Even though you put the tool away fully charged, you've got to plug it in for at least 30 minutes before you can get anything done, and traditional nickel cadmium (nicad) batteries are to blame. They discharge on the shelf with infuriating speed, which is one reason I was happy to see lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries making it into cordless tools, beginning back in January 2005.
They hold a charge for more than a year, though there was always a problem: Li-ion has also been too expensive for general consumer tools, at least until recently.
I've been waiting to see which power tool company would be the first to offer Li-ion technology in reasonably-priced household models, and the contest is over. The winner is Black & Decker, though other manufacturers are quickly following suit.
The Black & Decker SC1400-CA was the first consumer-duty drill I spotted with a Li-ion battery. It's a 14.4-volt unit that weighs less than 1.3 kilograms, and I was especially eager to try this model when I discovered it because of what I know about typical homeowner tool use.
The average person isn't into big renovations and serious building. They don't need a drill for that sort of work. Instead, all these folks require is a lightweight tool that runs whenever they pick it up. The SC1400-CA delivers on this count, plus a few more ways.
Something called "overwrap" is one example. It's a soft, rubber-like, high-friction material moulded into the hand-grip areas of a growing number of power tools. Manufacturers started using it about 10 years ago, and while overwrap was originally found only on high-end, professional-grade tools, the SC1400-CA is one of a growing group of exceptions. It has lots of strategically placed overwrap, exactly where you want it. That's one reason I found this tool particularly comfortable to hold.
If you're planning to build a deck, equip a home workshop or complete home renovations, a tool like the SC1400-CA isn't the first drill you should buy. You'll find one of the many 18-volt models with a pair of batteries and a 30-minute charger does a better job. But even if you already keep one of these in the garage, there's a case to be made for having a simple, lightweight Li-ion drill handy in the den or kitchen drawer. Half the battle of getting pesky, little jobs done around the house is having tools at hand and ready to go.
Ryobi is another tool company that has brought lithium-ion batteries to the consumer market, and they've done it while staying true to their previous technology. Their One+ 18-volt lithium-ion batteries and tools are interchangeable with older style, nicad One+ tools and chargers. Ryobi's new batteries run about twice as long as old ones, and weigh 20 per cent less.
Regardless of who makes the tools, Li-ion batteries are much friendlier to the planet than traditional nickel cadmium (nicad) batteries. Freedom from cadmium is the reason why. This is a highly persistent environmental toxin with no known antidote, and it's why old nicad batteries need to be disposed of with such care. Some jurisdictions have even outlawed new nicad electronics -- another reason why we'll see more lithium-ion tools in the future.
There are cheaper drills than the current lineup of consumer-grade, lithium-ion models, and that's probably going to fool some inexperienced tool buyers into buying yesterday's technology. What's less obvious is that the money saved up-front always gets paid back later in frustration, wasted time and a certain amount of regret. At least with Li-ion batteries on your side, you've got a good chance of having the drill work when you need it.
Steve Maxwell is technical editor of Canadian Home Workshop magazine. Send homebuilding and renovation questions to www.stevemaxwell.ca.
--Canwest News Service
