NiCd has a greater # of recharge cycles than Li-Ion, the only real advantage to a Li-Ion set vs a NEW NiCd (no point in trying to compare a worn out old NiCd battery pack instead of a new one) is higher power density so you end up with either a lighter drill or longer runtime, or a little of both. That is, providing two factors are true:
1) The kit has a smart charger like this one.
2) Don't keep trying to use the drill once it's noticeably slowing down. That will eventually damage the weakest cell in the pack by reverse charging it and is often the primary reason a user doesn't get good lifespan out of NiCd packs if they're using a smart charger.
I suppose #2 is a second benefit of Li-Ion, that a safety circuit cuts in to prevent the user from continuing to use the tool, since damage to a Li-Ion pack can result in fire instead of only a pack that won't hold a charge well.
dewalt will only last 6 months in use every day don't buy NiCad buy li ion battery toolsy
Still for the my use, both at home and in the field I will stay with L-I Batteries, have had much better luck with them, and the Dewalt L-I set I have had is 3 years strong and shows no sign of slowing.
Comments & Reviews (4)
don't buy NiCad
buy li ion battery toolsy
1) The kit has a smart charger like this one.
2) Don't keep trying to use the drill once it's noticeably slowing down. That will eventually damage the weakest cell in the pack by reverse charging it and is often the primary reason a user doesn't get good lifespan out of NiCd packs if they're using a smart charger.
I suppose #2 is a second benefit of Li-Ion, that a safety circuit cuts in to prevent the user from continuing to use the tool, since damage to a Li-Ion pack can result in fire instead of only a pack that won't hold a charge well.
Still for the my use, both at home and in the field I will stay with L-I Batteries, have had much better luck with them, and the Dewalt L-I set I have had is 3 years strong and shows no sign of slowing.
Thank you!