2015 - Volume #39, Issue #3, Page #38
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Battery Tester For DeWalt 18-Volt Cordless Batteries
“It tells you exactly how much voltage is left in the battery. As far as I know there isn’t anything like it on the market,” says Stoltzfus.
He says DeWalt’s 20-volt cordless batteries come with 3 built-in indicator lights that show you when the battery is running low, but they don’t show you the actual voltage. “The company’s 18-volt cordless tools don’t even have the indicator lights,” says Stoltzfus. “So if you have multiple batteries laying around and don’t know if they’re charged or not, you have to install them in the tool to find out.”
Stoltzfus bought a 12/24-volt meter and a plastic adapter with 2 metal prongs on it. He soddered the volt meter leads to the metal prongs and then glued the adapter onto the bottom of the volt meter.
“Everything is molded and sealed inside the tester,” says Stoltzfus.
“I came up with the idea because we’re Amish, and we started using modified DeWalt 18-volt LED lights in our house instead of propane-operated lights. The lights we buy come with a fluorescent bulb tube, which we replace with an adapter that lets us screw in the LED bulb.
“We might have 4 or 5 batteries on hand as backups for the lights at any time. The lights come with an automatic shut-off when the battery runs low. With the voltage tester we can quickly find out which batteries need to be charged.”
The battery tester sells for $35, with free shipping anywhere in the U.S. (Pennsylvania residents have to pay a 6 percent sales tax.)
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Elam L. Stoltzfus, 5465 Street Rd., Kirkwood, Penn. 17536 (ph 717 529-0173).
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