I recently gave the BLACK+DECKER 20V MAX* Lithium Cordless Drill with AutoSense a spin to see how well the automatic torque limiting clutch technology that claims to stop driving when a screw is flush works. I was pleasantly surprised.
I’ll admit, I was a bit skeptical at first. I want to make sure a screw is REALLY in there when I drive it, and I just couldn’t see how this was going to drive a screw as deeply as I wanted. I mean, after all, this drill has no torque settings other that drilling or driving.
Here’s the setting for drilling. You simply press the lighted button on top.
You insert a drill bit and tighten like you would with any other cordless.
Drilling worked great, even with a countersink bit. The added LED light was a bonus.
I even gave it a try at drilling pocket holes in 1 1/2” stock. I had no problems or performance issues and it worked as well as my larger drill/drivers.
But the real test was going to be in driving. Here’s where it stopped when driving a screw into a pilot hole in a 2×4.
What you see is where it stopped. I’d say that’s pretty good. It’d be fair to call this a no damage drill, in a sense. Just like with drilling, it’s a simple button press to select the driving mode.
Interestingly, I found that I could cheat past the initial stopping point by pulling the trigger again, but it might only go another quarter turn. This was in a soft 2×4, so that could explain this. But, the screw I test was in as far as it needed to be. I also tested driving screws into countersunk holes and pocket holes. Both instances the drill stopped right where it needed to.
I’m really please with the size and weight. You can see below the dimensions measured out.
This small profile will come in handy in tight spaces. I’m particularly thinking of some of my pocket hole joinery projects that require a small drill.
At 2.6 pounds, I don’t feel that the BLACK+DECKER 20V MAX* Lithium Cordless Drill with AutoSense will wear you out using it over an extended period of time.
It certainly packs a punch in a small space with the 20v max* battery.
Now, how would I use this drill? As an overall DIY around the house tool and for projects requiring drilling and driving in tight spaces. For the latter, because of its short profile, it could eliminate the need for right-angle attachments. There is still more testing I want to accomplish once I’ve had it longer (as of this post, I’ve had it just a handful of days) to see how battery life performs. I did give it a workout, however, drilling dozens of consecutive holes non-stop, followed by drilling screws into those holes non-stop as well. It didn’t falter in its ability to automatically stop when the screws were flush.
BLACK+DECKER AutoSense Drill details
The 20V MAX* Lithium Cordless Drill with AutoSense has two modes, drill and drive. In drive mode, a microprocessor continuously measures the tool’s performance. As the screw enters the material there is a rapid change in its torque profile. The microprocessor analyzes the rate of change and stops most screws flush with the material within three milliseconds. To countersink screws, the tool provides depth control for micro adjustments. In drill mode, the combined power of the 20V MAX* battery and the drill’s 0-800 RPM motor provide the performance necessary for the quick completion of any homeowner application.
In addition to Autosense technology, the drill features the following: – Lightweight design (2.6 lbs) – Simple two button design – 20V MAX* battery – LED light and Bit holder List price is about $140, but you can find it at various online retailers for about $80. Thanks to BLACK+DECKER for sponsoring this post and giveaway.WIN a BLACK+DECKER 20V MAX* Lithium Cordless Drill with Autosense! Comment below about why or how you would use this drill and you could be selected to receive one for free. Be sure to comment before July 1, 2014.
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