Black & Decker VPX, Black & Decker drill bits

This cordless drill was an impulse purchase of mine as I was walking to the Lowe's cash register with a roll of Corning R-13 insulation (which is very good, by the way). I love the Black & Decker brand and really like lithium-ion battery systems, because you can recharge them no matter how little you've used them without risk of decreasing their ability to hold a charge. I also liked the idea of a system that required one common battery, and so without any research into this product line, I bought the VPX drill and the battery/charger combo (not shown). I have an excellent 110 volt drill, but it is currently packed while we are waiting to move into our new home, and so I bought this as as stop-gap, since there were modifications I wanted to make before move-in. A cordless drill also seemed like a great addition to my tool chest.

I also purchased a set of Black & Decker drill bits placed adjacent to the VPX system display near the checkout registers. When I got home (our new home), after charging the VPX battery, I inserted a 3/16" drill bit into the drill and immediately noticed that driving more one and a half inches through a normal 2x4 stud would stop the drill. Thinking there might be a knot in the wood, I proceeded to drill another necessary hole for my project, only to see the drill stop cold at about the same place. Neither increasing nor decreasing the torque dial helped. This happened with two more holes.

This is a drill. Drilling, among other power jobs, is what Black & Decker supposedly does best. Without hesitation, I should expect a drill to bore a 3/16" hole in a 2x4 pinewood stud at any time, especially with the proper drill bits for wood projects. If a drill won't drill, why make it?

Don't buy the VPX. It is a really cool concept, but definitively inadequate.

Moreover, when I tried to drill the fourth and final hole, there wasn't enough torque to continue drilling the bit through the wood, but just enough to break the 3/16" bit. Four half-holes in wood and the bit broke. Why make this either?