Wickes Cordless Powertools - replacement batteries

Utters0 · 25 Apr 2017

We have a couple of Wickes powertools, a drill and circular saw that share an 18v battery.

My problem is the battery is no longer charging and I'm trying to find a replacement. Wickes don't appear to sell them any more and I'm struggling to find anywhere that does.

Will another make of battery do the job and if so which are recommended?

Tigercubrider · 25 Apr 2017

Looking online, it is suggested that Kress make tools for wickes?

Utters0 · 26 Apr 2017

Thanks I'll follow that up

JayJay1978 · 27 Apr 2017

It used to be Draper because I had the same problem.

Nicad batteries?

SammyInnit · 29 Apr 2017

If you're struggling, depending on how handy you are with a roll of solder and a soldering iron, buy new cells and rebuild your dead batteries.

Tigercubrider · 29 Apr 2017

Tool s have improved year by year so resurrecting an old tool isn't really sensible

SammyInnit · 1 May 2017

Tigercubrider said:
Tool s have improved year by year so resurrecting an old tool isn't really sensible

Tools haven't massively improved, the batteries and power consumption have. If you use a tool (which does the job you want it to) a hand full of times a year, replacing or rebuilding batteries is a cheaper option than replacing the tool. Lithium tools generally speaking aren't cheap.

lostinthelight · 1 May 2017

SammyInnit said:
Tools haven't massively improved, the batteries and power consumption have. If you use a tool (which does the job you want it to) a hand full of times a year, replacing or rebuilding batteries is a cheaper option than replacing the tool. Lithium tools generally speaking aren't cheap.

That sounds like a bit of a contradiction to my poor old brain, isnt better power consumption to do with improvment in tool design eg brushless motors? and I thought lithium tools seemed quite reasonable in comparason to the price of a decent AH battery.
litl

SammyInnit · 1 May 2017

lostinthelight said:
That sounds like a bit of a contradiction to my poor old brain, isnt better power consumption to do with improvment in tool design eg brushless motors? and I thought lithium tools seemed quite reasonable in comparason to the price of a decent AH battery.
litl

If you can justify the cost of brushless tools for DIY jobs you've got more money than sense.

HawkEye244 · 1 May 2017

SammyInnit said:
Tools haven't massively improved, the batteries and power consumption have. If you use a tool (which does the job you want it to) a hand full of times a year, replacing or rebuilding batteries is a cheaper option than replacing the tool. Lithium tools generally speaking aren't cheap.

Sounds very difficult to me sammy. Do you have any DIY guides you can share start to finish ?

SammyInnit · 1 May 2017

HawkEye244 said:
Sounds very difficult to me sammy. Do you have any DIY guides you can share start to finish ?

It's really not that difficult. Take your battery apart and check the cell types that are inside, buy the same amount of new replacements and just follow the same current path and use a soldering iron and you can buy battery flat tin strip or use a fairly light gauge wire to solder them together in a chain.

Ive done it with lithium cells batteries before now and it's not much of a struggle at all even for basic knowledge of electronics.

Dare I say there are no end of repair guides on the net. Perhaps even a Google search would return your exact battery. The only time I know you may run into problems is if the battery has a microcontroller but I'm pretty sure anything other than lithium will have this.

HawkEye244 · 1 May 2017

Great idea if it works and is safe. Why don't you make a video tutorial and post it on youtube ?

you'd make a fair few quid off the ad revenue on the views.

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Wickes Cordless Powertools - replacement batteries

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