Drill won't charge - battery or charger?

Hey folks, my trusty old DeWalt 18V drill suddenly won't charge. The battery is about 2 years old, and the charger light just blinks red when I put it in. Anyone else had this? Is it the battery or the charger? I don't want to buy a new battery if it's the charger.

Hank, I've had that exact issue with my Makita. Usually it's the battery being fully discharged and the charger won't recognize it. Try leaving it on the charger for a while, sometimes it wakes up. If not, check if the charger has a reset button or a fuse. If the charger is fine, the battery might have a dead cell. You can test with a multimeter if you have one.

+1 on the multimeter. Also, check the contacts on both the battery and charger - sometimes they get dirty or bent. Clean them with DeoxIT or even a pencil eraser. And if the battery is really old, it might just be time for a new one. But before you buy, see if you can borrow a known good battery from a friend to test the charger.

Thanks guys. I tried the multimeter and the battery reads 0V, so it's dead. But the charger blinks red, which usually means it's charging, but it never goes green. I've left it for hours. I'm thinking the battery is just toast. Might get a new one, but they're pricey. Any recommendations for a good replacement that won't break the bank?

Check if your drill is compatible with newer batteries - some have adapters. Otherwise, look for aftermarket brands on Amazon, but read reviews. I've had good luck with Batmax and Powerextra. Just make sure they have good protection circuits. Or, if you're handy, you can rebuild the pack with new cells, but that's a project.