Review: Black & Decker CDC180ASB, Mediocre at best

Overall Rating2.672.672.672.672.67

Mediocre at best

I picked this up for $40 on sale in a local store. It’s adequate for most tasks, but no better.

The battery can only be charged when it’s plugged into the drill, so you can’t alternate between two to keep working. It doesn’t have a variable speed setting, so controlling the speed when driving screws is hard. The battery capacity seems small, plus there’s no charge level indicator on the device or charger, so you don’t know when it’s fully recharged. Finally, the RPM is very low compared to equivalents–getting through steel is going to take you a while.

If you can get it on sale for a reasonable price, and don’t want to do too many adventurous things with a power drill, consider giving it a look.

Update (9/8/2010): This item is currently on sale here for the lowest price I’ve seen. I also found some auctions for this item here.

The featured review for this product, Black & Decker CDC180ASB 18-volt Compact Drill with 20 Accessories Tools & Hardware, was written by Bugaloo.

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Reviews (3)

Bugaloo

January 18th, 2010 at 10:33 am    


Overall Rating22222

Mediocre at best
Rated 2 stars.


Truthful Reviewer

January 23rd, 2010 at 6:38 am    


Overall Rating11111

Not pleased with this product
Very disappointed with this product. The drill is the smallest that B&D produces, under powered. The battery may be fine but the charger is a waste. It is a plug in adapter that actually plugs into the wall and drill, not a stand alone charger. Without the drill available, you can not charge the battery. No lights to signal when it is charged. It has very few (none) features that one would desire in a drill. I have the B&D set that includes drill, circular saw, TWO batteries, DUAL battery charger and a jig saw. Step up to a better package !!


Greg Kazakov

February 23rd, 2010 at 12:31 am    


Overall Rating55555

Great drill for the price
I was looking for something cheap as my first drill. From checking many different stores and drills, this was the best choice for the money. I used this successfully for installing 3 over-the-range microwaves. I bought large Irwin drill bits to cut big holes through drywall and cabinetry, and this drill performed fine. This also
saves you a ton of time having to use a screwdriver to assemble something.

FYI: The 20 accessories that come with this drill are drill bits and screwdriver bits. They are of good quality and that alone saves you some $10-$15 bucks from having to buy it separately with another drill.

This is not a hammer drill so you will not be able to drill through concrete or other strong material. Some places of drywall was difficult for me to drill through, but with maximum drill power and forward-force I was able to make it through.

The battery lasts well for me, one thing that is good is to keep charging it in between working, or while you are taking 30mins for a lunch break. It held its charge for over 2 weeks when I had it in storage between uses.

One suggestion is to have some kind of indicator to let you know when it’s fully charged. There are no lights whatsoever to tell you it’s charging or it’s got a charge. But if you do it like me and plug it in the night before working then you’re fine.

Again, for $50 bucks shipped you can’t beat this drill. If you’re looking for the best then go for DeWalt, but if you need something around the house, or maybe helping out a neighbor install whatever, this is an excellent choice.


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