i’m a handyman for a construction co. and am incapacited for appx 3 months. how should i deal with my 18v and 12v dewalt batteries? one 18v battery went bad on me this winter after only 16 mos use. some of my coworkers deplete their batteries with an accessory flashlight before charging. i just charge them overnight whether they,re half charged or less . now that they wont be getting much use for a while i’m concerned about their longevity.
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In general, NiCad batteries (which yours probably are) should just be allowed to discharge naturally and stored discharged -- despite a lot of claims to the contrary, they do not have "memory". Lead-acid batteries must be kept charged. NiMh batteries should be run flat occasionally -- don't know if they are better stored charged or discharged.
(I get this info from some of the best battery experts in the country.)