Aldi 40v batteries ?

[JMS1972]

Been reading this thread with interest.

This drill was a present from my late wife who won it in a competition many years ago.

Haven't used it for many years, don't want to part with it, would like to use it again, it has two original Dewalt batteries, it's metal case and charger.

Charger works but batteries no longer take a charge, generic batteries are still available for it but I suspect pretty poor quality.

Most of my cordless are Makita, I would like to strap an 18v Makita battery to the drill, I have a spare LXT 3Ah.

Is there a battery adapter for it? I know it's possible to convert, maybe, ( You Tube ), but the process is a bit destructive and I rather leave drill as it is then that.

The drill is USA build, type 1 DW976 and the battery is a DW 9071.

View attachment 456959 View attachment 456960

There is and adaptor available for those style batteries which accepts the newer XR DeWalt battery packs. They aren't great as they have a thermistor that throttles current so you have to keep stopping.

 

[Onoff]

No. I'm saying you can solder/glue on one of @Onoff 's parkside adaptors to physically convert near any tool permently to the parkside batteries

There may be some electrical stuff needed too for different brands, some just a resistor added to trick it, others and brushless ones may be difficult.

Atypical adapter, Parkside battery to Makita tool:

https://flic.kr/p/2okVLXK

https://flic.kr/p/2onfAZD

I can do most if I put my mind to it:

 

[Mark 5]

There is and adaptor available for those style batteries which accepts the newer XR DeWalt battery packs. They aren't great as they have a thermistor that throttles current so you have to keep stopping.

Thanks, could you provide a link for the adaptor please.

 

[JMS1972]

Thanks, could you provide a link for the adaptor please.

Knew you'd ask me that.

I bought mine from Amazon years ago. There appears to be nicer designs available now e.g. from fleabay

Pardon our interruption...

No idea if these are any better than the one I had

 

[nickk]

Maybe ferrex converters will appear on e bay in their hundreds of thousands…..soon.

 

[Kram]

So to make adaptors first you need the plastic bit and then make the connections. One simple way I have used is to cut out and glue ABS plastic sheets to fit and then use brass sheet for the connections.

Relatively easy to do without a 3d printer and perhaps has some advantages. The disadvantage is lots of time measuring and layout to make each adaptor..

 

[Onoff]

Slightly off topic but well worth the post.

The BiL had been out and came home to the smell of burning. A fake 5.0Ah Makita battery had overheated whilst charging and exploded. He'd left it plugged into the socket on his carpeted, bottom stairs landing. (Not the best place considering he has a big workshop). Luckily the carpet was brand new so I'm guessing fire resistant. It wasn't resistant against melting though so now they have a clearly damaged patch where molten solder and hot copper got on it.

Sobering.

 

[Onoff]

So to make adaptors first you need the plastic bit and then make the connections. One simple way I have used is to cut out and glue ABS plastic sheets to fit and then use brass sheet for the connections.

Relatively easy to do without a 3d printer and perhaps has some advantages. The disadvantage is lots of time measuring and layout to make each adaptor..

If I recall then Parkside (Lidl) & Ferrex (Aldi) batteries are very similar in construction as in the batteries will happily slide into each other's tool. The + & - terminals are the same orientation too.

The issue is the length of the bit that slides in.

One way round is perhaps easier than the other I think requiring little more than some extended copper strips, perhaps housed in a 3D printed block.

If anyone happens to have a dead Ferrex or Parkside battery I'd be interested in having it / them to measure.

 

[Onoff]

Let's not forget that by buying anything made in China we're supporting their industrial / military complex at our long term expense. A 3 year guarantee might seem great but they don't repair, just send you a new tool. Clever mind with their 50 year plans. Undercut the big traditional names like AEG then buy them out.

A win win really. Struggling to get Ferrex batteries? No problems, just print adapters using your Chinese made 3D printer!

If we were serious about saving the planet we'd adopt one, reliable battery standard.

 

[Windy Miller]

If I recall then Parkside (Lidl) & Ferrex (Aldi) batteries are very similar in construction as in the batteries will happily slide into each other's tool. The + & - terminals are the same orientation too.

