[Al Skierkiewicz]

Mike,
I am willing to bet that the pullouts were not stored very well before ship. If you look closely, it is likely that the brush assembly has been damaged and the brushes are either not touching the commutator or are shorting to the case of the motor. This year's drills do not have a long life outside of a box or mounting bracket. The motor was designed to be protected by the drill housing and not to be tossed into the bottom of a tool box.