The Black+Decker 20V Max PowerConnect LD120VA is a budget-friendly, lightweight drill designed for simple household tasks like hanging artwork or assembling prefabricated furniture. Reviewers noted it lacks the power for demanding jobs, with one test showing the drill smoking while drilling through a door. While it includes a full set of bits and a bit holder, its single-speed operation and underpowered performance make it unsuitable for serious construction work. It's best for occasional users who need a basic tool for light-duty projects.
Full review
2.6 pounds and a 30-piece bit kit
At 2.6 pounds the LD120VA is light enough to hold overhead without much complaint, and the 30-piece bit set and the magnetic bit holder molded into the body are the parts owners actually praise. The three-eighths-inch chuck is smaller than the fitting on heavier drills, which caps the bit sizes it will take. There is no belt clip, no work light and no charge indicator on the pack, all of which are ordinary omissions at this end of the market but add up.
One speed, and it shows
There is a single speed setting and a 24-position clutch. The clutch genuinely helps avoid stripping screw heads in flat-pack furniture, but with only one gear there is no way to trade speed for torque when a bit starts to bog down. TechGearLab's testing found the drill smoking and smelling of hot plastic during a hole-saw cut, struggling with a paddle bit through 2x12 lumber, and unable to drive a five-inch lag screw even after a pilot hole was made.
A 1.5 amp-hour pack that takes about 3.5 hours to fill
Battery is the other constraint. The 1.5 amp-hour pack is small, and recharging it takes roughly 3.5 hours, long enough that a flat battery ends the session rather than pausing it. The pack is removable and shared across the PowerConnect range, so anyone who already owns a Black+Decker garden or cleaning tool on that platform effectively gets a spare charger and a second battery at no extra cost.
Right for flat-pack furniture, wrong for framing
TechGearLab scored it below the category average for drilling and only adequate for driving, and that is the correct place for it. Hanging pictures, fitting curtain poles, assembling furniture and taking apart a bed frame are all within its capability; anything involving structural timber, masonry or long fasteners is not. The Tool Cupboard reaches a friendlier verdict, and the difference between the two is mostly a difference in what each was asking the drill to do.
Strengths
- +Relatively lightweight at 2.6 pounds
- +Comes with a complete set of drill bits including Phillips, flatheads, and twist sizes
- +Includes a bit holder integrated into the body
- +Removable battery that can be charged separately from the drill
Watch-outs
- −Not built for tough work or heavy-duty tasks
- −Only one speed setting
How it compares
The BLACK+DECKER 20V MAX Cordless Drill/Driver is the lightest and most affordable in the group, but it's underpowered compared to the Milwaukee M18 FUEL or DEWALT 20V MAX XR. Unlike the Ryobi ONE+, it includes a bit holder and removable battery, but it's not suitable for serious construction work like the Makita 18V LXT or Bosch 18V.
Rating sources
“Looking for a versatile cordless drill that can tackle various drilling and driving tasks? Look no further than the BLACK+DECKER 20V MAX* POWERCONNECT Cordless Drill/Driver + 30 pc. Kit (LD120VA).”
“definitely going to give it a solid 4.8 star rating for the price the build quality the functionality everything about it just works really really well”
“I've been really pleasantly surprised with it and I think it does simply a really really good job.”
Our 4.0 score is the average of these published ratings. Ratings marked * were derived from the reviewer’s written analysis or video transcript — the publisher didn’t print an explicit numeric score, so we inferred one from their own words. Click through to verify. More about methodology.
