In support of the recent Power Tool Drag Races (I promise no more mentions again until next year) Skil Power Tools donated a 4 Tool Lithium Ion Combo Kit which was the Grand Prize for the event. We are grateful for the support and hope they will be involved again in the future. I couldn’t help myself I had to crack the box open and give these tools a once over, just to see how well they perform.
I put them to the test building a few of the first sections of the race track. Originally the track was build for outdoor use and looked like this (below left), later we moved it indoors and took the base supports off for a more level surface on the concrete. To keep things simple we built the track in 8’ sections so all that was required was to rip the plywood and stager the 2×4 rails which were later screwed together for the race. This way after the race we could break the track back down to the 8’ sections and store it for next year.
The Skil tools had a light weight feel, plastic but still sturdy enough. There are some positive and negative trade-offs when the tools are made lighter. Obviously they become easier to manage and are less tiresome to use for extended periods which are huge advantage in the DIY market. My big concern with these tools was battery life and longevity. I my mind these Skil cordless tools are most likely going to be used by weekend warriors with periodic use and are tough enough to last for years in that environment. It would be a different story if they were in the hands of some of the companies I see on a daily basis who absolutely abuse their tools. The battery life on any tool is going to be evident from the first use and I’ve used many cordless tools intended for the DIY market and been completely unimpressed with battery performance most of the time.
The Drill/Driver (also available for purchase individually) was a pretty solid tool. Plenty of torque at 400 in/lbs to drive screws into wood and do most tasks you would want in an 18v drill/driver. It has several bit holders on the tool which I guess it’s like cup holders in a minivan, the more the merrier, honestly 1 or 2 probably would be enough. The level was also a nice feature to see on the tool. I would have liked to see a light on the tool which I’ve found to be a very helpful feature on many new drills but I also understand that it adds cost and with the really nice swivel flashlight already included in the combo kit maybe not a big selling feature.
The Circular Saw, I will be honest I have considered almost worthless in the past with most cordless combo kits intended for the DIY market. When I pulled it out of the box it was even smaller than I was expecting using 5-3/8" blades (my other cordless are 6.5”) and much lighter than I expected. I needed to cut the 4×8’ plywood into 3 equal 8’ strips for the track and once I started using it I found it actually much easier to use for that application because of the smaller blade and light weight. The smaller size blade also maximizes the battery life and is just big enough to cut 2×4, 2×6, etc. Another advantage is the lithium technology allows for the battery to run at full power until it’s almost dead, while NiCd circular saws, for the most part, you can feel the power lose almost immediately. It would be nice to see a larger lithium battery option for the Skil tools down the road to extend the saws power on larger jobs but I was pleasantly surprised by the run time for this compact saw.
Unfortunately I didn’t really get a good opportunity to fully test out the recip saw more than take it out, put the battery on and pull the trigger a few times. It as well was a pretty lightweight tool and felt like a pretty decent recip saw that would be adequate for most DIY jobs but more than that I was unable to determine. Time simply ran out on the track build and I had to put some hot glue on the Skil box, package it back up and get it ready to give away.
Overall I was impressed with the Skil 4 Tool Combo Kit and at $244 it’s a great buy for most typical home owners. The tools are also backwards compatible with their NiCd batteries as well as NiCd tools are compatible with their Lithium batteries. TJ the Grand Champion of the Power Tool Drag Races said he was also thrilled to win such an awesome prize for something he had some much fun building. Thanks again Skil Power Tools for supporting this event!!!
