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| Customer Reviews: | | Average Customer Review: ( 40 customer reviews )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
154 of 155 found the following review helpful:
 Throwing Good Money After Bad Dec 28, 2007
By Woody Goode
This product is as close as it gets to being a complete waste of money. I know you're on a tight budget (you're buying B&D tools), and I know many tool reviewers advise you to buy products that cost way more than you want to pay.
But I'll give you two good reasons not to buy this product. First, this is the same charger B&D ships with their tools. Unless you bought a used tool, which didn't come with a charger, you already own it. Why would you buy a product that you know, from firsthand experience, will fail?
Here's a better reason not to buy this item: If your charger quit, you probably broke it. You can break this item just by trying to use it. Read the "IMPORTANT NOTICE" in the manufacturer's product description: B&D says that plugging a "bad battery" into the charger will short the wiring out and void your warranty. They warn you to test your battery before trying to use this item to recharge it.
How are you supposed to know that your battery has gone bad? Mine was sitting in the case with my drill for a few months. I plugged it in, thinking I'd just forgotten to charge it after my last project, and the charger stopped working. I also fried a replacement model that I bought at a local store.
So no matter how tight your budget it, this is no bargain. If you don't buy a battery tester and use it before every recharge, the odds are that you'll eventually fry your charger.
Black and Decker makes a much better charger-- the Black and Decker PS1MVC 8.4-Volt to 14.4-Volt 1 Hour Pod Style Battery Charger. This model won't die if you plug in a bad battery-- it'll flash a warning light. Also, it works with any "pod-style" battery between 8.4 volts and 14.4, which is nice if you have tools running on different voltages (this one only does 14.4).
It charges about 50% faster, too, it's available here and it costs just a few bucks more.
DeWalt offers an even better option: DeWalt DW9116 7.2-Volt to 18-Volt Pod Style 1 Hour Battery Charger. It really will work with B&D batteries; I know because I finally bought one.
The Dewalt is roughly the same price as B&D's deluxe model. It also won't break if you have a bad battery. It works with an even wider voltage range (7.2 to 18 Volt). And it charges even faster.
If those alternatives aren't available when you read this, or prices have gone way up, you might have no other alternative but to get this item. But if you order it, follow the manufacturer's instructions and order a battery tester. If not, you might not have it for long.
16 of 16 found the following review helpful:
junk May 05, 2008
By Brooks
"Darkraven"
This thing will over-charge your battery and ruin it if you leave it charging more than a day. Spend a few $$$ more and get the smart charger (the orange one) it will not keep charging when the battery is full. Also the power on the unit will fry-out if left plugged in.
20 of 23 found the following review helpful:
 Black & Decker PS180 14.4 Volt Battery Charger #418352-02 (Purchased on 11/11/2006) Jan 09, 2007
By Bharat Pandit
Vendor should have informed customer @ the time of order to get battery checked, saying that "if your battery is bad the charger will brake down and then it will not be warranted"
Instead I was not told at the time of ordering charger, (because they want to make a sell immorally) I found out about the condition in terms of printed note when I received the charger. Even if I decide to send it back I have to pay $6 to $7 shipping for claiming my money back.
I think this is not moral. They should inform the customer upfront when he/she is ordering the charger.
Bharat Pandit
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
Piece of Junk Feb 14, 2010
By megavoyager
Do yourself a favour and buy the DeWalt DC9310 Heavy-Duty 7.2 Volt - 18 Volt 1 Hour Charger instead. It charges both the Black & Decker PS140 (14.4V) and PS130 (12V) Firestorm batteries.
I've wasted money on 3 of these Black & Decker chargers and that doesn't include a free replacement on the charger that came with the set and stopped working on the second day. I thought I was doing something wrong all of this time - leaving the batteries charging too long and cooking the charger - until I read the reviews here. Seems like everyone has the same problem. Black & Decker should be ashamed of themselves and I will never buy one of their tools again - Rigid, Ryobi or DeWalt for me in future.
My 14.4V Firestorm set has been sitting in the basement collecting dust until my wife said she was going to throw them out and I thought I'd have one last go at salvaging it (as it cost about $200 when new). As I couldn't find the charger or batteries in the stores, I started looking on line and found that Black & Decker doesn't even support these models anymore (thanks for nothing, B&D !!) With the help of other reviews on Amazon, I eventually found (and bought) the DeWalt DC9310 charger and it's the best $30 I've spend in ages. Not only does it fit and fully charge the 14.4V Firestorm batteries, it fits and charges the 12V Firestorms as well.
Thank you, DeWalt. Thank you, Amazon reviewers. And stuff you, Black & Decker.
4 of 4 found the following review helpful:
charger Aug 07, 2007
By S. Hartman
I used the charger one time and charged one battery and when I went to charge the second battery it didn't work. I have since seen on other web site that this is what happens. I wish now I would have put the money toward a new drill/ driver with a new charger. That is what I did in the end.
See all 40 customer reviews on Amazon.com
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