Kobalt 20V Cordless Power Tools Review

Kobalt, Lowe’s popular house-brand, recently unveiled a new line of 20V Max Lithium-Ion power tools which include higher capacity batteries (up to three times more run time than Kobalt 18V NiCd batteries) and fade-free power even when the battery runs low. If you’ve ever had a cordless power tool start slowing down when the battery runs low, you’ll certainly appreciate this handy feature!

To experience the improved power, performance and reliability of the new Kobalt power tools, Lowe’s sent us a Kobalt 4-Tool 20-Volt Max Lithium-Ion Cordless Combo Kit to try out for ourselves. Woo-hoo!

The Kobalt 4-Tool Cordless Combo Kit contains:

• Drill/Driver — Variable speed trigger; RPM 0 – 450 (low), 0 – 1600 (high)
• Reciprocating saw — 1-1/8” stroke length with orbital blade action
• Impact driver — ¼”, quick-release collet, max speed of 2,500 RPM and up to 1550 in-lbs. of torque
• LED work light — 24 LED arrays, run time is greater than 12.5 hours
• 2.0 Ah Li-Ion compact battery
• 4.0 Ah Li-Ion extended run battery
• LCD Charger (35 min for 2.0Ah / 45 min for 4.0Ah)
• Reciprocating saw blade
• Double–ended driver bit
• 2 Belt clips
• 2 Bit holders
• Kobalt soft carrying bag

We headed over to my buddy’s workshop with our tools in hand, and put the Kobalt’s claims to the test. And true to form, the Kobalt performed admirably, even outperforming some of his “professional grade” tools that he uses for his contracting business. The Kobalt drill has more torque than the Porter-Cable or Ryobi models. It was able to drill more holes on a single charge than his Makita. It also has an all-metal chuck, unlike some other brands which use a plastic chuck.

You’ll also never have to worry about running out of juice without notice, as there’s a charge indicator on the battery that lets you know how much battery life is left. The charger also has an LCD display that shows how much time remains until the battery is fully charged, as well as how much battery life is left.

If you’re coming from one of Kobalt’s 18V Li-Ion or 18V NiCd tools, you’ll be happy to learn that you can use those batteries in your 20V Max Tools as well, no need to buy expensive backup battery packs!

Kobalt 20V Max tools are backed with a 5-year no-hassle tool guarantee, and the batteries are backed with a 3-year guarantee. You shouldn’t have a problem with your Kobalt tools, but if you do, simply stop by any of the 1700+ Lowe’s locations, and they’ll give you a free replacement, no questions asked!

At the end of the day, we found the Kobalt 20V cordless power tools to be great performers, and even though this should really be called a 3-tool kit (as the fourth “tool” is a work light), it’s still an excellent value at the low price of $299.

Want to learn more about the Kobalt 20V Max Cordless Power Tools? Then head on over to your your local Lowe’s, or visit www.lowes.com.