Customer Reviews

Black & Decker FSC414K-2 Firestorm 14.4-Volt 4-Tool Combo Kit

5 star:		(3)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

the drill is okay- not near my regular Dewalt series. although I understand they are owned by same company. The flashlight broke on the 2nd use. Just popped like a flash bulb. Have not evaluated the circ saw and the saw zall parts yet. I also dont like the fact that you damage the battery if you leave on the charger for more than 8 hours. they need to incorporate a trickle charger that you can leave battery on when not in use. Also the charger with this unit is very slow-6 hours?

This combo kit has just about everything you need for around the house. I used the cutsaw for cutting down a honey suckle bush, and had no problems at all. I used the circular saw to build a small deck, and it did a great job. No cords is what I like best. The only problem is the case. Everything fits into one big heavy case, but other then that, it is a great deal for the money.

This tool kit looks so good when you open the box. The orange color grabs your attention. I also like the handy storage case which is easy to carry and stores the tools well. However, I was frustrated by how slow the charger is - 6 hours to charge up a battary. I also don't like the fact that the charger will actually damage the battary if you leave it charging too long. This needs to be a trickle charge like a Makita. The worst thing is that the flashlight burned out in 20 minutes! I was also underwhelmed with the Sawzall. The Sawzall stalled out when I was cutting through balsa wood? This unit needs more power.

Black & Decker should spend less money on the fancy packaging and more money on power, performance and quality.

I agree with other reviewers, the Firestorm charger and/or battery seems to be defective in my opinion. I have three batteries (having bought several Firsetorm products) and at least two charges and, guess what, none of the chargers/batteries work any more. Last one to fail was today (8-21-05) which is why I'm searching the net to see if anyone else has had this problem. Like the products fine but, no battery, no workie, so how good a deal is that. Sounds like DeWalt or Makita are the way to go. A shame, I have always liked B&D products but not if they're selling cr*p like this.

I read the other review about the problem with the Black & Decker battery charger. I also had my charger quit on me. I had 2 batteries that came with the drill. I bought another 14.4 volt B&D product so I could continue to use the drill. I quickly found out it wasn't the battery charger that was causing the problem. When I tried to recharge one of the old batteries in my new charger, it quit like the old one. After calling B&D, I was told the problem is with the battery. Once the battery goes, so will the charger. The problem is you never know when your battery is about to go until it is too late and your charger is killed as well. I think I'll cut my losses and try another brand.

I purchased this tool set to help with the installation of laminent flooring. Other than your basic screwdrivers and an old 9.9V cordless drill/screwdriver, I really had no tools. So here are my thoughts:

Other than the flashlight, all of the tools felt very solid and were not too heavy. They were easy to move and manipulate during the flooring process. So lets go with the tool by tool breakdown:

Flashlight: Eh..so, so. Not very bright and no adjustments to the beam available. Was very light and felt pretty cheapo. Nice to have, but stick with a different source for light.

Electric Saw: The saw had no problems chewing through the laminent flooring. It just kept going and going. The only real problem I encountered was the supplied blade tended to chip the flooring. Would have been nice to have a little bit finer blade supplied, but hey, that was just for my application.

Cut Saw: This little gem saved the day for my project. This workhorse cut through the flooring without chipping it and the cuts were nice and clean. I used it so much in fact, that the original blade it came with is now pretty much as dull as a butter knife. My set came with two blades for this saw and each performed great. Replacing the blades is as simple as pulling back on a lever and taking out and replacing. Great tool here, just great!

Drill: Again, this unit far surpassed my needs with my flooring project. The power of the 14.4V drove the screws for the thresh holds deep into the floor. The drill never bogged down a single time. I also was able to use the drilling feature for all of the wiring for my stereo system. Using a 1 inch wood drill bit, the B & D chomped through the flooring and subfloor without hesitation. It never once slipped or spun out of the chuck.

Overall, this is a great set of tools for the home improvement enthusiast. I'm not real sure of the poor reviews here, or on the single units themselves. But if you are a serious construction worker or contractor, why are you looking at B & D? Aren't there more serious tool options out there for those that earn a living using these tools?

To just have them around the house, you can't go wrong.

I've had this set for a while and use it all the time. My electric saw is gathering dust in a cupboard. I suggest you buy the optional charger, it charges in one hour and doesn't overcharge (I burned up one battery and charger before buying it.)
I have a campsite without electricity and have used the saw in building a storage shed, framing for a deck and miscellaneous stuff. The drill I use all the time. I didn't think I'd ever use the cut saw but now that I have it, I wonder how I ever got by without it.

i've had my set now for at least 2 years. i started with the drill kit and added the sawzall and circular saw. i don't have the flashlight but am keeping my eyes out for cheap deal on one.

the drill works very well. using it for a satellite tv business i've probably put mine through more abuse than the average homeowner would. it has plenty of power for most applications. occasionally i wish it was a bit lighter for finesse stuff but i shouldnt complain. sometimes the drill bit works itself loose and falls out (rare) but that may just be a symptom of having a quicker chuck system which i think is worth it. i did a job in the pouring rain last week knowing full well i could destroy the drill. a couple days later some minor surface rust made the chuck hard to work but after only 2 changes it was back to normal and the drill is as good as ever.

the sawzall is awesome. tons of power. i've used it many times. my favorite application is with the pruning blade on small brush and branches. zips right through it.

the circular saw is ok. it does bind up occasionally more than a corded saw would. the power doesnt feel as strong as sawzall but that could be an illusion. its great for 2x4's, plywood,etc when you just cant use a corded saw (and even sometimes when you could!)

the batteries have held up well i'd say overall. i'm up to 4 of them that i rotate. if i only had one i'm sure it wouldnt be enough. but with 4 i always have a couple ready to go.
i wish the charger was an intelligent rapid charger but hey, if you are buying something that costs about half what other sets cost they have to be saving money somewhere. an optional intelligent rapid charger would be a nice option.

**there is definatley a problem with the chargers burning out after a while. i can't put my finger on a cause but mine were about 2 years old when they both went. i'm wondering if resistance of a dying battery might trip something in the charger making it die. i threw out my first one then it happened to the second a month later leaving me up a creek. i dug around and found an old charger of similar voltage and cut off the base and spliced it on. so far so good. it is definately the plug (ac to dc transformer) that blows, not a short in the base itself which is fine and can be reused if you replace the plug.

For the money these tools are great. They have lots of power. I just built a fort/swing set with them. The saws cut through treated 2x6's with no problems. For occasional use around the house, you can't beat this package of inexpensive tools.

I bought my firestorm 14.4 combo 2 years ago.Then the battery charger burned out. I bought two more ps180 battery chargers for my ps140 batteries. I plugged the batteries in the chargers and within 15 min the chargers burned out.I recommend no one buy a black and decker product because of this battery charger problem.