The i-drill is a stylish 2-gear 12V lithium-ion-powered cordless drill that is equipped with a global charger. I’ve seen it before in several of Sears’ recent tool catalogs, and just got my hands on one for review. The i-drill is described as a tool where “style meets substance”, and it has a 5-year guarantee, so I have absolutely no idea how the tool will perform compared to other offerings.
Because the i-drill is aimed towards homeowners and casual DIYers, it’s packaged rather attractively, and thus I figured it’s worthy of a quick series of unboxing pics.
One thing that I did notice was that the i-drill doesn’t come with a bag. This reinforces that, contrary to my initial thoughts upon first hearing about the global drill, it’s meant for home use, not travel. The charger comes with a removable tool dock that looks handy, and the batteries are made by Sanyo, maker of the Eneloop batteries we’re quite fond of.
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Technical info via i-drill
Kevin
“One thing that I did notice was that the i-drill doesn’t come with a bag. This reinforces that, contrary to my initial thoughts upon first hearing about the global drill, it’s meant for home use, not travel. ”
That had me rolling, too funny.
Stuart
I’m always glad to amuse. =)
In all seriousness, I saw globally chargeable in the catalog, talking about the tool and batteries, and I wondered if the drill was meant for international travelers of some kind!
More realistically, it looks like the i-drill charger was designed to be bundled with various adapters as a cost-cutting measure. Many device chargers can operate off of 110-220V power sources, but the pin/plug adapters are often necessary. Instead of manufacturing chargers with different regional plugs, each kit can be made the same. As a bonus, there’s widespread compatibility just in case one ever needs it.
JeffD
The design looks very similar to the Bosch PS-31A, especially the battery components.
Kevin
to me it looks like a Craftsman Nextec and MasterForce clone, I wonder if they all have the same OEM. The i-drill just seems like gimmicky product marketed towards the apple crowd.
JeffD
@ Kevin – well said. The only thing that pretty in my shop is my wife, and she doesn’t stay clean for long.
Lloyd Pennigton
It will be interesting to see how this product fairs in the market. There doesnt appear to be much in the industrial design that diffrentiates from its competitors other than the packaging. Efforts to ‘soften’ an otherwise industrial looking product design have in the past failed to deliver much in the way of market share. I havent seen any evidance to suggest there is a real market for this type of product placement. Industrial design mostly needs to be kept in context with its user enviroment. I think this product is some way off the mark of what the typical buyer wants and needs from a powertool. If it had a genuinely disruptive innovation to carry it allong, then the product design could have be pulled off.
Steve
Is this company associated with Apple Computers?
The naming scheme, colors, and packaging are similar.
I sent Apple a link to their website.
okto
Has anyone else noticed that the whole grip section and batteries on all the 12V Li-ion cordless tools look EXACTLY THE SAME?
lametec
I’m guessing there will be a host of colorful “gel skins” available from China soon enough, so you can protect and personalize. 🙂
Stuart
Shh, don’t give them any ideas! =)
I was actually surprised, the i-drill does perform fairly well. I wouldn’t put it on par with major pro-grade brands, but it is more than enough for home improvement-type settings.