Customer Reviews

Black & Decker Firestorm 18v 6 Tool Cordless Combo Kit

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

 

 

When I first bought this set, was excited about the number of tools in one set since I am trying to go cordless for every tool I buy in the future. I was a little skeptical of the quality for such a cheap price. I am not new to cordless power tools so I know what to expect.

The drill I found kind of weak. I've got a 9.6 volt that seems almost as powerful as this 18 volt, but this one does do the job. I like the dual bit holder on the top of the drill.

The recipricating saw was a big reason I bought this set. Again, it's kind of weak. It had a heck of a time cutting through a 4x4. I had to change batteries in mid cut. But, again it does the job. If you are cutting smaller stuff the convenience and ease of use is well worth it. And it does except standard saw blades.

The circular saw, again, is kind of weak but well worth the convenience of not having to worry about a cord or a being close to a plug. Maybe a different blade would help but I have only used the one that came with the saw.

The flashlight I didn't think would be very useful but I was wrong. I like being able to set it down and point it at what ever I'm working on. I like to run my batteries as low as possible before charging them again, so I just stick them on the flash light until they are completely dead. It was pretty bright even on a weak battery. That is until it broke. Maybe it's just a bulb, which can go out on any flash light, but to go out after only two months, hmmm.

Honestly I haven't used the sander yet.

The dust buster is another thing I didn't think I'd use but I find it useful and fairly powerful when on a fresh battery. No complaints with it.

I've only used the set for two months. It comes with two batteries, but I've bought other tools with the same batteries, so now I have five, so if I don't have a fresh battery at any given time it's my own fault. I'd recommend pickup up spare batteries any time you see them on sale at lowes or walmart unless you are going to do like I did and buy other tools that come with the same battery. I plan on buying the faster, better charger that is sold seperately next. The battery life is not great but really isn't too bad.

I'm not a pro so I don't use these tools every day. For a weekend warrior like me they are great, especially for the price. I can't justify spending $300 to $400 on a better name brand for something I don't use every day. So to sum it up, even though most of the tools in this set are light weight and a little weak in the power department compared to other brands of cordless tools, they are fine for light to moderate use around the house. The convenience of all your tools having interchangeable batteries alone is worth the price. I paid around $120 for this set. For that price they are worth buying.

I've used all the products in this kit and am impressed with the quality. Perhaps the best of the bunch would be the drill with its power, ability to work long off a single charge and the very convienently cool ability to switch between drilling and screwing by simply removing the chuck. I've built a set of stairs using the drill and reciprocating saw, a bin for firewood using the drill, circular saw and reciprocating saw and all worked well. Additionally, I've used the circular saw on stand alone occassions to rip through plywood and it worked quite well. This version of the circular saw is a big upgrade over the prior Firestorm model in power, size and ability to work off a single charge. I've also used the sander. Very cool how it can switch from random orbit, finishing and detail sanding.

My only suggestion is that if large projects are to be done in a timely manner to get an additional 1 hour charger so the batteries can be rotated through. The package comes with dual port charger which is sufficient for most do-it-yourself projects, but falls behind a bit on projects that demand continuous use of the batteries.

As with any purchase, satisfaction comes when one has a fair expectation of a products capacity and quality for a given price point. If one purchases these tools expecting top of the line quality (i.e., Dewalt) at a fraction of the cost, then you will be disapointed. But, if you are looking for cordless tools good enough to tackle just about any do-it-yourselfer project without breaking the bank then this is a fine selection.

Black and Decker makes several lines of products. I have found that the Firestorm line is all it should be and more! I purchased a 10 Tool set more than 2 years ago at Lowes and I have not been disappointed at all. I purchased the set after my wife went Bananas when I came home with a $700.00 Dewalt Set. This 6 Tool Dewalt set was awesome and I was temporarily the envy of all my DIY neighbors. We were renovating our kitchen and my old Craftsman set died on me. The Dewalt was VERY heavy and I quickly found that I was becoming tired just from holding the tools up. My wife (5'1" 103 Lbs.) could not use them at all because her hands were too small. Back went the Dewalt set. Lowes had this 10 piece set on closeout. The price was ridiculously low compared with the Dewalt, so I decided to give it a try. I was very happily surprised with the results. These tools are roughly the same size as my old Craftsman's but Much more powerful with better battery technology. I found that they had more torque, power and less weight. The tools fit my hand well and were small enough for my wife to use also. I was pleasantly surprised by the time that the batteries held a charge. The Kit came with 3 batteries, 2 standard which were fine for most jobs and an FX Extreme battery that is just Awesome!! Kitchen renovation usually does not tax tools more than an occasional 2X4. Most of the work is on smaller diameter boards. The Firestorms did not disappoint. The only advice I have for purchasers is that the blade you use is at least as important as the tool itself. I used Bosch, Freund, Irving and other top of the line blades and bits, and through away the B and D. Do the same, no matter what brand tool you use.
In my browsing, I found a fact that floored me. DEWALT IS A DIVISION OF BLACK AND DECKER!!! They developed the Firestorm brand to fit in between the Black and Decker brand and Dewalt! Where B&D used plastic gears, Firestorm and Dewalt used metal. The power and Torque were closer to Dewalt than B&D!! The blades and bits were basically relabeled B&D. All in all I recommend you buy the Firestorm. Spring for the better FX Battery and top quality blades and you will not be disappointed!

Well, been about a week and half, and my package hasn't even shipped!! I mean I buy from this seller because of all the positive feed back, but I can't even leave feed back for the tools, if I don't have them. So far, this is like a -5 stars issue I have going on. Why is it taking so long??? So far the money I paid for this set is not worth it, and I will NOT be buying from this seller again.