Black & Decker FSD142K-2 14.4 Volt FireStorm Cordless Drill Kit

List Price: $128.57

Features:

• Quick Connect Bit Change System provides fast drilling to screwdriving conversion
• Electronic level illuminates at all 90-degree angles
• Two position gear box delivers a maximum torque of 235 in./lbs.
• Infinite Clutch allows micro-adjustments in torque control
• Wall mountable storage case included

Accessories:
Bucket Boss 01056 Bucket Boss 56 Pocket Bucket Tool Organizer	IRWIN 90591 19-Piece Lock-N-Load Combination Set	Irwin 10502 3-Piece General Purpose Unibit Set	Irwin 10232 UniBit 3/16-Inch to 1/2-Inch 1/4-Inch Shank Step Drill Bit	Irwin 10234 Unibit4 3/16-Inch to 7/8-Inch 3/8-Inch Shank Step Drill Bit

Customer Reviews:

junk [Posted on 2003-10-31]
Made in china, wouldn't have it. They need to bring it back home. You can use this if you want, makes no difference to me. I'm not the only one that feels this way. There is too much manufacturing going to china for the sake of a dollar. One day the US will pay dearly for this loss.

NOT WORTH THE MONEY [Posted on 2003-11-03]
The quick disconnect chuck is a good "idea." Unfortunantly the present design is flawed. The chuck cannot hold a drill bit to save it's life. Apply any pressure and the drill bit will simply spin in the chuck. Power is average. Battery life is'nt bad if you can get the rapid charger to work properly. If you do any serious project you need buy a lot of batteries and use the snail charger. I am presently returning my 5th rapid charger. I even bought them from different stores to see if maybe it was a bad batch of chargers sent to one store. Nope. Same problem, they work for a few days and slowly charge less and less until the battery is shot and the charger blinks endlessly whether it has a battery in it or not.

landfill candidate [Posted on 2003-12-22]
First of all I went through 4 different B&D drills before I swore off the whole line.

If you need a cordless screwdriver and that is absolutly it, then these are ok drills, but they are useless as a drill. The chuck can't be hand tightened enough to make it usefull for standard drill bits. As soon as there is any resistance the bit just free spins in the chuck. The only way around this is to get all hex end bits so that the chuck teeth have multiple edges to grab to.

Battery life was another problem I had with the B&D drills. It would put in a bunch of screws but when I tried to drill a hole in a pine 2x4 it would die out after just 2-3 holes. Not exactly usefull when I'm trying to drill pilot holes.

The last straw when when I bought a 14.4 model and it would only spin in reverse (the direction pin was broken)...

I now own a 18v Skil and couldn't be happier.. for only 10$ more I got a more powerful drill (when I set it to high torque it allmost dislocated my arm) with 2 batteries and a chuck that will actually hold a standard bit.

Avoid this product [Posted on 2004-04-06]
I agree with other reviewers - this drill is worthless because the chuck won't hold a bit. I like the concept and I got a great deal on it ($62) but in the end I took it back because A DRILL THAT WON'T HOLD A BIT IS WORTHLESS. I ended up getting a 12 volt Bosch and I am much happier now - more expensive, but I find the single-handed locking chuck just as easy to swap bits as with the Firestorm setup and I know I have a much better quality product. I have yet to find a Black and Decker product that is worthwhile and probably never will, since I am done ever purchasing their stuff. Also, this is coming from a weekend hobbyist doing home improvment projects and not from a professional contractor.

Great drill ... but know your tools. [Posted on 2005-03-15]
I've been using this drill for almost a year and it is my FAVORITE power drill. I can't say enough great things about this drill ... but I knew it had limits when I bought it.

I have yet to see a drill with a tooless chuck that grips strandard (round end) drill bits without the bits spinning when they hit resistance. If you desire a hand-tightened chuck for ease of use, then you need to understand the tradeoff.

I'm surprised so many previous reviewers complained of things like, "The chuck can't be hand tightened enough to make it usefull for standard drill bits. As soon as there is any resistance the bit just free spins in the chuck. The only way around this is to get all hex end bits so that the chuck teeth have multiple edges to grab to." I always thought that hex-end bits were DESIGNED for hand-tightened chucks. So, if you have a drill with a hand-tightened chuck you need hex-end bits.

What's the surprise?

Anyway, this is a GREAT drill.

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