I have purchased and owned Black & Decker products for doing a lot of work around the house and have utilized a variety of products for many years.
So, I guess you can say that I am a longtime user of their products.
I have to admit that, during the early 2000’s, I started getting into tools that utilized lithium and have had the worst problem with bad lithium batteries or those not holding a charge long enough and suffice to say, it was frustrating that I went back to tools that were powered by plugging them into the outlet.
So, it’s been over a decade since I have utilized tools that use lithium batteries. And I’m sure there has been improvements in lithium batteries and the tools that run off them since then.
So, I was excited to try Black & Decker’s 4-Tool Combo Kit that comes with two 20v lithium batteries with charger, drill/driver, circular saw, reciprocating saw and flashlight. Also, included is a Black & Decker orange and black carrying bag.
Let’s first start off with the most basic of the kit, the flashlight.
I. FLASHLIGHT
The flashlight runs off a 20V lithium battery and you can have your battery light go at an angle or whichever angle you prefer.
First, let’s start with the negatives:
– Flashlight is not that bright. I have batteries with better lumens (this one is only 70 lumens) that don’t require a huge 20v lithium battery that are brighter. So, this is the primary negative of this flashlight.
But the positives…
+ If you are in a tight spot and need the light to bend a certain way, this light does the trick. I have had specialized lights that I attach to my head in order to get the light I need. I have left lights being balanced by some hard object to its side or back in order to shine it on something I was working on. So, the fact that the light can be angled various degrees, with a pivoting head that can go to 180 degrees is a major plus.
+ With the 20v battery, you get a runtime of around up to 11 hours.
So, pretty much, the flashlight is a positive and negative but while included in this kit, I sort of saw it as a freebie, like the included bag. So, I’m not too disappointed.
II. DRILL
The drill is a two speed 0-350/0-1500 RPM and has a 1/2 in. single sleeve chuck. Maximum Torque is 412 in.~lbs., PTI torque is 213 in~lbs.
This performed so much better than the Black & Decker lithium drill I had since the early 2000’s which worked great with basic screws but this one really worked tremendously well. Granted, I have a powerful Black & Decker powered by outlet drill that is much powerful, but the portability and the fact that it has two-speeds is a great necessity.
The only thing I recommend is ordering good drill bits and you are good to go! You do get a single double ended bit that attaches to the front of the drill.
If you want power and portability, definitely check out the PORTER-CABLE PCC620LB 20V MAX Lithium Ion Hammer Drill Kit.
III. CIRCULAR SAW
The circular saw is a basic but really good circular saw which comes with a 5 1/2 in. fast cutting blade (one reviewer mentioned, his didn’t come with one. I found the blade inside the instructions bag and it’s sealed in cardboard and plastic). The saw allows for one to adjust the depth of the cut and has a speed of 3700 RPM and the capacity of a 90 degree cut is 1 5/8 inch, while the capacity of a 45 degree cut is 1 3/8 inch.
I tested it on thinner wood, which worked well. And the safety features are a plus of this circular saw.
Personally, it’s great for those who want to cut off length from like fence posts or thinner lumber. But make sure it’s less than 2 inches thick.
But once again, a good basic saw and if you want to cut at a much bigger width, then check out Black & Decker’s subsidiary, Porter-Cable’s PORTER-CABLE PCC660B 20V Max Lithium Bare 6-1/2-Inch Circular Saw (Just note: That the Black & Decker 20v Lithium batteries will not work with this saw)
IV. RECIPROCATING SAW
Comes with a saw blade and has a 7/8 inch stroke length, with a speed that goes 0-3000 SPM. I only tested it on wooden dowels and found it to work very well. Once again, I wouldn’t recommend using it super thick wood, but for smaller wood or metal pieces (if you purchase better reciprocating saw blades. Otherwise, Black & Decker offers a powered handsaw ala 4600 SPM, if you want more power to cut larger wood pieces. Black & Decker PHS550B 3.4 Amp Powered Handsaw with Storage Bag
But I had no problem utilizing this saw and it worked well. Once again, just make sure you have some saws handy in case the blades go bad.
I recommend the DEWALT DW4858 8 Piece Reciprocating Saw Blade Set
V. BAG
The bag looks like a basic orange and black duffle bag that you can fit all your tools inside.
JUDGMENT CALL:
Using this 4-tool combo kit from Black & Decker, I was quite pleased with all that came in this set. First, let me get this out of the way, and that’s utilizing lithium batteries.
As mentioned, I have had bad experience with them (and yes, older Black and Decker products), but that was nearly 15 years ago and these have worked quite well and last several hours (not non-stop) but I recommend for constant recharge of the lithium batteries. I also recommend purchasing two more extra for the kit, as I believe that having extras batteries onhand is worth it. But before your project, definitely recharge the batteries after using the power up on its first use and don’t overcharge them (by leaving it charged for days or weeks, etc.).
It’s important to note that the lithium battery charger is a basic charger, if you want a fast charger, then you can get one of these: Black & Decker BDCAC202B 20V Lithium 2 Amp Charger
Also, if you want more power or double the power for battery, I recommend getting this: BLACK+DECKER LB2X4020-OPE 4.0 Ah Lithium Battery Pack, 20-volt
But these have worked well and they provided adequate charge for each of these devices.
With that being said, while I really enjoyed using the tools from the kit for the past month, I do recommend purchasing extra blades, drill bit set for this set to get you up and ready.
I don’t recommend cutting huge blocks of wood or steel with the reciprocating saw. Nor do I expect one to think they should use the circular saw for major wood or tile. These are basic tools, very good tools, but you do get what you pay for and if you want to do thicker, solid objects, then I still recommend powered over battery-powered tools.
But I still can’t deny how cool this set is. May it be your first investment on tools for basic projects, you do get your money’s worth with everything included. With three tools, light, bag, charger and two lithium batteries (which are expensive to begin with), you are getting more bang for the buck.
So, if you are looking for a portable, lithium battery powered tool set that won’t break the bank and is quite affordable, then I definitely recommend this Black & Decker 4-tool combo kit!
