How to choose a screwdriver

Screwdriver Is one of the most demanded tools in any home. It is necessary not only in the process of construction work or major repairs, but also in various everyday situations that often arise in our life. One has only to face a couple of times, for example, with the need to assemble a cabinet, or change the lock, as it becomes clear that one cannot do without a screwdriver.

And then the question arises: which screwdriver to choose? The assortment range is very wide today, but how to find the perfect tool for yourself? First of all, you need to pay attention to the main characteristics of screwdrivers.

So important parameters are speed and torque. For domestic use, a screwdriver with a maximum torque of 10 – 15 Nm is sufficient, which allows you to tighten tight self-tapping screws. High torque screwdrivers are considered versatile, as they also allow the function of drilling hard materials. With professional tools, it can reach up to 130 Nm.

The choice of speed is also related to the complexity of the tasks to be solved. To tighten the screws, a speed of 400-500 rpm is sufficient. Drilling requires at least 1200-1300 rpm. Higher frequency is only required in exceptional cases.

Now let’s turn our attention to the gearbox. This element provides rotation of the working shaft of the tool at a certain angular velocity. For screwdriving, 500 rpm is sufficient, for normal drilling – from 1200 to 1500 rpm. Usually, a planetary gearbox with plastic satellite gears is installed in cordless screwdrivers.

When choosing, the question naturally arises whether to buy a professional tool or a household one. The main differences are in power and continuous run time before recharging. For households, both indicators are significantly less, however, household screwdrivers cope with ordinary situations without any problems. And they cost accordingly much cheaper. It makes sense to buy a professional tool if you firmly know that you will have to face high loads.

Before buying, you also need to decide what type of battery your screwdriver will have. It can be nickel-cadmium (Ni-Cd), nickel-metal hydride (Ni-MH) or lithium-ion (Li-Ion).

Household batteries are most often equipped with nickel-cadmium batteries. Most of them are rated for 1000 charges, while Ni-MH batteries are rated for 500. There are now screwdrivers that can support both types of batteries. A big disadvantage of such batteries is the so-called memory effect: with each charge, if the battery has not been completely discharged, its capacity decreases. To avoid this and at the same time to work with the tool without unexpected interruptions for recharging, the availability of a replaceable battery will allow.

Lithium-ion batteries do not suffer from memory effect. In addition, they are considered more environmentally friendly because they do not contain cadmium, which is harmful to human health. But at the same time, Li-Ion batteries tolerate negative temperatures worse..

In addition to cordless, there are mains-powered screwdrivers. Their disadvantage is that the access area is limited by the length of the cord. In addition, these screwdrivers are heavier. The choice of an electric tool is preferable if there is a lot of work and it is associated with the processing of hard materials.

We have touched upon only the most basic parameters that play an important role in choosing a screwdriver. You can also add that, of course, when buying a tool, you need to pay attention to its shape and the location of the handle. A screwdriver, like any tool, should fit comfortably in your hand. Choosing between a pistol grip and a tool located in the center of gravity of the tool, it is better to give preference to the latter, since with this arrangement the hand gets tired less.

As for the choice of a brand and the availability of all sorts of additional functions for a screwdriver, it all depends on personal preferences and material capabilities.