Is the new Black and Decker BLD783 18v Cordless Brushless Combi Drill an upgrade worth investing in?

Every DIYer should have a cordless drill in their power tools collection. It's an essential addition for a whole range of DIY tasks, from drilling to driving in screws and more.

However, you need to make sure it has enough power to tackle common everyday projects, and also take a closer look at the features to ensure it meets your needs.

Black & Decker has been a staple for DIYers for years, and its new brushless range, that the Black and Decker BLD783 18v Cordless Brushless Combi Drill forms part of aims to compete with the best cordless drills on the market. A good start is the brushless motor which offers better efficiency and longevity, and it offers plenty of power. Here's how it handles the DIY tasks I had lined up.

SPECIFICIATION AND FEATURES

• Motor: Brushless
• Torque: 55Nm
• Battery: 2.5Ah
• Charger: 1A
• Chuck: Keyless 13mm single-sleeve metal chuck
• Weight: 1.3kg with battery
• Warranty: 2 years
• Features: Keyless chuck, variable speed trigger, two-speed, LED worklight, double-sided screwdriver bit, magnetic bit holder, 12 clutch positions, battery level indicator

Shop the Black and Decker BLD783 18v Cordless Brushless Combi Drill today

Unboxing and first impressions

The excitement of a new power tool hasn't waned over the years; I'm just wiser about what to expect. Black & Decker has been a DIY staple for years; in fact, my first cordless drill was from the brand, so I knew what to expect.

The drill turned up in a presentation box as I was reviewing it – which won't be the same when you buy online or in store. However, consumers have various purchasing options, typically the bare tool, or a kit with a battery and charger, such as the Black and Decker BLD783 18v Cordless Brushless Combi Drill set from Wickes, which also includes a case.

The drill comes with a 2.5Ah Li-Ion battery, which is a step up from what I expected, but it includes a 1A charger, which means longer recharge times. For context, many power tools (usually at a higher price) include a 3A charger for faster charging. But you generally get what you pay for, and a 1A charger helps keep the BLD783's RRP down.

The drill is relatively lightweight at around 1kg (without the battery), compact, and fits comfortably in the hand thanks to its soft rubber grip. It has 10 clutch positions for driving in screws; but is that enough? Only testing will tell.

Keeping the clutch company are drill and hammer drill modes, standard for most combi drills, plus a two-speed selector. Again, pretty standard features.

It has a keyless 13mm metal chuck, which looks like it can handle any DIY job. It includes a double-ended screwdriver bit, and a strong magnetic bit holder keeps it firmly in place when not in use. I would have liked to see a bit holder, like this Erbauer 1/4" Hex Magnetic Bit Holder from Screwfix, included for more flexibility. It also has a strong LED work light that automatically turns on when in use and lights up the work area.

The Black and Decker BLD783 18v Cordless Brushless Combi Drill was currently ticking all the right boxes, so I was excited to start testing.

SETTING UP

Before testing, I like to fully charge the battery to ensure I get accurate results. The supplied battery was partly charged; the battery level indicator lights show one of three lights, which means it could be anywhere between 18 and 47%, according to the manual. I didn't bother timing how long it took to get to full power. I prefer to leave that to noting when the battery stops powering the Black and Decker BLD783 18v Cordless Brushless Combi Drill, so I get a more realistic timing.

With the battery fully charged, all three battery level indicator lights were on display. And as you might expect, adding and removing the battery was simple. Before I added a bit, I moved the forward/reverse control button to neutral, which locks the variable speed switch, so you can't accidentally fire up the drill. Alternatively, you can remove the battery for peace of mind.

Next was the real part of setting up: selecting the speed, choosing one of the three modes: driving, drilling or hammer drilling. If driving screws, you can choose between 1 and 10. I always start in the middle and adjust based on the job. For drilling or hammer drilling, simply choose the appropriate setting.

Finally, I chose the preferred speed selector. There are two options: 1 for high torque and 2 for high speed. I chose 1 to start, since I intended to drive in some large screws, which I used an impact driver for before. You'll need to adjust the settings for different jobs (more of this later).

