6 ms·

I actually had a battery for a drill meltdown on me earlier this year. If I hadn't been home (and it hadn't been on my stone counter when it happened), I proba

by diob 11mo ago

I actually had a battery for a drill meltdown on me earlier this year. If I hadn't been home (and it hadn't been on my stone counter when it happened), I probably wouldn't have a home.

2OEH8eoCRo0 11mo ago
As a new homeowner that's one of my fears. I'm surprised there aren't more fires with how many lithium batteries are kicking around.
- deleted 11mo ago
  [deleted]
- kaffekaka 11mo ago
  Then you are obviously overestimating how dangerous they are, are you not?
  - dylan604 11mo ago
    That's not necessarily a bad thing though. There's few things in life where an over abundance of caution becomes the worse outcome.
- AngryData 11mo ago
  This is why I keep lithium batteries in a steel box when they aren't being used. I think you can but purpose built ones, but I use steel ammo boxes from military surplus stores. Its a bit of a pain, and won't stop the toxic clouds of smoke from filling my house, but it could very well prevent my house from being burnt down. Some day I might make a dedicated battery box corner with a vent to outdoors though because batteries only seem to be getting bigger and more powerful.
FeepingCreature 11mo ago
Was it in the charger?
- diob 11mo ago
  Yes! One of the lessons I learned with this, which is if you're charging it you're supposed to supervise it or charge it somewhere "safe".
steveBK123 11mo ago
Mind sharing brand name?
yupyupyups 11mo ago
What was the brand/model?
- diob 11mo ago
  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LFWN86Q https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LFWN86Q Joiry
  - yupyupyups 11mo ago
    Thanks for that. As a sidenote, Amazon is truly a dumpster.
  - dylan604 11mo ago
    At the risk of victim blaming...you had to have known the risk was >0% with that purchase though, right?
    - diob 11mo ago
      Nah, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. Fundamental attribution error and all that. Plus, the 'Boots Theory' is a reality for a lot of people. Ultimately, society only works on a foundation of trust. We trust that our food is safe, our medicine is effective, and our products won't explode. When folks have that trust broken, I view it as a systemic failure, not a personal one.
      - dylan604 11mo ago
        I've grown up with power tools and can easily recognize a no-name brand, so maybe my bias is showing. A big clue is that it is found on Amazon only and no other sites with reputable sales of power tools. Another clue is when the descriptions are broken English from a bad translation. There are all sorts of red flags that are obvious when you know to look for them. Even the brand name items are suspect for the simple fact they are listed on Amazon. I trust nothing with comingling inventory and other Amazon shenanigans. I'd trust Harbor Freight before anything purchased from Amazon
    - 11mo ago
bdcravens 11mo ago
Was it a brand name battery, or a discount battery? When you look at the price of the price of replacement Ryobi/Milwaukee/Dewalt etc batteries, and then see third-party knockoffs on Amazon for 1/3 or less of the price, it's tempting to save money.
- quickthrowman 11mo ago
  If you understand that the battery management controller is built into the battery pack and not the tool itself, the temptation to save money is replaced entirely by the fear of burning down a building. Not worth it.
  - dylan604 11mo ago
    > fear of burning down a building or the plot line to an arson investigation procedural
- diob 11mo ago
  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LFWN86Q https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LFWN86Q Joiry Yep, big mistake.
  - at-fates-hands 11mo ago
    I've tried to stop buying stuff on Amazon. I really scaled back when I started going back and looking at old purchases, only to find out 8 of my last purchases were all counterfeit stuff. These were not just random electronic resellers. They were Lucky jeans, a Microsoft keyboard, a JBL bluetooth speaker, Under Armour shorts, Adidas work out tshirts and some other stuff. But altogether, I thought I was buying brand name, safe stuff that was priced in the same range as stuff you'd buy retail and I still got burned. Just made me distrust everything I was seeing on Amazon.
    - Noumenon72 11mo ago
      How could you tell that they were counterfeits?
macintux 11mo ago
~15 years ago I was visiting New Orleans, and I had an old Canon 1D DSLR with me. I was a little nervous about leaving my camera batteries charging in the small b&b where I was staying, fearing I'd unintentionally destroy a historic house.
- tzs 11mo ago
  If the internet is to be believed that would have used NiMH batteries. Those are a lot less likely to cause fires than lithium based batteries.
  - macintux 11mo ago
    You're correct. I didn't know much about the various battery technologies at the time, but they were pretty old batteries.
WalterBright 11mo ago
I know the electrical cord is a nuisance, but I prefer the plug in versions.

by diob 11mo ago

I actually had a battery for a drill meltdown on me earlier this year. If I hadn't been home (and it hadn't been on my stone counter when it happened), I probably wouldn't have a home.

