Skil 18v power tools and batteries

Buying batteries for our electronic devices seems to be a constant activity these days. This is also the case for cordless power tools. If you are looking into buying a cordless screwdriver or other power tool from Skil, Dewalt, etc. you should familiarize yourself with the battery selection that they offer. You should be aware that every battery has the voltage and (sometimes) the technology it uses written on the side of the casing. With Skil, the batteries that only have the voltage written are NiCads. Unfortunately, this is still the most common Skil 18v battery that is offered, but definitely not the best. This technology has the tendency acquire a memory if it is not maintained properly. I you, for example, hook it up to the charger before it is completely empty, it will cause the capacity of the battery to reduce. This is why you should take the instructions that come with your product very seriously. You will spend a lot of unnecessary money on replacement batteries if you mistreat them, and you will not be able to enjoy you cordless power tool very much either.

You may have other battery powered devices in your home need to be treated the same way. A laptop computer or cell phone might not last very long because you charge it at your convenience, neglecting the proper battery care.

I hate to break this to you, but even a well maintained Skil 18v battery will die eventually. There is no battery in the world that will last forever, so don't get discouraged. You should also know that there are other cordless power tool manufactures out there that make longer lasting NiCads than Skil, such as Makita and Dewalt cordless power tool batteries . However, the price for a good tool from them is considerably higher than a Skil, so it is up to your budget to decide which brand to go for. If you plan on using your power tool very frequently, it will pay off to get a Dewalt, because you'll save money on replacement batteries over time. If you are a casual user, the good quality of Skil tools and their mediocre 18v batteries is a better bet.

There is however, an even better choice for people who don't mind investing slightly more for better performance and reliability. If you go for Skil 18v lithium ion battery packs, you can avoid the downfall of NiCad batteries altogether. This technology is quite a lot better and easier to maintain. Some older NiCad tool are even compatible with the new batteries, so check out the Skil website for more information. The great thing about this technology is that you can just charge them whenever you need, without having to worry about memory problems. This will allow you to use you power tool whenever you want, without waiting for your Skil 18v batteries to recharge.

There are plenty of good combo kits available that offer the brand new Skil batteries. If you are serious about your tools, then these models are my recommendation. To recap, the Skil NiCads are the cheapest but worst choice. The Dewalt or Makita NiCads are better but a bit more expensive. Then there are the Skil 18v batteries with lithium ion technology that can be more expensive but even better. And if you are really demanding, you could get lithium ions models from the pro brands for a whole load of extra money. The choice is yours.