Skil Brushless 12V 3-Tool Combo Kit: Drill Driver, Inflator & Area Light

A compact trio that covers most household jobs

I’ve been keeping the Skil 12V combo kit in my kitchen utility cabinet for a few weeks, and it’s become my grab-and-go solution for small projects: hanging blinds, tightening cabinet hardware, inflating bike tires, and lighting up a dark crawlspace. It’s a simple formula—a 12V brushless drill/driver, a cordless inflator, and a small area light—backed by two 2.0Ah batteries and a rapid charger. None of these tools are trying to be the most powerful in their class, but together they make a capable, compact setup that’s easy to live with.

What’s in the box and how it feels

The kit includes:
- Brushless 1/2-inch drill/driver
- Inflator with digital gauge
- LED area light with a pivoting head
- Two 12V 2.0Ah batteries (with USB output)
- Rapid charger
- PH2 bit, belt clip, and inflation adapters (Presta, sports needle, pinch valve)

Build quality sits squarely in the “confident DIY” tier. The plastics are cleanly molded, rubber overmold is where it needs to be, and nothing rattles. The whole package is lightweight, and the compact batteries keep the tools nimble. I appreciate that both batteries are included—one can live on the charger while the other rides on a tool.

Drill/driver: brushless control in a compact body

Skil’s 12V drill uses a brushless motor and a 2-speed gearbox rated at 0–450 and 0–1700 RPM, with up to 350 in-lbs of torque. In practice, that spec translates to the sweet spot for household projects and light builds.

What I liked:
- The variable-speed trigger is easy to feather. Driving cabinet screws into particleboard and pine felt precise, and the clutch transitions cleanly without surprise cam-out.
- The 1/2-inch chuck is noteworthy at this voltage. It’s overkill for small bits but handy when you want to run a step bit or larger spade in a pinch. The chuck holds round-shank bits securely and tightens evenly.
- In low speed, the drill has enough grunt for boring 1-inch spade holes through studs for low-voltage cable, as long as you let the bit clear and don’t force it.

Where it hit limits:
- Long, thick fasteners in dense material (think 3-inch screws into hardwood or pressure-treated lumber) push this drill past its comfort zone. It can do it occasionally, but it’s happier with 1-1/4 to 2-inch screws and typical drywall or furniture assembly.
- There’s no dedicated hammer mode, so masonry is out; use masonry bits in wood or light plastic only.

For its size, the drill balances well, and the low gear plus brushless efficiency makes delicate work—hinge screws, electrical plates, pocket-hole assembly—feel controlled rather than frantic.

Inflator: quick top-offs with smart shutoff

The inflator has become the most-used tool in the kit at my house. It connects quickly, the digital gauge is easy to read, and the auto shutoff does what it should. Skil rates it to 160 PSI, which covers car tires, road bike tires, and most inflatables.

My workflow:
- Set target pressure with the buttons, connect the hose, and pull the trigger. The motor spins up fast; it’s about as loud as a typical handheld inflator.
- For car tires, topping from ~30 to 35 PSI took just over a minute. It hit my target within a pound compared to a known gauge, which is accurate enough for daily use.
- For bikes, the included Presta adapter seals well. High-pressure road tires seat securely, and the auto shutoff stops cleanly at the target without a slow seep when disconnecting.

Notes and trade-offs:
- The 0.68 m hose length is fine for cars and bikes but requires a bit of positioning to keep strain off the valve stem. A longer hose or swivel would be nicer, but this one works.
- Running multiple car tires back-to-back warms the unit and the battery. I never tripped a thermal cutoff, and the battery’s cooling design seems to help, but I gave it short breathers between tires to be kind to the pack.
- It’s not a volume pump. Mattresses and big inflatables are possible, but patience will be required; the design is for pressure, not bulk airflow.

The included accessories cover most needs and live neatly with the inflator so they don’t disappear.

Area light: modest output, useful pivot

The area light is simple and effective. It offers two brightness settings (listed as 200 and 400) and a 120-degree pivoting head. On high, it’s bright enough to light the space under a sink, a fuse box, or the inside of a closet. On low, it works as a soft task light without glare.

What stood out:
- The pivot range makes placement easy on shelves and the floor, and the head stays where you position it.
- Runtime on a 2.0Ah battery is reasonable; I used it on low while assembling a cabinet and never looked for the charger.

What I wished for:
- Only two brightness levels. A third intermediate step would help tailor light on shiny surfaces.
- There’s no hanging hook or magnetic base, so I sometimes had to get creative with placement. The stable base helps, but a clip-on accessory would elevate it.

Batteries and charger: fast top-ups and handy USB

Each 2.0Ah battery includes a USB output, which is surprisingly practical. I used it to top off a headlamp and phone while camping. The rapid charger is one of the kit’s unsung strengths: a 25% top-off in around five minutes is legitimately useful when you just need to finish a few screws or inflate a tire. Full charges took roughly the advertised three-quarters of an hour in my testing.

Runtime reflections:
- One 2.0Ah pack handled a couple dozen screws, a few pilot holes, and a tire top-off before I swapped batteries.
- Extended inflating drains the pack more quickly than drilling; that’s expected. Having two batteries on hand makes the inflator much more practical.

Skil’s cooling material inside the pack is hard to verify, but I noticed consistent performance without hot-pack slowdown during normal use.

Ergonomics and usability

• The drill’s grip and trigger feel natural, and bit changes are quick and secure.
• The inflator’s interface is straightforward. Buttons are responsive, the screen is readable, and the auto shutoff sets and forgets.
• The light is a set-it-and-forget-it tool; no modes maze, no gimmicks.

Everything benefits from the compact 12V format. The tools go where a 20V kit sometimes feels clumsy—inside cabinets, behind toilets, in a car trunk. The trade-off is raw power, but for most homeowner tasks, I rarely felt short-changed.

Who this kit suits (and who should pass)

This kit shines for:
- Homeowners and renters who want a ready-to-use set for light projects and maintenance
- Cyclists and drivers who like the convenience of a cordless inflator with auto shutoff
- DIYers building small furniture, hanging shelves, and doing room-by-room fixes
- Anyone who values compact size and quick charging over all-day, heavy-duty power

You may want a different setup if:
- You regularly drive long structural fasteners, drill large holes in hardwood, or work in masonry
- You need a jobsite light with magnetic mounting, a hanging hook, or higher lumen output
- You want a broader tool ecosystem; Skil’s 12V line is growing but smaller than some competitors

Pros and cons

Pros:
- Brushless 12V drill delivers smooth control and respectable torque for its size
- Auto-shutoff inflator with accurate digital gauge and useful accessories
- Compact area light with a stable base and a practical pivoting head
- Two 2.0Ah batteries included, each with a USB port
- Rapid charger meaningfully reduces downtime

Cons:
- Drill can struggle with long fasteners in dense lumber
- Inflator hose is on the short side
- Area light has only two brightness levels and no built-in hanging option
- 2.0Ah batteries are modest; heavy inflating sessions benefit from mid-cycle top-ups

Recommendation

I recommend the Skil 12V combo kit for homeowners, renters, and casual DIYers who want a compact, well-rounded set that covers everyday needs. The brushless drill is precise and capable for light-to-medium tasks, the inflator adds genuine utility with accurate auto shutoff, and the area light is a helpful companion for tight spaces. The two included batteries and rapid charger make the kit feel ready at a moment’s notice, and the USB output is a useful bonus.

If your projects lean heavy—structural builds, dense hardwood, or pro-level throughput—look to a higher-voltage system with larger packs and more specialized tools. For everything else, this 12V kit hits a practical balance of size, performance, and convenience that makes it easy to reach for first.