Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(4)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Overall, this is an okay drill. The releasable chuck is a great idea, however, it isn't made well enough. The chuck assembly is weak, allowing bits to fall out. The tolerances for the chuck are so loose that drill bits tend to orbit. This is a good drill for light duty, household use.

I bought the Black&Decker FSD142 a month ago and all I can say is, "WOW" This is the best power tool I've ever bought! The Quick Connect chuck is the best thing since... yes sliced bread :) It saves a lot of time from going from Drill to Screw. If your looking to buy a cordless drill with plenty of power I say buy the Firestorm 14.4 volt FSD142, You won't be disappointed!!!

So far I have had none of the problems mentioned. From drilling into wood, metal or even concrete I have had no complaints. The battery life is good as long as you read and following the directions for conditioning the batteries. The removable chuck is very easy and convenient. It's nice to be able to drill starter holes and then place the screw without having to swap bits - I will look into purchasing a second removable chuck, because that is what helps to make it so convenient.

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.

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.

I love this drill, but it pays to shop around ... ...I saw it 2 days later for a few dollars less ....

To set a few things straight black and decker does have a whole new line of 14.4 cordless products that use the new batteries. The newer batteries are easier to store. The older model had a rod resembling the verdssa pack batteries sticking out. The new options are great and the new model firestorm does come in a 18 Volt model. If you don't like the firestorm features B&D still makes a non firestorm model, which is as dull as anyone could want.

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.

although b&d is not know for high quality tools, i thought this one looked promising. boy was i wrong. the removable chuck was a great idea but not made well. bits sliped and the chuck does not spin true. battery life is short also. IT has an led for a leveler which is far from accurate. The main reason why i gave it 1 star is because i was able the strip second gear out compleatly by drilling a 1/4 inch hole in a 2x4. which was most unexpected since the low gear was able counter sink large wood screws in a 4x4. might be good for light use thats it. i now have a 12 volt dewalt xrp which is a very powerful tool and well worth the extra [money].

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.

This is a great drill for those that don't want to buy the quick bit changers for the more expensive drills. Haven't had a problem with the removeable chuck yet. The drill bit that comes with the drill isn't the most durable, but if you can afford to buy this toy you can throw in a new bit. A little spendy for a black and decker tool but the quick connect chuck, leveling light(which was fairly accurate), and 2 batteries definitely put it on level playing ground with some of the more prominent tools. What I like most is in when do take of the removable chuck and use the screwdriving tip the design of the tool puts the tip closer to the body of the drill allowing you to use more pressure without worrying about slipping off. Oh I almost forgot about the dual speeds and multiple torque settings. So if you do moderate work with drills and pre-drill a lot(what serious woodworker doesn't?) then this is definitely good deal. If you're looking for a tool with longer battery life you should have a bigger wallet.