Black and Decker HP188F3

When you while away your hours lending a helping hand to people in their DIY and building related troubles, you need some serious kit to show you mean business. That’s why I was thrilled when Black and Decker gave me a run out with one of their finest 18v cordless examples, the HP188F3.

Like any tradesman will tell you, 18v is the perfect point between economy and power, and is the voltage of choice of many a cordless work-sites.
The 188F3 certainly doesn’t let you down on the power front, with settings from all over the spectrum, as well as screwdriver and hammer settings thrown in for good measure as well.
It sports a 1.7Ah battery in the base of the unit, and a spare one in the sturdy carrying box in case you run out of juice.
Over the course of my time with the unit, I only had to recharge a couple of times on each battery and the time spent waiting for one to finish its charge cycle was not long at all.

As is always the case, you never realise how useful a power-tool is until you get one, and see the plethora of jobs that need doing mount up, it was time to hold down the pressure-sensitive trigger and get onto it.
The 188F3 stood up to the task, and was used hard on numerous occasions, seeing off concrete and brick, as well as breezeblocks, wood and screw-driving it’s way through some flat-packed furniture.

Easily the most efficient and strongest drill I’ve used to date, it’s certainly a tool every collection should have in it, and once you’ll get it, you’ll see more and more reasons why you needed it in the first place.

Make: B&D
Model: HP188F3
RRP: Ł100
Buy!Rating:
10.1/11