I traded up to this charger after one of my old ones quit. The "tune-up" mode really does make a difference. I tried a side by side test with my remaining old non-tune-up charger. I charged two depleted 12v batteries for 10 hours, using the "tune-up" mode on this charger. I then ran them in the same drill, and there was a noticable increase in rpm and torque with the "tuned-up" battery. The "tune-up" mode does take 8 hours, but it is only necessary every 8-10 charges. As DeWalt explains, the cells in the battery are wired in series and the "tune-up" charges the downline cells completely, where fast charging only fills the first few cells. All cordless batteries are a series of 1.5v batteries enclosed in a case. To get a full charge, all the individual batteries need to fill completely.If you have older batteries, this charger will give them new life. It is a worthwhile upgrade even for new batteries, as it will give them better performance and perhaps, extend their life. DEWALT DW9116 7.2-Volt to 18-Volt Pod Style 1 Hour Battery Charger
I purchased this charger at the same time I bought my 14.4 cordless drill (Firestorm). This charger fully charges your Dewalt or Firestorm batteries in less than an hour (depending on how low they are when placed in the charger). My two batteries are still going strong after more than three years of frequent home use (the tune-up mode definitely helps). Never use the 6 hr battery killer that comes with your cordless tools. This charger is definitely worth the money, considering I would have spent at least twice as much on new batteries.
I bought this battery charger hoping that it would work with the firestorm batteries of the same type because the chargers sold by black and decker are hard to find and the ones that offer multiple voltages are even harder to find for this type of battery (i.e. post-type). I would like to reassure any other people in my situation by saying that this charger does, in fact, work for the firestorm batteries. As mentioned in previous reviews, it also functions well to restore the battery to better functioning.
Several reviews here note that the Dewalt DW9116 battery charger has brought seemingly dead batteries back to life. Initially, I thought the same thing.
But a closer look shows that while old Ni-Cad batteries may indeed come back to life with the charger, that life is short. Dead B&D Firestorm Ni-Cads that wouldn't recharge on B&D's chargers DID recharge on the Dewalt, thanks to its deep-charging mechanism. Yet those newly resurrected batteries won't hold that charge for more than a few minutes.
Simply put, old batteries are old batteries. All rechargeables have a shelf life of about three or four years. Anything beyond that is gravy. Dewalt and B&D stamp a date into a battery's plastic. If yours is more than three years old and doesn't seem to work, don't expect this charger to work miracles. You may think you have one when your battery powers up a device, but if you only get a handful of minutes out of that "rejuvenated" battery, don't be surprised.
Other than that, there's not much else to say about this charger. It does what it's supposed to do quickly, easily, and well. The price is right, too. Just keep those expectations in check and you'll be fine.
Replaced my old charger with this one. Made a big difference with my older batteries that would not take much of a charge. Gave some new life to them. If you are a user of cordless tools, you know that batteries are the big maintenance expense. While my figures are not scientifically valid, my best guess is that this charger will extend the life of the batteries at least 20 percent
For over 10 years I have been using DeWalt cordless tools and I have always used the standard 1 hour battery chargers that came with each tool. Like everyone I have noticed that as the batteries get older they don't hold a charge as long. All of the woodworking magazines I read have at one point or another promoted the value of an upgraded charger that has a tune-up mode. For the longest time I looked at the DeWalt 2 battery charger, but for nearly a hundred bucks I couldn't stomach the cost. I am glad I kept looking because this little charger fits the bill PERFECTLY.
In use I have found that this unit charges just as it should in one hour, but the real benefit is the battery tune-up mode. In just 8 hours you can re-condition your tired batteries and give them some new life. I also appreciate that once this charger has run its one hour cycle, it is designed to deliver a trickle charge - allowing you to leave a battery in it indefinitely without fear of overcharging.
For the price this product cannot be beat.
I bought this over-priced Dewalt charger to charge my Black & Decker Firestorm 14.4v batteries, since all three of my Firestorm chargers failed after only a few months of use (one of them after 2 weeks (and can't seem to buy just the charger). Hopefully this one will hold up. The Dewalt charger is working like a champ for now. I would have given it 5 stars, but I'm a little angery at Black & Decker (who also makes Dewalt). So only 4 stars.
I purchased this unit from Amazon, because my Black&Decker Charger died. To my dismay I found the 1hr charger that my drill came with didn't seem to exist now or in the past. Black & Decker's policy of changing battery types as often as possible left me trying to decide if I wanted to buy a whole new drill rather than buy there over priced all in one charger and possibly new batteries since may batteries didn't work well anymore. I took a chance and purchased this instead. My drill is now working as good as when I got it maybe better, with the old batteries!
I purchased this product to replace my sorry Black and Decker charger for S140 FireStorm 14.4 battery. Reading the reviews were correct. This blows away the B&D charger. My batteries are now like brand new. But the biggest Pro of all is the price. This same exact charger sell for $69.00 at Lowes. This is a real steal, trust me you can't go wrong. - Charger - Dewalt - Battery - Rechargeable Batteries'
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