Editorial Review

Black & Decker’s VersaPak tools are great for the homeowner, and to keep them running, you’ll want some spare batteries. Some advantages to these include their freedom from "memory," which keeps you from getting a full recharge and the fact that you’ll get at least 300 full recharges on each battery. They’ll power all the 3.6-volt VersaPak tools, including the ScumBuster and screwdrivers. Of course, once you buy a VersaPak tool, you don’t have a choice of batteries, but we’ve found these to be reliable and well able to power the 3.6-volt VersaPak line. The charger has a light that lets you know you’ve inserted the batteries for a charge, and three hours later, they’re ready to go. Our only suggestion: We’d like to see Black & Decker revamp the charger to let us know when the batteries are fully charged. --Kris Jensen-Van Heste ... Read more

Features

• Interchangeable batteries work with all VersaPak products
• Batteries be recharged over 300 times and has no memory
• Charger recharges batteries in 3 hours
• Two year home use warranty

Reviews (15)

BUM BATTERIES
THIS IS A GOOD LITTEL DRIVER.BATTERIES ARE NOT WORTH THE POWDER TO BLOW THEM UP.WHY WOULD B&D TAKE A GOOD IDEA AND SCREW IT UP WITH CHEAP OUTSOURCEDBATTERIES?EVER HEAR OF NICKEL HYDRIDE? I LEFT MINE ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD AND NO ONE WOULD PICK IT UP.

Same problems with batteries and charger
B&D's claims for the batteries are just not true.I have had the same problems with very short battery life and intermittent charger described in other reviews.I have gone through several sets of gold batteries (don't even try the cheaper ones!).

And now, to make matters worse, you can't buy replacements locally anymore (they have been replaced by other tools with different batteries) and have to scour the internet trying to keep my tools working.

I will be replacing my tools very soon, I'm sure.The only reason I give 2 stars instead of one is that the tools do work pretty well when you can get a new battery in them.

bad batteries
great idea - lots of different tools all use same rechargeable batteries.BUT these batteries die in <1 year.I have a whole set of tools that use these, but now my choice is: spend $60/yr on batteries, or get a new set of tools that will last longer!Pretty easy decision at this point... considering I already have a great Craftsman drill and there are other tools that use the same batteries.
BE WARNED - if you buy these you will be buying them forever.
... Read more

Subjects:  1. Black & Decker    2. (Black and Decker)    3. Cordless Tools    4. Battery Packs    5. 3.6 Volt    6. (3.6V)    7. (3.6Volt)    8. (V)   

Features

• Interchangeable battery works with all VersaPak products
• No memory
• Can be recharged over 300 times
• Two year home use warranty

Reviews (11)

Buy Versapak GOLD instead.
The silver version of these batteries just dont last.You will get 60% MORE life from the Gold batteries for a few dollars more.I have many B&D tools that run these batteries, including the "Snake Light"...the Silver will go dead with one days use, as compared to the Gold, which will last up to 5 full days of use.You can get these for the same price at Lowes and Home Cheapo. You'll pay tax of course, but it evens out after subtracting the cost of (not) shipping.

Gold batteries much better
I would highly suggest using the "Gold" batteries. Since purchasing my tools, I have recycled all the Silver batteries and use the Gold batteries exclusively. NiCd batteries are simply too much of a hassle. They have to be drained regularly and simply don't have the capacity of NiMH ones. The NiMH batteries provide reasonably good power and performance. The only drawback is the higher rate of self discharge when sitting idle.

NiCd Batteries ALL Have Memory - Use NiMH Instead
My advice to all of you who made negative comments about the standard VP-100 Versapak "Silver" battery is to replace it with the VP-110 Versapak "Gold" battery. It costs about 30% more than the Sliver but offers 60% more energy (watts x time) and little or no memory effect. Be sure to recycle your old Silver batteries. They contain very toxic chemicals, such as cadmium, which are best kept out of landfills. Black & Decker and Sears have even prepaid the recylcing costs. Just figure the cost of a separate Gold battery into the cost of the tool, at least until manufacturers stop shipping the Silver Versapaks altogether. Read on for the thinking behind this advice.

