send them some dam ideas… like they paid an electrical engineering professor to send them some top secret microwave tracking chips utilized by US missile systems.

I guess those chips must have really worked well, as the US authorities managed to track down the UCLA professor who…[Read more]

Makita DC18RA, DC18RC, DC18RD Rapid Charger Manual Page 3:

I leave the chargers plugged in, but connect them to a surge protecting power strip, and if nothing is charging, it is a simple matter to just flick the switch off on the power strip, which shuts down the chargers. Anyone approaching the charging bay can flick the switch back on, slide…[Read more]

Boschmanbrian wrote:
One thing I’ve noticed and read someplace (I can’t remember )
It was about the Ego batteries
Apparently after 30 days if the battery is left on the charger , it will automatically do a self check , then do a discharge and a full charge cycle.
I imagine that it’s apparently similar for the tool batteries

Every 30 days? How w…[Read more]

At first you said…

Miamicuse wrote:I have been… draining the battery as much as I can practically before recharging.

In some cases, like sawzalls, I often would make cuts until it stops, then swap in a new one.

It was only later in the thread where you said…

Miamicuse wrote:I don’t drive the battery empty consciously…

So k…[Read more]

In an earlier post, I mentioned that we would do well to look to Makita for guidance on best practices for depleting and charging Makita batteries.

From Makita’s product description of their 18V LXT batteries with Star Protection Circuitry:

At no point does it say “under-loading”, or “under-discharging”, likely because these are not risks that…[Read more]

Boschmanbrian wrote:

Miamicuse wrote:

CB wrote:
So if we know that deeply discharging a battery is bad, and that lithium ion batteries have a limited number of cycles of really deep discharge, but unlike NiCad batteries, have no memory effect from partial rechargings, and likewise have a seemingly uncountable number of cycles if only partially…

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Miamicuse wrote:
Interesting.

I have been doing the opposite, in other words, draining the battery as much as I can practically before recharging. Thinking this will extend the battery life because I read somewhere that lithium ion batteries have a maximum number of recharge cycles.

In some cases, like sawzalls, I often would make cuts until it…

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Sorpa wrote:
I’m thinking you would’ve been Occama’s favorite example. 😀
What’s wrong with a .22 495 FPS air rifle instead of those 473 CFM blower?

I have the blower. I don’ have the air rifle.

It’s that simple. In keeping with Occam’s razor.

(fell asleep) Woke up to find that thread moved on and my post lacked context without a quote.

Now you guys have MY wheels turning…

I’d like to repurpose this Makita 36v (18Vx2) XBU02 blower I recently picked up at a local bricks and mortar store sale (the sale was getting six, count’em 6 free 5 amp hour batteries, plus a dual bay charger) for blowing the neighbor’s irritating, nosey, and noisy drones out of the sky.

I’m thinking with…[Read more]