Choosing a cordless screwdriver

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• Choosing a cordless tool. Advantages and disadvantages of a universal tool
• Choosing a cordless drill / screwdriver
• Makita Cordless Drill 8281DWPE
• Cordless drill Hitachi DS12DVF3
• Cordless screwdriver BOSCH GSR 12-2 Professional
• Cordless screwdriver METABO BSZ 14,4 Impuls

The desire to have in the household not just a universal, but also a non-volatile construction tool is simply inexhaustible. We argue quite simply – why do we need all kinds of drills, jigsaws, grinders at home? Most of these tools collect dust on the shelves in the tool cabinet. Maybe you should buy something universal, and besides, on batteries? However, don’t rush. Versatility is not only a positive feature of tools.

To achieve such a goal, you constantly have to sacrifice something – the tightening force, the thickness of the cut, the drilling speed, the impact force, the duration of the operating time on one battery without charging it. All these characteristics, by which we are accustomed to assessing a particular instrument, become average, and sometimes even downright low. All this is a tribute to the versatility of the tool. There are things that become simply incompatible during operation. For example, hammer drilling and precision drilling (especially for small hole diameters). But there is a lot of positive in universality. The cordless tool can be fully attributed to the universal tool:

• the ability to work regardless of the presence of voltage in the network;
• ample opportunities and versatility;
• ease and precision in work;

Here is a far from complete list of the advantages of a universal cordless tool. Manufacturers of modern power tools have long been trying to expand the line of equipment that runs on batteries. In addition to the usual and already familiar to us screwdrivers, grinders, jigsaws, spray guns, planes, circular saws appeared. Some manufacturers have gone further with cordless miter saws and rock drills. This suggests that in the near future, the long-familiar networked power tool will be gradually replaced not only from everyday life, but also from production by a more progressive and safer battery tool. The whole question is only in time. And we only recently learned about purely household tools, such as trimmers, lawn mowers, and grass shears. However, let’s first of all deal with cordless drills – screwdrivers, their features, characteristics.

Choosing a cordless tool. Advantages and disadvantages of a universal tool

When we start choosing a screwdriver, we need to answer the following question for ourselves: what kind of work we are going to perform with its help and how long we are going to operate this tool (to work in a domestic environment or use it for commercial purposes). It is this approach that will allow you to choose the right tool as much as possible, especially if you take into account the fact that the difference in price for multifunctional household cordless screwdrivers is not much lower than for professional, but simpler models. This begs the question – what is the difference between household and professional cordless screwdrivers? There is only one answer – in the ability to withstand prolonged loads, more intensive operation, less careful handling.

And this is not a joke at all. Many manufacturers explicitly indicate that their tool is able to withstand, for example, a drop from a certain height without breakage. In addition, at home, even if you are busy with repairs, you will work much less as a tool than in a production environment. So much for that difference in price – by increasing the durability and resource of a professional tool, you have to sacrifice some of the functions that a household tool is endowed with. Let’s say that the furniture shop decided to purchase a batch of excellent, in my opinion, universal QUATTRO cordless screwdrivers four in one Black&Decker KC2002FK.

At first glance, this is an excellent choice and excellent savings (the entire set costs about 6,000 rubles, while each instrument separately costs slightly less). Also Black&Decker is a very famous company that produces quality tools and provides a 2 year warranty on its products. The problem is this. During the working day in production (especially serial production), we have to perform most of the same functions – either planing a tree, or assembling a finished product, or packaging the final product. As a result, for the overwhelming time we use only one tool – either a jigsaw, or a plane, or a screwdriver. Let’s compare the parameters of the screwdriver with the Black bits&Decker KC2002FK and each similar instrument separately.

As an example, consider the products of the same Black company.&Decker – cordless drill – screwdriver Black&Decker CP12K, costing about 3,500 rubles. The first thing that catches your eye is the presence of the Black cordless screwdriver&Decker KC2002FK is a special jumper between the motor housing and the battery, which is designed to increase the rigidity of the entire structure. This makes this screwdriver somewhat bulky and adds a little weight to it. However, this screwdriver uses a battery with a voltage of 14.4 V, with a capacity of 1.5 Ah (ampere / hour). However, this does not give him an advantage over a weaker competitor. Despite the fact that the Black cordless screwdriver&Decker CP12K uses 12 V \ 1.5 Ah batteries, its maximum torque is 16 Nm, in contrast to 10.5 Nm for the Black screwdriver&Decker KC2002FK Here’s your first sacrifice for versatility.

With interchangeable attachments Black cordless screwdriver&Decker KC2002FK can be used as a jigsaw. Naturally, one should not expect great results from him. But let’s look at the characteristics of the instruments again. Jigsaw Black&Decker KS999EK has a power of 600W, adjustable number of saw blade strokes from 0 to 3200 (strokes / min).

