Under my tree last Christmas I found a wide range of battery-driven tools. The Ms had found a 14.4-volt Porter-Cable drill for me (Great Tool!) and, since she had a few bucks to spare, had also picked up a Black & Decker Versapak screwdriver for light duty. Smart woman, the Ms, though this time I wish she'd just bought me more clamps (a guy can never have too many clamps) instead of the B & D.


Versapak?

If you've not used a Versapak tool before, the concept's simple: a tubular rechargable 3.6-volt battery comes with each tool (as does a charger), and you can buy additional batteries at your hardware store. The batteries are interchangeable among all the Versapak tools, so -- in theory -- you'll always have a battery charged and ready to go. The Versapak line includes other power tools (some are 7.2-volt models with two batteries), gardening tools, and flashlights.


Driving a Screw or Two

I found out early on that using my big ol' cordless drill was tough in close quarters, so I trotted out the Black and Decker. This is where the pencil-shaped variety of screwdriver is supposed to shine, and B & D didn't disappoint. With a two-position head - straight and at about a 45-degree angle to the handle - you can get into tight places and dark corners. The power switch is a rocker style, so you need only shift your thumb a bit to switch from forward to reverse. The handle release has a positive lock to prevent unexpected "folding" under use.

There's also a spindle lock for starting the screw removal process, although the unit's a bit bulky to use as an ordinary hand tool. It's about 7-1/2 inches long and 1-1/2 or 2 inches in diameter.A standard 1/4-inch chuck takes ordinary bits, though it's a little choosy if you try to feed it one of those combination bits (Phillips on one end, standard on the other). The whole assembly weighs in at about 24 ounces, pretty insignificant compared to the big boys. Battery life is fairly short, but it is a light-duty tool.


Charge It!

The charging unit is a simple black plastic affair that plugs directly into a wall outlet (there's no cord). The charging battery sits in the holder at about a 45-degree angle. There's no indicator light to let you know charging is over, but a fully depleted NiCad battery takes about three hours to recharge, according to the manufacturer. The charger is somewhat inconvenient, since it's relatively bulky and just sits there on the outlet.


But Will It Last?

Based on my experience, no; even without any rough treatment. Sadly, my Versapak screwdriver worked for just my one use. The next time I pulled it out of the workbench, it no longer functioned. Now the unit works only if held upside down while squeezing the trigger; making it a lot less versatile than one might expect out of a $30 screwdriver. As I said, I'd rather have had a few more clamps.







Recommended: No