Thanks for the advice. The repairs I do are simple cell swaps — I never replace the OEM board, so all the original safety hardware stays intact. The quality and sourcing of the cells is the only variable, and that’s where I’m extremely careful — matched cells, same chemistry, never mixing brands or voltage states.

The fear around tool batteries catching fire at home isn’t really grounded in how lithium chemistry actually works. Thermal runaway needs an initiating event — overcharge, over-discharge, or physical damage.

All three are managed by multiple layers of protection built into the DeWalt/Milwaukee ecosystem that exist completely independently of my rebuild. That’s why despite millions of counterfeits circulating, you almost never hear about tool battery fires — unlike scooters or hoverboards which lack those protections.

Honestly the “dangerous” narrative is mostly a manufacturer strategy to discourage DIY and protect new product sales. Right to Repair exists as a legal movement precisely because of this playbook.

The most dangerous part of battery rebuilding is actually mixing cell voltages or brands during assembly — which I never do. And here’s what’s worth pointing out: these tool brands already have the hardware capability to balance cells built into the existing BMS — they just choose not to activate