And the jigsaw attachment shows approximately the same characteristics – the number of saw strokes is 3000. However, the jigsaw we are considering allows you to cut wood to a depth of 65 mm, while the cordless jigsaw allows you to cut to a depth of 38 mm.

We will not consider the rest of the parameters of the universal cordless tool, but from all that is given above it becomes clear that the cordless screwdriver with Black bits&Decker KC2002FK will be an excellent assistant at home (especially in an apartment, where you have to use the tool extremely rarely), however, using such a tool for production purposes is not only inconvenient, but it just makes no sense. With one battery that comes with this tool, the screwdriver will turn into an expensive toy. It is for this reason that more development, even in the professional segment, has received tools that are based on the same type of battery packs, but at the same time perform their standard functions: drill, saw, grind.

For example, BOSCH has released a whole line of tools that use the same battery as in the GSR 18 VE-2-LI Professional screwdriver. Optionally, you can supplement your line of tools without purchasing an additional battery and charger for it. This is very beneficial, especially considering the high cost of Li-Ion batteries..

Choosing a cordless drill / screwdriver

What parameters should you pay attention to when choosing a cordless screwdriver. We figured out the universal cordless tool. Let’s now talk and choose a cordless drill – a screwdriver that can be used not only for household work, but also for commercial purposes (in other words, it will enable an entrepreneur to earn money by providing various kinds of services).

We will not consider tools that are equipped with modern Li-Ion batteries for the reason that they are quite expensive and, in spite of all their advantages, have not yet found such widespread demand as NiCd batteries. These batteries are available in voltages from 3.6 to 36 V. The main thing to look for when buying a cordless screwdriver is:

• the presence of two rechargeable batteries with a voltage of at least 12 V;
• it is desirable to have a charger that allows you to restore the battery’s performance within 1 hour;
• the presence of a large number of steps for adjusting the torque (or, as it is sometimes called, tightening forces);
• high torque;
• the type of chuck that is used on the cordless screwdriver;
• multiple speeds.

It is also worth paying attention to the warranty period, the terms of the product warranty (some manufacturers do not give a guarantee for the batteries themselves, which they write about in the warranty card), additional equipment (3 rechargeable batteries, a rechargeable flashlight, a suitcase, a set of replaceable nozzles, etc.) etc.).

Now let’s try to apply all this knowledge in practice. Take as an example:

• a very interesting model of the Makita 8281DWPE cordless screwdriver, costing about 5800 rubles, which, in addition to a 2-speed gearbox, is equipped with a shock function and is powered by a Li-Ion battery;
• an effective and, at the same time, efficient cordless drill – the Hitachi DS12DVF3 screwdriver, worth about 3600 rubles, equipped with a flashlight;
• the popular and one of the best-selling models – the BOSCH GSR 12-2 Professional cordless screwdriver, costing about 4000 rubles;
• cordless screwdriver with a rather rare function “impulse” METABO BSZ 14.4 Impuls, costing about 7000 rubles.

All the screwdrivers we have chosen, although they belong to the category of professional tools, are quite affordable for both ordinary consumers and small businesses. Naturally, these products are many times more expensive than products of unknown origin, which abound not only in the market, but also in recent years in construction supermarkets. However, quality, durability, safety are always expensive. So.

Makita Cordless Drill 8281DWPE

It differs from all the models listed above in that it operates on more modern 14.4V Li-Ion batteries, which makes it undoubtedly attractive to a potential buyer.

The package includes two batteries and a charger that recharges the battery in 1 hour. The screwdriver has two speeds:

• 1 speed from 0 to 400 rpm;
• 2nd speed from 0 to 1300 rpm.

The screwdriver is equipped with 10 mm. keyless chuck, has 16 steps of torque adjustment, which is a maximum of 36Nm. Its weight is about 1.7 kg. In addition to standard operating modes, the screwdriver is equipped with a shock function, the number of strokes per minute from 0 to 18000. There is also a rubber shock-absorbing pad on the handle. The disadvantages of this model include the following parameters:

• considering that this cordless screwdriver has a blow function, the manufacturer has equipped it with a rather weak keyless chuck to reduce its cost;
• the battery capacity is low, only 1.3 Ah and, as a result, the batteries will discharge quickly during intensive work;
• when pressing the back wall of the screwdriver in impact mode, it is not excluded that the hand can block the air access to cool the engine. The ventilation holes in the case are arranged in such a way that a person with large hands will simply close them during work;
• for screwdrivers that can operate in impact mode, it is preferable to have a gear housing made of metal.

