Don't Throw That Old Cordless Drill Away

Don't Throw That Old Cordless Drill Away FARM SHOP Tools 28-5-38 You can recycle cordless drills by replacing the worn-out batteries with an old electric cord and a couple of alligator clips. Then, any 12-volt car, truck, or tractor battery can become a power source, says Gary Goldsberry, Stillwater, Okla. "About five years ago the batteries in my Makita 7.8-volt drill would no longer hold a charge," says Goldsberry. "Replacement batteries cost more than the old cordless drill was worth. So, I thought I could finish the old cordless drill off by removing the dead batteries and replacing them with a cord and clips to use on a small 12-volt motorcycle battery that I could easily carry around. However, I discovered that the drill ran a lot faster on 12 volts than it did before and a lot longer without needing a charge. It even outlasted the motorcycle battery, so I started using the drill with any battery that was handy, in or out of a vehicle. Adding longer cords didn't seem to affect the drill's performance." Just about any cordless drill can be converted, says Goldsberry. "I've converted Makita, Black & Decker, and Skil models, and I don't think the drill's original voltage makes much difference. Lower voltage drills run faster; higher voltage drills run slower." To make the conversion, Goldsberry opens the drill's body and removes the batteries, then solders the electric cord wires to the battery contacts. Next, he makes a hole for the cord in the handle, then closes the body and solders alligator clips to the other end of the cord. He's now ready to put the drill back to work. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Gary Goldsberry, 925 W. 9th Ave., Stillwater, Okla. 74074 (ph 405 372-1612; email: garygoldsberry@yahoo.com).

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