The Versapak Silver battery, which comes with nearly all Versapak-powered B&D as well as similar Sears Craftsman products, have "battery memory" despite what the creative folks who write the product listings at Amazon and other websites want you to believe. As talented as these folks are, they have not and cannot repeal the laws of battery chemistry. All batteries based on the nickel-cadmium (NiCd) design have memory which means they stop accepting a full charge if they are continually recharged before being fully discharged. Think of it as that "always full feeling" you get if you do a lot of snacking around the house.

The newer battery chemistry is nickel-metal hydride or NiMH. Although not as new as the lithium ion or the even newer lithium polymer batteries found in cell phones and laptop computers, the NiMH design delivers more energy and weighs significantly less than NiCd. The Versapak Gold version is said to offer 60% more battery life than the Versapak Silver version. Most importantly, NiMH batteries suffer little or no memory effect. That makes them useful and valuable even without the big improvement in tool running time.

NiCd batteries work perfectly well for those applications that drain the battery to its discharge voltage. For example, a construction worker will use a NiCd battery in a power drill until the drill motor won't turn. At that point the battery has been discharged to the point where the memory effect during recharge will be minimal or non-existent. He or she simply pops in a fully charged NiCd pack and drops fully discharged battery on the charger.

By the way, by "discharged" I do not mean zero battery voltage. Discharging a NiCd by taking it to zero volts, either by shorting out the terminals (a very dangerous idea) or by putting a high wattage resistor across it, will effectively destroy the battery. There are many NiCd conditioners around that properly discharge these batteries, but most consumers are too busy to use them on a regular basis. Now back to our story...

NiCd batteries are terrible in those applications where the particular cordless tool is used for a few minutes and then put back on its charger. For example, think of a Versapak-powered DustBuster or ScumBuster. Fortunately, the latter doesn't holster the tool on its charger, which means its battery is more likely to get discharged before being recharged. The ScumBuster also comes with a separate charger because of the shock danger of charging a typically wet tool in its holster.

The DustBuster, unfortunately, is charged in its holster. A quick pick up with the ol' `Buster and then back in the holster pretty much guarantees most owners will see the memory effect in as little as a few weeks. Performance will just get worse and worse until it will only run for a few minutes before it's dead again.

If you just can't bring yourself to recycle those old Silver Versapaks and go for the Gold, I suggest you don't plug in the DustBuster holder's wall wart. When its Versapaks are pretty much dead (as in discharged), put them in a separate charger. Leave them in there overnight. It takes about 15-18 hours to bring a Silver battery to full charge.

As I said at the outset, the better idea for the DustBuster or any other short use tool is to simply replace the Silver Versapaks with the Golds. Yes, it's a big hit for the DustBuster which probably didn't cost that much to begin with, but it will run for years just like it was brand new. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Black & Decker    2. (Black and Decker)    3. Cordless Tools    4. Battery Packs    5. 3.6 Volt    6. (3.6V)    7. (3.6Volt)    8. (V)   

Editorial Review

Black & Decker’s VersaPak tools are great for the homeowner, and to keep them running, you’ll want some spare batteries. Some advantages to these include their freedom from "memory," which keeps you from getting a full recharge and the fact that you’ll get at least 300 full recharges on each battery. They’ll power all the 3.6-volt VersaPak tools, including the ScumBuster and screwdrivers. Of course, once you buy a VersaPak tool, you don’t have a choice of batteries, but we’ve found these to be reliable and well able to power the 3.6-volt VersaPak line.--Kris Jensen-Van Heste ... Read more

Features

• Interchangeable batteries work with all VersaPak products
• No memory
• Can be recharged over 300 times
• Two year home use warranty

Reviews (4)

Low power for the replacement 3.6v I ordered
The new Versapak battery I recieved was weaker than the origional five year old battery I still had. One of the two origional batteries quit working and I ordered a new one. The new one delivered only about half the torque to my screw driver and did not last long even after overnight charge. Perhaps I could have just recieved a defective one. I like the B&D cordless driver and will try again to order another one.

