How To Do More With Battery Power

How To Do More With Battery Power FARM SHOP Handy Hints 33-5-37 Andy Gheen, Athol, N.Y., recently contacted FARM SHOW with several examples of why you don't always have to buy new batteries when the old ones go bad. "My Sears Craftsman 18-volt cordless drill came with two batteries and a charger. The batteries wouldn't hold a charge after only eight months. When I contacted the company I was shocked to learn that a single new battery would cost $67, more than the entire drill kit had cost only eight months earlier. "To solve the problem I engineered a new power system that makes use of one 12-volt battery." He threw away the old batteries and bought a small 12-volt, sealed AGM deep cycle battery that measures only 3 in. high by 5 in. long. He connected the drill's power leads to the battery posts. Then he set the drill's handle down on top of the battery, carefully balancing it, and taped the battery to the drill with electric tape. "I made this conversion five years ago and it's still working great. Nobody laughs when they see it," says Gheen. "AGM batteries cost only about $20. They contain more gel than liquid so they're safe to use." Another idea he had is using a small solar panel to recharge cordless drill batteries. "I bought a tiny 1.8-watt solar panel for $16 at Northern Equipment (ph 800 221-0516; www.northerntool.com) and mounted it outside my garage. I run leads from the solar panel to the drill's power leads. The solar panel has a diode built into it so it won't overcharge the battery, and at night it prevents the battery's electricity from going back to the solar panel. These are really nice solar panels that have a lot of power," says Gheen. He also found a unique way to make use of used deep cycle batteries. "I use old deep cycle batteries that I get from a local NAPA auto parts store. When people are heading off on vacation they'll often turn in a perfectly good deep cycle battery and buy a brand new battery to avoid spoiling their vacation. I pay $8 to the store for the battery core, and then I connect the battery to my solar panels and use them to light my barn. I've found that you can operate a lot of lights off a single deep cycle battery." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Andy Gheen, 89 Cameron Road, Athol, N.Y. 12810.

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