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[bdk]

Maybe someone can clarify this for me - I'm new to cordless saws and have no experience with battery run time.
I have a DC390 cordless saw that came with an XRP 9096 nicad battery.
Although I fully charged it before I ever ran it, it has always had a very short run time - maybe a pair of 2x4s or a single sheet of plywood before it dies. Is this to be expected? The lithium ion batteries from my 760 drill do much better, but they're still nothing to write home about.  I've tried charging the xrp on both the chargers I have, (the DW 9116 that came with the saw, and the universal charger that came with the drill) but there's no appreciable difference in run time. I like the saw, but I'm forever changing batteries. 
Do I have a lame XRP? Are there any fixes? I've had this saw since Oct 09, so returning the battery seems unrealistic.

Thanks

[Madtec]

Not sure how long you let it sit on the charger but let it charge overnight; dont worry you wont hurt the battery.  See if that solves your issue.

Keep in touch.....

[Gatorb888]

Though the cordless circ saw draws more power from the battery than most other 18v tools, you should get more cuts out of one charge than 1 sheet of plywood. The DW9096 has a two year warranty, I'd look into replacing it if you bought it in 09'

[deedub35]

Charge it over night and then take a reading with a voltmeter.  A new fully charged battery should be just over 20 volts.  As the battery ages each individual cell holds less (or nothing at all).  If the reading is below 19 volts then it is time for a new pack or rebuild your pack.  I buy cells off ebay and rebuild them for a fraction of the cost of a new one.

[Steven]

With the DC390 circular saw, the 18v battery should last more then just a pair of 2x4s.  You either have a bad battery, a short in the saw, or a dull blade.  A dull blade can make the motor work harder and run down a battery sooner.

The worst 18v tool, as far as poor battery run time, is the DC385 reciprocating saw.

[woodandtool]

I put my Dewalt 18 volt battery on the charger last night, this morning, the battery had MELTED on to the charger !!!
Has anyone ever had this happen?
And yes they are out of warranty.

[Madtec]

I put my Dewalt 18 volt battery on the charger last night, this morning, the battery had MELTED on to the charger !!!
Has anyone ever had this happen?
And yes they are out of warranty.

Too many variables to know what really happened, but it sounds like an internal issue with one or more cells, how old was the battery and which one did you have?

[Madtec]

With the DC390 circular saw, the 18v battery should last more then just a pair of 2x4s.  You either have a bad battery, a short in the saw, or a dull blade.  A dull blade can make the motor work harder and run down a battery sooner.

The worst 18v tool, as far as poor battery run time, is the DC385 reciprocating saw.

Recip draws a lot of amps, so it will drain the battery a lot quicker

[kjones]

It definately sounds like your battery has a problem.  The XRP batteries should have about 2 times the run time of the compact batteries (which is what came with your DC760kl), so if you are getting more runtime out of your compact battery, then I would get your battery into a service center to get the issue figured out.  As JC said, you have a two year warrenty on the battery, so check the date code stamped in the inside of the battery, and if it is in warrenty, get it taken care of.

As far as the battery melting in the charger, definately get your battery and charger into a service center so that they can test the charger, and try to track down the cause of whatever happened.  All of the DeWalt chargers sold today are smart chargers, so they should never melt a battery down unless acted apon by some outside force.  I would strongly recomend getting the battery and charger in to get checked out. 

Hope this helps!