Don't hold charge as long as expected
To those people that can not find batteries without the charger, I say you will need at least two chargers at all times. The batteries need to be in a constant state of charge while you are using the others. The shelf life of the charge is pitiful and the length of charged batteries is not anywhere near your project-required time.
On the positive side you can not find a better "versatile" cordless system and this has make it possible for me to do many projects tat would be clumsy if I needed a cord.

Versatile but weak
I've got a number of the Versapack tools including the drill, screwdriver, and mini-circular saw.For small jobs like putting some screws in or cutting thin pieces of wood, they're fine.Anything that will take more than a few minutes of use will require more batteries because they die so quickly.This line would have been a lot nicer if the batteries were more powerful.Also, it would be nice if the chargers told you when the batteries were fully charged. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Black & Decker    2. (Black and Decker)    3. Cordless Tools    4. Battery Packs    5. 3.6 Volt    6. (3.6V)    7. (3.6Volt)    8. (V)   

Features

• Two year home use warranty
• Interchangeable battery works with all VersaPak products
• No memory
• Can be recharged over 300 times
• Three hour charge time

Reviews (3)

VersaPak Battery/charger
I have four of these chargers, only one works.The batteries that came with them lasted about 50-75 charges, not 300. They are all dead, leaving me with usless chuck drill, hedge trimmer, screwdriver, mini grinder, recip saw and a light.These tools cost at least $300 and for lack of a good set of batteries, all are usless!That is why I was looking at this charger/batteryoffer.I decided to pass......

AMAZON IS LYING
I made an order of this product at Nov 25, 2004. Today is Dec 02, 2004 and the product is still not shipped. The order page says it's delayed but the product page still says "Availability: Usually ships within 24 hours" It's truely disapointing that Amazon lies like this. Now If I order it from other place it'll be too late. I'm so disapointed by Amazon now.

Nice to have an extra one
My wife and I have several of the Versa Pak tools and we found that having an extra charge base and extra set of batteries comes in very handy.We keep one set charging in the house and the extra set charging in the tool shed.If you have more than a couple of Versa Pak tools, you'll need this sooner or later. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Black & Decker    2. (Black and Decker)    3. Cordless Tools    4. Battery Packs    5. 3.6 Volt    6. (3.6V)    7. (3.6Volt)    8. (V)   

Features

• Powers all 14.4-volt FireStorm units.
• High capacity nickel cadmium
• Two year home use warranty

Reviews (16)

Cough up the bucks for a good charger
The PS140 is a perfectly good battery - you can get those at auction sites for about $30. I just got 3 brand new in the package for $100 and that included shipping!

My tools get tons of usage daily. They are the Black and Decker 14.4v "Firestorm" drill; circular saw and reciprocating saw.

To reviewer J. Jackson, you get what you pay for. The PS180 charger, that came with the above mentioned tools, is the lowest quality, piece of #@&* charger you can get for the B&D PS140 (post style) 14.4v battery. I wouldn't give $5 for one of them. And yes, I too burned them out in no time at all.

The PS180 does not turn off after the battery is charged which is why the battery is always hot when you pull it out and that's just not good for the battery or the charger.

(By the way, shouldn't use the battery `til it cools down & always unplug the charger when you're done with it and bad batteries will kill the charger).

I bought a couple of PS1514BU B&D chargers a couple of years ago but can't find them anymore. They have a red indicator while charging, green when charged and stop operating when the battery is charged. You can leave it in there all night and the battery is cool when removed. Chargers and batteries are still in great shape and get charged about every three days!

I am VERY interested in B&D's PS1MVC. It is a multi-voltage unit that charges 8.4v, 9.6v, 12.0v and 14.4v B&D batteries. Among other things, it indicates when the battery is charged and if thebattery has gone bad and needs to be replaced.

Check out the reviews on Amazon but go elsewhere to buy it. Some auction sites have them brand new for about $30.

SOME FACTS ABOUT FIRESTORM POST BATTERIES
Remember you get what you pay for.I have been told that a battery which goes bad can destroy a charger.Some of the previous comments indicate this may have taken place when they switched a non-charging battery to a new charger and burned out both chargers.

