brand, price, ergonomics and more

If suddenly you decide to install a plasterboard ceiling, dog box, gazebo in the yard or you want to do something similar, then you will need good tools to work efficiently and qualitatively. One of these tools is a screwdriver. It is very important to make the right choice for a home screwdriver.

The screwdriver is a special hand tool that runs on electricity. Its torque can be adjusted. Its functions are to twist and unscrew the screws, screws, screws and other types of fastening elements. In addition, it is suitable for drilling holes.

Criteria by which the

tool is selected First, we list and then talk about each criteria in more detail:

• brand;
• cost;
• parameters, shape and ergonomics;
• charge capacity and battery type;
• torque, impact function;
• drilling diameter for different materials;
• power supply voltage;
• set of delivery.

Brand: well-known manufacturers

Most construction stores offer tools of the following brands:

• Bosch (Germany);
• Makita (Japan);
• AEG (Germany);
• Hitachi (Japan);
• Hilti (Liechtenstein);
• DeWalt (Germany);
• Black. Decker (USA);
• Metabo (Germany);
• Interskol (Russia);
• Bison (Russia);
• Sparky (Germany);
• Skil (Netherlands).

Obviously, the choice of screwdriver is extensive. But the production of the absolute majority of manufacturers is located in China, although this fact does not always affect the quality of products. Tool users often argue over which manufacturer is better. If we compare the tools, we get the following conclusions:

1. Bosch produces tools of average quality at a price above the average. But their toolbox serves for a long time and reliably.
2. Metabo can be characterized by about the same words as Bosch, with the difference that there are more electronics in the products of this manufacturer. For example, there is an electronic torque limiter.
3. Makita is one of the best representatives of products in its segment by the criterion of price to quality. And the best representatives of their tools are screwdrivers. The toolkit of this manufacturer is unpretentious, reliable and can endure a lot. The tools of this brand are used even by NASA astronauts in their repair and installation work in orbit.
4. The AEG brand toolkit has only recently become commercially available. Drill screwdriver of this manufacturer is worth the money for which you can buy it in the store. It costs about 5.5 thousand Russian rubles, has 2 Li-lon batteries of 1.5 Ah, they are powered by 14 V, have a torque of 36 Nm. A nice addition is the LED battery charge indicator.
5. Products manufactured by American companies, for some reason, have not yet been widely spread in the CIS. Most likely, problems in financial availability and level of service.
6. Hilti - you need to be honest. And honesty lies in the fact that for a very high price offered fairly average performance. But if for the same average characteristics Bosch, for example, offers tremendous reliability and survivability, then Hilti products have an insufficient level of reliability. Breaks more often than we would like.

This manufacturer tries to win the buyer at the expense of the service. They offer:

1. The first 2 years after purchasing the product, you do not spend anything on repairing it. In the event of a breakdown, a brand representative leaves for you, picks up a broken tool and takes it to the service. After repairing, the tool is sent back to you. And all this for free.
2. Every tool has a lifetime brand warranty.
3. After the first two years of operation, the owner of the product in the event of a breakdown pays no more than 33% of the cost of repairs.

These conditions are quite attractive, but there is one “but”. The cost of tools from this manufacturer is such that for the same amount you can purchase 2-3 similar products from other brands.Yes, and to work at home Hilti does not fit. Its more convenient to use on construction sites. In terms of construction, where the product is constantly dropped on the floor, hit it, this tool will live a little more than the others, and the advantageous guarantee will come in handy at the right time.

Interskol is an excellent option for working at home. It is relatively inexpensive, but the quality is relatively good. Appearance, though not the best and size a bit cumbersome. Nevertheless, it is a real working tool. Sparky is harder to find on store shelves, and there are too few good reviews about Skil.

If we talk about the price of a tool such as a screwdriver, then the optimal price for a relatively inexpensive and fairly high-quality tool is in the region from 3 to 4.5 thousand dews. rubles. For this amount you can purchase most of the Interskol brand screwdrivers and several Makita and Hitachi models. This product segment can be called the home tools segment. Those products that are more expensive are mainly representatives of the class of tools used by professionals.

Dimensions and ergonomic qualities

These criteria for selecting tools are not so important for people who are in search of a suitable home screwdriver. These qualities are much more important for those who are professional and work many hours with this tool almost daily. In this case, the dimensions are of no small importance. From a small-sized screwdriver, the hand is not so tired, and it is easier for them to crawl into hard-to-reach corners and places. But it is much more difficult to fasten a screw to them than with a large tool. And in fact, a large tool with significant weight, much easier to stick a screw in the profile than its lightweight counterpart. In the process of installing drywall sheets, a small model is better suited. But while working with wood, during which you need to drill a lot, it will be more convenient to use a large, heavyweight model.

Ergonomics are defined as follows: in the process of choosing a tool in the store, take the tool in your hand and look at the handle.

A lot of models have one common flaw in ergonomics: the sharp angle between the handle and the “trunk”.

At first glance, this may seem like a trifle, but in the end it can cause chronic corns between the index and thumb. So it is better to choose a model with an obtuse angle in the specified location.

Battery power

This criterion is extremely important in the process of choosing the right screwdriver. Nowadays, 3 types of batteries are used: nickel-cadmium (NiCd), nickel-metal hydride (NiMH) and lithium-ion (Li-lon).

