impact wrenches particularly suffer chronic battery turnover from extreme torque stresses, environmental exposure, and rough handling eroding pack lifespans faster. But smart maintenance and charging strategies help combat premature decline keeping your wireless impact spinning bolts for the long run. Here’s how.
Use the Right Battery Technology
While tantalizing torque figures sell new drills, real-world runtime ultimately determines if the tool finishes tasks or dies mid-project. Cordless impact wrenches live or die by battery technology. Three core battery types exist:
Nickel Cadmium (NiCD)
- Inexpensive initial cost
- Low performance with rapid voltage sag
- Short 300-500 charge lifecycle
- Extreme power loss in cold
Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH)
- Higher capacities than NiCD
- Gradual power dropoff
- 500-1000 charge cycle life
- Costlier than NiCD
Lithium Ion (Li-ion)
- Lightweight and compact
- Extended runtime before dropoff
- 1000-3000+ cycle durability
- Retains charge months during storage
- Higher upfront price
For durability and sustained power delivery supporting an impact’s extreme loads, lithium ion dominates both legacy rivals. When purchasing new impact drivers, focus exclusively on Li-ion powered varieties boasting 2.0Ah or higher pack capacities for maximal runtime support through years of turnbuckling use.
Adhere to Optimal Charging Protocol
Unlike innate human health signals, batteries stay mute about internal distress until catastrophically failing mid-job. Savvy charging habits help preempt decline. Follow this protocol for enduring pack integrity:
- Recharge packs ONLY when fully depleted. Lithium ion lacks battery memory issues plaguing past chemistries so no need to perpetually top-off at half power. This simply strains cells unnecessarily with limited cycling gain. Run packs flat out then charge fully.
- Avoid “micro-charging” habits. While tempting to sneak quick 15-30 minute hot swaps between tasks, this denies packs complete rebalance charging needed for stability.
- Use genuine OEM lithium ion chargers matched to your impacts battery specs. Mismatched or counterfeit chargers often overstress cells.
- Unplug chargers promptly when the pack hits 100%. Overcooking at peak voltage strains battery plate cohesion.
- If storing months between uses, charge packs to only 40%-50% capacity reducing internal stresses.
With lithium ion, balance remains paramount for longevity. Let packs cycle from max depletion to full restore without interruption or overrun using quality matched chargers. This keeps voltages, currents and charges evenly dispersed for cohesive stability through years of abusive use.
Guard Against Environmental Extremes
Unlike the climate-controlled comfort of our homes or job trailers, impacts endure exposure pains on harsh job sites that prematurely decay electronics, especially batteries. Hot and cold extremes particularly tax pack stability. Combat external forces with these defensive moves:
- When working subzero winter climates, store/charge tool bags and batteries overnight where interior temperatures remain above 32°F to prevent total voltage lockout.
- Conversely, during scorching 100°F+ desert or summer days, shield bags from direct sun exposure during breaks avoiding battery core temperatures exceeding 125°F generally where runaway instability begins.
- During active use in precipitation, ensure the tool’s rubber gasketing seals tightly over battery compartments blocking moisture infiltration into the pack’s delicate electronics.
- When working highly humid job sites like offshore rigging, dry and store packs in sealed containers with added desiccant packs pulling ambient moisture from the air during recharging.
While ToughBuilt to endure abuse, implementing added environmental controls keeps ambient extremes from exceeding battery operating thresholds untimely degrading runtime.
Gently Handle Packs During Use & Storage
Equally impactful as charging habits and weather, physically battering batteries through careless handling and storage quickly dismantles internal components destroying stability. But avoiding impact and compression forces is simple:
- When installing packs, ensure battery terminals face inwards towards tool handles. This reduces side impacts to connections during falls/drops preventing terminal distortions.
- Never force swollen or distorted battery packs into compartments or directly hammer with force. Seek replacements instead to avoid breached cells.
- Transport and store batteries only in impact-resistant cases with individual foam cutouts securing each snugly while avoiding contact. Never loose pack batteries haphazardly in boxes/bags.
- During extended inactive periods, store battery packs at room temperature on shelving – not cold concrete floors – avoiding load deflection forces from stacking weight above.
While hiding internal damage well initially, even minor battery terminal dents, seals distortion or slight cell core fracturing from drops or compression eventually internalize into reduced capacity and premature failure until packs refuse holding any charge. Handle batteries with care!
Why Choose Flexible Assembly System?
When shopping cordless power tool brands, both performance and longevity determine satisfaction yet few vendors transparently support products through their entire lifecycle. This leaves crews struggling sourcing parts, repairs and replacements once warranties expire usually early into abusive job site use.
Flexible Assembly System departs from this norm through complete cradle-to-grave product support ensuring max lifespan of all our cordless power tools spanning:
Onsite Service Support
While competitors force users to ship broken tools cumbersomely back to factories for assessment, Flexible Assembly System maintains a nationwide deep bench of field technicians exclusively supporting our tools through cost-free onsite repairs even years beyond warranty expiration. This avoids days of lost productivity waiting on assessors.
Authentic OEM Spares Supply
Our US-based service centers stock several decades worth of genuine batteries, switches, controllers, chucks, and components supporting legacy Flexible Assembly System tools despite discontinuation. This eliminates scavenging scrap yards or buying questionable 3rd party knock-offs just to resuscitate older equipment.
DIY Rebuild Assistance
To empower self-servicing capabilities for remote teams, Flexible Assembly System publishes in-depth coil winding specifications, electronics diagrams, parts breakdown overlays, and step-by-step installation instructions for all tools allowing confident rebuild project completion without dependency on outside service trips.
Upgrade Program Discounts
We incentivize replacing well-worn tools before failure through generous trade-in credits against new purchases applied based on equipment age and usage rates. This eliminates 11th hour emergency purchases when guns finally die mid-season.
Lifetime Guarantee
Any Flexible Assembly System tool ever failing through manufacturing defect receives immediate no-cost replacement regardless of age or ownership changes over its working life. This pledge to quality stands unmatched across the power tool industry.
When uptime is imperative, rely on Flexible Assembly System’s cordless impacts standing the test of time through comprehensive lifecycle support and service delivering max productivity for minimal total cost of ownership. Contact our team today to evaluate onsite trial units!
