Makita drill/driver problem

[Joe Grittani]

I was recently using my 18 volt Makita drill/driver in repairing an old buiding. I was drilling
through SYP into extremely old poplar 4/4. The drill cut through the SYP fairly easily, but when it hit
the poplar (with me leaning into it a bit) it stopped dead. It went from on to off instantly. After this,
squeezing the trigger did nothing. I put in a fresh battery that I know was charged and had the same
response - nothing. It's like there's no battery in it.

I don't have a clue what the damage is or if it's worth fixing. Both batteries worked in my 18 v
flashlight, so I know state of charge wasn't the issue. Any ideas what the problem is or if it's
worth fixing?

Thanks in advance.

Joe Grittani

[John Sanford]

Sounds to be a trigger problem. If it's out of warranty, take it apart (i.e. open up the case) and check the trigger for loose/broken wires. It's possible something else went wonky instead, but on a drill that won't do anything with a good battery, the trigger is the first place to check. (Assuming that you have the direction selector engaged, of course.) If it's still in warranty, pay a visit to your local MakitaMonger.

Does it use NiCads or Lithium-Ion batteries? If the former, then unless you have some great attachment to it, I'd seriously consider replacing it if you can't fix it. If the latter, I'd give the local Makita authorized service center a call and ask how much it would likely be to repair, and proceed on that basis.