DEKO 126-Piece Tool Kit Review: a compact cordless drill set for casual DIY jobs

I picked up this DEKO 126-piece kit because I’d just moved and realised I had basically zero tools apart from a rusty screwdriver. I didn’t want to spend a fortune on pro gear, I just needed something to build flat-pack furniture, put up a few shelves, and handle the usual home bits. This set popped up with decent reviews and a low price, so I gave it a shot.

First impression: it feels like a starter kit aimed at people who don’t already have a toolbox. The 8V cordless drill is clearly not made for heavy building work, but for light indoor jobs it looked promising. The case has a bit of everything: hammer, pliers, tape measure, bits, sockets, level, etc. It’s the kind of thing you throw in a cupboard and pull out every few weeks when something needs fixing.

After a couple of weeks of use around the house – assembling a wardrobe, drilling into wood for a few brackets, tightening loose screws on chairs – I have a fairly clear view of what it can and can’t do. It’s not a miracle worker, but it’s more useful than I expected at this price. You just need to stay realistic about its limits.

In short, if you’re a casual DIY person or you’re kitting out a first flat, it makes sense. If you’re planning to renovate a whole house with it, you’ll hit its limits very fast. I’ll break down what I liked and what annoyed me so you can see if it fits what you need.

Considering everything that’s in the box, the value is pretty solid if you’re a casual user. For the price of a single mid-range drill from a big brand, you’re getting a full starter toolkit: drill, bits, hammer, pliers, wrench, tape measure, level, hex keys, etc. None of it is top-tier, but you’re basically going from zero tools to “I can handle most simple jobs” in one purchase, which is exactly what I wanted when I bought it.

If you compare it to buying tools piece by piece, yes, you could build a better-quality setup over time – but you’d pay a lot more. This kit makes sense for people who don’t want to think too hard and just need something that gets the job done once in a while. Students, people in their first flat, or anyone who just moved and needs to assemble furniture and hang a few things will probably be happy with it.

On the flip side, if you already own a decent drill, this kit is less attractive. The hand tools are okay, but not so good that I’d buy the whole set just for them. In that case, you’d be better off spending the money on one or two higher-quality tools you’re missing. Also, if you know you’ll be drilling into masonry or doing heavier work, you’re going to end up buying a more powerful drill anyway, so this 8V unit might feel like money half-wasted.

Overall, I’d say good value for occasional, light DIY, average value if you’re more serious about tools. It fills that “first aid kit for DIY” role nicely, but it’s not going to replace proper, individual tools if you’re picky about quality or power.

The colour is sold as cyan and it’s definitely on the bright side, so you’re not going to confuse it with a pro contractor’s gear. Personally I don’t care about the colour, but I’ll say this: you spot it quickly in a messy room, which is actually quite practical. The case itself is a rigid plastic shell with a handle. It closes with two simple latches. Nothing fancy, but it stays shut when you carry it, and that’s what matters.

The drill design is compact and lightweight. It’s clearly built for comfort over power. The handle has a rubberised grip that feels decent in the hand and doesn’t slip, even when your hands are a bit sweaty. The trigger is responsive enough, and you can control the speed by how hard you press, up to the 800 rpm limit. Forward/reverse switch is in the usual spot above the trigger, easy to flick with your thumb. There’s also a small battery indicator on the back, which is a nice touch on such a cheap kit.

Inside the case, the layout is mostly logical, but some of the smaller bits don’t click in super firmly. After carrying the box around or storing it vertically, I occasionally opened it to find some bits and sockets had popped out of their slots and were floating in the case. Not a huge problem, but a bit annoying when you have to hunt around for the right bit. Larger tools (hammer, pliers, drill) stay in place fine.

Overall, the design is functional: easy to carry, easy to store, drill is comfortable to hold. It doesn’t feel premium, and the plastic on the case and a couple of tools looks a bit cheap, but for the price bracket, it’s acceptable. If you want something that looks tough and professional, this isn’t it. If you just want a kit that’s simple to grab and use, the design does the job.

The drill runs on an 8V lithium-ion battery built into the handle, so you can’t swap it out like on bigger pro drills. For the kind of user this kit is aimed at, that’s not a big issue, but it’s worth knowing. If the battery dies mid-job, you have to stop and recharge; you can’t just click in a spare.

The good part is the USB-C charging. It comes with a type-C 1.5A cable, and you can use any 5V USB charger – phone charger, power bank, etc. I mainly used an old phone brick, and it charged without any issue. From nearly empty to full took roughly a couple of hours in my case. There’s a small battery indicator light at the back of the drill that gives you a rough idea of charge level, which is handy to check before you start a job.

In terms of runtime, for light tasks it’s fine. I was able to assemble a full wardrobe plus a TV stand on a single charge, with a mix of drilling pilot holes and driving screws. For a normal home user, you’re unlikely to drain it in one go unless you’re doing a big project. If you’re the type who does a lot of work in one day, though, you will feel the limit of having just one small battery and relatively low voltage.

