May 112013
Black & Decker 9099KC 7.2-Volt Cordless Drill with Keyless Chuck
- Balanced mid-handle design increases the overall comfort of the drill and the user’s control when using the drill
- Fan cooled motor contributes to a longer life of the drill
- Keyless chuck for quick and easy bit changes
- 2 speeds switch with forward/reverse – Low for control when screwdriving; high for drilling
- Includes: 7.2-Volt drill with integral battery and keyless chuck and charger
BLACK and DECKER CORDLESS DRILL *7.2 volts *1/2″ chuck size *Ni-CD battery *2 speed reversible *Mid handle design *Keyless chuck *2 year warrIdeal for do-it-yourselfers and home renovation enthusiasts, the Black & Decker 9099KC 7.2-Volt Cordless Drill with Keyless Chuck gives you the power and versatility you need to tackle a range of around-the-house jobs. Its two speeds, keyless chuck, and integrated battery make operation smooth and consistent, while a fan-cooled motor ensures optimum durabil
List Price: $ 40.28
Price: $ 22.99
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Remarkably good for the price. Perfect “starter tool” for kids,
Having worked in the construction trades for many years, I have a variety of professional quality corded and cordless drills, but my six year old wanted a “real” drill of his own. I found one of these on sale for under 20 bucks a couple of years ago and figured that for the price, I wouldn’t be too bothered if he ruined it. It was perfect for him to use for drilling holes in scrap lumber as he learned to use tools, clamp down his work, wear appropriate safety gear, and become comfortable in the workshop.
I was impressed enough that I bought two more for my students to use for technology and engineering projects in the middle school science classroom (popsicle stick bridges, mousetrap cars), and then I bought one more to keep handy at the bench where I do electronics and hobby projects.
Frankly, it is a far better drill than I had expected for the price. In repetitive use, it comfortably drilled 20 consecutive 1/4 holes in a slab of 4/4 oak. The slower speed on the two speed trigger works nicely for driving screws or drilling up to 1/8″ holes through aluminum bar stock and brass. It will effectively work for slow speed grinding and sanding with “dremel” type attachments in a pinch, although obviously the Dremel tool is much better for this.
The drills in my classroom get continuous use for a few days and then get packed away until the next project. The ones at home will get intensive use over a weekend and then will go for several weeks without being used at all. Surprisingly, I generally find that the batteries retain plenty of power for a casual hole or three even when put up without getting a full charge first.
Tip: To keep the drill handy at my workbench, I cut the top and bottom ends out of a tomato paste can and screwed it to the apron on one end of the bench. The chuck drops perfectly into the can and leaves the drill ready to hand when needed and well out of the way otherwise.
Remember that if you allow your kids to use power tools, be sure they ALWAYS wear safety glasses and hearing protection.
UPDATED December 1, 2012. About Battery Life
I own four of these drills. I bought the first one in 2007 and it’s batteries recently failed, as ALL NiCd batteries eventually will. Given the price of these drills and the abuse that my kids and four sets of sixth grade science students gave them, I feel that 5 years is more than a reasonable battery life.
Black and Decker DOES sell a replacement battery pack. Search for “Black and Decker 486988-01 BATTERY”. The replacement is easy enough. Remove 8 screws, disconnect three spade connectors, remove and replace the battery, reconnect the wires, replaced the screws, voila! But the OEM pack is a bit pricey and creating your own pack is pretty easy.
The battery pack consists of 6 “4/5SC ni-cd” cells. We found those here on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Tenergy-1300mAh-Rechargeable-battery-OPTIONAL/dp/B00564V4Y6/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1354400048&sr=8-3&keywords=4%2F5+sc+Ni-Cd . Be sure you buy the type with “tabs” unless you’ve got a lot of experience with this kind of thing.
As I mention below, I first bought this drill for my then nearly 6-year-old. He’s now 10, so dismantling the drill was his job which he handled with alacrity. After cutting apart the old battery it was easy to duplicate the wiring with new cells. We bound up the new pack with duct tape and installed it in the drill. The “Tenergy” cells mentioned above are better quality, and have higher capacity than the stock batteries, so we actually ended up with a better drill than we had to begin with. Over all a great “first serious tool repair project” for my kid.
If all of that seems daunting, you would be perfectly reasonable to say, “Heck, for 20 bucks, I’ll just get another drill.” But please don’t throw your old one in the land fill. These drills are PACKED with great parts for student’s Science Olympiad, MESA, robotics, or science fair projects. Give the dead drill to a local science teacher.
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Great drill for the price,
This drill is a great value for someone who uses it twice a month or less.
I found this locally for about $20. It has great features for the price: cordless, 2-speed (325/650rpm), reversing (to drive screws) and a keyless chuck. The quality is quite good, considering the price. It’s well balanced, and seems to have a good amount of power. It’s stated capacity is a 1/2″ in wood, and 3/8″ in steel. The battery pack is built inside. It uses 4/5 sub-C ni-cd cells. The shelf life of rechargeables is about
3 months, so you will need to charge it occassionally.
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good stuff,
Good buy. Does not come with bits and drill heads. Luckily I had a set from my old drill.
I did find this one cheaper in Walmart later, but oh well.
I built all the furniture in my new apartment with this guy. Thank goodness I had it.
Powerful enough for the job w/o being too heavy to lug around. Charges just fine.
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