Recharging cordless drill on board

PaulJ

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I want to get a new cordless drill for use on the boat and would like to be able to charge it on board without the use of shore power. If I were to get a 12v drill is it possible to charge it either by using the boat's charging system or direct off the battery? My fear is that there would be too high a current which would "cook" the drill's battery. Alternatively, is there such a thing as a charger which works off 12v?
 

yoda

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I have sucessfully used a rechargable drill onboard using the onboard battery to charge it. I looked around and found one that had a 12V output from the mains transformer and a lead which plugged into the charging base. B & Q seem to have a good range of such drills. I then found an old lead with the same type of plug, removed the transformer and wired it up to the ships supply. Care needs to be taken to ensure that the negative and positive leads are connected the correct way round. I haven't had any problems with it. The down side is that you don't get the best of drills at that level of voltage but it does the job. The same jack plug leads also plug into some 12V lights which can be quite handy at times.
 

JohnK

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You could get an inverter which connects to 12v (often via a cigarette lighter socket) and gives a 240v output.

You can get various power ratings (from about 100 watts upwards I think) so check what your charger takes first.
 

david_bagshaw

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Depends on battery type, we use to charge a 12v video batt by just connecting up when the main engines were running.

Strangely that batt lasted years longer than the later ones , charged via the correct charger & a Generator.


David
www.yachtman.co.uk
 

LadyInBed

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An Alternative

LVM do a very ‘torquey’ 12v drill that runs off a long lead and ‘croc’ clips straight off the battery. Its not got the flexibility of a cordless, but the torque and not having to recharge make up for it. Plus if you reverse the ‘croc’ clips it will unscrew!
 

Barnacle

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Admittedly not a direct answer, but if you got a 12v drill with removable battery pack you could rig up an adaptor which would enable you to run the drill directly off the boat battery.
 
G

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Makita makes a cordless drill (7.5V battery) that has a 12V charger - cigarette lighter type. We have used it on Watermelon for years and years. Makita also makes a fluorescent light that takes the same battery (we use it as a cockpit light when we have company, or bring it with us to another boat when visiting at night it's so bright); and a regular torch. Sometimes you have to special order the items. They are sturdy.

You might also look into a contractor's supply house, since small contractors would be more likely to not have a generator on site and would like a 12V charger.
 

chippie

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On my boat I have a similar solution to Nigel B, but I used an old makita 7.2 with a dead battery which I disposed of and soldered along length of twin flex to a cigarette lighter fitting (or croc clips if you want). The fact that the drill was 7.2v doesnt seem to matter as the time it is running for each hole doesnt cause overheating, with the advantage that your 12 volt battery has untold more longevity than a fully charged cordless. You could pick up a second hand one with a dud battery for very little at a jumble or second hand shop as replacement batteries seem to be most of the price of the drill.

Happy New Year
 

PaulJ

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Many thanks one and all for your responses. As it happens, I have an old Bosch 7.2v drill with a knackered battery so I think the first thing to do would be to try the suggestion of wiring it direct to the ship's barttery - Now, why didn't I think of that! If I cook it I guess there is nothing lost.....
 
G

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Go to your local Model Shop .... one that sells Radio Control gear and they can assist you to find a charger to suit ..... and they will be fast or slow charge - depending on your needs. They have all sorts of goodies that work from 12V, 240V etc. etc. as Radio Control Cars / Radios / etc. are a lot more expensive and sensitive to good gear than a drill.
 
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