Cordless tool battery management for optimal usage over time... ?

Accipiter · Aug 1, 2026

Following on from a couple of comments on my recent "Lidl heads up..." for Parkside toolery items, from 6th August, that touched on cordless tool battery management to try to get the most/best use...

Bit of background in my case, *not trade use but DIY/hobby use... so the tools here are in that capacity and not as Trade use.

First cordless tool was a screwdriver... like this one (image for an example)

I wasn't over impressed, battery didn't keep charges, power died when in use. NB: It wasn't this Parkside unit. Disposed of it eventually and returned to hand tool screwdrivers - which I still have and use.

I bought a Bosch cordless drill - my 2nd excursion into cordless... for a second try. The battery doesn't disconnect from the unit and the whole tool has to be clipped into a base unit, plugged into the 13amp socket, to charge. I've had it a number of years and it's still going strong. Now used mainly for countersinking and the countersink bit is left in.

My 3rd excursion was a 12v Parkside, as in this photo with the small cordless grinder unit (4th cordless purchased much later after the drill/screwdriver. The drill/screwdriver came with a 4.0 Ah battery, charger and plastic case. Wasn't used very often and the battery gave up the ghost which, I now understand, was due to my poor management and understanding about cordless tool batteries. When I bought the small Parkside grinder it came with a 2.0 Ah battery and I purchased a 2nd. Tried the 2nd in the drill/screwdriver and was able to use it again - swapping batteries as needed - and charging up accordingly. Eventually found a 4.0 Ah battery on eBay so now have 3... the 4.0 Ah having a square flat base so I can stand the drill upright rather than lay down with the smaller batteries.

With wanting to get back into woodworking and sorting out my small workshop I purchased a twin battery cordless Makita drill/screwdriver which has shown itself to be of good use, 5.0 Ah batteries.

This year I thought/felt I would benefit from having a small cordless circular saw, for cutting up sheet materials for getting into my car rather than have full sheets delivered, and bought this Bosch. Initially the 2.5 Ah battery seemed fine but recent use to trim down a door, even after a full charge, it kept stopping and struggling... I search for and bought a third party 5.0 Ah

This shows the original 2.5 Ah battery and the non OEM 5.0 Ah battery

And the 5.0 Ah on its own

Having answered a question in my "LIDL heads up" post in respect of finding the 'bigger' replacement 4.0 Ah battery on eBay, it lead indirectly to me questioning management for optimal usage over time for cordless batteries... and I posted the response I had from asking Google AI - posted below here:

Please note that Google asks if asking in respect of a specific brand and if for trade or diy/gardening use - circled and underlined in red.

I've yet to continue my 'discussion' (!?) with Google with questions specific to my cordless tools which I've posted photos of here.

Other members input/insights/personal experiences of battery management for "optimal usage over time" would be appreciated... I'm not taking Google AI - or any other AI apps (not that I've asked CHATGPT, Gemini or any other! - response/s as gospel but as guidance...

Jonathan · Aug 1, 2026

This is not scientific advice but what I’ve been told that batteries like to be used so don’t let them go flat in storage.
As to brands of batteries I’ve used most and the only ones I’ve found that lasted is Festool.

Dr.Al · Aug 1, 2026

I don't really know much about batteries. I used to have a NiCd Ryobi drill and the battery died on it so I bought a new one, which also died.

In 2020 I bought a set of four Makita 5 Ah batteries. They live on a rack with freshly charged ones going on the right and used ones on the left, so that I cycle through them and don't leave any unused. I tend to charge them when they drop to two LEDs out of four on the charge display. I haven't done any serious tests of their capacity, but they still seem fine after 6 years. The drill and impact driver don't seem to use much power (the batteries last forever on them). The angle grinder chews through them in no time, but it did when they were new so I don't think that's an indication of their life. The tracksaw uses two of them and still seems to keep going for ages.

