Help Troubleshooting cordless power tools?

Question

I got a cordless DuraBuilt power tool set at a garage sale for $25.00

it has a drill, circular saw, sander, flashlight, jig saw, a battery charger and 2 batteries.

The guy is a friend of my parents....says he just can't fuss with them anymore.

I've used a multi-meter to determine that the one battery is fully charged

the other battery is completely drained

I can plug the charger in and get a current

but it will not charge the second battery.

When I hook the full battery up, it works on the drill and the flashlight somewhat well but nothing else.

To me, it seems like the leads aren't conducting very well

but I'm no expert on any of this.

Is there something else I can try to get these things working?

If you think it's the leads, can I clean them somehow?

if I need to add more details, please let me know

and feel free to e-mail me....I'd really appreciate any help

Answer 1

If the charger is putting out the correct voltage (check output with a multimeter) you may need new batteries. Rechargeable batteries dont last forever. they do wear out. If the drill is several years old and has been re-charged many times or left on the chargeer too long can shorten the life of the batteries.

Answer 2

I would recommend new batteries.  I would also recommend cleaning the contact points on all of the tools, charger and batteries. Use alcohol and scotch bright to remove any tarnish or corrosion.  You may have to bend up the contacts a little to get more contact pressure.