Black & Decker VPX Battery: Specs, Compatibility & Replacement Guide
The Black & Decker VPX battery is the 7.2V pack (part number VPX0111) that powers the discontinued VPX “pivoting tool” line – screwdrivers, small saws, and detail sanders sold mainly from the mid-2000s through the early 2010s. Black & Decker stopped making the VPX platform years ago, so a fresh OEM VPX0111 isn’t sold new anymore – everything on the market today is a compatible third-party replacement, and knowing that up front changes how you should shop for one.
What Is the Black & Decker VPX Battery, and Why Is It Hard to Find?
Best VPX0111 Replacement Pick
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MAUSOCELA VPX0111 Replacement Battery – $24.99 Since Black & Decker no longer sells the VPX0111 new, this is the direct drop-in replacement for VPX1101 through VPX2102 tools.
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VPX0111 is a 7.2V nickel-cadmium (NiCd) pack originally built into Black & Decker’s VPX “Pivot Plus” line – tools like the VPX1101, VPX1201, VPX1212, VPX1301, VPX1401, VPX1501, and VPX2102 screwdrivers and mini-saws. The pack snaps into the handle base and charges on a simple two-prong trickle charger, the same kind of low-current charger Black & Decker used across most of its early-2000s NiCd tool lines.
Black & Decker discontinued the entire VPX line more than a decade ago, and it no longer manufactures or sells the VPX0111 as a new OEM part. That’s why every current listing you’ll find – including the pack we link to below – is a compatible aftermarket cell, not a factory Black & Decker battery. It’s also why a small cottage industry of pack-rebuild guides exists online: owners who still have a working VPX tool but can’t find a factory battery often pop the case open and solder in fresh sub-C NiCd or NiMH cells rather than replace the whole unit.
Real Specs: Voltage, Capacity, and Chemistry
The original VPX0111 was rated at 7.2V with a NiCd cell stack, and most direct replacements on the market today match that voltage while switching to NiCd or NiMH chemistry rated between roughly 1,200mAh and 2,000mAh. A higher-mAh replacement in the same voltage isn’t overkill – it just means longer runtime per charge before the pack needs to go back on the trickle charger, since the tools themselves don’t care about capacity, only voltage and the physical connector.
One thing to watch for: because VPX chargers are simple, unregulated trickle chargers rather than smart chargers, an oversized NiMH replacement can take noticeably longer to reach a full charge than the original NiCd pack did. That’s a tradeoff, not a defect – you’re trading charge time for more runtime between charges.
Which Tools the VPX Battery Fits (and What It Won’t Fit)
A VPX0111 replacement will drop into any tool from the VPX “Pivot Plus” family, including the VPX1101, VPX1101X, VPX1201, VPX1212, VPX1212X, VPX1301, VPX1301X, VPX1401, VPX1501, and VPX2102. These share the same battery bay and contact layout, so the pack is fully interchangeable across that specific model range.
What it will not fit is any other Black & Decker battery family. The older 18V HPB18-series tools use a completely different mount and voltage, and Black & Decker’s modern 20V MAX lineup (the SmartTech/POWERCONNECT batteries) uses yet another connector entirely – see our 18V battery replacement guide if that’s the pack you actually have. If your tool’s model number doesn’t start with “VPX,” this isn’t the battery you need, no matter how similar the voltage sounds.
Charging and Storage Tips That Actually Extend Runtime
NiCd and NiMH cells both suffer if you leave them sitting fully discharged for long stretches, which is the single most common reason an old VPX pack “won’t hold a charge” anymore. If a VPX tool has been in a drawer for a year or more, don’t assume the battery is dead after one failed charge attempt – a slow overnight trickle charge often revives a pack that a quick top-off won’t.
NiCd cells do suffer from a genuine “memory effect” if repeatedly recharged from a partial discharge over hundreds of cycles, though it’s a much smaller real-world issue than older marketing made it sound – fully draining the tool before charging every few cycles is enough to avoid it. NiMH replacement packs are less prone to memory effect but self-discharge faster in storage, so if you’re buying a replacement for a tool that sits unused between projects, factor that into which chemistry you pick.
Troubleshooting a VPX Battery That Won’t Charge
Before assuming the pack itself is dead, check the charger and contacts first – it’s the cheaper fix and the more common culprit on a tool this old. Wipe the two metal contacts on both the battery and the charger cradle with a dry cloth or a pencil eraser; oxidation buildup on NiCd contacts after years of storage is enough to block a charge even on a perfectly good cell. Next, confirm the charger’s small indicator light actually changes state when the battery is seated (most VPX chargers show a steady or blinking light when charging and a different state when full) – a charger with a dead internal transformer will never show a charging light no matter how good the battery is.
If contacts are clean and the charger’s light behaves normally but the tool still won’t run, give it one full 12-16 hour trickle charge before concluding the pack has failed – VPX chargers are not fast chargers, and a pack that’s been sitting depleted for months can need a full overnight cycle just to wake back up. Only after a full charge attempt with clean contacts fails should you treat the battery as dead and move to a replacement.
Disposing of the Old NiCd Pack Safely
Cadmium is a toxic heavy metal, so a dead VPX0111 pack should never go in household trash – it’s classified as hazardous waste in most U.S. states and many municipalities specifically ban NiCd batteries from curbside pickup. Call2Recycle operates free drop-off bins at most Home Depot, Lowe’s, and Best Buy locations nationwide that accept NiCd and NiMH power tool batteries at no charge; tape over the battery’s exposed contacts with electrical tape before dropping it off to prevent a short circuit in transit. If a replacement pack you’re rebuilding at home still has a working set of case halves, some hobbyists reuse the shell with fresh cells rather than buying a whole new molded unit, which is the same approach the pack-rebuild guides online are built around.
Frequently Asked Questions About the Black & Decker VPX Battery
Can I use a Black & Decker VPX battery with other Black & Decker tools?
Only with other tools in the VPX “Pivot Plus” family – the VPX1101, VPX1201, VPX1212, VPX1301, VPX1401, VPX1501, and VPX2102. It’s not interchangeable with Black & Decker’s 18V or 20V MAX tools, which use entirely different battery mounts.
How long does a Black & Decker VPX battery last?
Original and replacement VPX0111 packs run from about 1,200mAh to 2,000mAh depending on the specific replacement, which typically works out to somewhere around 30-60 minutes of continuous drilling or driving per charge in light-duty tools like the VPX line’s screwdrivers – actual runtime depends heavily on the task and how hard the motor is working.
Are Black & Decker VPX batteries compatible with older Black & Decker tools?
No. VPX batteries are not compatible with older Black & Decker tools on different platforms, including the 18V HPB18-series tools, which use their own separate mount and voltage.
Can I still buy a genuine Black & Decker VPX battery new?
No – Black & Decker discontinued the VPX line and no longer manufactures the VPX0111 as a new OEM part. Every VPX0111 available for purchase today is a compatible third-party replacement rather than a factory Black & Decker battery.
Bottom Line
The Black & Decker VPX battery (VPX0111) is a 7.2V pack built for the discontinued VPX Pivot Plus tool line, and since Black & Decker no longer makes it, every option on the market is a third-party replacement. Match the connector to your specific VPX model, expect NiCd or NiMH chemistry in the 1,200-2,000mAh range, and give a long-stored pack a full overnight charge before writing it off as dead.
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