My cordless driver is sparking and making grinding noises - is it toast?

Hey guys, my 18V cordless driver (brand: PowerPro) is acting real weird. When I pull the trigger, I see little blue sparks inside near the battery slot, and it makes this grinding/rattling sound like there's gravel in there. Battery seems to charge fine but it won't hold power - dies after like 2 minutes of use. Is this something I can fix or should I just toss it and buy new? It's about 3 years old.

Dude I had the same thing happen with my old drill! The sparks usually mean the brushes are shot. You can sometimes replace them if you're handy - I found a YouTube vid and did it myself for like $15 in parts. But that grinding noise... might be the planetary gears stripping. If it's both, might not be worth fixing unless you really love that model. Check if PowerPro sells repair kits before you decide.

Sparky tools are no joke man - had a tile saw motor arc out on me once and nearly caught my drop cloth on fire. That grinding is probably bearing failure. If it's under 3 years check warranty, otherwise I'd retire it. Safety first - don't wanna be that guy who fries his workshop over a $100 tool. My rule: if it sparks more than once, it's dead.

Agree with Sid on safety. In HVAC we toss compressors that arc internally - not worth the risk. Sounds like multiple failures: brushes (sparks), gear train (grinding), and possibly battery connection (short runtime). Even if you fix one thing, others will fail soon. At 3 years with heavy symptoms, it's had a good life. Time for an upgrade.

Ooh I collect vintage tools and have revived worse! The PowerPro 18V from that era actually has a known issue with the brush springs losing tension. There's a mod where you add washers to increase pressure. But if you're not comfortable taking it apart, ConcreteCarl's YouTube suggestion is good. Personally I'd salvage the battery and chuck the body - the new brushless models are way better anyway. Want me to link the repair forum thread?