One downside: because the battery is built-in, if it degrades over time (which lithium batteries always do), you don’t really have an upgrade path. The whole drill will slowly become weaker and hold less charge. At this price, that’s kind of expected, but it still means this is more of a medium-term tool than something you’ll keep for a decade. For a starter kit or occasional use, the battery setup is practical and easy. For serious, frequent work, you’d want a system with removable batteries.

Build quality is okay for the price, but you can tell it’s not meant for daily professional abuse. The drill casing feels solid enough, no creaks when you squeeze it, and after a few accidental bumps and one drop from table height, it still works fine. The chuck holds bits reasonably well; I didn’t have any bits falling out during use, which is good. I wouldn’t call it rough and tough, but it doesn’t feel like it’s going to fall apart immediately either.

The hand tools are a mixed bag. The hammer is light and perfectly usable for small nails and general household stuff, but it’s not something I’d use on a building site. The adjustable wrench works, but the adjustment wheel has a bit of play, so you need to check it doesn’t loosen while you’re using it. The pliers feel decent enough and the cutting edge handled small wires without any visible damage. The tape measure is basic but readable and retracts fine.

Where you really feel the budget side is the smaller accessories. Some of the screwdriver bits and drill bits feel soft. After a handful of uses, one of the smaller bits already showed visible wear, and I wouldn’t trust them for heavy or frequent work. Same with the little fasteners and fixings included: they’re okay as emergency spares, but I’d still buy proper wall plugs and screws from a hardware store for anything important.

Over time, I expect this kit to hold up well for someone who uses it occasionally – say once or twice a month. If you start using it every day, the weak points (bits, wrench, maybe the chuck) will show up faster. So durability is good enough for occasional home use, but if you’re rough on your tools or plan to use them constantly, you’ll outgrow this set pretty quickly.

Let’s be clear: this is an 8V drill, so don’t expect it to behave like an 18V or 20V contractor drill. For light indoor work, it’s actually decent. I used it mainly for:

• Assembling flat-pack furniture (wardrobe, TV unit, a couple of chairs)
• Drilling pilot holes in soft wood for brackets
• Tightening and loosening a bunch of screws around the house

For these tasks, it was fine. It has enough torque to drive normal wood screws into pine and chipboard without complaining, as long as you’re not trying to force huge screws or go into really hard wood. The variable speed via the trigger works well enough to avoid stripping screws if you’re a bit careful. I also used it to drill into plastic and thin wood with the supplied drill bits, and it handled that with no drama.

Where it starts to struggle is anything more demanding. Drilling into brick or concrete is basically a no-go with this setup – there’s no hammer function, and the motor just doesn’t have the power for that, even if you swap in better masonry bits. Even in harder wood, you can feel it slow down if you push it. Compared to my neighbour’s 18V drill, this feels like “half a drill” in terms of force, which is expected given the voltage.

The included bits and accessories are usable but nothing special. They’re fine for occasional use, but you can tell they’re not top quality steel. After a few jobs, one of the small screwdriver bits already showed wear on the edges. For someone who will only use them now and then, it’s acceptable. If you plan to use a particular bit a lot, I’d just buy a better set of bits separately and keep this as backup.

So in terms of performance: good enough for casual DIY and home maintenance, not suitable for heavy or frequent work. If you stay within its limits (wood, plastic, basic screws, light drilling), it behaves well. Push it beyond that, and you’ll quickly hit the ceiling of what an 8V motor can do.

The set is sold as a 126-piece kit, which sounds huge, but as usual a lot of that number comes from small bits and fasteners. The main piece is the 8V cordless drill, then you get: a basic claw hammer, adjustable wrench, long nose pliers, a standard screwdriver with bits, a small precision screwdriver, hex keys, a tape measure, a level, utility knife blades, and a pile of screwdriver bits and small hardware. So it’s more of an all-in-one starter kit than just a drill.

In practice, the tools are laid out in a hard plastic case with a place for everything. The drill sits in its own moulded slot, the bits and sockets clip into the lid, and the hand tools are on the other side. It’s fairly easy to see everything at a glance, which I liked. You don’t get any fancy extras like spare battery or drill stand; it’s straight to the point. There’s a USB-C charging cable included for the drill, which is handy because you can just plug it into any phone charger.

One thing to know: there isn’t a detailed manual for beginners. There’s a basic user manual for the drill, but it’s short and doesn’t really teach you how to choose the right bit or which drill bit to use for what material. If you’re new to tools, you’ll probably end up doing what I did: trial and error plus a quick YouTube search. It’s not a deal-breaker, but “complete kit for newbies” is a bit optimistic without proper guidance.

Overall, the presentation matches the price: compact, complete enough for light use, but nothing fancy. If you already own better standalone tools, this won’t impress you. If you’re starting from zero, opening the case feels reassuring because you basically have something for most simple jobs, even if each item is clearly in the budget category.