Skil 92942 FlexCharge 3.6-Volt Stick Style 3 Hour Battery Charger

by Skil

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Charger for Skil Flexi-charge cordless products

Product Description

FlexiCharge Interchangeable power system power pack battery charger. Does not include battery. Does not include instructions.

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 0.8 ounces
• Shipping: This item is also available for shipping to select countries outside the U.S.
• Shipping Advisory: This item must be shipped separately from other items in your order. Additional shipping charges will not apply.
• ASIN: B0000302S4
• California residents: Click here for Proposition 65 warning.
• Item model number: 92942
• Average Customer Review: 2.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (33 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #73,168 in Home Improvement (See Top 100 in Home Improvement)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Fire Hazard!, June 28, 2006

By 

A. T. Schieler (St. Louis, MO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Skil 92942 FlexCharge 3.6-Volt Stick Style 3 Hour Battery Charger (Tools & Home Improvement)

In April I bought two replacement 92942 SKIL chargers for my cordless drill and screwdriver from Amazon and had not used them until yesterday. Last night I put two batteries in each of the 2 new chargers (plus 1 existing 92942 charger) and plugged them all in. About two hours later I smelled electrical burning and found that all the wall transformers for the chargers had melted. ALL THREE OF THEM! I received a nasty burn trying to remove the wall transformers from the AC outlet and had to resort to using oven mitts. I had had this happen last summer to two other identical chargers that I had had for five or six years. Same thing....melted transformer. I found posts on the internet that this was a common problem with this charger. But, I figured in several years of knowing this issue, Skill would have fixed the problem. Wrong!

Today I emailed both Amazon.com (who I purchased the chargers from last month) and Skil. Skil said the chargers melted due to bad batteries being placed into them. I asked how I would know if the batteries were bad before placing them in the charger. "Just take them to our service center and have them checked" was the answer. OK, before I use my cordless screwdriver to hang a picture tonight, I need to take the batteries to their service center to make sure that they won't burn up the charger or the house?

So, I have to assume that the first hint that I'd have of a battery being defective would be the fact that my house would burn down! Fair assumption, right?

So the Skil Customer Service rep tells me that I should not leave the battery in the charger longer than the three hours it takes to fully charge them. I told her that the instructions state, in three seperate sentences on the same page, not to worry about overcharging the batteries and that it was OK to leave them charging unattended indefinately. Oh, and by the way, last nights melt-down of the two, identical new chargers occurred a full hour short of the recommended 3 hour charge.

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

1.0 out of 5 stars Burned out and burned up!!, October 21, 2004

By 

John R. Kelly - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Skil 92942 FlexCharge 3.6-Volt Stick Style 3 Hour Battery Charger (Tools & Home Improvement)

I purchased this Skil 3.6 volt battery charger in late June 2004 and received it in early July 2004 and put two batteries into it immediately. I had three old batteries and two new ones, and none ever became charged. When I checked a day later, the charger was burned out--the transformer/power adaptor was swollen and the unit was dead. I was too unhappy to do anything about it at the time--but I still need a charger and I have not seen one anywhere except on Amazon. So I guess I will have to order another one. The original one I got with the screwdrivers lasted for over 10 years so I was shocked and surprised to have the new one go out immediately.

John Kelly

19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars First one worked 8 years..., December 28, 2004

By 

covoc - See all my reviews

This review is from: Skil 92942 FlexCharge 3.6-Volt Stick Style 3 Hour Battery Charger (Tools & Home Improvement)

The first charger stayed plugged in and worked for years and years before the transformer overheated and deformed indicating failure. I bought another one in January 2004 and kept it mostly unplugged throughout the year for the exact reason of preserving the life of the transformer. I left it plugged in the last few weeks while I was using my drill for a project and I recently found the transformer deformed from heat and the charger not working. So much for that one. It couldn't have been plugged in for an entire month since I bought it. Must be a newer and cheaper contractor making these transformers for skil now. What a shame. The drill has been a champ through hard use for almost a decade. Guess I'll either roll the dice and buy another charger or go out and buy all new equipment. The drill and batteries are useless without a good charger. I have had a myriad of other transformers plugged in around the house to run a wide variety of electric items. Some transformers have run for twenty years. I don't recall any other transformer going out like this in my home...ever. A chain is only as strong as it's weakest link. A shame.