How Many People Buy Screwdriver Again
The research
- Why you should trust u.s.
- Who this is for
- How we picked
- How we tested
- Our pick: MegaPro xiii-in-1 or Channellock 13-in-1
- Long-term examination notes
- Flaws simply not dealbreakers
- Runner-upwardly: MegaPro 13-in-1 Ratcheting Automotive Screwdriver
- Budget pick: Husky Ratcheting Multi-Bit Screwdriver
- Also great: MegaPro 24-in-1 Multi-Bit Precision Screwdriver
- The contest
- Sources
Why y'all should trust us
I'm no stranger to screwdrivers. I spent more than a decade as a carpenter, foreman, and jobsite supervisor building loftier-terminate custom homes in the Boston surface area. I have likewise been writing about and reviewing tools since 2007. In improver, I take a very hands-on approach with my own 249-year-old farmhouse, and I fully gutted and rebuilt the concluding house I lived in. Just looking at the raw hours since I first picked up a tool in a professional mode, I've probably spent at least a twelvemonth of my life with a screwdriver in my hand.
To get a 2d opinion on screwdriver preferences and features, I turned to Stuart Deutsch of ToolGuyd.com. Dissimilar my own carpentry and construction groundwork, Deutsch has a physics and technology one, so information technology's not surprising that as a tool writer he'south particularly sensitive to how exactly things piece of work. He also has very trivial patience for junior products.
Who this is for
A screwdriver is the essential tool for minor habitation repairs. It'south required for everything from changing the battery on a kid's toy to installing a smoke warning to adjusting the loose handrail at the stairs. Expert multi-fleck drivers, like the kind we're recommending, tend to run in the $20 to $30 range. This price may shock y'all, but our recommendation is for the long booty.
We all know even bad screwdrivers can become the job done, merely if y'all're reading a review of a screwdriver, you're probably looking for something better and wondering if information technology's worth the coin. We believe you're easily justified in investing in a better screwdriver—non only is this i of the most commonly used tools in anyone's drove, just it's as well immediately articulate how much better a high-quality screwdriver is. You lot'll work faster (using less try), yous'll exercise less harm to the screwheads, and pocket-size repairs and home projects will feel much more manageable. The screwdriver will as well concluding longer.
How we picked
The best all-effectually screwdriver for the toolbox or kitchen drawer should be a ratcheting, multi-chip screwdriver with easily attainable fleck storage.
Ratcheting: Ratcheting screwdrivers are faster and easier to use than regular screwdrivers. Our feel is that we'll take a non-ratcheting screwdriver over a bad ratcheting one, but a good ratcheting screwdriver trumps all. The overall effect is that you can tighten or loosen a screw while your hand and the screw remain in contact with the tool the unabridged time. Most ratcheting screwdrivers contain a gear and pawl mechanism that allows you to turn the screwdriver (handle and stem) one style, and then plow only the handle back to reposition and reset it, and so turn the handle and stem once again. Ratcheting screwdrivers take a toggle, usually upwards at the base of the stem, that moves the ratcheting mechanism from clockwise to counterclockwise depending on whether you're tightening or loosening a screw. Near also have a third position that locks the stem into place, making the tool deport like a traditional screwdriver.
Because in that location is no need to keep resetting the screwdriver in the screwhead or to release your manus from the tool, ratcheting screwdrivers work much faster than traditional screwdrivers. For the aforementioned reasons, they're meliorate in tight, awkward spaces, especially those where you tin't actually come across the screwhead, like at the back of a cabinet or on the underside of a table while tightening a leg.
It's true that an experienced user like a long-time electrician can piece of work a regular screwdriver nearly similar a ratcheting one past putting pressure on the barrel terminate of the tool with the ball of their index finger and quickly working their fingers around the handle to move the driver. It's a good trick to know, but a ratcheting screwdriver gives you the same functionality no matter how you're holding it.
Multi-flake: For the utmost convenience, a screwdriver should be able to accept multiple bits. Typical tasks such as small home repairs and furniture associates tin require a wide array of bit shapes and sizes. Keeping a supply of individual screwdrivers for all of these uses gobbles up valuable space and leads to you owning tools that rarely become used. Equally an example, adjusting door hardware can crave three different tips: a Phillips for the hinges, a Torx for the knob set screw, and a slotted for the strike plate.
