This is an amazing little charger that literally breathes new life into your failing DeWalt batteries. It revitalizes everything from 9.6 volts through the big 18-volters, but what's so great about this charger is that not only can it be used as a standard quick charger, but if you leave a worn-down battery in for four to 10 hours, the charger conditions the battery with a tune-up mode, and at completion, it automatically converts to trickle charge, so you'll never damage a battery by leaving it in the charger too long. Diagnostics with LED indicators give you the battery status at a glance: charged, charging, power line problem, replace pack, and battery too hot or too cold. It's got a small footprint, which is always a plus, and the price is look-twice-and-rub-your-eyes cheap. |
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123 of 127 found the following review helpful:
 "Tune-Up" Makes this the Better ChoiceSep 26, 2000
By Al the Pal
"Al the Pal"
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.
41 of 43 found the following review helpful:
Throw away your old charger!Jan 19, 2004
By Christopher Nash
"Fantasy Fanatic"
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.
60 of 68 found the following review helpful:
 Firestorm ownerSep 13, 2007
By Dr. Bull
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.
19 of 19 found the following review helpful:
 Works well--but don't expect miraclesMay 11, 2007
By Daniel L Edelen
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.
25 of 28 found the following review helpful:
It tunes them upJun 24, 2001
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
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