# Help me with my battery charger **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 27, 2003, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-battery-charger/191276 "2003-07-27T17:00:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2003, 5:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-battery-charger/191276/1 "2003-07-27T17:00:51Z")
I have a cordless drill, Black and Decker, model 9089, Type 1. The next line says “6V” and then has a symbol which looks like a very wide dash with three shorter lines under it. Imagine “= = =”, but with the three top parts all connected. I lost the 110V AC charger thingie that came with it. The drill says “Use only with B&D 418337-06 charger”, but the battery is dead, and I dont have much choice but to use a “universal a/c adapter” that I happen to have laying around. The adapter has several voltage settings, so it’s very simple to choose the 6V setting. But it also has a switch to control the polarity, ie, whether the negative is inside and positive outside, or vice versa. Black and Decker’s website offers no help on this stuff, and their customer service phone is closed on weekends. Two questions: (1) Is there any reliable way to know which way I should set the polarity? (2) Am I correct that if I guess, and my guess is wrong, that will pretty much ruin the drill? advTHANKSance ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2003, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-battery-charger/191276/2 "2003-07-27T17:07:44Z")
Look for a diagram near the power jack that looks like one of the following: - -----(o---- - or - -----(o----- + These will tell you that the polarity is tip-negative or tip-positive respectively. If you guess, hopefully there will be an LED indicator that will either come on (correct) or not (incorrect) when you plug the adaptor in. If not, you won’t know if you got it right until you either go use the battery and it’s dead or you see smoke. ---
**Author:** ![Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/96bed5/32.png) [@Patty\_O\_Furniture](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Patty_O_Furniture)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2003, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-battery-charger/191276/3 "2003-07-27T17:10:29Z")
Doesn’t it show the polarity detail like this: Positive tip: - -----( o----- + Negative tip: - -----( o------ - Does the drill have a charging LED? All of mine do. I’ll also mention that I’ve opened up both of mind and there is a diode placed in-line with the charging path to prevent accidental reverse-polarity connections from causing damage to the battery. I would plug in my 6V charger and if the LED doesn’t come on right away, plug it in with the polarity reversed. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2003, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-battery-charger/191276/4 "2003-07-27T17:12:59Z")
Hey, get outta my head, dammit! ---
**Author:** ![astro](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/9dc877/32.png) [@astro](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/astro)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2003, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-battery-charger/191276/5 "2003-07-27T17:39:29Z")
Umm… having dealt with a misbehaving drill battery charger almost melting a battery pack I could recommend that you get the manufacturer’s exact replacement or get another battery+charger pack at the local hardware superstore. I was a Radio Shack Manager for almost 5 years and I am here to tell you that using incorrect or inadequate charger specs (not just voltage but amperage) in matching to a heavy duty battery pack like a drill pack _can_ cause fires. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2003, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-battery-charger/191276/6 "2003-07-27T17:43:38Z")
I guess I should’ve mentioned that there are no markings on the drill of the type that y’all described. I was hoping that someone could decode the mark near the “6V”, which I described as > [@](#): > > a symbol which looks like a very wide dash with three shorter lines under it. Imagine “= = =”, but with the three top parts all connected. No LED on the drill either. That’s what I get for buying such a cheap one. My guess is that Black & Decker figures if the’re gonna lose money on the drill, they’ll make it back when I’m forced to buy a replacement charger. Oh well, let’s see if any other posters might have other ideas. Thanks all. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2003, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-battery-charger/191276/7 "2003-07-27T17:57:03Z")
That symbol only means DC as opposed to a ~ which means AC. Short of opening the drill up and tracing the circuit, there’s no way to determine the correct polarity. I searched the web, but found no detailed specs on your drill or the charger. ---
**Author:** ![Keeve](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/f07891/32.png) [@Keeve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Keeve)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2003, 10:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-battery-charger/191276/8 "2003-07-27T22:01:46Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Q.E.D. \* > **That symbol only means DC as opposed to a ~ which means AC.** Much appreciated. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![Q.E.D](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/q/51bf81/32.png) [@Q.E.D](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Q.E.D)\ **Post date:** [July 27, 2003, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-battery-charger/191276/9 "2003-07-27T22:17:15Z")
And here’s a better way to type it: —. ---
**Author:** ![karplusan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/bb73d2/32.png) [@karplusan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/karplusan)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-battery-charger/191276/10 "2009-11-30T21:47:33Z")
I know this is an old thread. But this has the most pertinent information on a Google Search for “B&D 418337-06 charger”, which is what I am looking for more information on. I have a very similar situation as the original poster, Keeve. The only piece of information missing is the polarity. I cannot discover if the B&D 418337-06 charger is supposed to be tip-positive or tip-negative. I inherited the drill without a manual, and without a power adapter. Just the drill, case, and some bits. After a little bit of use, the battery drained enough to require recharging. The Drill has this information: 9089 10mm Type 3 6.0V — no 275/550/min (NOM 6.0V) (the ‘o’ in “no” is subscript) In even finer print: Patents Pending Made in China Questions? 1-800-54-HOW Black & Decker (U.S.)Inc., Towson, MD 21296 USA There also appears to be a Ni-Cd symbol, good to know what kind of battery is in there. ---