We think there are at least ten bit types y'all demand in order to feel confident that you lot could tackle any task around the house. The ubiquitous Phillips fleck alone has four common sizes, from the teeny P0 on electronics to the mesomorphic P3 found on large door hinges. The same goes for slotted bits, which accept three typical sizes that can be found on set screws, hinges, and radiator valves. Square drives (Robertsons) accept two standard sizes—the smaller R1 is used in a lot of trim carpentry, while the larger R2 tin can be found holding down decks and in other exterior applications. Torx $.25, gaining in popularity, take four common sizes.
An added bonus of a multi-bit screwdriver is that the screwdriver tip without a bit in it tin can be used equally a ¼-inch nut driver, a size found in electric piece of work and larger appliances, among many other places.
Convenient chip storage: For a multi-bit screwdriver to be successful, it needs to accept effective onboard bit storage, especially considering the grab-and-go nature of the tool. Having to spend fourth dimension searching for $.25, either earthworks through the kitchen drawer or rummaging around the tool bag, is unnecessary. We've seen a broad assortment of storage styles, and the best allow you to chop-chop identify and access the scrap you're looking for. Our to the lowest degree favorite are those that loosely shop the bits in the handle. These forcefulness you to dump the bits out into your palm and sift through them to find what you need, juggling the tool while you dump the rest back in the handle. So you lot have to pick up the few bits you lot inevitably drop on the floor. Adept luck finding those.
Overall quality: A ratchet is a precision mechanism, and some companies exercise it better than others. Deutsch told us that the ones to look for have "better materials and smoother, better fitting gearing." He continued, "Yous tin usually tell immediately how well a ratcheting screwdriver is made by holding the handle in ane hand and turning the drive end with the other." Amend ratchets tend to accept finer gears, which gives more command over the tool, especially in an area where space is limited and y'all may not be able to fully twist your hand. Deutsch as well recommended "staying away from the ratcheting screwdrivers that are prominently displayed in stores effectually Christmas and Begetter's Day, unless you tin test 1 first. If it fits your hand comfortably, has an easy-to-use management switch, and the gearing sounds okay, then it might be a good buy. If y'all can't exam it and it's priced at $5 to $8, don't expect great performance."
How we tested
We tested over xxx screwdrivers, using them to hang towel bars, tighten hinges, install toilet paper holders, brand adjustments to radiator valves, tinker with pocket door hardware, and practise some light electrical work. We assembled toys, adjusted cabinet doors, fixed a sagging gate, and hung some light fixtures. We put together prefab bookshelves, repaired a busted worklight, and installed iii screen doors. Our list could get on, but information technology'south safe to say we used the tools on many things any moderately handy person would utilize them on, doing the little things that may need to be addressed in a dwelling house, condo, or apartment.
In add-on to this loose-grade testing, we checked the bit tips for stability by trying to strip them out. To do this we sunk a iii-inch drywall screw into forest and then, using the screwdriver tips in a cordless drill, we tried to remove the screw while holding the drill at an angle. We then moved the dorsum of the drill effectually in a circle like we were stirring a pot. This acquired the driver tip to skip and chatter over the screwhead. It never gained purchase but defenseless it enough then that the working edges of the bit got a severe thrashing.
While doing all of this testing, nosotros kept a close eye on each screwdriver's handle comfort, the ease of its ratchet toggle, the convenience of the bit storage, and all of the other subtle features and details that separate the skilful from the bad.
Our pick: MegaPro xiii-in-1 or Channellock 13-in-1
Our selection
The MegaPro 13-in-1 is the one screwdriver nosotros found that does everything right. (Assume any statements in this department nigh the MegaPro 13-in-1 also utilize to the Channellock 13-in-1.) In that location are other tools that have additional features or a finer ratchet, but for a solid ratcheting action, fantastic fleck storage, a useful selection of bits, and an oddly comfortable handle, the MegaPro 13-in-one is the one to beat. It has been our selection since 2013, information technology's still the all-time subsequently a new round of testing in 2018 against xv new screwdrivers. It combines all of the right features like no other screwdriver, helping you work faster and more comfortably than with any other tool.
