Power tools like cordless drills and cordless screwdrivers are portable items that can be used to do construction or home improvement work. They are important tools to have available in case minor repairs need to be made. In order to use them, however, they need the right kind of power. With cordless tools and instruments, that power usually comes from a battery pack that is installed into the tool. There are a few different types of batteries that have been popular for use with power tools over the years. It's a good idea to learn about these different batteries and what you should look for when buying them.
Some of the different kinds of batteries used in power tools include nickel-cadmium batteries (NiCad), nickel-metal hydride batteries (Ni-Mh) and lithium ion batteries (Li-ion). Nickel-cadmium batteries are older style batteries and are declining in popularity because of their weight and the environmental hazards that cadmium poses. Nickel-metal hydride batteries were introduced as an improvement over the nickel-cadmium type, but they tend to create a lot of heat when used, which makes the life of the battery shorter overall. Lithium-ion batteries are the newest ones. They are lighter in weight and can run at cooler temperatures.
Power tools that operate with cordless battery packs require that these battery packs are light in weight, can operate in cold weather, and have a long run time and a relatively short recharge time. Of the three battery types mentioned above, the nickel-cadmium battery has the shortest time needed for recharging. The lithium-ion battery is the lightest and the most reliable in cold weather, and has the longest running time. Both the nickel-cadmium battery and the lithium-ion battery have similar life cycles, meaning that they can both be recharged the same number of times. When shopping for power tool batteries, another factor to consider is the amp-per-hour rating of the battery pack. The higher the amps per hour, the longer the power tool will operate with that battery installed. To find these kinds of power tool batteries, hardware and tool stores are your best bet.