The 14.4 post charger can be found on ebay, and reliabletools.com where I bought mine.
Dewalt 14.4 batteries will work in OLD STYLE - post type (not the new slide type) tools.
Batteries must be fully drained each time to avoid imprinting.
Charge for full time requirement, usually 3 hrs., for the old style firestorm charger.
Unplug charging unit when not in use to extend life of charger.
I have seen Dewalt batteries, Firstorm batteries (post style) and dewalt chargers at Lowes hardware.
I have aquired these rules from destroying my own tools and searching for replacement tools.Hope this helps.

great tools -- bad charger
I won't go into great detail since others have already stated my problem, but the point is well taken that a cordless tool is only as good as the charger.My charger died and finding a replacement seems impossible.I'll stay away from Black and Decker tools in the future for this reason.

UPDATE -- I took the advice of one of the other reviewers, bought a new B&D charger at a reasonable price, and had that charger go bad within weeks of my purchase.Never again! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Black & Decker    2. (Black and Decker)    3. Cordless Tools    4. Battery Packs    5. 14.4 Volt    6. (14.4V)    7. (14.4Volt)    8. (V)   

Features

• Powers all 18-volt FireStorm units.
• High capacity nickel cadmium
• Two year home use warranty

Reviews (3)

Change to Ryobi
My first ever cordless drill, was one of the green 18V PS series drills made my Black and Decker.

Over time, I went through 3 different chargers, until I got one of the bigger black ones that look like a big platform shoe sole.

The batteries gave their spirit and eventually so did the drill motor.

As it was going out, I bought an orange Firestorm drill to find to my pleasant surprise that there was now a gearbox and to my dismay that Black & Decker had decided to change the battery style from the pod style batteries to the slide in batteries.

After having gone through a couple of battery packs for the old style B&D I understand why they changed their style, since their old pod style batteries would fall apart physically.

The Orange FS with the slide in battery, gearbox and the push button changeable chuck was an improvement over the old style drills, and it will hold out decently (not great) under heavy use, though the motor is still holding up without smelling funny like in the old single speed PS series drill.

The one MAJOR disappointing point with the FS drill is the charger. It is beyond me, why B&D refuses to build and include a half way decent charger with their tool sets.

It is my opinion and in contrast with one of the reviewers, that the B&D chargers go bad, take the battery with them, and then eventually lead to the demise of the drill (low voltage batteries leading to drill stalling).

A year ago, I bought, a closeout homelite set at Home Depot (made by Ryobi) that was for gardening, (2 betteries, charger, pruner, branch cutter and electric saw) for $70.

Well, after examining the Ryobi charger I was amazed. They are sturdier, and better build, and their power consumption is much higher than that even of the DeWalt chargers, which to me translates to better regulation and higher current capacity, something a battery would appreciate.

At the time I was ready to buy the new 7-set B&D FS set that B&D pulled out of the market quickly, and at the end I ended up switching to Ryobi.

I recommend to those who do not have a substantial investment in B&D tools and are not hard core professionals, to give Ryobi another look, they are no longer the bottom of the line manufacturer I remember them to be, especially in cordless tools.

Though they might not be Milwaukee, or Dewalt, they represent an excellent value, and where else can you get a 480 in/lbs 3 speed 18V drill body on sale for $50?

Fire Storm ROCKS!!
In spite of the above 1 star review, I have been using my B/D Fire Storm 18v Drill for about 2 years. I have put this drill through HELL. I have even hooked up an auger type device and used the drill to dig POST HOLES with!!! I crank the torque on that bad boy to MAX and go to town!
The two batteries that came with it are now giving up the ghost so I am now in the market for another drill as the price for two batteries is almost more than half the price for another drill. I may look for a B/D Fire Storm 18v Impact/Hammer drill next time!

Battery Charger Solution??
I will add my two cents to many other reviews which mention problems with Black&Decker Firestorm battery chargers --- STAY AWAY FROM Black & Decker battery-powered tools.I purchased a second B&D Firestorm 18V drill just to get a new charger (the one with my first drill went bad).In no time, the second charger went bad. I ordered two MORE chargers from the B&D warranty/service website.One went bad after a few months, and when I then tried the second one IT NEVER WORKED AT ALL.Trying to contact B&D is impossible, you just get an automated run-around.BEWARE!

