rebuilt my C12 NiCad packs

[Julian Tracy]

Have had an older C12 kit for some time now and the batteries are beyond spent.  I could charge them both and use for a bit, but they'd be dead the next day.  Unfortunately, Festool's recent battery price reductions have not trickled down to the older C12 packs, and the Festool replacements are about $80 each!

So, I hadn't really been using the kit much unless I had a specific install requiring the 90 degree or offset chucks.  But yesterday I remembered I had a couple of new Skil(Bosch) 12volt battery packs sitting around that I bought on clearance years and years ago.

The Festool C12 packs are pretty easy to take apart and after soldering the new cells together in the same arrangement and then soldering the contacts/temp sensor into place the newly rebuilt packs went back together and it worked!

I had suspected that it might have just been a waste of effort as the replacement cells, though new, are quite old.  But the packs charged up as you would expect and metered at 13.84volts fresh off the charger and seem to have plenty of power.  Cool!

The C12 drill is built like a tank - it's as heavy as my new Makita heavy duty hammer drill, or at least it seems like it.  But it's got a lot of raw power behind it and I've always been very impressed at the precise speed control it seems to offer.

The entire kit has nine more lives....

JT

 

[Cheese]

Maybe I'm incorrect, but I thought you could use C15 batteries in a C12. If so, those batteries are only $55.

 

[stvrowe]

Try the CDD12 battery packs at $145 each (ouch!).  I sent mine to Primecell and had them rebuilt for $33 each plus shipping and it made a world of difference.  Unfortunately, they were not able to upgrade this battery pack to the higher capacity version.

 

[semenza]

Maybe I'm incorrect, but I thought you could use C15 batteries in a C12. If so, those batteries are only $55.

Other way around. The smaller voltage packs can go in the higher voltage tools.

Seth

 

[mike_aa]

[member=2243]Julian Tracy[/member]

I tip my glass to you on your success!  Soldering batteries like these is not easy to do.

I tried doing the same with an old dead Panasonic NiCad battery pack and ended up leaving the soldering iron on one of the batteries a little too long.  The pack still worked OK, but I think I fried that cell a bit and I'm sure it will have an adverse effect on the battery's longevity.

Mike

 

[Cheese]

Other way around. The smaller voltage packs can go in the higher voltage tools.

Seth

Whoops...thanks for correcting my faux pas...I guess I've spent too many years using Milwaukee drills. You can use a 14 volt battery on a 12 volt Milwaukee drill.

 

[greg mann]

I had some C12 batteries rebuilt by BatteriesPlus at about $33 as well. The tech who did the work had never done any Festool batteries before but was impressed with them. He also said they just about the easiest he had ever done. I would highly recommend a rebuild to anyone wanting to get more life out of a C12 or T12, and who wouldn't?

 

[Brice Burrell]

I had some C12 batteries rebuilt by BatteriesPlus at about $33 as well. The tech who did the work had never done any Festool batteries before but was impressed with them. He also said they just about the easiest he had ever done. I would highly recommend a rebuild to anyone wanting to get more life out of a C12 or T12, and who wouldn't?

I work regularly with someone that had his C12 batteries rebuilt by BatteriesPlus.  Six months later and they aren't holding a charge all that well.

 

[mastercabman]

There are batteries you can get for your old c12
Look in Amazoni
I got a couple of them I think they were $40 a piece

 

[Julian Tracy]

I'll update this thread in 5-6 months as to how long my rebuild lasts.  Though, I don't use my C12 too much, as it's heavy for a 12volt, and so it's mainly just a kit I bring for kitchen installs and other circumstances that make use of the special chucks.  The 90degree chuck is especially handy for attaching crown molding backing on top of upper cabinet runs that have already been installed; can do so with as little as 3-4" of ceiling clearance...

As a daily drill though, I'd probably use my new Makita 12volt CXS compact kit; they're the new style they just released with the T-handle design.  Couldn't beat the price - $99 for drill+impact+2 batts...

Still - great to know I've given a bit more life to the old girl for basically $0 cost aside from an hour or so time.

JT

 

[darko789]

I did the same thing to an 18 volt battery for a proter cable drill. It has been about a year and they seem to be doing just fine.