# Cordless screwdriver suggestions



## reggie98 (Apr 24, 2009)

Looking for a good battery operated screwdriver. Mostly for assembling and disassembling connectors, equipment, etc. Something to speed up the tedium of building and repairing cables, etc.


----------



## gafftaper (Apr 24, 2009)

I know you are intending to use the screwdriver for electrical work but the question really belongs with other tool questions in Scenery. You'll probably get a better response from the scenic guys. I left a redirect link in lighting so the lighting guys will see this thread too. 

I also remember a discussion from the past on the topic do some searching. 

If I remember right there were several people who were fans of the small basic hand held rechargeables [URL='http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0000C6DXE/ref=nosim/8685595-20"]like this[/URL] from manufacturers like Black and Decker or Craftsman. I wouldn't recommend either brand for heavy duty shop use but great for small connector sort of work.


----------



## jwl868 (Apr 24, 2009)

There's this thread:

http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/scenery/77-your-opinions-cordless-drill-drivers.html

Joe


----------



## gafftaper (Apr 24, 2009)

jwl868 said:


> There's this thread: http://www.controlbooth.com/forums/scenery/77-your-opinions-cordless-drill-drivers.html
> Joe



WOW... that's got to be Ship's longest post. God Bless Ship! 

Here's the one I was thinking of... Got one of these for Christmas


----------



## derekleffew (Apr 24, 2009)

Ah, yes, that thread. With one of my favorite ship quotes of all time:

ship said:


> ...What's all this talk about 36v etc. tools... you are not going out into the woods for a week straight without power, you are on a stage with lots of hot outlets. ...



Again, for light-duty connector assembly at a workbench, I'll recommend the 3.6V B&D PivotDriver at around $30, but it seems to have been discontinued, and I don't like the replacements as much.

If cost is not a factor, DeWalt, Milwaukee, and Panasonic all have good, but expensive, products suitable for the close-up work required at a work bench.

Edit: Makita has one too! Street price ~$178 still seems just a little more than I want to spend.


----------



## gafftapegreenia (Apr 24, 2009)

What's funny is I still haven't really used that Skil driver. 

It should live in my tool bag but I haven't really even found myself longing for it.


----------



## gafftaper (Apr 24, 2009)

You know personally I prefer having a screwdriver in hand for this kind of work. While I see the validity of using one if you are going to be installing connectors on a new inventory of gear for a couple days, There's something nice about just using a real screwdriver most the time. And don't get me wrong I'm the kind of guy that if there's a better gadget I'll use it. Just prefer screwdrivers for small work like this. 


"...What's all this talk about 36v etc. tools... you are not going out into the woods for a week straight without power, you are on a stage with lots of hot outlets. ..."

Yep that's CB Hall of Fame material right there.


----------



## Dionysus (Apr 24, 2009)

I LOVE my DeWalt cordless drills... I find anything that is cheap just doesn't last and thus it's cheaper to spend the money.
Really depends on how much you use them...

DeWalt & Bosch are the two best I've ever run into. Totally love the Bosch (and yes they're both owned by Black & Decker I believe, same company, 3 different lines).

The Bosch power cubes are also very handy on a job site.


----------



## avkid (Apr 24, 2009)

Dionysus said:


> I LOVE my DeWalt cordless drills... I find anything that is cheap just doesn't last and thus it's cheaper to spend the money.


 Open one up some day, there's a bit too much plastic in the gearbox 
for me.

My Skil has metal gears.


----------



## avkid (Apr 24, 2009)

Dionysus said:


> DeWalt & Bosch are the two best I've ever run into. Totally love the Bosch (and yes they're both owned by Black & Decker I believe, same company, 3 different lines).


 The Bosch group is a German company.

Black and Decker (which owns Dewalt, Porter-Cable and Delta) is an American company based in Towson, Maryland.


----------



## Andy_Leviss (Apr 25, 2009)

For connectors, DeWalt makes a sound-guy friendly 7.2V cordless screwdriver for $99 or so including a spare battery. I added a 60-min fast charger/conditioner for another $50. For assembling racks, and any "real" construction, a fullsized drill/screwgun is better, because they have higher speeds, but for finer stuff, this "baby" DeWalt has proven to be the perfect blend of price, size, and durability.

Don't cheap out with anything less, the 3V-ish ones mentioned elsewhere will let you down as far as torque and general durability when you need them the most. You do get what you pay for.

--Andy


----------



## len (Apr 25, 2009)

I found a Makita 18v kit on ebay (has a flashlight, an impact wrench and a drill/driver in a carry case) for $250 on ebay. I really like the driver but I've yet to use the impact wrench. I'm thinking it would be good to loosen truss bolts with.


