Skil Brushless 12V 5-Tool Compact Combo Kit CB8368A-20

I needed a drill and driver and this set is very unbeatable for the price. At 12 volts, they’re not the most powerful tools, but they’re brushless and are pretty strong performers in their category. I had no problem drilling wall anchors into studs for a bathroom towel rack or driving screws into wood when building a desk. It’s a great kit for a homeowner like me who just needs it to do the occasional drilling/driving/cutting around the house.

The set includes some fluff like the lamp and speaker, but the lamp is handy and bright. I don’t see myself using the speaker much at home. As I said, it’s a nice kit for a homeowner, but when’s a homeowner gonna need a speaker? That seems more suitable for a job site where they’ll likely be using more powerful 18 volt tools.

Regardless, it’s still very good value for everything included. The batteries also doubling as USB per banks is handy for when you’re dealing with power outages and need to charge up a phone.

I have been a big fan of the Porter Cable 20v system for years. But apparently I’m one of the few who were as just about every hardware store stopped carrying them. And I missed the small window where they had Brushless versions for a reasonable price. Given that I used my PC stuff for so long that the brushes were starting to go, I thought I’d at least check to see what else was out there. I had used a 12v Bosch driver borrowed from a friend and liked the lighter weight, smaller size of it. But I didn’t want to pay the Bosch tax. Finding this combo was refreshing. The price is great and it has a decent variety of tools.

Impact driver: The halo light is fantastic. In fact, all OEMs need to adopt this method. I have one DeWalt tool that has it and love it there as well. The control mode is fantastic for when you need to drive something but have to be careful of applying to much torque to it. There are 3 other speeds as well, but I generally use speed 3 or Control Mode with nothing in between.

Drill driver: No halo light here. Also no ratcheting chuck, which took some getting used to. But it works great. Nice clutch setting range, two speeds. Only bogs down with 1″ forstener bits. But I’ve had the same with 18v and 20v handheld tools. Skil has a hammer drill in this platform as well and I’d love to give that a go with bigger bits too. The old version had a cool feature: hidden 1/4″ drive socket hidden within the chuck. So you could open the chuck up wide and quickly insert any 1/4″ bit and it stayed there with a strong magnet. This was NOT clear to me when I bought the new version. Not a deal breaker, but I hadn’t seen anyone else mention it so hopefully that will help someone make a decision.

Oscillating tool: Great ergonomics on this tool. Feels better in hand than the PC I have and the DeWalt I’ve used before. Halo light on this guy, but more like a half circle, but plenty of range to give you light in any direction you’re likely to use attachments. Not nearly as loud as the PC I have. I mean, all osc tools are loud and obnoxious, this is just less so. As annoying as the sound can be with the auto ramp up feature, I found that to be exceptionally useful. Starting a plunge cut at a lower speed when accuracy matters, then once you’ve “scribed” the outline, bear down and the motor kicks up based on how hard you’re pressing. It does sound a bit like it’s a dying tool in this mode, but trust me, it still keeps on working! I did find the jaw release to be a bit difficult to open. I’m not a burly construction worker, but I’m also not a total weakling. I can get it open, just a bit harder to do it than I’d like. Something I didn’t see in other reviews or even in the manual, this will support the older attachment style AND the newer star stuff. For the latter, you’ll unlock the chuck, and turn the thumbscrew that holds the blades down 1/4 turn clockwise and pull out. You can then place a star bit on there and reverse the process. Just don’t loose that piece you pulled out!

Speaker: Decent sound. Nothing spectacular. Lacks with heavy music due to lack of bass. But with a speaker this small, I’m not surprised. I like listening to audiobooks or podcasts with it. Has a USB port on it so you can still charge your phone with it instead of plugging it into the battery itself.

Worklight: Nice range of motion. It’s a flood light style pattern rather than a focused beam like your typical flashlight. With a battery in the tool it’s steady enough to stand upright and cast light on your work area. This will come in handy for power outages too.

Charger: This is NOT the jump charger that will give you like 25% power in 5 minutes or whatever it is. It also does not have a USB port on it. Otherwise works fine.

Batteries: Each comes with a really nice dust cover, which will come in handy for transport in your toolbox or your pocket if you’re charging your phone from it. I’m trying to figure out a way to mount the covers to the wall so I can mount all of them for easy organization. Haven’t really sat down to do that yet.

This is a solid kit for DIYers. I’ve used mostly the two drivers and I’ve used them a ton, including using a 3/4″ forstener bit to drill 140 holes in plywood to make one of those trendy giant pegboards for my spouse. I did all 140 with no break for myself or the tool itself. It did get warm, but kept on drilling without issue. I did of course have to swap batteries since they’re the 2ah.

Another pro: battery costs is cheap! $29 for 2ah, $49 for 4ah, that’s nuts. I’ve been so impressed with the “new” version of Skil that when I was shopping for a job site table saw, I compared and ended up buying Skil’s version, which has been an incredibly versatile saw. I love the dang thing. I’m excited to see what else Skil launches on the 12v platform!

Best tool at the price point. Paid $120 for the 5-tool set, couldn’t be happier. Fantastic quality I stack up against coworkers professional name brand 12v AND 20v yellow and red tools all day long. Really feels like the next gen of power tools by comparison.