2OEH8eoCRo0 11mo ago

As a new homeowner that's one of my fears. I'm surprised there aren't more fires with how many lithium batteries are kicking around.

deleted 11mo ago
[deleted]
kaffekaka 11mo ago
Then you are obviously overestimating how dangerous they are, are you not?
- dylan604 11mo ago
  That's not necessarily a bad thing though. There's few things in life where an over abundance of caution becomes the worse outcome.
AngryData 11mo ago
This is why I keep lithium batteries in a steel box when they aren't being used. I think you can but purpose built ones, but I use steel ammo boxes from military surplus stores. Its a bit of a pain, and won't stop the toxic clouds of smoke from filling my house, but it could very well prevent my house from being burnt down. Some day I might make a dedicated battery box corner with a vent to outdoors though because batteries only seem to be getting bigger and more powerful.

FeepingCreature 11mo ago

Was it in the charger?

diob 11mo ago
Yes! One of the lessons I learned with this, which is if you're charging it you're supposed to supervise it or charge it somewhere "safe".

steveBK123 11mo ago

Mind sharing brand name?

yupyupyups 11mo ago

What was the brand/model?

diob 11mo ago
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LFWN86Q https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LFWN86Q Joiry
- yupyupyups 11mo ago
  Thanks for that. As a sidenote, Amazon is truly a dumpster.
- dylan604 11mo ago
  At the risk of victim blaming...you had to have known the risk was >0% with that purchase though, right?
  - diob 11mo ago
    Nah, and I'm sure I'm not the only one. Fundamental attribution error and all that. Plus, the 'Boots Theory' is a reality for a lot of people. Ultimately, society only works on a foundation of trust. We trust that our food is safe, our medicine is effective, and our products won't explode. When folks have that trust broken, I view it as a systemic failure, not a personal one.
    - dylan604 11mo ago
      I've grown up with power tools and can easily recognize a no-name brand, so maybe my bias is showing. A big clue is that it is found on Amazon only and no other sites with reputable sales of power tools. Another clue is when the descriptions are broken English from a bad translation. There are all sorts of red flags that are obvious when you know to look for them. Even the brand name items are suspect for the simple fact they are listed on Amazon. I trust nothing with comingling inventory and other Amazon shenanigans. I'd trust Harbor Freight before anything purchased from Amazon
  - 11mo ago

bdcravens 11mo ago

Was it a brand name battery, or a discount battery? When you look at the price of the price of replacement Ryobi/Milwaukee/Dewalt etc batteries, and then see third-party knockoffs on Amazon for 1/3 or less of the price, it's tempting to save money.

quickthrowman 11mo ago
If you understand that the battery management controller is built into the battery pack and not the tool itself, the temptation to save money is replaced entirely by the fear of burning down a building. Not worth it.
- dylan604 11mo ago
  > fear of burning down a building or the plot line to an arson investigation procedural
diob 11mo ago
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LFWN86Q https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07LFWN86Q Joiry Yep, big mistake.
- at-fates-hands 11mo ago
  I've tried to stop buying stuff on Amazon. I really scaled back when I started going back and looking at old purchases, only to find out 8 of my last purchases were all counterfeit stuff. These were not just random electronic resellers. They were Lucky jeans, a Microsoft keyboard, a JBL bluetooth speaker, Under Armour shorts, Adidas work out tshirts and some other stuff. But altogether, I thought I was buying brand name, safe stuff that was priced in the same range as stuff you'd buy retail and I still got burned. Just made me distrust everything I was seeing on Amazon.
  - Noumenon72 11mo ago
    How could you tell that they were counterfeits?

macintux 11mo ago

~15 years ago I was visiting New Orleans, and I had an old Canon 1D DSLR with me. I was a little nervous about leaving my camera batteries charging in the small b&b where I was staying, fearing I'd unintentionally destroy a historic house.

tzs 11mo ago
If the internet is to be believed that would have used NiMH batteries. Those are a lot less likely to cause fires than lithium based batteries.
- macintux 11mo ago
  You're correct. I didn't know much about the various battery technologies at the time, but they were pretty old batteries.

WalterBright 11mo ago

I know the electrical cord is a nuisance, but I prefer the plug in versions.