Customer Reviews

Black & Decker FireStorm 18 Volt FSX18HD Cordless Hammer Drill (Bare Tool only)

5 star:		(12)
4 star:		(5)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I have bought 4 black and decker 18 volt drills, 1 radio, 1 saw, 1 circular saw, and 1 flashlight and a total of 10 nicad batteries in the past 6 years. I bought two of these FSX18HD drills without batteries. This drill is clearly the most powerful drill in this product line and is a must if you want to continue using the NICAD batteries you have already. I refreshed all of my batteries very effectively using two 12 volt auto batteries and following instructions I found on the web. These drills will make the best use of these refreshed batteries so I don't need to spend 200 - 400 dollars on the new products now available. The only downside I see is the weight, but with the weight you get a lot of power.

Bryan from Missouri

O.K., admittedly Black and Decker sometimes gets a bad rap among the pros for lack of durability but boy was I surprised when I purchased this (bare tool only) hammerdrill. It made short work of drilling deep into a concrete floor in less than 1/4 the time it would have taken w/ a regular drill. In addition, it works interchangeably w/ all the other B&D 18v cordless tools of which I have many.

Would strongly suggest getting a good set of drill bits such as the Bosch 8pc Granite Hammerdrill Set of which the reviews are excellent:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0000TZYZC/ref=oss_product. As w/ other drills and especially a hammerdrill, without the quality drill bits, the results will be poor.

Btw, it's truly a steal at around $40. Hope this helps -

Will and the Furry Ones in the OC

I had an 18v Firestorm drill from a combo kit. I tried using it to drill into solid concrete walls in a condo. After about 15 minutes of hard work I was only in about a half inch. I then purchased this hammer drill which used the same batteries. Bingo. Took about one minute to drill over one inch with the very same drill bit. Don't know if I'll ever purchase a regular drill again since there is always a need to drill into concrete or concrete block.

As the previous reviewer stated, Black and Decker tools are usually said to be low quality. As an employee at a hardware store, I get to test out all kinds of tools. This FSX18HD drill is a high quality tool that is comparable to other high-end 18v tools. I own many of the 18v series by B&D.

As long as the buyer understand that this is a cordless tool and cannot run forever, and that one should take care of their tools and not force them, then this is a great buy at a great value! If you have many holes to drill, plan to have a couple charged batteries on hand. Other than that, if electricity is not available, or if the job is small, this would be a great addition to your collection.

One word of advice, if you have dozens of holes to drill, or have to drill several of them very deep, invest in a corded tool. A Porter-Cable works just fine as does Dewalt and Milwaukee. Cordless and corded tools just don't compare in terms of their output.

The drill was priced right and it arrived a day ahead of schedule. If you don't have a B&D battery-operated drill, this would be a great one to have. The 1/2" chuck is rugged and grips well. The motor has a lot of torque and the variable speed and reverse are first rate. The auxiliary handle is welcome and easy to take on and off. The drill is heavy, but one might expect that from a hammer drill. The drill body is the same as a 3/8" version that I have owned for some time and superior--in my opinion--to some of the other B&D drill bodies.

This is the third B&D 18 volt drill that I own. The other two just won't seem to die and I use them almost every day. I find it especially handy when putting in a lot of screws (like on a fence) to use both drills: one for the pilot hole and the other as a driver. This new one is the first hammer-drill that I've ever owned, though I have used such tools before. I'm looking forward to trying it out really soon on a handrail project at my son's home which means drilling into a concrete sidewall on the concrete stairway leading up to his home's upper level.

If I have any complaint with B&D 18-volt tools, it's that the battery packs don't last long enough (for me, anyway) and tend to take a low-charge "memory" after a time. I own 9 such batteries now, and by careful planning always have several charged one's on hand. B&D (now part of the Rockwell-Delta-Porter Cable family of tools) has come out with an 18-volt lithium ion battery, but the price is prohibitive--even though the company doesn't exactly give away its regular batteries, either.

Still, I would suspect that the way to obtain the lithium ion batteries is to purchase more B&D 18-volt tools; usually, in such cases, the price of the tool and the battery/charger is less than the price of the battery, alone. This is how I came to own so many. But, of course, I've got a lot of other tools that run off these batteries. And that's something else that I really like about the B&D 18-volt tools: there is such a wide variety of them and the company comes out with more all the time. I have a reciprocating saw, circular saw, two saber saws, two sanders, a light, a radio, a power scrubber, three drills, a leaf-blower, and a hedge trimmer that all run off the same batteries. I especially like the power scrubber; it makes washing my old motor home so very much easier.

Sorry to prattle on, but I've got a lot of decades under my belt and I expect that, after I'm gone, these B&D tools will serve my sons just as well as they did me--for many years!

Purchased this as drill only (sans battery) and it was a steal at $32! Used this to do some work drilling into the block walls of my basement and it made short work of the job. This is a good drill for a homeowner, definitely not "contractor grade" but it will do just about anything you need it to around the house. The drill is surprisingly well made, works with my standard 18v Black and Decker batteries, and can handle anything I plan on throwing at it. It's a great deal if you already have some 18v Black and Decker batteries laying around.

I have had the drill for only a few weeks, however I have given it a fair work out. I am happy with the drill considering the price. I have not used the hammer feature on it yet. I have noticed it draws down the battery a bit quicker then my other Firestorm tools. I do recomend the tool for home use. I am not sure it will hold up to contractor use but considering the price, you can by 4 or 5 firestorms to 1 Dewalt.

I have now used this product ,I will admit I can be rough on a tool,this is a very good tool for a light use or homeowner,,it is built better than I expected it would be,,it was cheap..if you used it for a living every day it wont hold up to long..I bought it to use just in my old barn a little,,I am a handyman by trade and use dewault tools exclusively,I have built an entire house 2400 sq.ft. decks buildings etc..with the dewaults and they hold up great,,b&d look the same but the battery and tool are kinda weak and it got overheated rather quick when I pushed it a little bit,the dewault will take it all day long and tomorrow to.. but for a low budget b&d are good...I recommend this for occasional users you will like it and amazon gets it to you cheap...

I already had the regular Firestorm drill, circular saw and jigsaw. Between my girlfriend and I (she has a cordless weed wacker), we had 6 battery packs. So, even though this unit came without the battery pack, it wasn't an issue. We used this, along with the other drill, to finish off a 40', shadow-box fence. I love the hammer drill and locking features on this drill. It's a bit heavy for single-hand use, but has no problem drilling into wood, steel or concrete. If you need an inexpensive, heavy-duty cordless drill, this is the one.

Excellent product with lots of torque. Has brake so you cannot use it for grinding wheel (since the brake will cause wheel to loosen). Brake is great for screw applications. Has optional belt clip, for left or right side. Has hammer drill and dual speed for variety of applications. Has bit holder which is always handy. Torque setting is great. 360 degree removable handle is awesome. Optional batteries/charger charged in 1hr. It is heavier due to the powerful 400+ in/lbs torque.