Batteries are weak on my cordless drill, WWGRMD?

I've got a Dewalt drill/driver with the 18v, probably got it around 2017. Batteries are getting tired, one doesn't hold a charge at all, the other is short lived. 
 

Options:

1. Buy new Dewalt batteries. Cons: Super expensive. Makes me think I should just buy a new driver (see option 4).

2. Try rebuilding my battery. Cons: Fiddly work and maybe still won't be as good.

3.Amazon offers cheap options. Cons: The reviews are mixed.

4. Ryobi has a new impact driver for very cheap. I mostly need a driver anyway. Cons: the drill I have works fine.

What have you all done when faced with this dilemma?

I bought cheap batteries on Amazon- import manufacturer.  Works great. Figured if crap I'll buy a new drill.

Build an 18VDC power supply and plug that sucker in.

I had the same drill. I've bought replacement batteries from the River site, had batteries rebuilt at a battery plus store, and bought a replacement battery from the latter location. None of them were close to the run time of the original batteries.

I bought a combo set of the Dewalt 20v brushless drill and 1/4 inch impact in 2018, added a 1/2 inch impact for garage work, and both of those original batteries are still going strong. Major upgrade from the old version.

I made back some of my money selling my two 18v charging stations on the auction site. I think I got $40 plus shipping.

Nothing wrong with trying to keep the older tools in service, just be prepared to charge them more often. I only gave up because the drill finally broke. The forward/reverse switch gave out.

The 18V packs are NiCad. Dont bother with them anymore. Buy a new tool and stick with one brand/voltage for compatibility. 

Were I in your position i would start with a 18 to 20v battery adapter and a few 5ah dewalt batteries.  That would put some chooch back in your tools and allow you to add on to the system with new tools as deals came up. 

When I replaced my 17 year old Makita drill, i wrung my hands for too long trying to decide between red, yellow and green. I went yellow for the reason that the used market was bigger for that brand and while what I needed was simply a drill and mid torque 1/2" impact, the "would be nice to have" stuff (reciprocating saw, angle grinder, ratchet, circular saw) were all impulse buys because they were great deals spotted on marketplace. 

With all brands,  be wary of counterfeit and cheap batteries.  The battery protection module is often absent and the ah rating is way overrated. 

Are you planning on getting more battery powered tools ?

Once you start buying  X-Brand they pretty much have you for life !

if you only have that one tool I would look at Home Depots Black Friday ads and see if they have  a 3-4-5 tool bundle with batteries and charger , 

Dewalt or Ryobi  seem to be the Home Depot brands that have the biggest discounts , 

Makita and Milwaukee are probably better  but cost a lot more , 

I went with Ryobi and waited for the Home Depot sale and also bought used older "Blue" Ryobi tools that use the same 18v batteries.

In reply to californiamilleghia :

Home Depot has a multiple tool set of Ryobi for $200. I bought the same kit for same price about a year ago. Driver, drill, saw, Sawzall, flashlight, charger, bag, and 2 batteries. 

I just snagged a black Friday deal on 2 Milwaukee M18 batteries for $80. DeWalt might be running something similar.

As mentioned, buy an adapter and run 20V batteries. 

Also, FB Marketplace is swamped with Dewalt tools and batteries. They are likely from unscrupulous sellers who steal them from the local big box stores. A friend who currently works at the orange store and previously at the blue one, told me about the corporate policy on theft. They aren't allowed to interact with someone trying to steal from the store once outside the doors and into the parking lot. They can contact the suspected individual while they are inside the store, but it's a small window of opportunity from the registers to the exit doors, so once they step past the register and thru the door, they are pretty much free to run with no consequence.

Anyway, there are some good deals on yellow, green and orange tools on FBM. Fewer of the red colored tools in my area it seems. You may get some good deals if you don't think too much into how the seller came upon his cache of tools.

Thanks all. Knowing the store policy, I might just go steal some batteries! Ha. (I'm kidding)

I'll check FB market place. Also gonna look for black friday deals.

To answer some of the above questions, I am not planning to buy more tools currently as I am renting and not settled right now. I just want one tool (drill/driver) that works. 

@Trent and LotusSeven, I could buy an adapter and run 20v batteries, but that's super expensive. Seems like I might as well just by a new driver than spend that much to make this one work. Is there something I'm missing?

lotusseven7 (Forum Supporter) said:

As mentioned, buy an adapter and run 20V batteries. 

If it's just a drill, by the time you buy the batteries, charger, and adapter, you could buy a 20 volt drill and impact driver with batteries and a charger.

HomeDepot.com: 18V to 20V MAX Lithium-Ion Battery Adapter Kit (2 Pack) $199.00

HomeDepot.com: ATOMIC 20-Volt MAX Lithium-Ion Cordless Combo Kit (2-Tool) with (2) 2.0Ah Batteries, Charger and Bag $149

Edit 1: If however you are planning on switching over to DeWalt everything and you will wind up with batteries and a charger anyway, the adapter makes since, after you buy the other 20 volt DeWalt tool that will come with the new battery and charger. 

Buy a Makita set on a black friday sale, obviously.

You could always buy the cells and rebuild the 18V batteries that you have. I've watched the videos and for the amount of effort required, I'd buy the adapter. 

lotusseven7 (Forum Supporter) said:

once they step past the register and thru the door, they are pretty much free to run with no consequence.

In high school I worked at Kmart and security would wait in the foyer and I was pushing carts and we had a runner.

We chased the guy across the entire parking lot and the security guy grabbed him.  He had put a few pairs of Channel lock wrenches in his coat.  

I think I told myself I'd never do that again - my life over pliers?  
 

lotusseven7 (Forum Supporter) said:

once they step past the register and thru the door, they are pretty much free to run with no consequence.

In high school I worked at Kmart and security would wait in the foyer for thieves and once I was pushing carts outside and we had a runner.

We chased the guy across the entire parking lot and the security guy grabbed him.  He had put a few pairs of Channel lock wrenches in his coat.  

I think I told myself I'd never do that again - my life over pliers?