BLACK+DECKER 20V MAX* POWERCONNECT 1/4 in. Cordless Impact Driver Kit (BDCI20C)

INITIAL IMPRESSIONThe chucks on regular drills are poorly suited for driver bits. Even if the bit spins in the chuck just once, damage is done. To prevent wear on my drills and save time, I had to get an impact driver.The Black + Decker BDCI20C 20V MAX Lithium Impact Driver met my needs on paper. It's half the price of the popular contractor brands, but the torque and bpm's is comparable. Low cost off brand high capacity battery replacements are available, which of course provides longer life, and also greater capacity to drive difficult screws as one popular Youtuber found, and provides greater assurance of being able to keep this tool powered for many years to come.The balance with the 1.5Ah battery is at the bottom of the trigger. Even though this tool is capable of variable speed, the manual recommends using full speed to prolong tool life. There is a small LED above the trigger, and a magnet on top of the drill for holding bits. The chuck is about 1 inch deep and is not magnetic, and requires bits with large U slots rather than the kind that has a tiny groove that barely knicks the corners.This will primarily be used on my cars, motorcycle, bikes, around the house and maker creations. I take care of my tools at home and work, so this review won't cover abuses like letting the motor get infiltrated with metal grinding dust, storing the battery at 0% charge for long periods, or trying to use it like an impact wrench.Overall it's a great first impression. I'll provide several updates in the future.Update 1: This has plenty of power, but like any impact driver with a small battery, it fades on long screws due to voltage sag. If this happens, charge the battery back up, or get a larger battery because they're more resistant to voltage sag. On Youtube check out a video by Charlie DIYte titled "Difference between Drill Drivers & Impact Drivers" starting at 9:45. So far I've used mine to replace an oil pan and reinforce some decking with 2 inch screws. It's about to get a lot more use.

Strong driving force. Good product. 1hour charge speed.

Works great

At half the cost of all the other impact drivers out there, I think this is a pretty good deal. I wasn't looking to get the "best" or "commercial" grade carpenter product. Just something for small odd jobs and projects, etc.Comes with the driver, battery, charger, and manual in the box. No storage bag or case. If you want those things expect to pay $$$. I didn't need them.If you think you'll be using this on a larger project like replacing a deck or wooden fence, you most probably want something a little bit more robust, Dewalt? If you're just driving a few screws and nuts time to time with projects or fixing something this works great for that application.It has torque but don't expect to use this to take the lugs off your car wheel, okay? It's not that kind of a driver.

Works great. Powerful. Drives bolts and screws fast. Came with a battery that I can use with my other Black and Decker tools.

I work in construction Demolition. We sometimes use impacts to take screws off metal studs from buildings, electrical metal conduits, screws and bolts anywhere which is being reused and a variety of items needed to be impacted quickly. (we only use sockets and wrenches for very large nuts and bolts)Most of the construction industry will use brand names such as Dewault, Milwaukee etc, for its cordless impact tools. Since I didnt want to pay for brand name, I bought this deal for much lessI was glad on buying it, since it has lasted me almost 3 years of use. It came with one battery and a small corded charger. Ive dropped it several times from standing position and its impacted alot of items.Mind you now, I don't go overboard and start impacting 50 bolts and nuts with adapter sockets made for ratchets with massive torque specs. (I would use corded impacts with 240+ torque or more,...besides, impacts were made for "un-tightening" rather than the opposite)Over time, I bought a case, (a gun case at harbor freight which seems to fit my impact drill) 2 more batteries, and replaced the charger with a faster 2 amp charger. I still use it to this day and plan on buying another one for a backup.Only downside is that there is no drill clip to hang the drill in pocket or on a lift like there is for the name brands. (I ended up using thick metal wire wrapped around grip to hang it from homemade hooks)

Did a great job at putting together our back deck!

Growing up, I had to learn home improvement and fixing skills by myself on the fly. Because of this, impact drivers were a blind spot in my tool knowledge; I had vaguely heard of them, didn't pay them any notice, since I already owned a drill and though it was redundant. Let me tell you: it's not redundant. Being that its designed slightly different than a drill, it is much more effective and powerful at driving screws. You might say, "whatever, I'll deal with my drill's mediocre driving performance, it can't be that much better," but consider this: you will not have to swap out a drill bit and a driver bit every two seconds while doing a job. Also, many times I've found situations that previously would have needed a pilot hole drilled for my drill to drive the screw, it's simply not necessary for the impact driver. So, this review is for others like me, who may not have much knowledge of these, or might be struggling to see the need for one; just go for it. It's a sidekick tool that you'll quickly get used to having in your arsenal, and you'll be glad you bought it. Quality wise, I've used it a ton in the time I've had it and is holding up great. Battery lasts quite a while and the design is really helpful for getting into tighter spaces that a large drill wouldn't typically fit.