Cordless drill that works when you need it

Sometimes cordless drills make me really angry. A little job comes up around the house, you dig out a drill you haven't used in months, then pull the trigger. Nothing happens. The blasted thing's dead. Even though you put the tool away all charged up, you've got to plug it in for at least 30 minutes before you can get anything done. Grrr! Traditional nickel cadmium batteries are to blame. They discharge on the shelf with infuriating speed, which is one reason I was so happy to see lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries make it into cordless tools back in January 2005. They hold a charge for more than a year. Trouble is, Li-ion has also been too expensive for general consumer tools. At least until now. I've been waiting to see which power tool company would be the first to offer Li-ion technology in a reasonably-priced household drill, and the contest is over. The winner is orange, black and silver.

The Black & Decker SC1400-CA is the first reasonably-priced consumer-duty drill I've seen powered by a Li-ion battery. It's a 14.4 volt unit that weighs less than 3 lbs., and I was especially eager to try this model when I first discovered it because of what I know about typical homeowner tool use.

The average person isn't into big renovations and serious building. They don't need a drill for that sort of work. Instead, many folks want a lightweight tool that works whenever they pick it up. The SC1400-CA delivers on this count, plus a few more ways, too.

In some ways, tools are a lot like people. Sometimes superficial things matter, and that's where a feature called 'overwrap' helps. It's a soft, rubber-like, high-friction material molded into the hand-grip areas of a growing number of power tools. Manufacturers started using it about ten years ago, and while overwrap was originally found only on high-end, professional-grade tools, that's changing. The SC1400-CA is a case in point. It has lots of strategically placed overwrap, just where you want it. Overall, I found this tool particularly well balanced and easy to hold.

The only thing I don't like about the SC1400-CA is the charger. It takes 3 to 9 hours to fully top up the battery. That's longer than necessary in an age where 20- and 30-minute chargers are common, though it might not matter to you. Since the drill comes with a cradle charger that's also permanent home to the drill, you'll always be starting jobs with a full battery if you store the tool as intended. And like I said, since the SC1400-CA isn't designed for tackling big jobs all day, you probably won't run the battery down before you're done anyway. Or will you?

If you're planning to build a deck, equip a home workshop or complete home renovations, then the SC1400-CA isn't the first drill you should buy. You'll find one of the many 18-volt models with a pair of batteries and a 30-minute charger does a much better job. But even if you already keep one of these out in the garage, there's a case to be made for having a simple, lightweight Li-ion drill handy in the den or kitchen drawer. Half the battle of getting pesky little jobs done around the house is having tools at hand and ready to go.

The SC1400-CA doesn't have a removable battery like most other cordless drills. And while this feature keeps costs down, it's got to make you wonder, too. When the battery's toast, so is the drill, right? Yes, but that may not be as bad as it sounds. One of the advantages of Li-ion batteries is that they have longer working lives than traditional nickel cadmium batteries. The two-year warranty on the drill also covers batteries, too. And if the battery in the SC1400-CA is anything like other Li-ion batteries I've used, it'll last longer than a couple of years. The oldest Li-ion batteries I have are more than two years old now and going strong. Accurate charge indicator lights are included on some Li-ion cordless tools, and the SC1400-CA is no exception. Push the button and you'll see at a glance how much gas you've got in the tank.

There are cheaper light-duty drills than the new $130 Black & Decker Li-ion model, and that's probably going to fool some inexperienced tool buyers. What they don't know is that the money they save up-front on tools they'll probably pay back later in frustration, wasted time and a certain amount of regret. At least with Li-ion batteries on your side, you've got a pretty good chance of having the drill work when you need it to.