18v Cordless Drills

- Best practice for maintaining my NiCd Recharable Battery (18V 1.7Ah)?
I have 4 related questions but before i get to them please read the details first: I recently purchased the Worx 18V WG150 Grass Trimmer. This trimmer came with 2 recharable batteries (each battery is: 18v 1.7Ah NiCd). The trimmer included a battery charger with a feature to automatically prevent these batteries from overcharging (it monitors heat). The trimmer only uses 1 battery to operate. My 4 questions: 1. Both batteries have not been charged yet (they are fresh out of the box). Because i want to only use 1 battery can i just pack the 2nd battery away in storage (completely discharged) for maybe a year (or more) and when i need it i can just dust it off, fully charge it, and get going? 2. To best maintain my battery, i was thinking i should FULLY charge it (from a completely discharged state) on the day i need it (charging takes 1 hour when battery is completely discharged), and then use the trimmer until the battery has been completely depleted (a complete cycle). And then store the battery, now entirely discharged, until i need it again maybe a month or more from that point. Is that an acceptable plan, realizing that the battery will be stored totally discharged for long periods? 3. If i fully charge it then how long can i keep the battery in this charged state before i must discharge it? Are there any consequences to keeping it fully charged for long periods besides a potential 10-20% self-discharge occurring? (i.e., will the battery become damaged?) 4. Is it best to keep the battery entirely discharged when storing it for long periods? How long can i keep it stored in a discharged state before i must fully charge it again, if necessary? Does the battery become damaged by being entirely discharged for long periods? Thank you. ----------

A keep them charged but dont recharge them until they are fully discharged,they develop a memory.2 batteries are better than 1

- Quick way to Discharge a Battery Pack unit [PICTURES SHOWN]?
Here are links to pictures of my Worx Battery (18V 1.7Ah) and its accompanying charger unit. The battery is for the "Worx 10-inch 18V Cordless Grass Trimmer" (here is a picture of the grass trimmer: http://images.canadiantire.ca/media/images/products/images/Assortments/PrimaryAssortments/GardenPatio/PowerEquipment/GrassTrimmers/0602256_450_CC_538b3.jpg ): Battery and Charger 1: http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff85/quantass/battery/batterycharger-3.jpg Battery and Charger 2: http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff85/quantass/battery/batterycharger-2.jpg Battery IN Charger: http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff85/quantass/battery/batteryincharger.jpg Battery on its Side: http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff85/quantass/battery/battery-side.jpg Battery from the top: http://i237.photobucket.com/albums/ff85/quantass/battery/battery-front.jpg To help keep its long-life for years to come i have adopted a regimen of fully-charging and discharging the battery pack at least once a month. The problem is that to be able to re-cycle the stored energy once a month it requires me to place the unit into the grass trimmer and have it run for the full 30-mins it takes to discharge the battery pack entirely. My question: is there a more convenient way to discharge this battery pack without having to place it into the grass trimmer and letting it run on its own until the power is wiped out? When you look at the battery pack you will see the "cathode"/"anode" leads and so with that is there a safe and more convenient way to discharge this unit?

A You could just use a power resistor, but a light bulb shows you that it has discharged. You can probably find 18 volt bulbs as replacements for the flashlight sold to use 18 volt packs from power tools like yours, or just get 24 volt bulbs sold for trucks or connect two 12 volt bulbs in series.