Customer Reviews

Black & Decker VP940K VersaPak Wizard 3.6 Volt Cordless Rotary Tool Kit with 63 Accessories

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

 

 

The Wizard rotary tool works fine, but as with many "toys", it doesn't live up to its hype as far as the 63 accessories is concerned! Each copy of sandpaper wheels, etc is counted as an accessory. Also, the power pack is awkward and not the best design for quick recharging.

I received this for Christmas last year. Although it's suitable for most of what I use it for, it doesn't have a lot of power, and I certainly haven't been able to do all the things they show it doing in the commercial. Even if I did, it would take forever, because the charge on the VersaPak doesn't last very long.

This is a great tool when used as it was intended. It can perform an enormous variety of functions and if the included accessories don't do what you want, upgrades and replacements are readily available. However, this is a tool for short, small jobs. If you need a tool with more power or that runs for extended periods of time, try the corded version.

This is a great tool for quick little chores. There's a million things you can do with it. Other reviews are accurate when they say it has limited power. It's true. (I sort of wish they had made this a two-battery tool). I have a similar tool with a cord and I use that one for longer or heavier jobs. But if you need something to do a quick job or have to go out on the roof or someplace else where power is not readily accessible this is a great tool. Plus it comes with all the little doo-dads most other brands nickel-and-dime you to buy separately. The carrying case is very handy and has room for all the included accessories and more. (That's an amazing feat, by the way. Most tools that come in a case don't allow any room for accessory expansion. This one has plenty of space. Even enough for several extra batteries as well).

One thing you can do to help with the power problem 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 places like Target and hardware stores 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 convenient 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.

This is THE tool for trimming dog nails. Use the coarse
sandpaper wheel on low... Given what groomers charge you for trimming nails
this savings pays for the tool in under a year alone.
You can grind TO the quick instead of slicing INTO it with
a guillotine cutter. I use it and from my experience with it
my vets use it on all their client dogs now too. Cordless
is handy and the batteries hold 250-270 charges.

The trick to the Wizard is realizing that it is for jobs where no other tool is right, not as a replacement tool. If you try to use it to cut through a lot of material because you don't have an electric saw, you'll be disappointed in both the cutting ability and the charge capacity. (I know I was) However, when I needed to round the edge of a metal plate it was perfect.

I've spent a lot of time figuring out other jobs for it and I've been happy with the results now that I know what to expect. It really seems to excel at working with metal when a smooth finish is needed or the area you need to work in is very tight.

If you don't already have a bunch of VersaPak tools, get the corded version so you don't get stuck half way through a job.

This is a handy tool because you can grab it and go anywhere with it to use on weird/odd projects of very small scale. If you try to use it on anything more substantial, you'll find it is very underpowered and you'll go through a lot of batteries. A rotary tool is supposed to be a high-speed device. This VersaPak unit turns very slowly and bogs down easily. This causes you to use more force than you would use normally which drammatically shortens the bit life, especially the cut-off wheels. On one small project, I gave up and borrowed a friend's powered Dremel drill. Wow! What a difference. I now have two rotary tools: powered and this VersaPak.

I just bought one and I was quite impressed. Of couse its not going to be able to perform a huge job(no rotary tool will), but it is great for almost everything else. It cuts and grinds pretty fast, but you have to be patient when its charging. So far though its been able to do every thing I've put it up against