The issue is the length of the bit that slides in.

One way round is perhaps easier than the other I think requiring little more than some extended copper strips, perhaps housed in a 3D printed block.

If anyone happens to have a dead Ferrex or Parkside battery I'd be interested in having it / them to measure.

I’ve got a few Ferrex batteries if you’d like to try them. They’re fully working so no disassembly (Stephanie) please!

 

[JMS1972]

Let's not forget that by buying anything made in China we're supporting their industrial / military complex at our long term expense. A 3 year guarantee might seem great but they don't repair, just send you a new tool. Clever mind with their 50 year plans. Undercut the big traditional names like AEG then buy them out.

A win win really. Struggling to get Ferrex batteries? No problems, just print adapters using your Chinese made 3D printer!

If we were serious about saving the planet we'd adopt one, reliable battery standard.

I think some of the German tool manufacturers have agreed a battery standard....

 

[Onoff]

Damn you @ukracer !

 

[Onoff]

I’ve got a few Ferrex batteries if you’d like to try them. They’re fully working so no disassembly (Stephanie) please!

Might take you up on that. Lad's just printing a test piece to engage with the yellow section of a DeWalt battery, the plan is to retain that and the contacts in the top of the tower. Once the "interface" bit fits then it's simply a case of grafting on the recreation of a Ferrex or Parkside tool base. I may, if I push myself, be able to figure a universal base that will take either battery.

Won't be today, I'm off fossil digging with the pub at the end!

 

[Onoff]

Well I have the shape absolutely perfect:

Needs some re measuring/tweaking to fit the yellow section. Very time consuming:

 

[Onoff]

I think some of the German tool manufacturers have agreed a battery standard....

NATO standard might be the way to go?

 

[RichardM]

Atypical adapter, Parkside battery to Makita tool:

https://flic.kr/p/2okVLXK

https://flic.kr/p/2onfAZD

I can do most if I put my mind to it:

Is this for the LXT18v tools?
Just thinking of either buying a new Makita battery or buying a Parkside battery and charger.

 

[zx9]

NATO standard might be the way to go?

Diesel powered?

 

[Mark 5]

Knew you'd ask me that.

I bought mine from Amazon years ago. There appears to be nicer designs available now e.g. from fleabay

Pardon our interruption...

No idea if these are any better than the one I had

Thanks, much appreciated.

Not sure adaptor will fit though, it's very similar to my existing battery but the moulding on the upright of the adapter is different, it won't slip into the body of my drill.

 

[Mark 5]

Slightly off topic but well worth the post.

The BiL had been out and came home to the smell of burning. A fake 5.0Ah Makita battery had overheated whilst charging and exploded. He'd left it plugged into the socket on his carpeted, bottom stairs landing. (Not the best place considering he has a big workshop). Luckily the carpet was brand new so I'm guessing fire resistant. It wasn't resistant against melting though so now they have a clearly damaged patch where molten solder and hot copper got on it.

Sobering.

But worth a mention, I think many of us remember the house fires a few years back caused by Segway look alikes that flooded into the UK.

Charging batteries shouldn't be left unattended and if they are, in an area where in the event of a problem any damage is not disastrous.

 

[Mark 5]

Let's not forget that by buying anything made in China we're supporting their industrial / military complex at our long term expense. A 3 year guarantee might seem great but they don't repair, just send you a new tool. Clever mind with their 50 year plans. Undercut the big traditional names like AEG then buy them out.

A win win really. Struggling to get Ferrex batteries? No problems, just print adapters using your Chinese made 3D printer!

If we were serious about saving the planet we'd adopt one, reliable battery standard.

Not going to diverse into something political but you said it, their industrial/military machine, that is not the Chinese people, nothing wrong with the Chinese people.

China, industrial/Military have no respect for copyright but in many respects that has suited consumers globally for many-many years.

Lastly, if history has taught us anything such political military regimes, be it 10-20-50-100 a thousand years cannot be sustained, they fail, it's the misery caused during that process.

I agree entirely with you, it's about time, one battery standard, the resources that would be saved, battery adaptors are a halfway house.

To some degree they managed to do this with modern cell phones and USB.