My drill's battery won't charge - anyone else had this issue?

Hey all, so I've got a DeWalt 20V max drill that's about 2 years old. The battery just stopped charging – I plug it in, light stays red, and it never turns green. I've tried a different outlet, still nothing. Is this a common issue? Should I just buy a new battery or is there a fix?

Yo DIYDave, I've been using DeWalt for years and honestly, their batteries can be finicky. First thing, check the contacts on the battery and the charger – sometimes they get dirty or bent. Clean them with a bit of rubbing alcohol and a q-tip. Also, make sure the battery isn't too hot or too cold – extreme temps can trigger protection mode. Let it cool down and try again. If that doesn't work, it might be a bad cell. You could try a reset by pressing the button on the battery for 15 seconds while it's off the charger. But honestly, if it's 2 years old, it might just be time for a new one. I'd go with a genuine DeWalt battery, not aftermarket.

Same thing happened to my Ryobi last year. Turned out the charger was the issue, not the battery. I borrowed a buddy's charger and it worked fine. So maybe try to find someone with the same charger to test. Also, check if the charger has a fuse or reset button. My new charger fixed it. But if it's the battery, and you're not ready to shell out big bucks, you can try to 'recondition' it by doing a deep discharge – run the drill until it's totally dead, then charge it fully. Sometimes that brings back the capacity. Just don't do it too often.

Whoa, before you go sticking q-tips in there, make sure the battery is disconnected and you're not grounding yourself. Safety first! But Dan's right about the contacts. Also, check the charger's LED light pattern – some chargers blink in certain ways to indicate errors. Look up the manual online. If the light is just solid red constantly, it might be the battery's internal protection circuit tripped. Sometimes you can jumpstart it by putting a known good battery on the charger first to 'wake up' the charger, then swap in the dead one. But if it's been dead for a while, the cells might be too low for the charger to detect. You could try a multi-meter to check voltage, but if you're not comfortable, take it to a repair shop. And always wear safety glasses when messing with batteries!

I've got a whole collection of tools and I've seen this a lot. If it's out of warranty, I'd say just buy a new battery – but consider upgrading to a higher Ah one if you can. More runtime and often better chemistry. I've also had luck with aftermarket batteries that are cheaper – just make sure they're from a reputable brand. But also, check the charger – I've had chargers die on me. I always keep a spare charger around. And if you're handy, you can rebuild the battery pack – but that's not for everyone. Let us know what you find! Good luck!