Ever since cordless drills were introduced in the market, they have been in rage. They are powerful tools like their corded counterparts but with an added advantage – you do not need to plug them in while working.
As such, cordless drills became popular with professionals as well hobbyists. That said, these drills have one major drawback.
The batteries need recharging at regular intervals and the worst part is that they eventually die out.
When you have exhausted the pack of batteries that usually come along with the new drill, you need to buy one yourself.
And in many cases, the price of a new pack of batteries is quite close to that of a new corded drill which is why many people eventually switch to the conventional drill.
If you are fed up buying new battery packs or do not want to invest in new batteries anymore, you may convert your cordless drill to corded one.
Why throw away a valuable and useful tool when you can still use it after a few tweaks? It is not a quick job, but it isn’t rocket science either.
A few things and a bit of work can get your favorite cordless drill up and running again, but this time as a corded one.
This is a comprehensive guide about how to convert a cordless drill into a corded one.
Things that you need to know
As already mentioned, this is not a no-skills-needed job. You need to know a few things to be able to convert the drill into a corded one.
This includes:
Soldering
This is the first and most important skill that you need.
To convert a cordless drill into a corded one, you should be able to solder the wires of the cord you want to use to the battery connectors of the cordless drill that you have.
This requires knowledge of the soldering iron and other accessories that are needed during soldering.
This step is vital because without proper soldering, the drill will fail to work.
Electrical work
To convert the drill, you will also need some basic idea about electrical items, how they work, and how to work with them.
This is because you will need to work with wires and connectors and you have to know what goes where.
Without this knowledge, transforming the drill would be impossible. It is important that you have clear idea about these things.
Electrical work can become dangerous if you do not have knowledge about connections, wires, etc. So, if you haven’t done electrical work before, this is possibly not for you.
It is best to buy yourself new batteries or a new drill.
Things you need
To complete the task, you will need a few things. Have them ready before you start the conversion.
This includes
- Your drill
- Screwdriver
- Wall wart
- Soldering tools
- Sandpaper
- Wire stripper
- Wire cutter
Procedure
Once you are sure that you have the skills necessary to convert the cordless drill and have all the things ready, you can start the process.
Although there are many ways in which you can do this, it is better to use a simple technique if you have limited knowledge about electrical work.
This should get your job done without too much effort. You will also be safe from electrical mishaps that can happen if you do not have a clear idea about what you are doing.
So, here is a very simple way to convert your cordless drill:
Get the drill ready
The very first thing that you need to do is ensure that all power supplies are turned off or unplugged.
Then, you have to open the drill housing. Opening up the drill housing is necessary to gain access to the battery clips and the wiring.
Note that at this point the product warranty will become void. So, once you open up the housing, you cannot turn back.
Once the housing is open, you will have to identify the wires and which is which. This needs to be done for both the drill and the power supply.
Get the cord ready
In the next step you have to prepare the power cord that you are planning to use for the conversion.
Take the cord and cut off one end. This end will be inserted into the drill to convert it into a corded one.
If possible, you can also consider jacking in the drill.
Connect the cord
To do this, you need to strip the ends of the wires coming out of the power cord and tin it.
This will allow you to solder them to them the battery connector.
You will also need to prepare the battery connector by sanding, tinning, and fluxing it. If you want, you can remove the battery connect as well.
In that case, you will have to solder the wires directly to that of the drill.
Solder the wire
Your soldering skills will be put to use in this step. Take the wires from the power supply cord and solder them with the battery clips present inside.
If you have removed the battery connect in the above step, you can directly solder the wires of the power cord with the wires of the drill.
This will create a direct connection; the connection that you need. Your drill has now been attached to the power supply cord and will act like a corded drill.
Note: If you are new to electrical work, you may end up soldering the wrong wires.
If this happens, the drill may not work. Do not worry as you can simply disconnect the wires and solder together the correct ones.
Conclusion
Converting a cordless drill to a corded one is not a difficult job and is the best way to continue using a powerful tool without spending a lot of money on battery packs.
That said, if you are totally inexperienced at soldering and electrical work, it is best to gain some knowledge and experience before converting the drill.
This will help avoid accidents and mishaps.
Should you think this is out of your comfort zone, buy an inexpensive product that will not hurt your pocket.