DIY Life

The item we have here is a Black & Decker VPX Starter set model #VPX903X1. The UPC code is:8591103820. This set includes one each: cutoff saw, power screw driver, 3 LED flashlight, VPX battery, battery charger, two screw bits and two jigsaw type blades. Each tool comes with it's own informative owner's manual. I was not provided with a manufacturer's list price so please check with your local dealer about pricing details.

The tools themselves come in a very nice display and carry package which can serve as a tool case for quite some time. Formed recesses hold each component of the set, keeping everything secure, neat and ready. This tool set makes a very nice presentation coming out of the box and holds your interest from there.






The battery charger, Is stout and compact, fitting nice and safely in a 5" x 5" x 5"space. It appears to be built to withstand being dropped on concrete more times than it will be. The charger unit for the VPX series batteries offers the ability to interconnect multiple chargers for multiple battery charging. The cord for interconnecting comes as a built in part of each charger. It's a feature called daisy chaining and to me it's a value added item well executed and I think that you will need at least two batteries and two chargers to get full performance from this set. For all the use that I got from the battery and the charger, neither of them ever got much warmer than the ambient air temperature.

The battery went into the charger immediately after draining it in my drill testing. It took almost exactly 5 hours for the charger to indicate the charging cycle was complete. For the record, in my drill test, the battery held up beyond the point that I needed to give my hand a quick rest. In my opinion, the battery delivered much more than ample power for a tool of this class.

The drill is light in weight, firm in the hand and nicely balanced. The "rubberized" handle provides good grip and feel. The drill also accommodates two hand leverage, something not often accomplished with tools this compact. I find the bit chuck to be just slightly below grade for what I expect from a tool giving this kind of presentation, but it does a fine job of holding 1/4" hex bits and keeps them from dropping out.. What bothers me is that you can pull the bit out of this tool at will and that can occasionally result in tool bits being left stuck in screws when pulling the tool away.

This drill features two torque settings, one for drilling and another for higher torque tasks. For my drill test I chose to drive screws rather than drill holes. I used 1-1/2" black drywall screws and drove them into medium density clear pine wood. On a fresh battery charge I drove 36 screws into virgin wood out of 99 total in-drive cycles. I also easily accomplished 99 screw removals. I used a mixture of torque settings in a mixture of situations and the drill did everything I asked of it. I feel that speed and power are nicely balanced in this tool but I would consider it more of a power screw driver than a hand drill. About half way through my drill test it could be felt that the motor was getting slightly warm. By the time that I finished all 198 reps, the motor was noticeably warmer but nothing near unacceptable. In the battle between batteries and battery powered hand tools, I would say that four to five fully charged batteries would provide enough continuous work load to seriously stress this drill but I think that this tool set is not intended for that type of heavy work load.

The cut saw provided with this set both satisfied and surprised me. Like the drill, the saw is well balanced and comfortable for one or two hand use. I took the battery right from the charger and clicked it into the saw with it's full 1/2" blade stroke. I addressed a good solid pine 2 x 4 and started making cuts. On a fully charged battery, with a new blade, the cut saw made 11.5 successful cut-offs before stalling in the twelfth cut. Both the 5th and 10th cuts were through tight wood knots. Given multiple batteries for continuous tasks, this saw will accomplish anything the blade and stroke combination will allow.

I'm just a little curious about the choice of stroke speed for this saw. I would think that the 1/2" stroke would require more blade speed to successfully cut a lot of metal but, I'm no engineer. I am certain that, when given the right blade for wood, copper, plastic or aluminum based materials, this saw will be just the thing. The head gear on this saw is impressive. The face plate is a full 1-3/4" wide and is made out of steel over 1/16" thick. It gives the tool plenty of secure foot print and it is designed to assist the motions that help make this small class of saws effective. The saw features a one touch blade gripping clamp that worked absolutely great as far as I am concerned. I am also quite pleased with the way Black & Decker integrated the safety switch position on this tool because it helps you focus on your hand for just a moment before getting the saw started. The saw has plenty of muscle for its size and it's the kind of tool that invites you to challenge it.

The flashlight delivered bright and useful light using the battery that had served in the saw test. This tells me that the 3 LED lights are functioning at a very effective level even though the battery is quite a bit depleted. This flashlight offers a focused light zone at the center of a fairly wide and bright illumination area. I admit that I did not do a battery life test on the flashlight, but I'm guessing that a fully charged battery would feed this flashlight between 8 to 12 hours continuously. The flashlight has a 90 degree, one-way pivoting head and it is designed to stand on end. I find the base foot print of this light to be just a little bit on the small side but the unit includes a battery clip so, it's all good.

In conclusion I will say that the Black & Decker VPX starter kit is a well above average example of a class of battery operated tools intended for serious craft people, routine home maintenance, light to moderate home repair and light remodeling work. If I was to make any changes, I'd beef up the tool bit chuck on the drill and I'd add a bigger foot print to the flashlight. This set is made for much more than hanging pictures and tightening hinges. Strong, usable and effective would be the indications I take from my tests. These tools will give you the room to challenge them in your home environment. See your local tool retailer for prices and availability or go to the Black & Decker website to get a good look at a full range of VPX battery operated tools.