Cordless drill Hitachi DS12DVF3

Immediately striking for its unusual coloring for tools, bizarre design. By creating such a striking instrument, the manufacturer pursued several goals – not only to distinguish their products from the general, rather dull mass, but also to protect themselves from counterfeits. Agree, there is simply no point in wasting time on making such a rather complex case.

In addition, all these pads that give this cordless screwdriver a whimsical look are of purely practical importance:

• rubber pads act as shock absorbers when the tool falls from a height;
• pads protect the user’s hand from all kinds of vibrations during work, the hand sweats less when performing work.

The scope of delivery includes a flashlight that runs on standard batteries. The charger allows you to restore the performance of the battery, the capacity of which is 1.4 Ah, within 1 hour. The screwdriver has two speeds:

• 1 speed from 0 to 300 rpm;
• 2nd speed from 0 to 1100 rpm.

A keyless 10 mm chuck is installed on the screwdriver, the torque adjustment has 22 positions. The maximum torque is 26 Nm. In addition, the screwdriver has a special swivel bracket, thanks to which it can be conveniently placed on the worker’s belt without using other devices. Product weight about 1.7 kg. The disadvantages of this screwdriver include:

• the drill chuck, although reliable, is somewhat outdated;
• The replaceable bit is mounted in a bracket, which is designed to accommodate the screwdriver on the belt. In some cases, this may not be convenient (the bat clings to clothing);
• the reverse button is conveniently located, but not large enough.

Cordless screwdriver BOSCH GSR 12-2 Professional

Made in the style traditional for this manufacturer. He became recognizable for a long time. This model of cordless screwdriver has two speeds:

• 1 speed from 0 to 400 rpm;
• 2nd speed from 0 to 1200 rpm.

The screwdriver is equipped with a quick-clamping 10 mm. Patron. The handle is equipped with a special shock-absorbing pad. There are 25 levels of torque adjustment, which is a maximum of 27 Nm. The screwdriver includes two rechargeable batteries and a charger (restoration of battery performance within 1 hour).

The battery capacity is 1.5 Ah. Product weight is 1.8 kg. The disadvantages of this model include the following:

• lack of a shock absorbing pad on the back of the screwdriver body;
• the chuck is located in such a way that some users may have problems with attaching the interchangeable tool (there is not enough space for two hands);

Cordless screwdriver METABO BSZ 14,4 Impuls

It has a rather rare function – impulse. This allows, for example, to drill metal without first using a core, to make the most of all the force developed by the screwdriver, which in this model is 55 Nm. The cordless screwdriver has two speeds:

• 1 speed from 0 to 400 rpm;
• 2nd speed from 0 to 1400 rpm.

The screwdriver is equipped with a charger and two batteries that can withstand more charging cycles.

Despite its weight (2 kg.) And unusual layout, this screwdriver is perfectly balanced. Its disadvantages include:

• long body that makes it difficult to work in hard-to-reach places;
• the button for fixing the battery pack is too large, in some cases there is a risk of accidentally pressing it during operation;
• the vents on the battery pack are located at the bottom, which can quickly clog up in dusty conditions.

We’ve looked at the strengths and weaknesses of each model. Naturally, how many people, so many opinions exist. It would be nice to have at your disposal a powerful model of a screwdriver (in our case METABO BSZ 14.4 Impuls), but having held it in your hands, looking at the price tag, it was decided to refuse to purchase it. Cordless screwdrivers BOSCH GSR 12-2 Professional and Makita 8281DWPE, despite the difference in batteries, looked on par. Although the BOSCH product had a lower torque, the battery capacity, and, accordingly, the operating time of this screwdriver is higher. But most of all I liked the Hitachi DS12DVF3 screwdriver. All the distrust that caused his extravagant appearance disappeared as soon as they took him in the hand. Immediately there was a feeling of reliability, strength. The tool simply surprises with its ergonomics and balance. The presence in the set of a safety strap and a clip for fastening on a belt could not but rejoice. Everything suggests that the manufacturer thought not only about the characteristics of the tool, but also about the people who will work for it. As for the flashlight. Some may think that this is an unnecessary addition. But, when you have to work in low light conditions, you will repeatedly praise the manufacturers for this addition. In addition, NiCd accumulators, which are equipped with 3 models selected by us, have one not very good property – the so-called memory effect. It is only necessary to charge such a battery after it is completely discharged. Only then will they serve you for a long time. Here’s one more job for your flashlight – it will allow you to completely drain the battery. One of the important advantages of this model is its price. She’s just beyond competition.

We hope that this information will allow you to look at the choice of a cordless tool from a different point – you need to not only look at the availability of certain functions. You need to choose exactly the tool that will be most convenient for you, will pay for itself during work.

Happy choice and safe work.