UPDATE: In all fairness, after writing this review I was FINALLY able to get thru to a Customer Service rep at B&D who is sending a charger -- no charge.Kudos to Holly at B&D and an upgrade to 3 stars.Also, it was explained to me that I should test my battery packs for bad cell(s).Charging "bad" battery packs will ruin the charger.Even a seemingly "good" battery pack can have a bad cell and will fry a charger.I was given a battery test procedure which I also found in a Service Bulletin on the web at www.dewaltservicenet.com.Testing Procedure:Place the battery pack in the charger for 2 minutes, take the battery pack out, put a volt meter on it and if it is less than 18V you have a bad cell(s) and the battery pack is bad.Continuing to charge a bad battery pack eventually ruins the charger (4 times in my case -- duh!).I followed this procedure and sure enough found one battery out of four was bad (although it seemed to run the drill just fine).Kind of an inconvenient thing to have to do prior to charging a battery pack, but it beats buying more chargers and preserves my investment in drills and batteries. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Black & Decker    2. (Black and Decker)    3. Cordless Tools    4. Battery Packs    5. 18 Volt    6. (18V)    7. (18Volt)    8. (V)   

Features

• Powers all 12-volt FireStorm units.
• High capacity nickel cadmium
• Two year home use warranty

Reviews (4)

The drill works ok but the batteries die very fast.
I bought 4 of these drills - two for me and two for friends.
All batteries get tired quickly with usage and they die quickly ( in that they no longer hold a charge at all ). A new battery costs $35 and I only paid $45 for the complete drill/charger/bits so buying new batteries seems like a waste. I bought the Dewalt drill ($180) which came with two batteries and _really_ like it. It charges fully in 1 hour has _lots_ of power and the batteries last quite a while.

I CAN TELL YOU WHERE TO GET THE CHARGER
...but if you've got the cash, you might as well go ahead and get a REAL drill.The number one problem I have with this lemon is that it can't hold small bits...the chuck is poorly designed.I just had the charger conk out on me...first of all, these batteries don't hold a charge for too long; now, no one carries the charger...

Well, almost no one:
http://doityourself.com/store/028877325163.htm

So I hope that helps the person who posted about not being able to find the charger.

warranty
I am trying to find a battery charger for this type battery and can't seem to find one. Our drill is not been used much at all and now we need a charger. If anyone knows where we could get one I sure would appreciate it if you would let me know. Thanks in advance.
We loved having the drill in our home for the convience but, without a charger it is no good to us. We have 2 batteries but, no way to charge them. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Black & Decker    2. (Black and Decker)    3. Cordless Tools    4. Battery Packs    5. 12 Volt    6. (12V)    7. (12Volt)    8. (V)   

Features

• Mouse fine grit sander accessory pack
• Fine 220 grit sandpaper
• Hook and loop sandpaper

Reviews (1)

220 Grit sand paper for Palm Sander
The palm sander fits easily in the palm of your hand and reduces fatique form long project use. The 220 grit is not available in Lowes or Home Depot so getting it on line is easy and it offers another grade of the product. I have found this product to be easy to install, sands hard to get areas, and easy to remove. When I used it there were no burns, gouges, or uneven spots. My first project was a pie safe which came out so well, even my wife was satisfied. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Black & Decker    2. (Black and Decker)    3. Sanders    4. Sheets    5. Sand Paper    6. (Sandpaper)   

Features

• Mouse sander accessory pack
• Includes a variety of sandpaper types
• Hook and loop sandpaper

Reviews (3)

Less than satisfied
I was so excited about my Black&Decker Mouse. I thought I'd be able to tackle my difficult sanding jobs. I thought it would do more than it does, and I'm dissapointed that there's only 3 grades of sandpaper.It was billed as a sander and it's more of a fine tuner or a polisher/scrubber.It doesn't sand very well. They need a wider range of grit for a lesser cost, such as 50 grit.I feel like I was ripped off.It's a glorified polisher that can get into the nooks.