The scrap storage is exceptional and is 1 of the many areas where the tool stands apart from the pack. To admission the bits, the butt end of the handle pops out and slides straight back revealing a stem surrounded past half-dozen scrap holders, each of which houses a double-sided bit, sort of like a six-shooter. The carousel spins, and there is plenty of room around the bits to easily find the right one and remove it. Even though information technology extends out of the rear of the handle, the carousel itself has hardly any wobble to it. Other screwdrivers had like systems, but none matched the thirteen-in-one's stability or the ease with which it slides in and out of the handle or pops dorsum into identify. While stored, the bits stay secure no thing how much you milk shake the handle effectually or drop the tool (and we've dropped the tool a lot). We like that the carousel machinery locks in squeamish and tight, all the same can be easily opened with one hand using the pollex and forefinger.
Some other excellent, unique aspect of the rear cap is that it tin spin independently from the rest of the body. Simply MegaPro screwdrivers take this feature. With it, you tin can press the tool into the spiral with your palm and still easily rotate the screwdriver with your other mitt. Because the cap spins, the force per unit area from your palm won't be fighting against the twist of the handle. As well, the fact that your palm is pressing against a stationary piece instead of a twisting ane, means you won't "rug-burn" a peppery hole into your palm. It's a bang-up feature and i we establish particularly useful when dealing with partially stripped screws or large hinge screws that we were worried about damaging.
The handle of the MegaPro xiii-in-1 is another high point. Even with the roomy storage capacity for the half dozen bits (which actually are 12 different driver tips), the comfort of the grip far exceeded that of any of the other screwdrivers, even those that cost more than twice every bit much. It has a teardrop shape that tapers at the neck, providing a squeamish groove for the thumb and forefinger. The gripping area of the handle is mostly rubberized and has a series of nubs in it for ameliorate purchase. It's a very comfy pattern, and it felt natural no matter how we held information technology.
The ratcheting mechanism of the MegaPro 13-in-1 has 28 teeth, which is almost in the middle range of the screwdrivers we tested. Some had equally depression as 10 teeth, while most of the better ones had around twoscore, yet some had as many equally 72. So the MegaPro thirteen-in-ane may not have the subtlest most responsive ratchet, but it'southward very quiet and we think the high-quality experience to information technology is undeniable. In all of our years using it, we've never had it sideslip in one case.
The bit option of the MegaPro 13-in-1 is comprehensive and should be able to handle but near every standard screwdriving task in a dwelling. It comes with six double-headed driver bits, totaling 12 $.25. The 13th part is the ¼-inch hex end of the stalk, where the bit sits. This can be used for hex-headed screws similar the kind you lot might notice property the rear panel of your washing machine or on a pipage band clench.
The $.25 included with the MegaPro 13-in-1:
- Phillips #0, ane, 2, 3
- Slotted #4, 6
- Robertson (square drive) #1, two
- Torx #10, 15, 20, 25
MegaPro offers a lifetime warranty that covers manufacturer's defects. It doesn't cover misuse or wear and tear, and then if you run over information technology with the lawn mower, you're out of luck. The warranty also doesn't comprehend the $.25. In a 2010 video, Hermann Fruhm, the founder of the company, states that since 1994, they've never had a single handle break and in that aforementioned fourth dimension they've never had a flake strip out in the stem of the tool.
A final benefit of the MegaPro 13-in-1 is that information technology'southward bachelor in two versions and colors, which could make shopping more clear-cut if one or the other is a lower price or easier to notice. We found through testing that Channellock's thirteen-in-1 performs identically to the MegaPro thirteen-in-1, and then nosotros spoke with Fruhm, MegaPro'southward CEO (and inventor of the unique bit storage system), and he confirmed that MegaPro articles the Channellock 13-in-1 on a private-label basis. The colors of the 2 tools are different, with Channellock'south every bit more of a blueish and red superhero combination, which may exist more your manner than MegaPro'south red and blackness. L.H. Dottie also sells a version of the 13-in-1 that is typically more expensive than these two, but if you see it for less than the MegaPro or the Channellock, it's an option too.
