I bet everyone does. How many get thrown out because the batteries won't hold a charge and new batteries cost more than the tool? I'm guessing...lots.
Anyways, I have a 20 year old Makita 4.8 Volt drill that I love dearly because it is small and light and easy to use in tight quarters. About a year ago it flat out died. Wouldn't take a charge. A friend turned me on to a website that tells you how to 'rejuvinate' old dead batterys. Well my friends, I followed the instructions and that 20 year old drill is alive and running as good as new. Link to the site:
http://ysuusy.com/easybatteryfix.htmlSame friend told me that new battery packs for his Dewalt are $100.00 , but he has had them 'rebuilt' for $75.00. Well I did some searching on E-Bay and found you can buy these batteries for $1.50 each and they already have 'tabs' soldered on them so you don't have to solder directly on the battery ( Wouldn't that be fun!).
They are "Sub C" batteries, Ni-Cd, 1.2 Volt, 2400 Mah. You will need 15 for a 18 Volt drill. Most battery packs only come with 1800 Mah batteries, so this is a nice upgrade. For $22.50.