Strengths that are inherent in nickel-cadmium batteries:

• this type of battery can be considered the only one that can be stored in a completely discharged form;
• reasonable price;
• resistance to frost;
• has the ability to recover after a long shelf life.

Nickel-cadmium battery weaknesses:

• the period of operation is not long enough - about 1000 discharge / charge cycles;
• a relatively small indicator of specific capacity (up to 2 Ah);
• the battery has a kind of "memory effect": you can start charging only in the case of full discharge, because otherwise its capacity for the next cycle will decrease by the amount of underdischarged capacity;
• discharges quickly by itself: for example, if you don’t touch the battery for a week, you’ll get it
• is harmful to the environment.

Such batteries are still common mostly only because of their financial availability.

The strengths of nickel-metal hydride batteries:

• do not pose a threat to the environment;
• are more compact when compared to NiCd;
• the “memory effect” is less pronounced;
• has a high level of power density.

Weaknesses of nickel-metal hydride batteries:

• operation period is half as long as the NiCd battery and is 500 cycles;
• more expensive than NiCd;
• high rate of self-discharge, which is up to 10% on the first day after charging;
• it cannot be stored in a discharged state;
• such a battery is sensitive to cold.

Nickel-metal hydride batteries have not been widely used lately, since lithium-ion batteries are much more efficient.

Strengths of lithium-ion batteries:

• they have an extremely high specific capacity;
• they have almost no “memory effect";
• self-discharge rate is very low, which is 20% after a year of staying at room temperature;
• a very fast charging period;
• the life is 3-4 times longer than that of NiCd batteries.

Weaknesses of lithium-ion batteries:

• they are much more expensive than all other types of batteries, but also the charging itself;
• if the battery is completely discharged , it is no longer possible to recharge it (in modern lithium-ion batteries there are various electronic control systems that eliminate this minus);
• the battery has a high degree of sensitivity to temperatures below 0 ^о С.

To operate a screwdriver at home, you do not need to purchase expensive Li-lon batteries. NiCd is also suitable for such work. But if we are talking about professional work with a screwdriver, then there is no other way than to buy Li-lon.

Capacity is one of the most important parameters for a battery. Most of the budget modifications screwdrivers have batteries 1. 3 Ah. For example, take the assembly process of a plasterboard ceiling, running at an average pace. In this case, a full charge of one new such battery will last at least 3-4 hours. If you remember that modern batteries are fully charged in no more than an hour, it turns out that you will not be bored. Even in the case of performing work on drilling wood or metal, without taking breaks (although these works are best done using the most common drill), such a battery will be discharged in a period of time that is no more than an hour.

There are two types of drill-screwdrivers that need to be equipped with 2 or 3 Ah batteries. To them belong powerful percussion instances. The set of such a huge screwdriver are handles, which are usually inherent in perforators. The second type is specialized tools that are designed to drill metal or wood. The speed of rotation of the cartridge in such devices reaches 4 thousand revolutions per minute. For comparison, conventional tools have a cartridge rotational speed of 1,300 revolutions per minute.

Impact function, torque indicator and drill diameters

If we talk about the additional impact function, the additional costs for this are relatively small and amount in the range from 500 to 1000 Russian rubles, so if you need such a tool, you can buy, without a doubt. Purchase will be repaid. Although if you are building a house and you need to make several hundred holes in concrete, then in this case, instead of a screwdriver, you still need to use a punch.

The maximum torque indicator directly depends on the purpose of the particular screwdriver. In simple terms, torque is an indicator of rotational speed. Typically, torque is at least 24 Nm (Newton meters). This indicator is suitable for works on mounting drywall. A tool with a torque of 30 or 36 Nm can drill tiles well with crowns. Drills with higher rates are designed to drill wood and metal.

A screwdriver having a torque of 36 Nm is able to successfully drill wood with a drill with a diameter of not more than 25 mm. If the device has an indicator of 80 Nm, then the maximum drill diameter is increased to 65 mm. In the list of properties and characteristics you can always find the maximum possible diameter of installed drills for wood, metal and concrete, in case the tool is impact. For this reason, you need to know in advance what purpose you are buying your tool for and choose a product suitable for drilling the necessary material.

Power supply voltage level and supplied set

The power of the tool is directly dependent on the power supply voltage indicator. The magnitude of the voltage depends on the maximum torque.

Usually, a plastic case (or bag) in which the tool will be transported, the screwdriver itself, 2 batteries, charging to them, 1 bits at least and detailed instructions are included in the scope of delivery of the screwdrivers. These are the main components. Different brands may include a flashlight, a set of bits or something else. Such things are not so important, but can play a certain role in your choice at the time of purchase, if suddenly the choice arose between two very similar models of screwdrivers under different brands.

The absolute majority of screwdrivers have quick-release and easy-to-use chucks. In all models there is a forced braking of the spindle - the rotation stops immediately, as soon as you release the trigger, without subsequent inertia. If you suddenly encounter a model in the store that lacks the ability to enforce braking, then you should not buy such an instance, since such models are currently too outdated.

Some of the most advanced models have a very good additional function - a pulsed mode. Rotation in this mode is performed by measured jerks. This makes the drilling process easier, because due to these measured jerks the drill goes to the side less. This mode facilitates the twisting / promotion of screws with a damaged slot. For professionals, this feature will be especially relevant.

There is a huge selection of screwdrivers in stores. Everyone will be able to choose what will suit him more.