Great For Small Projects
The Black and Decker "Mouse Sander" is a wonderfully easy to use tool.Lightweight and easy to hold it is a shame that the pads need to be replaced often while working on a particular item, so you wouldn't want to use it on a big job.ie: bureau,chest,etc..I have used mine to do large jobs when no other options were available and by the time you buy replacement pads in the right grit to complete the project,you could have had a nice down payment on a larger and more efficient sander.Once I completed my first table,I searched around looking for other projects simply to use this tool.I recommend it to first time refinishers.

Expensive Sandpaper
There are only 5 sheets of sandpaper in this package. I guess we pay for the convenience of having sandpaper cut to size so it fits the mouse sander ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Black & Decker    2. (Black and Decker)    3. Sanders    4. Sheets    5. Sand Paper    6. (Sandpaper)   

Features

• Fits all popular finishing/detail sanders
• 5 pieces of assorted grit (1 coarse, 2 medium, and 2 fine)

Subjects:  1. Black & Decker    2. (Black and Decker)    3. Sanders    4. Detail Sander Paper    5. (Sandpaper)   

Features

• High output NiCad cells
• Works with all slide pack 14.4V FireStorm tools
• Up to 500 recharges

Reviews (2)

False Advertising
This Battery is not the HSB14 it is advertised to be!!
It is the standard black batt.Although it fits the Anneversary B&D Amazon is misleading it's customers.

Black and Decker HPB14 Anniversary Edition. 14.4vBattery
Picture and Discription in misleading ad was for the Anniversary Edition Battery. Paid for and received standard black battery available at any hardware store that has B&D products.Very Poor $ervice AMAZON.COM No wonder the shipping was free considering my time and expence returning it. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Black & Decker    2. (Black and Decker)   

Features

• Fits all popular finishing/detail sanders
• 5 pieces of 80 grit (coarse)

Subjects:  1. Black & Decker    2. (Black and Decker)    3. Sanders    4. Detail Sander Paper    5. (Sandpaper)   

Features

• Mouse sander accessory

Reviews (1)

The Best Deal on Refills for the Mouse Sander/Polisher
This looks like the best deal in replacement accessories for the sander polisher.I find that I have to buy replacement sandpaper (especially the fine grit) more often (separate package).I tried putting together my ownsandpaper, but after the cost of the velcro and the imperfect fit, I wentback to the B&D accessories. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Black & Decker    2. (Black and Decker)    3. Sanders    4. Sheets    5. Sand Paper    6. (Sandpaper)   

Features

• Fits all popular finishing/detail sanders
• 5 pieces of 220 grit (fine)

Subjects:  1. Black & Decker    2. (Black and Decker)    3. Sanders    4. Detail Sander Paper    5. (Sandpaper)   

Features

• Repacement blade for the SC500 Navigator
• Curved cutting blade (jig)

Subjects:  1. Blades    2. Jig Saw Blades    3. Multipurpose Cutting Blades    4. (Jigsaws)   

Features

• Ultra-thin kerf for superior cutting performance
• Aggressive tooth geometry for use in a wide variety of materials
• Special heat treating process for longer life

Subjects:  1. Blades    2. Circular Saw Blades    3. 7.25-inch Blades    4. (1/4)   

Features

• Fits all popular finishing/detail sanders
• 5 pieces of 120 grit (medium)

Subjects:  1. Black & Decker    2. (Black and Decker)    3. Sanders    4. Detail Sander Paper    5. (Sandpaper)   

Features

• Ultra-thin kerf for superior cutting performance
• Aggressive tooth geometry for use in a wide variety of materials
• Special heat treating process for longer life

Subjects:  1. Blades    2. Circular Saw Blades    3. 7.25-inch Blades    4. (1/4)   

Features

• Repacement metal cutting blade
• Compatible with SC500 Navigator hand saw/jig saw

Subjects:  1. Blades    2. Jig Saw Blades    3. Metal-Cutting Blades    4. (Jigsaws)   

Features

• Mouse sander finger accessory
• Hook and loop sandpaper

Subjects:  1. Black & Decker    2. (Black and Decker)    3. Sanders    4. Sheets    5. Sand Paper    6. (Sandpaper)