While bragging about my new cordless my brother responded with: "Would not trade my 45 year old Black and Decker for any cordless drill. Can't think how many boats it has built and only put in one switch, a few sets of brushes and two chucks."
A friend of mine was an electrician - used a 1/4" B&D every day on the job for 10 years, tossing it around, generally abusing the hell out of it. He said it threw him into a blind rage when it finally went bad so he smashed it on the floor...then he thought about it.....and went right out and bought another one for $9.95.
For dollars/durability they used to be the standard.
Variable or single speed? I have a B&D single speed I'll mail you if you want it. SWMBO got me a VS model a couple Christmases ago, and I haven't used the old one since. Lemme know if you want it. No idea how it compares to the one you're reminiscing about, but it's black, has an orange switch cover, and runs on electricity. :)
I wouldn't be afraid to buy a drill from them. Mostly it's a matter of if you bought the thing wearing its native brand name from some place else, you'd get a molded plastic case and some extra bits or something for less money than the plain drill wearing a Crapsman sticker. They're just not a good value.
Having said that, I have a 7 amp Crapsman drill, and it kicks ass. I don't miss the molded plastic case, or the cheap bits, and nobody around here was selling anything like it wearing any other brand name. I needed a drill, I bought a drill, and it really kicks ass. Who cares if someone wants to look down his nose at me because my kick ass drill is a Crapsman?
OK, Here's my experience with drills, FWIW, in order of acquisition. (sp?)
Black & Decker single speed 3/8" corded-gift-about 30 years old, still fine but never did use it much since I was 13 at the time.
Craftsman brace with Irwin expansive bit, cordless :?)-gift-about 30 years old, very nice brace, lousy bit.
Craftsman 3/8" vsr corded-about .00-bought about 1987, bearings (sorry, bushings) went bad about 2 years later from normal homeowner use, will never buy another corded one from them. My FIL had the same drill, went bad the same way in about 3 years.
Black & Decker 7.2 volt cordless with built in batteries-gift-about
1987ish from Builders Square ( the original BORG, I was hardware manager, ask me about that some other time)-this thing worked well for 4 or 5 years, FIL had same drill, same time, same experience.
Dewalt DW100 (I think) corded 3/8" vsr-about .00-bought when the Craftsman puked about 1989-this thing is great, powerful, bright yellow (I can find it when I pick up my stuff outside when it gets dark, I left the black Craftsman out one night), very nice chuck (needs a key, the DW106 has a keyless, I think, it wasn't available when I got mine, now I'm glad it wasn't, the keyless chucks I've seen are not as heavy duty)
Panasonic 9.6v 1/2" 2 speed vsr cordless with one battery, 15 minute charger, nice hard case-about 5.00-1993-I replaced the keyed chuck with a keyless 3/8 one for convience (only one in the store I was in at the time that would fit)-very, very high quality piece of equipment, I still use it a lot, but the batteries don't hold the charge very long anymore.
Craftsman 18v 3/8" 2 speed vsr cordless in a kit with a cordless circ. saw with two batteries, in an enormous, awkward hard case that has no spot for keeping a set of bits or driver attachments-0.00-about 5 months ago. I should have taken this back, they're very handy tools but the drill is not going to last like the Panasonic. I can hold the Panasonic still under full throttle with no effect to the tool, when I did this to the Craftsman, the thing started to smoke out of the vents. I did this only to find out how torquey it was. Lots of torque, but...
My verdict: DeWalt for a corded drill for home owner use. Not a Craftsman for a cordless, but I think my twist test will cause the same effect in most other less expensive cordless drills, no conclusion here.
Yeah, I had one of those (mine was the VSR flavor). The one with the detachable cord? I used to love it because taking the cord off meant it fit into my toolbox. Back from the days when B&D still made quality products.
It got swiped a couple of years ago. Really annoyed me. Not so much because it was any great monetary value (I replaced it for $30), but because it was one of the first tools I ever owned and I'd had it for most of my life. It was part of my history, I guess. Somewhere out there is some guy from a contactor's gang who's got it now. If you're reading this, I hope you're enjoying it.
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