BLACK+DECKER 20V MAX PowerConnect 1/4in Impact Driver Kit (BDCI20C)

BLACK+DECKER 20V MAX PowerConnect 1/4in Impact Driver Kit (BDCI20C)

By BLACK+DECKER · Impact Drivers · Power Tools

  • 1,375 in-lbs max torque
  • 3,000 RPM no-load speed
  • 20V MAX lithium-ion platform
  • 1.5Ah battery included
  • 3.6 lbs weight

Lowest price seen
~$79.99 (approx.)
from $79.99 at Amazon

Prices are snapshots. Check the current price with the store.

Summary

An entry-level 20V MAX impact driver kit with one 1.5 Ah battery, a charger and a bit, aimed at light home jobs and buyers already on the BLACK+DECKER battery platform. Check the measured numbers before you buy: independent testing ranked it eleventh of twelve drivers, and the included pack finished only one set of test fasteners.

Strengths

  • Low price for a complete one-battery kit.
  • A magnetic on-board bit holder that testers and reviewers liked.
  • Shares the wide BLACK+DECKER 20V MAX battery platform.
  • Adequate for light-to-medium home fastening.
  • The trigger can light the LED without running the motor.

Weaknesses

  • Slow speed and low measured torque next to other drivers in its class.
  • Loud in testing at 97 dBA while driving ledger screws.
  • The 1.5 Ah pack gave only one full trial set of runtime.
  • At 168 mm it was the longest driver TechGearLab measured, with no belt clip.
  • One speed and torque setting, so power cannot be dialed down for delicate work.
  • Reviewers note the tool feels heavy and heats up in long continuous use.

Verified specifications

Kit modelBDCI20C; bare tool BDCI202; tool-only variant BDCI20B.
Battery platformBLACK+DECKER 20V MAX lithium-ion; 20 V maximum / 18 V nominal.
Included batteryone 1.5 Ah battery.
Includeda charger and one screwdriving bit.
Claimed max torque1,375 in-lb.
Claimed no-load speed3,000 RPM (variable speed, 0-3,000).
Claimed impact rate3,900 BPM.
Chuck1/4 in. quick-release hex.
Modesone speed range and one torque setting; no selectable fastening modes.
Controlsvariable-speed trigger with an LED work light and on-board bit storage.
Belt hooknone.
Storage casenone.
Dimensions168 mm measured front to back; 7.88 × 3 × 9 in and about 3.45 lb as packaged. Measured bare weight is 2 lb without battery.
Full research notes and sources

How it performs in tests

TechGearLab bought and tested twelve drivers in 2025 and scored the BDCI20C 44/100, eleventh of twelve. It averaged about 6 seconds to drive a 3-5/8 in. ledger screw into stacked plywood and took 58 seconds for a lag-bolt drive-and-remove cycle, the slowest of the group. Measured fastening torque averaged 115 ft-lb; it broke fasteners tightened to 175 ft-lb but failed at 200 ft-lb. Consumer Reports describes it as “moderately powerful, but still capable of handling most jobs easily,” and TechGearLab judged it fine for light home jobs that beat hand tools.

Battery life and running cost

Runtime is the weak point. The included 1.5 Ah pack completed only one full trial set (14 ledger screws plus one lag bolt driven and removed); on the second set it drove the lag bolt but died before removing it. Consumer Reports calls run time “limited.” A larger 4 Ah battery is sold separately and is the likely practical extra for heavier use. The tool uses the shared 20V MAX battery platform, so batteries and chargers are widely sold separately, including the tool-only BDCI20B variant.

Noise, size and handling

It is a loud tool: 97 dBA average while driving ledger screws. It is also bulky, at 168 mm the longest in the test group, and it has no belt clip, no quick bit-insert collet and no storage case. Owners and reviewers note it feels heavy, and SolidSmack says it “gets hot when used continuously for a long period of time.” The magnetic bit holder on top and the trigger-activated light were the parts reviewers liked.

Is it worth it?

Below about $100 the kit is a sensible light-duty buy, and it makes extra sense if you already own 20V MAX batteries. Prices seen in the sources move with retailer and date — TechGearLab used an $80 list price in 2025, SlashGear cited $79.99 in 2024, a Home Depot search snippet showed $66.60, and Extreme How To quoted $99 at Home Depot in 2015. Above roughly $100 it competes poorly, because it finished near the bottom of the test group and several other drivers beat it on every measure. Industrial resellers sit far higher, with AFT Fasteners listing $155.17 for the kit.

Which model this is

The researched product is the 20V MAX POWERCONNECT 1/4 in. cordless impact driver kit, model BDCI20C, ASIN B00JJ3QY9A. The bare tool inside the kit is BDCI202, and a tool-only version sold without a battery or charger is BDCI20B. Don’t confuse it with BLACK+DECKER’s 20V MAX drill/drivers or its separate 1/2 in. impact wrench. “20V MAX” is a peak-voltage label; the nominal voltage is 18 V.

Sources

Manufacturer:

No manufacturer page was readable in this pass; the site repeatedly returned HTTP 429.

Independent reviews:

Owner reports:

Stores:

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