My rotary tool's acting possessed - sparking and making weird noises. Is it toast?

Hey Tool Discount Club fam, need some help with my rotary tool. It's a Cordless ProMax 18V I've had for about 2 years. Lately it's been acting up - when I start it, there's visible sparking inside near the motor, it doesn't hold charge like it used to (dies after 10 mins on a full charge), and it's making this weird grinding/wobbling noise when I use it on anything above medium speed. Tried cleaning it out, checked the brushes (they look okay?), but no luck. Is this thing dead or is there a fix I'm missing? Don't really wanna drop cash on a new one if I can avoid it.

OP, sounds like you've got multiple issues going on. The sparking inside usually means your brushes are shot or there's carbon buildup. Even if they 'look okay,' they might be worn unevenly. The wobbling noise could be a bent shaft or worn bearings - had that happen on my Dremel last year after I dropped it off a ladder. For the battery issue, that might be separate - could be the battery itself is dying (common with those ProMax ones after heavy use). Try swapping with another battery if you have one to test. If not, might be time for a new tool tbh.

Agree with Rob on the brushes. Those ProMax tools are notorious for brush wear after 18-24 months of regular use. The sparking is a dead giveaway. You can usually get replacement brushes for like $15 online. For the wobble - take off any attachments and spin it by hand. Feel any grinding or unevenness? If so, bearings are probably gone. Bearings replacement is doable but kinda fiddly if you're not comfortable taking the whole housing apart. The battery issue... yeah ProMax batteries suck after a while. My shop stopped carrying them because we got so many returns.

LOL another ProMax biting the dust. Not surprised. OP, here's the deal: sparking + weird noise + battery issues = multiple component failures. Even if you fix the brushes and bearings (which will cost you $30-40 in parts plus your time), that battery is probably toast. New ProMax battery is like $70. At that point, you're halfway to a new tool. I'd say cut your losses. Check out the Rigid rotary tools - much better lifespan in my experience. Or if you want to stick with cordless, Milwaukee's M12 Fuel is solid. Learned this the hard way with my first rotary tool too.

Don't listen to Paul's doom and gloom lol. OP, before you trash it: 1) Definitely try a different battery first - borrow one if you can. 2) Brushes are an easy fix, tons of YouTube vids show how. 3) The wobble might just be a loose collet nut or debris in the mechanism. Take it apart completely (unplug battery first!), clean everything with compressed air, reassemble and see if it helps. I revived my old rotary tool that way last month. If after all that it still acts up, then yeah maybe time to upgrade. But worth a shot if you're trying to save some cash!