Long-term test notes
I've been using the same MegaPro 13-in-i for the past xi years, 4 of which I spent in a construction site setting. It served every bit my main screwdriver through a full house gut and renovation, every bit well equally a house move and the screwdriver-heavy tasks that are involved with getting settled into a new habitation.
Afterwards years of abiding use, the tool still works bully, and bated from a couple of pigment splatters and a scratch here and there, the MegaPro is exactly equally information technology was when it came out of the packaging. I'm even so using the original bits, which testify goose egg deterioration. Even the Phillips #2, the most-used tip, has maintained its shape with no rounding over of the edges. Our torture test didn't cause any vesture or tear on the $.25 at all, and neither has routine piece of work.
I've found that the success of the storage system makes it very difficult to lose a chip. With the convenient storage carousel of the 13-in-one, there is a spot for each 1 of the bits. A lot of screwdrivers, similar the Milwaukee Multi Bit Driver, use the screwdriver tip as 1 of the storage spaces, meaning that there are seven $.25 but just six storage slots. The supposition here is that one of the bits is going to live in the tip of the screwdriver. This isn't ideal considering they're more than hands lost this way, for example, if yous have to set up a scrap downwards somewhere to use the empty end of the tool as a nut driver.
Flaws but not dealbreakers
Many of the screwdrivers nosotros tested are uniform with standard 1-inch commuter bits that magnetically sit in the end of the stem. These bits are widely available at hardware stores and habitation centers, and if i gets damaged, it can exist replaced with minimal difficulty. The MegaPro thirteen-in-1 uses double-sided bits with a spring-loaded ball begetting at the middle of the shaft to lock them into the stem, which are proprietary and singled-out to the tool. We mentioned that the storage system makes it easy to avert losing bits—but if that happens, there'south no question they're more than difficult to supplant and more expensive. For what it's worth, a commenter, Patrick, in ToolGuyd's review claims that when he needed a replacement bit, he called MegaPro "and they sent me a bit for free."
Runner-upward: MegaPro xiii-in-1 Ratcheting Automotive Screwdriver
Runner-upwards
If the 13-In-1 and the Channellock are not available or if you feel strongly that y'all will eventually demand a wider selection of $.25, MegaPro as well offers the 211R1C36RD 13-in-1 Ratcheting Automotive Screwdriver. This is the same screwdriver as our master pick, simply it's uniform with 1-inch driver bits and non the double-sided ones like the 13-in-1. These smaller bits are not only easier to replace if lost, but also allow you to customize your bit option. The tip of the screwdriver is besides magnetic, so they won't fall out during use, and the stalk is just a little bit longer, simply in all other ways information technology's identical to our principal pick.
As good every bit this screwdriver sounds, at that place are ii reasons our preference is with the 13-in-i. Starting time, this automotive version is designed for the mechanic, and then the initial flake selection isn't equally well-rounded as our selection. It's missing the smaller square bulldoze and the #0 Phillips, replacing them with a wider selection of Torx sizes, which are less likely to be used in a domicile setting. For some, removing these $.25 and buying alternatives volition be no trouble, simply we feel that most will be happier simply buying the 13-in-i (our pick) knowing that it already comes with the all-time choice of bits. While in that location is no question that the bits in the 13-in-1 are more difficult to supercede, we've plant that they're extremely durable and, due to the splendid storage system, very difficult to lose. Nosotros've been using a MegaPro for near nine years and are nonetheless on the original bits.
2nd, the automotive version is typically more than expensive, often closing in on the $40 mark.
Upkeep pick: Husky Ratcheting Multi-Bit Screwdriver
Budget pick
If you're on a tighter upkeep, we likewise like the Husky Ratcheting Multi-Bit Screwdriver. Information technology'due south usually virtually half the cost of the MegaPro 13-in-i and it shares a lot of the same characteristics but it's non every bit refined. Compared with the MegaPro, the handle isn't equally comfortable, the storage not as successful, and the ratchet not equally smooth. All of the less expensive screwdrivers nosotros looked at had compromises, equally does this one, but the Husky works improve than the residuum. It as well offers a lifetime warranty and easy availability at Home Depot.
