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I have had a Black & Decker 3/8" cordless 18 V for about 15 years. I don't use it a lot. A few years ago, it got so it would not hold the charge long, so I would have to recharge it before using it. About 2-1/2 years ago, I got a replacement battery, B & D, with a two year warranty. So after 2-1/2 years, it's back to not holding a charge. The replacement batteries are expensive, so I guess I should just buy a new drill.

Any suggestions?

I vote for whatever brand you can buy locally, and for which you can buy a second battery. I love being able to just switch batteries with the one in the charger, then keep working. Another consideration is whether you might want to buy some other cordless tools that can use the same batteries.

In our area the most popular brand is Milwaukee, closely followed by Makita.
I spend my days on job sites and would guess that 75% of my sub trades are using Milwaukee.
I personally prefer the Makitas but this is probably because I have so many of the their cordless components.
Chose a brand and stick with it.

B

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Big fan of the Milwaukee M- 12
With the big battery it will keep up to an 18 volt
But I like the smaller size and weight of the twelve

Paul

Not really a fan of the Milwaukee chucks. Ok for deck screws, but not for the shop.

My favorite right now is the Fein.

Funny, I've had a Milwaukee 18v in the shop for several years and I love it. It has the hand chuck. Have not tried a Fein.

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see who does battery maintenance for local contractors and see about replacing the cells in the battery pack. Might get the job done. Having said that, the new stuff with lithium batteries is so nice and light and convenient.

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Peter Havriluk

For sure Lithium-ion battery.
There's best and then there's best bang for the buck.
Best bang for the buck imo is Dewalt, relatively cheap, can be had on sale, batterys ok but
not so good for extreme use. Best, from my experience with the 18v variety, is Makita. 10 yr. old
batterys perform same as the new ones. I see some people using and like Milwaukee as well.
The Rigid batterys are a disappointment even with the warranty. Of course there's other good
stuff that I haven't used as well.

I hesitantly put my Hilti on Facebook Marketplace when we bought the house, needed a few more tools, and realized Hilti wasn’t a financially feasible family to stay in. I beyond happy with the DeWalt XR I got to replace it. It’s durable, well-balanced, and decently affordable.


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My corded drill is a heavy duty Milwaukee that I've had for years. Great drill. I had a cordless Makita, and liked it fine, but it finally died.

But for the past several years I've been using a Ryobi 18V (actually I have three of them...) and I've been happier with them than any of the other drills I've had. I've used them mostly for construction, but I use them for instrument/jig/furniture purposes too. The batteries hold a charge for a long time, and the Ryobi stuff goes on sale at very attractive prices.

Dave

I'm not sure what model 18V B&D drill you have, but eBay has 2 new batteries listed for $29/ free shipping. I have a pole saw that uses the same same battery packs as My brothers 18 V B&D drill.
These days when it comes to cordless drills I try to find a cheaper name brand model that will do what I need it to do. They all eventually die, and in most cases the cost of two new batteries is about the same as a new kit. I've owned and used most of the major brands and over the years have spent more on them than I have for my large power tools. A $20 corded drill can out work them, so it is the convenience that you are paying for.
For the jobs I use them for the compact 12 V lithium Ryobi I bought several years ago works fine, and the batteries have outlasted all the other brands I've used ( NiCads, and Nimh batteries). I like the small size for working in tight places. Two features I will look for in the next drill is an LED light and a clutch to avoid over torquing things.

It's perhaps worth expanding on the OP's question. I think we have all had the position where we have a huge collection of different battery chargers falling off the shelves in the shop.

It is worth looking for a brand where the same battery can be used for a number of cordless tools. You can buy a couple of batteries so one is ready to be charged and one in use, rather than one for each tool. I have opted for Makita but as people have said above other makes are good. But the point is I have just two Li ion batteries (and they are still pretty expensive things) for a hedge cutter, drill/driver, circular saw, LED light, and will probably be adding to the list. I really fancy a cordless router.

So even if the current need is for just a drill it could be worth thinking ahead. After all we do know what tool acquisition syndrome is like...!

Cheers Dave M

Those are all fine recommendations, no doubt. After years of buying name brand drills that use replacement batteries nearly as expensive as the initial price of the entire kit I took a chance on the $20 Hypertough drill from W**mart. It wouldn't hold up for a tradesman but is entirely adequate for occasional use, at least in my experience.

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Combination kits can be very attractive but do have a downside. When they remodel the line they often change the style of batteries it uses. I can think of at least 5 different battery packs Makita has used over the years. The one saving grace is that you can sometimes find aftermarket clones and re-mans for some of the styles the OEM's have orphaned.
I have had fairly good luck with aftermarket batteries. A few years ago I ordered two NiCad batteries for a 12V Makita drill and 3"circle saw set I had. One battery is still working good and the other will take enough of a charge to hold me over until the first is charged. I ordered an aftermarket lithium battery for my Ryobi. The price was $16 instead of OEM $44. Something I have noticed is many kits are only coming with one battery now, where two batteries used to be included on many kits.

Go with Dewalt. they have a sweet setup of a pair of 12V mini impact and drill. They rock

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My Festool is 15 years old and still making holes. Considering the value I've received over a very long time I'm very happy with it.

A vote for 12 vs 18 volt - much lighter weight and with a 3-4 amp hour battery you won't charge often

I got a Rigid combination set at Home Despot and (only when you buy there) you get a lifetime warranty on the batteries.

Also - the older drill battery backs are full of C-cells. You can buy them rated at 2 amp hour for a couple of bucks each, take apart the battery pack, and duplicate the guts. When you solder, you have to have a hot tip and work fast so as not to heat up the interior of the battery. The 2 amp hour batteries are double the "gas tank" of what is in there originally, so a longer lasting battery. Wear eye protection

Ed

I used to re-cell the battery packs for my EDM (Electronic Distance Measuring) unit back when I was doing survey work. They took 5 rechargeable AA cells (6Volt) . The company wanted $120 for a new battery pack so it was definitely worth doing. That was the days before lithium and when there were still electronic supply stores around.

Practically anything you want to do specifically related to guitar building, be it drilling bridge pin holes, indexing pin holes, neck bolts etc. can more than adequately be done with a 12v kit. Its balance, size and weight is more suitable for most of what we do. That being said, if you only want to have one kit, then go bigger. I have the 12v Dewalt Drill/Impact kit and its been great.

I recently replaced the rechargeable battery pack inside my Makita cordless screwdriver. Replacement lithium battery pack was super cheap from eBay.

I wouldn't buy a replacement without at least opening up the old battery pack and seeing if replacement cells are available.

For the price of the aftermarket replacement battery pack ($16/ free shipping) I didn't think I could buy the lithium cells. And I'm not surehow easily you can solder them without them being fried -lithium seems more sensitive to heat.