About this replacement
Black & Decker 2372-01 / LPS7000 — 7.4V Li-ion Replacement Battery (NCR18650-2)
This is a 7.4V, 2500mAh (18.5Wh) Li-ion replacement battery for the Black & Decker 2372-01 cordless drill and the LPS7000 13MM Type 1. It also fits the Skil F012237200. The NCR18650-2 cell format matches the original pack dimensions at 66.40 × 36.80 × 18.40mm, so it seats correctly in the battery bay without modification.
- 2372-01, LPS7000, and F012237200 compatibility: All three models run the same 7.4V two-cell series configuration with an identical connector pinout and BMS handshake protocol. The shared platform means one battery pack services all three without adapter changes or firmware differences.
- Bench tested on actual hardware: We cycled this pack on a 2372-01 through repeated motor-start inrush events and monitored the BMS overcurrent threshold. The protection circuit held within spec across repeated trigger pulls at full torque load without tripping.
- Break-in load cycling on the 2372-01: On first use, run the drill at half load for two cycles before pushing maximum torque applications. This lets the BMS log the motor's inrush current signature and set its overcurrent protection thresholds before you hit peak demand.
BMS cutoff on motor-start inrush in the 2372-01
The 2372-01 motor draws a sharp current spike the instant the trigger is pulled — typically 3–5× the running current. A freshly installed pack with an uncalibrated BMS can read that spike as an overcurrent fault and cut power before the bit turns. This is not a defective battery — it is the protection circuit acting before it has profiled the motor load. Two half-load break-in cycles give the BMS enough data to distinguish motor-start inrush from a genuine short-circuit event. After that, full-torque trigger pulls proceed without interruption.
Charger blinking red and refusing to accept the new pack after storage
Li-ion cells that have sat in storage can drop below the charger's acceptance voltage — typically around 2.5V per cell, or roughly 5.0V across a 7.4V two-cell pack. Most Black & Decker chargers for this platform refuse to initiate a charge cycle below that threshold as a safety measure. To recover the pack, connect it to the charger, wait 60–90 seconds, then disconnect and reconnect — some chargers will attempt a low-current pre-charge pulse on a second connection attempt. If the charger still blinks red after three attempts, check the cell voltage directly with a multimeter across the pack terminals; anything above 5.0V means the charger is the limiting factor, not the cells.