Screw Unit? Isn't that one of Frank Zappa's kids? Oh, I digress. Anyway, I purchased last year's model Craftsman 75th Anniversary 19.2 Drill driver combo set and I was truly impressed. I mentioned that I liked it more than my DeWalt 18 volt gun. And at $85, it was a great deal.

Now, I am even more impressed with the updates to this fine cordless tool. I purchased this set for my brother for the holidays along with the Craftsman 3x21 Belt Sander. It sells for $119.00 but I purchased it on sale for $99.00.

In the box: The Drill/Driver, a 3.6 volt cordless screwdriver with built-in worklight and adjustable angle head, a Craftsman stud finder, a battery charger, two 19.2 EX batteries, a charger for the 3.6 screwdriver, the manual, heavy-duty nylon tool bag and a 25-piece driver bit set.

A note on model numbers: Each of the components have their own model numbers, while the combo kit (as a group) has its own number as well.

The Drill / Driver model 315.114480: With its mostly black body and silver accents, it's a very sleek color scheme over my grey version. Again, there are two bubble levels located in the top and back-end of the body for more level and straight usage. The weight is about the same between the two Craftsman models and yet surprisingly lighter than my 18 volt DeWalt cordless gun. It has a 1/2" keyless chuck
(last year's had a 3/8" chuck) and this time around, the 24 position chuck is silver & METAL instead of black plastic. The speeds are the same: 0-400 in low and 0-1400 in high. There's even two slots at the base of the handle to store extra driver bits. The forward/reverse switch is located just below the trigger and is just a thumb click away and the hi/lo switch is located at the top of the drill.

Batteries: While the batteries (from last year to this year) are interchangeable, this model comes with EX batteries which provide better torque, longer run time and extra performance.

Specs on the charger: The charger will charge the nickel-cadmium Craftsman batteries ranging from 7.2 up to 24 volts in about one hour. There are LED lights on the charger to indicate the level or stage of the charge. Red LED on = Fast charging mode. Green LED on = Fully charged and in trickle charge mode. If the Green LED is on at the time the battery is inserted, that means the temperature of the battery is out of range for a proper charge. Yellow AND Green LEDs on = Deeply discharged or defective battery. NO LED on = defective charger or battery pack. A good rule of thumb with any cordless power tool: After using the product, let the battery cool down BEFORE you attempt to charge it again. This prolongs the life of the battery. Also, the warmer the temperature is, the shorter the charge will last.

The Cordless Screwdriver model 315.111371: This time around, they beefed up the power to 3.6 volts (from the 2.4 volts of last year's model). It uses the same size collet (1/4"). The torque is 50 in/lbs., the charge time is 10-12 hours and the single speed is reversible. What makes this version so much nicer is that the head will bend to different angles for more confined quarters and comes with a small worklight with its own switch. Again, this time around, it has a 22 position clutch for various torque settings. It comes with its own charger unit that can be wall mounted.

The Stud Finder model 315.114020: A great addition to the combo set for finding wooden studs within your drywalled walls. This will NOT work on older homes with "lath & plaster" walls. It runs on a 9 volt battery. Very simple to operate: You put the finder on a wall, press the button and drag it left and right to find the studs. A red LED will illuminate when it has found a wall stud. Generally, the wall studs can be found 16 inches (apart) on center.

All in all, this is a much better combo kit than the one I purchased for myself last year. My brother is lovin' life right now, knowing that he has a better cordless screw gun than I do. Oh well, I might have to trade up myself.

For those of you not into tools, drill / drivers not only help drill holes in wood, metal and masonry (with the right bits), but with the optional accessories, can sand, polish, strip paint, drives nuts and bolts, mix paint and much more.

For future reference and trouble-shooting old power tool batteries: I found an AMAZING site that I had to share with all of you cordless tool people. http://www.voltmanbatteries.com/ of Ohio - you ship them a DEAD battery and 2 - 3 weeks later, it shows up REBUILT for HALF the price of buying a new one. You pay NO tax and they pay for return shipping! But here's the clincher: they guarantee that the battery will have a much better run time and it comes with a 90 warranty. You can also reach them at (419) 526-1570 or voltmanbatteries@yahoo.com


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