Black & Decker VPX903X1 Li-Ion VPX Starter Set with Power Screwdriver, Cut Saw, Flashlight, and VPX Battery with Charger
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List Price: Our Price: $59.99 You Save: $133.41 (69%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $45.00 (click here) Category: Tools See more product details |
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Black & Decker VPX903X1 Li-Ion VPX Starter Set with Power Screwdriver, Cut Saw, Flashlight, and VPX Battery with Charger
Customer Review: Nice little set for the home.
Summary: 4 Stars
This system is nice for the average homeowner, its not for contractors or heavy use. I tested the screw driver by driving a 3" screw into a hard wood 2x4 it did ok on the 1st setting, second setting it stalled out, but that is to be expected with a 7 volt. I was actually surprised it better in my test than i expected. Since most people will not use it to drive 3"screws this system should do just fine. The screw drivers could use a clutch and a brake but then again your not paying a $150 for just a screw driver. The Saw is pretty handy as well, i used the same 2x4 and it did just ok, but when i used it on a laminate floor piece and 1/2 inch cedar fencing and it did really well. The flashlight works, its a 3 led and does what it should. I like this set because its comfortable to use and handy for for around the house. The cool thing about the set it the lithium ion batteries, Should work for most homeowners. Customer Review: NO accessory kit or carrying case came with mine
Summary: 2 Stars
I ordered this for my mom for Christmas and we just checked to be sure it looked ok before sending it on. It does, BUT this is the same set you can buy anywhere else. There is no carrying case (unless one counts the box????) and there is no 10-piece accessory kit. I have emailed re this discrepancy but fyi, I think this is the same set that Target, Home Depot, etc. offer and nothing unique to Amazon so shop based on price.Customer Review: B&D's Next Generation of Toy Tools
Summary: 4 Stars
Years ago, I purchased a Black and Decker Versapak Tool kit, consisting of a drill, flashlight, jigsaw, sander, Nicad battery, charger and hard plastic case. It made a great toy tool set, but the batteries were notorious for either failing, or losing charge when you really needed them. Fast forward to 2007 and B&D introduces another toy tool kit, this time based on Lithium ion batteries. Why do I call this a toy set? Because other than the flashlight, nothing really qualifies as a tool any bona fide contractor would bring to a job, unless he liked using inexpensive tools that other people would steal. And then, the pain of losing such tools would be lessened. Not every tool in the VPX lineup is homeowner grade. The VPX1212 14.4-Volt Drill Driver is pro quality. But it costs nearly as much as this entire tool kit. Let's look at the kit's driver/drill first. This has two speeds, 195 and 625 rpm. The torque is adequate for driving 1/4" holes in wood, assuming you purchase a good hex-head shank drill bit set, such as the one made by Bosch. You cannot use regular drill bits unless you buy an adapter chuck with jaws. Such is progress. The new B&D driver/drill is a much better portable tool than the Versapak unit (which, to its credit, has a chuck), and much lighter too. You will not blitz through any drilling job, but the fact that the drill is battery powered means you can use it in more places than a corded drill. But for driving screws, I suggest you opt for the Bosch PS20-2 driver. This has a clutch and a more variable range of speeds. I can drive screws with either the Bosch or the B&D drill without stripping the screw head, but the finesse of the Bosch makes a world of difference in consistency. If the B&D is your only driver/drill, then pulse the switch when you use it as an electric screwdriver. There is at least a fraction of a turn overshoot, which takes some getting used to. One accessory I recommend for this drill is a Milwaukee 49-22-8510 Right Angle Drill Attachment Kit. When you are in tight quarters, you will appreciate the ergonomics of this attachment. Make sure you have short shank driver bits to take advantage of this combo. Next, I will cover the cut saw. This is not bad, but get a T-shank wood blade vs. the universal shank one that B&D supplies. As an accessory, the B&D wood blade makes no sense because the metal one they give you does have a T-shank. Some bean counter was hard at work trying to save 10 cents here. I'd estimate the throw of the saw is around 3/8 to 1/2", enough to cut most thin or soft materials, including 1/4" plywood, 1/2" drywall, or PVC. I would not use this saw to cut hardwood flooring, unless you really are cheap and cannot afford anything beyond this tool kit. But, cheap is ok, so long as you work slow and steady. The speed of this saw is actually conducive to free hand cutting without a guide. Kickback is low. The safety release on the saw is easy to work with, unlike the one on Makita's battery powered mini-circular saw. (That has to be one of the worst examples of industrial design I have ever had to contend with). Saws of any kind can be dangerous to use, but B&D gets points for making their saw a good bit safer to use, since you can hold the barrel with your non-trigger hand, and not have to use it to fiddle with the safety release. Plunge cutting with the saw is not something I would recommend to the average user, although it can be done. Drill a hole first, if you intend to do an interior cutout. There is something about a lightweight tool that worries me for this function. Anyway, you already have a drill to make the opening, so use it. Finally, we get to the flashlight. This is wonderful and efficient, being based on LEDs and not a filament bulb. It could save your life during an electrical outage, seriously. They say the cord is made of bungee, but it doesn't have the stretchiness you're probably used to. But there is a plastic tightener that allows you to cinch the tool to a hold down. So there you have it. A nice inexpensive set of tools, that are way better than the Versapak. Not contractor grade, but then again, you are not paying contractor prices. I just wish B&D could have supplied us with a hard plastic case instead of the cheap cardboard box they did package everything in. So long Versapak, hello VPX. Next item I'll buy is B&D hand vac. After all, I really only wanted the flashlight and a vacuum. The extra tools are just (redundant) icing on the cake. But that's another story.Customer Review: Not a lightweight
Summary: 5 Stars
We purchased this set at a very critical time -- we were just about to move into a house and had a long list of things we wanted to do, including but not limited to: cut a hole in the basement door for a cat door, install curtain rods, dis-assemble and assemble furniture and closet organizers, install cabinet hardware on brand-new maple cabinets in the kitchen and bathrooms, hang a medicine cabinet, etc. We've used these tools every day for almost two weeks and have only put the batteries on the chargers once -- not because we needed to, but because we thought we should.
We were concerned that they would not have enough power for our many needs. We've never had a problem with it not being able to handle any job asked of them.
The one recommendation I would make is to purchase a set of drill bits, as the bits it comes with are not enough for most jobs. Fortunately, it takes standard drill bits with ease.
Just because they are small and seem lightweight doesn't mean they aren't tough enough to tackle most household jobs (even the electrician borrowed our screwdriver for awhile). As a woman with small hands, the tools are very comfortable for me to use, but they are also comfortable for my husband, whose hands are pretty big.
Customer Review: VPX Heaven!
Summary: 5 Stars
IMHO, VPX is a revolution in tool design. I was so excited when I saw these tools. This system has what I consider to be the best industrial design you can find in the consumer tool market. I started with the inflator and since then I've bought and tested all the different components except for the USB/Inverter.
I find the tools to have plenty of power and its very useful to have a common battery as well as one thats ready to go when you need it! They also take a lot less space than my old tool system which my wife always thought took a lot of space. My VPX setup takes half the space and does more! This one is a keeper!