----------



## reggie98 (Apr 25, 2009)

Posted my original question after an abbreviated tour of my local HomeDespot. They had little to offer. There's a difference between a drill/driver and a cordless screwdriver. I doubt that I'll be using it on anything other than machine and sheet metal screws. I used to have the AEG screwdriver, but short battery life eventually became "no battery life".


----------



## derekleffew (Apr 25, 2009)

Andy_Leviss said:


> ...DeWalt makes a sound-guy friendly 7.2V cordless screwdriver...


I.E., it has three settings: check, one, two.

The Milwaukee 0490-22 seems like a good tool, and probably what I'd buy for your appication.


Amazon.com: Used and New: Milwaukee 0490-22 4-Volt Lithium-Ion Screwdriver Kit

I am amazed at the disparity in prices ($66.98-$201.60) all through Amazon.


----------



## gafftapegreenia (Apr 25, 2009)

If it's sold by Amazon LLC its usually the lowest real price because you can get free shipping. Other vendors on the site might be lower but make it back in shipping.


----------



## lieperjp (Apr 25, 2009)

I would go with the Milwaukee product... I've used so many different Milwaukee power tools, never been disappointed. 

I also really like a little 12v one from Black and Decker, I found it on sale for five bucks on Black Friday last year. The B&D website isn't working, for some reason right now... 

Have you looked into getting one with a movable head part? I really like the ones that can change from a right-angle handle to a straight handle for tight access... Of course, you do have to be a little gentler with them.


----------



## ship (Apr 28, 2009)

What’s this crap recently about me becoming a legend for qoutes? I’m still vibrant in the industry even if set in my ways at times and waiting for everyone else to catch up with me or retirement some twenty or thirty years from now. Yes- I’m beginning the start backwards now.

Still have a 3.6v Panasonic cordless screwdriver I bought for myself for use at work given my wrists were too old to be manually screwing together plugs all day. Work owns two or three more of them. My boys on the other hand like the 7.2v DeWalt cordless screw driver for use on plugs in my department just having bought it’s third. Panasonic is fine for me in letting the kids have the more power but a fine tool but me still keeping up with them on a production rate when I ply myself. On the other hand, the 3.6v Panasonic I believe is discontinued and the batteries for it are at this point after market but still available.

Also still have two DeWalt 14.4v models of cordless drills that is in one case about like 15 years old now and I love, and if the other one were not lost or stolen at the Osmand theater in MO, even older still in service as next to my Makita 9.6v HD version a set of legendary tools. This amongst about six or seven other 14.4v cordless drills stored in my tool box we in the lighting department as sensible prefer over the 18v models chosen by the wood shop or amatures to cordless power tool choice - many of which regret that choice later. The T-Handle cordless drills are loaners or secondary drills, the pistol grips are for trained useage of them only.

That said, for plugs, I might use a T-Handle for use on a strain relief to a plug in assembling a bulk of them but for the terminals it’s still a cordless screwdriver and that tool’s blade lock in testing that tension.

Blade lock, replacable batteries... after that, it’s been years since I tried another brand of cordless screw driver so any brand could be decent. Lots of brands out there and many have good features but for doing plugs in bulk, first blade lock so you can test tension, second replacable batteries for them.


derekleffew said:


> Ah, yes, that thread. With one of my favorite ship quotes of all time:
> 
> 
> Again, for light-duty connector assembly at a workbench, I'll recommend the 3.6V B&D PivotDriver at around $30, but it seems to have been discontinued, and I don't like the replacements as much.
> ...


----------



## ship (Apr 28, 2009)

Good to see Milwaukee is still producing that line of product. Very similar cordless screwdriver design to what I use by way of at one point Milwaukee no doubt buying their cordless screwdrivers from Panasonic. I like that design, though the batteries are less in at least voltage spike conditions living up to expected life than higher voltage batteries. Higher the voltage of the battery for some reason, less problematic to voltage problems than higher voltage batteries. 

On the other hand, the 7.2v DeWalt battery charges in the same chargers as the 14v and 18v DeWalt battery charger. If one can't go standardized tool, at least one can go standard charger in a good thing - this while at times missing bubble levels or flashlights on other brands of tool and the 14.4v size of tool being a poor step child in advancement.


derekleffew said:


> I.E., it has three settings: check, one, two.
> 
> The Milwaukee 0490-22 seems like a good tool, and probably what I'd buy for your appication.
> 
> ...


----------

