I know one of our contributors wrote this tool up a while back. I liked it so much I wanted to write about it also. When I first saw the AutoSense I thought it was a gimmick. When I first used it, I was like WOW. This is a really nice tool. It has a has a powerful 20V max battery. This drill rivals some Pro drill/drivers with its ergonomic grip that felt perfect in my hands. 20V power will feel like a formula one car to most home owners. The tool weighs 3.7 lbs.
The Auto Sense is just one button that automatically stops the rotation, ideally when the fastener is flush. It works very well most of the time. In certain 3″ screw into wood situations it would cut out prematurely. For these situations we just turned off AutoSense and the tool drove the screw all the way. If you want to drive the screw deeper in AutoSense mode, just hold the trigger. The tool will spin a quarter of a turn every second or so, release when you are the depth you want. Speed is controlled by a variable speed trigger, up to 800 rpm. On the top of the tool is a rubber button for AutoSense/drill mode and a 4 LED battery fuel gauge.
The 3/8″chuck is plastic but easily locks on to a bit with little effort. It held the bit well, not once did it fall out or become loose. At the base of the tool is a LED light that does a pretty good job of illuminating the work area. I really want to see this in a pro version from DeWALT. This product has a 2 year warranty.
Why do I say this is the perfect Home owner drill?
- It’s a real drill – There is no odd shape, it is ergonomic, compact and simple to operate.
- Price – Under $80 It is a great price for an all around drill that will handle 95% of your tasks.
- Power – 20V 1.5Ah removable battery packs that interchange with Black & Decker 20V garden tools.
- Control – The AutoSense system works very well for most applications and prevents you from stripping screws and damaging fasteners.
One of the forum members commented on a picture I had posted. It was my Festool MFT/3 table, several sustainers, a Festool TI15 Impactor and T15+3 Drill and my Black and Decker 20v Autosense Drill. I am still running it through its courses but that is a NICE drill. It’s got circuitry protection, fuel gauge and torque. PLUS the ability to prevent over driving when hanging sheet rock. This is actually a really good drill and the forum member was surprised to see it posing for my picture.
Homeowners like good quality tools too, Stop picking on us
Many friends I help out ask about my Dewalt, see the price and shudder. This will be a good alternative for someone who isn’t using these tools daily or willing to shell out the cash. Thanks for the info looking forward to passing it on.
The tech sounds cool! Hope Makita gets with it. Lol.
Hands down this is the coolest homeowner drill to date
could be a cool Drywall drill