**Author:** ![Squink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/b5e925/32.png) [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 10:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-battery-charger/191276/11 "2009-11-30T22:03:14Z")
> [@karplusan](#): > > I know this is an old thread. Good Golly! That gave me quite a start there, until I noticed the date. ---
**Author:** ![JFLuvly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ac91a4/32.png) [@JFLuvly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JFLuvly)\ **Post date:** [November 30, 2009, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-battery-charger/191276/12 "2009-11-30T22:07:34Z")
Me Too !! ---
**Author:** ![Sindarin8](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Sindarin8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sindarin8)\ **Post date:** [April 25, 2010, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-battery-charger/191276/13 "2010-04-25T23:06:05Z")
I can absolutely confirm that the charging requirements are: - --(o-- + I have the same problem: no charger. Opening up the device, I attached a 6v AC adapter rated at 350 milliamperes to the inside of the battery. The plug for my adapter does not fit; so I stripped the wires and attached the ends to the connector directly. I attached the positive wire to where the inside of the adapter would connect (and the negative to the outside) and it’s charging successfully. This confirms positively tipped AC adapter. I carefully monitored the charging process to ensure the battery and charger did not overheat. If you merely want the drill to work and you are not concerned about the cordless benefit, you could simply connect a 6v AC adapter to the device after unplugging the battery and run the drill as a corded drill, instead. I suggest you find an adapter with a high ampere rating (maybe 1 or 2 amps) so you can still have a strong drill/screwdriver. Unfortunately, I cannot determine the drill’s motor rating so I cannot give a better recommendation. Or you could always bother B&D to see if they have a replacement charger for it. Anyway, good luck, everyone. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-battery-charger/191276/14 "2010-04-26T01:18:00Z")
What does a zombie need with a cordless drill? ---
**Author:** ![engineer\_comp\_geek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/engineer_comp_geek/32/504_2.png) [@engineer\_comp\_geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/engineer_comp_geek)\ **Post date:** [April 26, 2010, 9:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-battery-charger/191276/15 "2010-04-26T09:16:49Z")
Zombies use cordless drills to poke holes in your skull so they can get to your braaaaiiiinnnnnssss. ---
**Author:** ![bigriggirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e5b9ba/32.png) [@bigriggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bigriggirl)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2011, 7:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-battery-charger/191276/16 "2011-12-08T07:26:09Z")
This is the correct polarity. (-)----(•----(+). It has a positive polarity so if you have a universal power adapter put the (+) on the connector to the adapters input jack. 9089 10mm type 1 6v (long line (— )over three dots(…) ) N O 275/550/min Line over dots means- direct current N means- no load speed O 275/550/min means - revolutions per minute ---
**Author:** ![robert\_columbia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/e79b87/32.png) [@robert\_columbia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robert_columbia)\ **Post date:** [December 8, 2011, 4:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-battery-charger/191276/17 "2011-12-08T16:27:07Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > What does a zombie need with a cordless drill? I don’t know. There must be something weird going on, God just asked me for a starship. ---
**Author:** ![theyod](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f19dbf/32.png) [@theyod](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/theyod)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2011, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-battery-charger/191276/18 "2011-12-26T01:47:59Z")
Only one other person with this problem? In almost 9 years it’s still the only post about this. Golly! I happen to have come into possesion of two of these drills. No charger. The universal charger i have is RHINO model PST-15M / 1200 mA max DC and it totally works. That charger runs the 1st drill but won’t charge the battery. I charged the 2nd drill to test if the battery is bad in the first one and sure enough spins like a champ. I know it’s an old thread but figured i would add the collective. Btw b&d 418337-06 in google and you can get a replacement charger for about $10 but this unerversal one is much more useful as it also charges my computer. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2011, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-battery-charger/191276/19 "2011-12-26T15:57:35Z")
Let’s see … Thread started 07/2003 Revived 11/2009 Re-revived 04/2010 Re-re-revived 12/2011 Anyone taking bets on when the Re-re-re-revival will be? ---
**Author:** ![Helpfindalink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b782af/32.png) [@Helpfindalink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Helpfindalink)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2013, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-battery-charger/191276/20 "2013-11-10T03:46:00Z")
I have one of these drills…and charger. My problem is that the battery pack is discontinued. So if you need any info about this drill I’ll do what i can and help. If anyone could tell me how to just hook this thing up using regular batteries or something please post how to do it. Pics are available if needed. > [@LSLGuy](#): > > Let’s see … > > Thread started 07/2003 > Revived 11/2009 > Re-revived 04/2010 > Re-re-revived 12/2011 > > Anyone taking bets on when the Re-re-re-revival will be? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/help-me-with-my-battery-charger/191276.md?page=2)