Drill battery not charging after a fall – any ideas?

Hey everyone, I'm hoping someone can help. I dropped my cordless drill (Makita 18V) from about 6 feet onto concrete, and now the battery won't charge. It's not the charger, because I tried another battery and it works fine. Is the battery toast, or is there something I can do?

That sucks, Sam. Drop can mess up the battery's internal connections or even crack a cell. Have you checked if the plastic casing is cracked? Sometimes the impact breaks the solder joints. If you're handy, you could open it up and look, but be careful not to short anything. Otherwise, might be time for a new battery.

Yeah, impact damage is a killer. I've had a few batteries die from drops. But there's a chance it's just the protection circuit tripped. Try leaving it on the charger for a while—sometimes it resets. Also, check the terminals for any bent or broken pins. If that doesn't work, you might need to replace the battery. I'd recommend getting a genuine Makita one, not aftermarket, for reliability.

I had a similar thing with a DeWalt battery. I took the battery apart and resoldered a loose wire, works fine now. But if you're not comfortable with that, just bin it. Also, make sure you're not using a fake charger—that can cause issues too. Good luck!

Thanks for the suggestions, guys. I'll try the reset trick and check the terminals. If that doesn't work, I'll probably just get a new one. Appreciate the help!