Advantages: Easy to use, empty and maintain - does what it says, and does it well.
Disadvantages: I've not found any yet

...Black & Decker 1205B 12V Pivot Vac. £59.77 from Argos A small cordless vacuum cleaner. It lives in its charger/base, which can be screwed to the wall, but is small enough just to sit on the worktop (unlike other cordless vacs, it stands on its end, so takes up very little space). The base needs to be near a 13A socket, but it doesn't need to be plugged in all the time, as a full charge gives plenty of suck-time (I have not timed it). The instructions (as is Black & Decker norm) are detailed, easy to understand, and helpful. The rotating nozzle may seem like a gimmick, but it makes the device very good at vacuuming on high surfaces (e.g. cupboard tops) and low inaccesable spots. There are two speeds, but usually the lower one is fine. The spout is telescopic, and there is a little brush that can be clipped into the end... Read review

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Advantages: Cordless, Quick Charging, Good Features
Disadvantages: Pricey comapred to others

...to change drill bits. The weight and slimline size means it's easy to heft around and drill at otherwise fairly awkward angles. It's the first powertool I have ever owned and I'm pleased as punch with it. £65 seems a lot of money, but considering that cordless drills range in price from £25 all the way to £125, it's somewhre near middle of the road. The Black & Decker website pitches it at the amateur DIYer and I'd have to agree. The cheaper drills tend to have 9v motors and lack any power at all making a meal of the most paltry task while the more expensive drills have 14v (and beyond) motors and only justify the expense if you do a LOT of drilling. The B&D Esprit has a competitive range of features and comes in a tidy package. The 1 hour charging time is a huge bonus, and probably the reason that this particular model costs more than... Read review

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Advantages: Performance, good quality charger
Disadvantages: A little flimsy

...I have a 12V cordless hammer drill/screwdriver from Black and Decker. It has a 1.7 Ah battery which lasts a reasonable time for DIY projects, although it is worth charging it first before you start. It has a smart fast charger which charges the battery in 1 hour from flat. It detects when the battery is charged and switches to trickle charging. The battery stays reasonably cool when its charging (which is good) although the charger itself gets quite warm and has an electrical smell. The drill itself is powerful enough for me to use it most of the time. I now only get my corded drill out if I'm doing a lot of drilling into masonry, or if the masonry is very hard brick or has bits of flint in it (eg concrete lintels). IMHO, for a cordless drill you definitely want a keyless chuck as they are tight enough for most of the time... Read review

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Advantages: Easy to use, good suction, useful attachments
Disadvantages: No charging light, doesn't work on wet spills on absorbent surfaces

...As a teenager, I have an affinity for getting rooms mucky, mostly from snack crumbs, so, about 1 ½ years ago, I decided that enough was enough, and bought a little dustbuster was what I needed to keep my room looking presentable between my weekly clean with a big vacuum. My first dust buster was a Dirt Devil, well priced (around £20) but poorly made, and, after a year, a key part of the dust chamber broke and the motor died, after groaning for a long time beforehand. So, I decided to try a slightly higher priced dust buster this time, the Black and Decker 4.7V cordless Wet and Dry Dustbuster, bought from Argos for around £25-30. I have had it for about 6 months now, and have encountered no problems. -Design- The Dustbuster is a reasonable size and average weight for a mini vacuum, approximately 40cms long. The vacuum is white... Read review

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Advantages: Powerful, cleans water spills
Disadvantages: None yet

...The Black and Decker Dustbuster 4.8v cleaner is fantastic! It cleans everything! I'll run through a tried list: Corn Flakes, Dust, Tea, Wine, Sawdust Flies and spiders (!), Crumbs. DESIGN It can be attached to a wall next to a plug to be recharged before use. The dust is collected in a clear blue case which can be emptied and washed clean. Also, there are some attachments which can be put on the front of the vacuum to increase the power through making the gap in the front less. These attachments click into the base of the vacuum, making it easy to keep organised. CLEAN Cleaning the machine is very easy as the filters and the containers can be cleaned under the tap. This means that there aren't any expensive add-ons which need to be bought. GUARANTEE The guarantee (not that it's needed, as the workmanship is good) lasts... Read review

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Advantages: cuts just about anything with minimum effort on your part
Disadvantages: poor design means the blade becomes loose

...last year I was lucky enough to have a black and decker dealer nearby and every 12-18 months I'd take the machine to them, they would give me a reconditioned one and repair my saw for the next person to experiance the same problem. I'm on my 3rd saw in 5 years. Unfortunately the dealer has closed and I can see the screws begining to come loose on my current unit. Eventually I guess I'm gonna have to open up the unit myself and try and fix it. Black and decker have an excellent reputation for producing quality, long lasting products but a silly design flaw in this case has made this saw useful for only the small jobs around the house.... Read review

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Advantages: As useful as a mains hammer drill, except where extremes of power are needed.
Disadvantages: Needs regular use to get the best from the batteries

...Cordless tools are both beguiling and disappointing at the same time. On the one hand, there’s the prospect of a labour-saving gadget that doesn’t need a mains lead trailing behind it to get tripped over, or worse still, cut in half! Then there is the other side. A lot of cordless tools sit there for months on end with their batteries "trickle-charging" constantly, awaiting the day that they will be pressed into action. This is precisely the job that Nickel Cadmium (NiCad) rechargeable batteries were NOT made for. That is why many, but not all cordless power tools seem to be past their best on even their first outing. NiCads thrive on a cycle of heavy use to the point of exhaustion, followed by a complete recharge. My Black and Decker Emergency Torch is a good case in point. Taken good care of, and discharged... Read review

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Advantages: Value for Money
Disadvantages: Does not come with drill bits or case

...This hammer drill is great as it good quality and easy to use (a must for me). It has all the standard features you would expect from hammer dills. To prove how good quality Black and Decker are I still have my dads old drill which must be over 10 Years old and its still in working order. I reason I got a new one was that the old one was a bit basic and did not have all the gadgets that the new versions have on them. It was also really good Value for money. I would buy it again... Read review

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Advantages: in op
Disadvantages: None from me

...,99. (It is on offer at the moment I think) The Black & Decker Quattro 12v - Variable speed, cordless tool, drill, drive, sand and cut. It comes in a grey case, which is about 15 in long -15 in high and 6 ins in thickness. It has a large handle on the top, which makes carrying it around a safe and easy. It has two click on and off fasteners on the top so you can open it and close it very easally without it falling open whilst you are carrying it. It is quiet heavy, I’d say around 12 pound in weight, although I am sure a man would find it easy to carry around. (sorry should I say that) It has a 12v battery (1.5 Ah) and it cordless and re-chargable. It takes 1 hour to charge up and it has a charge indicator on it, it has a high capacity battery so you get longer running time. The Drill - The drill is easy to use not too heavy... Read review

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Advantages: Easy to use
Disadvantages: re-charge often

...I have often wondered what these handly little tools are like to use but when I have enquired various people have told me they are useless, so I have not bothered to investigate further. The only use I could see for having one is for cleaning the boot of your car of if you have a pet in the house. While shopping in Woolworths one day I spotted the Black and Decker Dust Buster in a sale for £9.99. The brand name persauded me to buy it as it seemed good value although I had no particular interest in using it. The box has a clear description of the six dustbusters in the serious. There is a 12v, 9.6v,7.2v,4.8v,3.6v and 2.4v. version. MIne is the 2.4 v version. When I opened the box and switched it on there was some power in it, enough to last a few minutes and try it out. It has quite a powerful suction. I used it on the back of trhe... Read review

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