The Husky doesn't compare well to the MegaPro, simply it's normally about one-half the price, so we weren't expecting it to. But compared with the other screwdrivers in the same price range—typically less than $fifteen—it has the best combination of features and quality. For instance, the WorkPro Ratcheting Multi-Bit Screwdriver has a overnice ratchet only terrible flake storage. The InstallMates 12-in-1 Ratcheting Screwdriver has very adept bit storage simply a grinding, low-quality ratchet. The Husky 13-in-1 splits the divergence, and while there isn't much near the screwdriver that is infrequent, in that location likewise isn't anything that's an outright failure either.
Ane limitation of the Croaking is that it only has room in the storage area for six bits. Information technology comes with 12—and it would be great to be able to shop them all onboard. You can option and choose what to put in the handle, only that still leaves you with six that take to live elsewhere. It also has two different stems, and then you can pick the length that you want to use based on the task. This feature might sound squeamish, merely it's not one we ever felt the need to use. And this, likewise, is a loose object you'll accept to store elsewhere.
As well nifty: MegaPro 24-in-i Multi-Chip Precision Screwdriver
Too great
For dealing with smaller screws like those you'd find while tightening eyeglasses, replacing the battery on a laptop, or repairing a drone, we recommend the MegaPro 24-in-one Multi-Bit Precision Screwdriver. Like the larger MegaPro screwdrivers we recommend, this model offers an excellent combination of bits, ergonomics, and convenience features non plant on the competition. The in-handle storage system is the same blueprint and holds 12 double-sided bits that cover all the basics and and so some, including Apple's pentalobe chip. In use, the teardrop handle is comfortable and stylish (for a screwdriver), and the spinning cap moves with most no resistance. The MegaPro 24-in-1 is not a ratcheting screwdriver, only we didn't miss that characteristic much considering the delicate nature of a precision screwdriver and the smoothen action of this model's spinning cap.
The downside of the MegaPro 24-in-i is that, like any multi-fleck screwdriver, it has a thick stem to accept the $.25. This means you can't use it with securely recessed screws—it tin can't reach anything deeper than about a half inch. Although such weather can arise, in our feel they've been few and far betwixt in regular, day-to-mean solar day situations. The real solution for recessed screws is a set of private precision screwdrivers, which have long, sparse stems. These tools tin be nice to take, but to get the overall functionality of the MegaPro 24-in-one, you'd need 24 dissimilar screwdrivers, which is a lot and excessive for a kitchen drawer. We call back the benefits of the MegaPro 24-in-1 outweigh the chances of coming across a deeply recessed spiral. If that demand arises, precision sets or fifty-fifty private screwdrivers are bachelor.
The competition
Nosotros dismissed the majority of the other screwdrivers we tested based on either their overall quality or how they managed bit storage. Note, likewise, that nosotros've been testing screwdrivers for eight years, and many of those we've looked at are no longer bachelor; this grouping includes models from Craftsman, DeWalt, Irwin, Kobalt, Milwaukee, and Stanley.
The Vessel TD-6816MG is on the smaller side yet has a very nice feel to information technology. The ratchet is splendid, and the 72 teeth fabricated it among the finest we looked at. Bit storage is an issue though. It comes with two different 8-chip cartridges that tin can be inserted into the barrel of the handle (merely one at a time). Nosotros plant getting the cartridge on and off to be wearisome and difficult and prefer having the MegaPro'due south 12 bits at our disposal at all times.
The Ideal 35-688 21-in-1 Multi-Bit Ratcheting Screwdriver is another good-quality screwdriver that suffers from weak bit storage. The bits are in a carousel, like the MegaPro 13-in-1's, but the cap has to exist unscrewed to access them. Compared with our option, it just takes too much fourth dimension.
For roughly $70 we were expecting great things from the Snap-On 8¾ Standard Ratcheting Screwdriver. It has a fantastic ratchet mechanism that merely oozes quality, only the $.25 are stored loose in the handle. To get a new one, you lot need to unscrew the cap, dump the $.25 on your hand, sift them around with a finger until you find the one you want, funnel the rest back into the handle with your mitt, and finally spiral the cap back on. Fifty-fifty the top-tier ratchet doesn't starting time this level of tediousness.
