Customer Reviews

Black & Decker FSD122K-2 12-Volt FireStorm Cordless Drill Kit

5 star:		(0)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

I bought this after Christmas and was snagged by the price. Only Craftman comes close to this price for a 12v.

I needed to drill and torque down a banister. After charging both batteries (over 6 hours for both). I started on the project but the drill lacked the needed torque for the lag bolts and the batteries were quickly depleted and needed another charage.

The real issue of a serious drill is torque and "Durability" of the battery(s)... With this B&D the battery charge took a very long time and then the batteries were not, using the definition for "durable" > "able to exist for a long time without significant deterioration".

IF you are a serious a serious home repair person spend the extra [price] and move up to B&D 14.4volt Firestorm Drill - both torque and battery durablity will be significantly better.

For a 12V drill, it certainly lacks sufficient power for common drilling tasks. With the clutch torqued all the way down, the drill choked trying to bore out a 2 1/8" hole through a hollow-core door. After five minutes of backing the bit out and back in, the chuck started slipping, rendering it useless. A two-minute job eventually took 20 minutes. It works great as a screwdriver, though. A bright orange, $70 screwdriver. For people installing bookshelves and hanging pictures, it's a fine tool, but for serious users, go buy a Milwaukee.

I got this tool for Christmas 2001 and I've used it a lot. I have used it for a variety of home repair uses and found it to be very well suited for those projects such as furniture assembly, hanging curtain rods, hanging blinds, bathroom fixtures such as towel racks, hanging flower boxes with larger screws into my home. Batteries work fine and last a reasonable time. I have not tried anything super heavy duty. I am very pleased witht this and plan to buy one for my sister as a house warming gift. It is heavy enough for everything I've tried but light enough to be easy to handle.

The Black&Decker drill 04A (with 1350 rpm) operates with brushes against the motor. When they wear out parts like these are hard to find - if not impossible. The drill is two years old and has performed beautifully until now and I cannot find the part that is worn out...

Listen to the other reviews, please! Firestorm is a waste of money! I sold tools at Sears for three years and I have never had a satisfied customer. O.k., if you are drilling 1/8" holes or driving 1" screws, you won't have a problem. But you don't need an 18V drill to do that.

This drill only has 125 in/lbs. of torque. The new Craftsman 12V with a Diehard battery has over 300 in/lbs. of torque. Plus it is $20 cheaper at normal price.

While I worked at Sears, I am not a fan of Craftsman cordless tools. I much prefer Milwaukee, DeWalt, or Makita. However, any Craftsman cordless drill is better than any Firestorm POS. Do a little research, go into the stores and play with these things. Find a tool you like using, not just one that is cheap.

I can attest to the low-power issues of this electric drill. It has a difficult time generating the force needed for many jobs.

My biggest beef, however, is that after only 2 years, both battery packs are literally falling apart.
The replacement packs run in the 40-50$ range, and since you need 2 (one to use while the other charges) that means that you are paying 100$ each time you must replace them. This smacks of planned obselescence to me.
I will definitely be thinking twice before purchasing another B&D tool.

this thing couldn't hold a drill bit if it's life depended on it. it's been relegated to driving screws with the hex head.

I've had one of these for about 2 years. It has performed well so far, but all at once the clutch--or whatever that thing is that allows adjusting the torque it delivers--has just quit. Now it won't turn a flea. So, I've got two excellent battery packs but a drill that is worthless. I took it apart and tried to tighten the spring against the little balls which apparently activate the clutch, but it didn't help at all. I'd be very cautious, though I am thinking of trying to get another just so that I can still use the battery packs I have.

Not a bad drill and screw driver for light household tasks. The problem comes when the batteries need replacing. Few places carry them and those that do charge more than I paid for the drill which was being pushed as a Xmas item. I will now buy a De Walt.

I've had this drill for 4 years and never had a problem with it. Granted, I am not a contractor/carpenter, however I do all the maintenance in my home and have been extremely happy with it. It is light enough for me to use and maneuver on long projects without breaking my back and gets the job done. The batteries have never given me trouble. If I were doing this for a living, I would invest the money for a more high-powered high-tech drill. For household projects and maintenance, it can't be beat. If you're a big guy, perhaps you might choose another, or not. Chicks rule and this drill helps!