The Mudcat Café TM
Thread #44692   Message #660278
Posted By: JohnInKansas
28-Feb-02 - 07:07 PM
Thread Name: Recharging alkaline batteries
Subject: RE: Recharging alkoline bateries
Mickey191

The battery packs for different tools can be quite a bit different internally, so it's almost impossible to give a general answer on this.

It should be noted though, that it's generally the voltage of the battery that determines whether a given "foreign" charger might work.

Using anything other than a charger designed for a given battery may not give you the best battery life - in terms of number of recharge cycles. Charging rate (the amps) can affect how well the battery "takes" the charge.

There is also the possibility of overheating the battery if you use a high-capacity charger on too small a battery.

NiCad batteries, used in most such tools, are relatively "forgiving" and it's reasonably likely that you could use some other charger with fair results. Some of the newer tools have gone to NiMH or even Lithium rechargeables, and these are much more sensitive to "nonstandard" charging - even though they generally give much better performance when treated properly.

The recommendation would be that you scout around for a replacement for your Toro charger. It shouldn't be that hard to find, or even terribly expensive.

The only possible, direct answer to your question is "maybe." A more detailed answer would be "maybe yes and maybe no."

John