I will write a mini review and will report back about how the battery holds up.
the batteries seam to stop holding a charge after about a year.
It seems like your battery is suffering from the memory effect.
Ni-Cd batteries should be good for 1,000 cycles, at least.
(And I don’t suppose you exceeded 1,000 cycles in a year.)
The main problem with Ni-Cd battery (for cordless tools) for occasional user is, that
Ni-Cd battery does self-discharge over the time, therefore, people tend to do “top of” charge
repeatedly.
One way to avoid this is to get a flashlight that uses the same battery, and use the battery (on the flashlight)
until it is completely drained. Then, recharged it.
Li-Ion batteries supposed to have virtually no self-discharge, so you can store the tool with fully charged battery
until the time you need it.
My suggestion ?
If you’re more or less satisfied with the performance of the tool (other than the battery), buy the Li-Ion battery pack.
(But, make sure the charger you have now is compatible with the new battery before spending money.
IF you have to buy a new charger w/ new battery, and the cost exceeds the price of the new model (w/ XCP battery), there’s no point. That case, get the Ni-Cd battery rebuilt.)
