Help! My cordless drill driver making weird noise and won't charge properly

Hey everyone, hoping someone can help me out here. I've got a 20V cordless drill driver that's been acting up. When I try to charge the battery, the charger light just blinks red instead of turning solid green like it normally does. Also, when I do manage to get some juice in it (sometimes it charges after trying a few times), the drill makes this weird grinding/whining noise when I use it on anything more than light duty. It's about 2 years old - Ryobi brand. Any ideas what's going on? Don't really want to buy a whole new tool if I can avoid it.

Sounds like you've got two separate issues there, and neither are great news for the budget. First - blinking red light on charger usually means the battery's toast. Ryobi batteries aren't too expensive compared to some brands - you can usually find replacements for $30-40 if you shop around. Check eBay or local hardware store sales. As for the grinding noise - could be the gears wearing out. If it's still under warranty (some have 3-year), contact Ryobi. If not, might be cheaper to buy a new drill on sale than repair it. I saw a basic Ryobi combo kit at Home Depot last week for $99.

Ah, the classic Ryobi battery issue! I've got 12 different cordless drivers in my collection (Milwaukee, DeWalt, Makita, even some vintage stuff), and I've seen this before. The blinking charger light typically indicates a communication error between battery and charger - could be dirty contacts or a failed cell. Try cleaning the battery contacts with isopropyl alcohol and a cotton swab. As for the noise - that grinding sound could be planetary gear wear or a bearing going bad. Ryobi's brushed motors aren't known for longevity under heavy use. If you're handy, you might be able to find replacement gears online for $15-20. Personally, I'd recommend upgrading to a brushless system - much more reliable.

Ugh, I feel your pain! My old drill did something similar last year when I was trying to build a new deck. The noise thing happened to me too - turned out to be a piece of sawdust jammed in the gear housing (I'm not the cleanest worker, lol). Try blowing it out with compressed air if you have any. For the battery - have you tried the 'reset trick'? Sometimes if you leave the battery off the charger for like 24 hours, then try charging again, it works. Also, make sure the battery isn't too hot or cold when you charge it - my garage gets freezing in winter and that messed with my charger once. If you end up needing a new one, wait for Black Friday sales!