Black & Decker VPX1212X Full Review
04 November, 2008
Drills and drivers for general everyday work around the house and a great do it yourselfer tool box has taken a leap forward with today's lithium-ion battery technology. The next step is the great use of dual batteries that make charging and use in separate devices even easier and more logical. The dual batteries the VPX Drill/Driver uses are also used in a host of other VPX products from Black & Decker such as the VPX Cut Saw, VPX LED Flashlight, VPX Hand Vac and VPX Inflator. Some of these devices use one battery while other more battery draining ones like the Hand Vac and the Drill/Driver I received take two. The use of dual batteries means an easier change out for these batteries and less expensive ones for purchasing new ones and even spares. The battery chargers for these devices, the VPX chargers, are much more user friendly for multiple chargers. You can gang chargers together and charge onsite several sets of batteries from one outlet. The VPX line of Black & Decker tools is a great new step forward in high power battery operated tools. The Drill/Driver I received, model VPX1212X, is a very nice and hefty tool and yet not so heavy that it would get tiring, that middle ground of a sturdy tool.
The Black & Decker Drill/Driver Model VPX1212X comes with the drill and two batteries, a charger stand, case, set of drill bits and set of driver bits that fit in the side pockets of the case. The drill is well designed with the forward reverse push button switch is through the body for trigger finger and thumb use. The driver has plenty of features such as the two speed transmission for getting those fast jobs like drilling done quickly and then those heavier duty ones like driving screws into wood all the way. The two speed transmission changes with the flip of the slide switch on top for 0-350 and 0-1200 revolutions per minuteOther features for the Drill/Driver are two mode clutch for either drill force or variable number setting that slips at the appropriate clutch setting or not at all for the drilling. The chuck is a nice all metal hand chuck that also locks when tightening unlike many of those older ones that often slipped when tightening. The drill has a low battery light on the back of the grip for easy warning of a low battery for each battery pack. No guessing which one is low, just look at the light and pop out the low one. Spares are another matter entirely with the lower cost of the separate ones that are readily available at hardware and home improvement stores for about $20.
This lower cost is much better than that fifty or sixty for those large batteries like my older Black & Decker 14.4 Volt drill driver. The battery for that model costs almost as much as a new drill driver set so why bother buying just the battery. Now with the VPX system you buy the individual batteries and don't have to spend nearly the cost of the whole Drill/Driver set.
For charging you just slap the batteries into the charger stand but for charging multiple sets of batteries you can plug each charger into the next. This ganged system works very well for multiple drill use like in home do it yourself jobs where the convenience of two drills and the chargers for them is a time saver.
Construction sites are another place where this system would be fantastic not to mention much less confusing for workers. I have seen the mess of chargers at a job site with a mass of cords lying around all to charge the mob of batteries from all the various brands of drills, drivers, saws and such. The Black & Decker Drill/Driver has plenty of force to drill or drive with good torque on the low setting and great speed on the higher speed. I did a little test and drove in 68 2 and a half inch screws fully into a four by four piece of wood.The Black & Decker Drill/Driver did a great job and finally ran low of juice on one battery at the 68th screw with the indicator showing one battery low but the other did not come on. I drove in several other screws part way starting at about two inches and then less and less but did not get the other battery to show as being low. I gave up
More Black & Decker Drills
Black & Decker CD18SFRK 18-Volt 1/2-Inch Cordless Drill/Driver Kit with Stud Finder
Review by: Jeff Gedgaud,
Labels: Black and Decker, Black and Decker Product Review, Black Decker, Reviews
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