Customer Reviews

Black & Decker VP750 VersaPak 3.6-Volt PivotDriver Cordless Two-Position Screwdriver

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(11)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(7)

 

 

Pivotdriver is light, has more than enough power and with its angle feature, you can use it just about anywhere. It is powered by the Versapak battery system- which is a must for do it yourselfers. One battery powers all types of products- screwdrivers, drills, saws, vacs, lights etc. Pivotdriver comes w/ battery and charger.

I am on my third screwdriver in one month's time. The same failure caused me to return the first two for replacement. It seems that the connecting pin for the battery in recessed handle area of the tool is prone to easy breakage. Once this pin is broken the battery can not make contact and the tool will not operate.

Beyond what appears to a design defect the tool is handy, easy to use and seems a good value.

Mr. Walker could not have stated it MORE clear on the POOR quality of this product ..here is his findings .. I had 2 of these units in less than 1 month as both failed. Although the overall design is good and there seems to be enough power for the average home job there is a design flaw. The internal battery clip that connects the battery to the drive motor is of very poor design. If you happen to rotate the battery while it is installed in the unit the internal connection clip will break causing the tool to fail. B&D told me they were aware of this flaw and are working on the problem. However, they continue to sell them in the market place. (I would like to add I had THREE that were bad ..DOA for the same reason ..this is MOST true with models made around X-Mas of 1999 when I got my first ...it took B&K (4) months to get me a working model! Buyer beware!!)

This is a great tool for all kinds of screwdriving applications. I use this tool and the straight version every day. Some days I use it all day and others just for short jobs, and these versa-pack screwdrivers are great. I regularly drive 1-5/8" drywall screws into wood with this tool. 3/4 and 1" screws into wood are no challenge for this screwdriver. I bought my first one of these tools (the straight screwdriver) about two years ago and it lasted over a year of very heavy every day use (two full battery discharges or more per day). I am now on my second straight model and it's holding up great. I am still on my first for this angled model.

I only use this one when I really need to get into a tight space. When it is in the angled setting it is quite easy to operate with the trigger-like controls. I do find it a little cumbersome to use in the straight setting though (especially compared to the straight-only model). The trigger button is set pretty far away from the tip of the tool which makes it a little harder to control. A closer grip (like is available on the straight model) allows for better control - especially when starting screws without a pilot hole. The straight model finds its limitations in tight spaces though, and that's where this angled model comes in. At roughly 2/3 the length in its angled setting it can fit into tight spaces better than the straight model.

One thing you can do to really improve the already-good-performance of this tool is to buy a few of the "Gold" battery packs which have NIMH batteries instead of NICD. These really do last longer. I have replaced all my silver batteries (the ones that come with the tools) with the gold ones. They are available at hardware stores and places like Target, and cost a little more but are worth every penny.

The Versa-Pack system is brilliantly convenient. I currently have four tools and two different flashlights that use the versa-pack batteries and I find it very handy to use the same chargers for all the batteries. If the screwdriver battery dies, I steal one from the flashlight while I charge the other. It works great. So, once you buy several versa pack tools (most of which come with chargers) then you have several chargers to destribute. I keep one in the garage, one on the workbench, one in the truck and one in my job box. Anywhere I go I've got a charger ready to go. There's also a 12v car charger available and it works great. Another tool idea - the versa-pack snake light goes with me to every job, if you get a versa pack tool you will definitely also appreciate the snake light.

Good luck and happy shopping.

I had 2 of these units in less than 1 month as both failed. Although the overall design is good and there seems to be enough power for the average home job there is a design flaw. The internal battery clip that connects the battery to the drive motor is of very poor design. If you happen to rotate the battery while it is installed in the unit the internal connection clip will break causing the tool to fail. B&D told me they were aware of this flaw and are working on the problem. However, they continue to sell them in the market place.

Got one for Christmas to replace an aged B&D 9018. I use it for the more mundane stuff and reserve the heavy "screwdriver" work to my cordless DeWalt drill. I really appreciate the locking armature and the 40 in/lb of tork satisfies most of my household needs. I like the fact that I can charge one battery (which can be quickly re-charged) while I use another one. Something I could not do with the 9018. All-in-all, I feel it is a good buy, but a bit bulky. Trade-off I guess.

First, a comment on my usage and philosophy. I am a moderate-to-heavy DIY user for a wide range of improvement projects around the home. While the preference today seems to be for huge cordless drills that will double as screwdrivers, I greatly prefer having two separate tools: (1) I find it a great time-saver. Since I nearly always drill pilot holes, having two tools means no swapping of bits. (2) My dedicated cordless drill is much lighter and "handier" than the multi-purpose ones. (3) I effectively get more hours out of a battery charge by using two tools instead of one. (4) Cordless screwdrivers are also effective for "finishing" a tough screw job by hand, the drills are not.

That said, low price is the only advantage of the B&D tool line these days. This is an overly light, cheaply made tool with poor ergonomics (i.e. location of on-off button), overly sensitive on-button that often causes power drain, often inadequate torque, and a lousy, fragile battery connection. It is a pathetically inadequate replacement for my ten-year-old B&D Model 9019 for which B&D cannot or will not supply a replacement battery. (To be fair, the 9019 was $59 ten years ago, a time when B&D offered a wider range in terms of price and quality). Another comment: it is my direct experience that these days, B&D no longer provides adequate support for discontinued models.

Overall, if you can justify and / or afford to buy a better one (e.g. Milwaukee, DeWalt, perhaps Panasonic), you should seriously consider it. Of course, the cost is 3X to 5X, not just a few more bucks, and that was why I gambled that I will get, say, five years from this piece of junk by treating it gently. Unfortunately, there does not appear to be any "middle ground" in the currently available range of cordless screwdrivers - a phenomenon due, perhaps, to the small number of users today who want a dedicated power screwdriver.

This is the kind of tool that you buy so that your wife, kids don't use your good drill for everything. I had to put some things together that we received for X-mas together and it worked great. It is alot less bulky than my cordless drill, and I worked with it for over 2 hours and didn't need a recharge. Agood buy, but I have questions about it's durability.

Santa Claus left this screwdriver in my stocking for Christmas. I want to thank the reviewer from Hamilton, OH for the heads up on this product's design flaw. I will be very careful not to rotate the battery, and thus break off the recessed contact, when inserting it into the handle. That is why this rates only 4 stars. Otherwise, I find this tool to be a helpful companion to my 6.0 volt Black & Decker drill. Now, I don't have to stop and change from a drill bit to a driver bit when intalling screws. It has more power than I anticipated, and its slower than expected speed is good for maintaining control in tight places. I've used this screwdriver to hang electrical boxes in the attic, and run drywall screws into 1/4" plywood sheating. I like having this power in my hand to grab screws at odd angles and run them in quickly when I am in an awkward posision and cannot turn a hand screwdriver easily with one hand. Just remember to remove and cap the battery before tossing the tool back into your tool tote. Since there is no locking mechanism, the trigger can be pushed by other tools and run the power down.

Admittedly, I do not know much about tools per se, but, this compact, easy to use cordless screwdriver by Black & Decker gives me enough confidence to try projects I wouldn't think I normally could complete. It's easy to use, has 2 positional grips allowing creating of crafts a breeze, and it holds enough charge for these smaller tasks. The PivotDriver was ideal while assembling indoor garden boxes--allowing me to reach those inside corners with comfort.

Ok, I can see where tool guys would want and need "more power" on bigger projects. Yet, having a non-intimidating design, being durable, and just getting the job done--makes this gal feel em-powered. A great 'lil introduction tool at a good price.