The aforementioned can be said about the Electriduct Ratcheting Screwdriver. It has a telescoping stem, which sounds neat, only not something nosotros've ever felt we needed. Worse, though, is that the storage is underneath a screw cap. Also, the handle isn't that comfortable.
Nosotros also tested the Rolgear 15-in-one Multi-Bit Silent Ratcheting Screwdriver, which is currently unavailable, simply appears to likewise be sold under the MLTools name. It has a toothless ratchet, so it tin be reset with nigh no motion of the handle. It'due south a very responsive system. The downside of the tool is that the bit storage is on outside of handle, and nosotros plant that the bits worked themselves effectually a little and would poke our hand while using the screwdriver. Also, the ratchet toggle is a piffling fussier than we prefer.
The Klein Ratcheting Screwdriver doesn't have a particularly comfortable handle and is designed for an electrician who volition utilise the various nut driving features. It'due south not the best choice for a homeowner.
The Lutz xv-in-1 has a chunky 10-tooth gear so y'all have to really rotate the handle for it to grab. The six double-headed bits live in the handle, and one is stored in the tip of the stalk. To become at the $.25, you need to rotate the end piece until a cut-out opening lands on the desired bit. When the tool is in use, the bits rattle around a little.
The JH Williams WRS-1 is a well-made tool, but it suffers from poor design. It has a smooth 26-molar ratchet and a nice forward/reverse toggle. The bits are stored in the hollow handle and are made accessible past unscrewing the rear cap. While in use, they just rattle around in the handle, and it's a hurting to swap one out.
The Bahco 808050 Ratchet Bit Screwdriver is a very nice tool. The 45-tooth ratcheting mechanism is smooth and the teardrop handle is comfortable. The downside is that the storage organisation holds but half-dozen $.25 and is difficult to use. You need to simultaneously press buttons on both sides of the handle to release a spring-loaded cartridge from the back of the tool. It's very difficult to become the bits in and out of the holder.
The Wera 27 RA Ratcheting Screwdriver was definitely the coolest looking of the tools and the one with the most unique storage organisation. A button on the butt end causes about three-fourths of the handle to shift back, revealing a bit carousel in the center of the tool. In that location is space for vi ane-inch bits. The shape of the handle is bizarre with three concentric concave areas for the hand to grab, simply it's very comfy to employ and all of the ridges seem to be in just the right places. It's a very nice screwdriver, simply it only holds half-dozen $.25 and typically costs effectually $40, and then we feel the MegaPro is a improve all-in-i selection. We found the Wera 051024 to exist a similarly interesting, merely expensive, option.
Another course of ratcheting screwdrivers that exists is the two-speed style, like the Klenk SAB710. These tools take a band on the handle that tin exist held stationary in order to gear the ratcheting mechanism to a higher setting, which delivers four times the turning speed to the handle (but only for low-torque applications). These tools are well-received and practise offer speed, only when compared with the MegaPro, they come up up curt in other areas like scrap storage and general ergonomics.
Aside from our picks above, MegaPro articles well-nigh twenty other screwdrivers. Of these models, the majority of them come up with specialty $.25 designed with a specific trade or task in mind such as lift maintenance, HVAC, and RV repair, but to proper noun a few. They do offering a 15-in-1 model, which adds two boosted foursquare bulldoze bits and has no ratcheting action. To store the additional bits, the handle is much bulkier and loses the hand-plumbing equipment ergonomics of the 13-in-1. The additional $.25 are quite rare and aren't probable to be found in your house. In 10 years of construction, I don't remember I've always run across a 0-size square drive screw. So basically the boosted bits that you're never going to utilize aren't worth the loss of the ratcheting action or the comfy handle. Of MegaPro's tools, merely the 13-in-i combines a useful option of bits with the ergonomic handle and a ratcheting part.
Sources
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Stuart Deutsch, ToolGuyd.com, e-mail interview
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Ethan Hagan, Top Tools 2012: ChannelLock 13 'N 1 Ratcheting Screwdriver, BobVila.com
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Mana, mana, Amazon.com , January 10, 2012
cunninghamwhinunatined.blogspot.com
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/wirecutter/reviews/the-best-screwdriver/
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