Finally, it was adding a bit. I started with the supplied driver bit. The 13mm keyless chuck is easy to use; add the bit and use two hands to tighten or remove the bit. A nice touch was the words ‘GRIP’ and ‘RELEASE’ embossed into the chuck sleeve to ensure you're twisting in the right direction. The bit felt secure and was easy to remove, but as always, the real test is seeing the drill in action.

How well did the Black & Decker BLD783 cordless drill work?

As the Black and Decker BLD783 18v Cordless Brushless Combi Drill came with a single double-ended drill bit, I decided to run it out as my first test. I had some 100mm screws I needed to use on some fencing. I thought this was a good initial test. I set the torque to 10 and the speed to 1. The screws powered into fence panels and posts with no problem.

Next up was smaller screws into plywood and MDF. I adjusted the torque for this easier task, setting it to six; again, no problem. You will need to try different torque settings for different tasks, so you don't drive screws in too deep. The variable-speed trigger helps, too. Realistically, I managed to get eight different speeds and hold for the drilling process. More than enough for any DIY tasks you're going to tackle.

For the next stage of tests, I switched to drilling mode and set the speed selector to one (for better torque). To make sure I was using the right drill bits, I used a selection of DeWalt masonry bits from Screwfix that I already own. I tested 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, 8mm, and 10mm masonry bits, starting with drilling into brick. Obviously, the smaller bits tackled the task much quicker and easier than the 10mm bit. However, the Black and Decker BLD783 18v Cordless Brushless Combi Drill didn't flinch while drilling. The 55Nm of torque on offer did its job.

To test a little further, and to satisfy my curiosity, I changed the speed selector to two and tried the same tests. Of course, I set the forward/reverse control button to the centre to lock the trigger switch and avoid any unwanted accidents. As I expected, it didn't work as well and at times the chuck couldn't cope, with the bit coming loose. But don't let this distract from how well it worked using the correct speed setting.

Next, I switched to wood drill bits and set the speed selector to 2. These worked a treat and had no problem drilling into any softwood I could get my hands on. The final test was hammer-drill mode. Typically, cordless drills are designed to tackle soft concrete or denser brick, and the Black and Decker BLD783 18v Cordless Brushless Combi Drill passed the test again. However, I tried it on hard concrete to test its limits, and unsurprisingly it struggled.

Again, don't let this put you off, as the Black and Decker BLD783 18v Cordless Brushless Combi Drill did a little more than I expected, and sits among the best cordless drills I've tried.

BATTERY LIFE

A cordless power tool lives and dies by its battery and charger, and like any DIYer, I want a battery and charger that work well. The Black & Decker BLD783 18v Cordless Brushless Combi Drill came with a 2.5Ah battery, a step up from what I'd had with previous Black & Decker cordless tools. The charger was a standard 1A charger, which is a staple for power tools at the lower end of the market.

While this keeps the price down, they take longer to charge a battery. I've said it many times: you really need to invest in a second battery to make sure you can carry on using the drill. You can currently get a backup Black + Decker 18V POWERCONNECT 2.5Ah Lithium-Ion Battery from Argos for £25.00.

Charging times weren't quick, taking well over two hours to charge the 2.5Ah PowerConnect battery back to full. I suggest you charge it at the end of the day so it's fully charged and ready for the next day.

The battery itself was much more pleasing, offering around 40-45 minutes for a set of various tasks, including driving screws and drilling into wood and brick. In reality, this means you can get around 3 or more hours of working time as a rough guide (as you won't be using it constantly).

Should you buy the Black & Decker BLD783 18v Cordless Brushless Combi Drill?

Black & Decker has been the DIYer's friend for as long as I can remember; it is its core market and the Black & Decker BLD783 18v Cordless Brushless Combi Drill fits neatly into that category. It sits at a price point that makes it very tempting, especially with a battery, charger and case included. And in my opinion, it's a slight step up in quality and power that makes it much closer, or better than cordless combi drills that sit around a similar price point.

It offers plenty of torque; the stated 55Nm is more than most drills of a similar ilk, plus a decent-sized battery and features that suggest Black & Decker has put thought into the range. I liked the brushless motor, strong LED worklight, magnetic bit holder, and good variable-speed trigger, to name a few features.

It's not perfect; the single drill bit seemed like a token gesture, and the charger is slow. But with the money you save, you can buy the driver and drill bits you want, so you have a drill that will tackle most of your DIY projects with ease.