I've also got some small 12 V Bosch batteries (bought more recently but I can't remember when). I've only got two Bosch tools: a lamp and a little screwdriver/drill thing. The magnetic lamp gets used all the time so tends to be the one that dictates when the batteries get charged: when it flashes to say the battery is getting low I put the drill's battery in the light and the light's battery in the charger.

I've no idea whether what I'm doing with the batteries it the best for longevity or not but so far so good.

Accipiter · Aug 1, 2026

Presently the only one with the battery connected is the Bosch drill/screwdriver because it's not removable - as in the opening post. At one point I did let it go flat - for quite a time period - but that was because I wasn't using it and didn't have a need to use it. However, since starting to use it again as and when - about 5? years ago - it's kept it's charges. I was expecting to have to replace it (probably why I got the Makita twin battery

) because I couldn't use and charge the Parkside drill/screwdriver unit battery... I was expecting the Bosch to have died also. I think this is why I got the small Bosch circular saw - because of the life of the battery in this drill... sadly found it's not the same type/style of battery as in the drill unit

. Hence getting a third party battery to try - having read that many have turned to such and found (some of) them better than the OEM ones!

I now don't leave the batteries connected directly in the tools when not in use but either at the side or under the tool (in the rack I put up for them) or 'resting' in the grooves of the holder section - not pushed in to complete the connectors contact.

I should probably put in the details of each unit and battery size to see what Google may come up with - just to continue with the 'experience' of asking for such information from it... and post up the replies

Doug71 · Aug 2, 2026

I have quite a few Makita 18v batteries that get used daily, I have had 2 or 3 die on me but they must have been 15+ years old. I have a 3ah one that still works fine which is from the days before they put a fuel gauge on them so I'm guessing must be at least 12+ years old.
I have a 1.5ah and a couple of 2ah ones which I find go flat if left in my van for a few nights in the depths of winter but it doesn't seem to affect the higher ah ones.

I have an old Festool CXS drill that died (motor issue) 2 1/2 years ago, one of the originals with the 1.5ah stick batteries. I brought it home as I was going to order a new motor for it but haven't got around to it. The drill has sat on my desk for 2 1/2 years and almost every morning I pull the trigger on it to see if the light still illuminates and it still does!

Accipiter · Aug 2, 2026

Interesting @Doug71 ... I'll pop the photos of my conversation in here later - I need to go through and do a bit of editing for light balance and such...

I can't say re the Festool but, as I've a couple of Makita and asked in respect of them along with the others I mentioned above, you may find that reply of interest.

fuse · Aug 2, 2026

I suppose in Utopia all makes use the same battery......
That said ,Erbaur and Evoluton have seen sense so maybe thats a start.

I was still using an early and enormous Erbaur 24v cordless combi until around two years ago.Both 2ah NiCad battery units were completely shgd and would drive only three larger size screws per cycle.
It was only the rusty jublee clip on my wallet that made me tolerate it for so long

I replaced it with a dewalt impact and combi set with 5ah batteries which is an utter revelation and the batteries hold charge unused for literally years.

However I only use the cordless outside the workshop as, while the Erbaur was in its last days with me ( it Freecycled within minutes) I invested in a Makita DF0300 combi which has no battery charging,charging issues or care precautions whatsover.
Its ready to go at a seconds notice and often surprises me with what it can do with its relatively low spec..
Ok so it needs to be within 2 metres of a power socket but in a workshop bench environment that is just fine and the dewalts are spared from everyday wear and tear.

Accipiter · Aug 2, 2026

Continuing my 'discussion' with Google AI ended up with me taking around 21 screenshot photos with not being able to keep the formatting of bold text etc. It also took a sidetrack in regards to the workshop, if insulated - and how, and also if interested in a print sheet for various 'management of' the different batteries I have.

Hope other will find some of it - if not all of it! - of interest and if it may take you to ask the AI of your choice on your particular cordless battery range of tools

Just confirming that these relate to my cordless... if some members have the same then it could be relevant to them.