Best Electric and Cordless Screwdrivers Reviewed

Criteria for Evaluation

How we decided which screwdrivers were the best

To make this list, a vast assortment of screwdrivers were evaluated and eventually rejected – and even then we needed to rank the ones that were decided on to be included. There was a significant amount of criteria that was considered when ranking these screwdrivers. Some of the criteria was fairly obvious, like power, weight, and dexterity – but some were not so obvious. Some opinions were subjective, like comfort. When going through the list it may not be clear why some seemingly more robust and durable screwdrivers ranked lower than seemingly inferior products – so I want to clarify how these decisions were reached. I am going to walk you through each of the deciding factors.

Another factor to consider is the particular usefulness of the screwdriver outside of our rankings. This is a diverse list and contains screwdrivers made for specific jobs. What job one excels at, another will not. The small electronics screwdriver is perfect for what it does; it won’t be used for drywall – while a drywall ready screwdriver is the last thing you’ll want to use on small electronics.

Price

Since we evaluated screwdrivers from about $30 all the way up to $300, the price was evaluated on a quality/price ratio. Some lower priced screwdrivers ranked higher than some of the more expensive ones for this reason. Both could do about 50% of the same tasks, but their price difference was over 1,000%. The decision eventually came down to comparing the lifespan of the tool, the materials it was suitable for, and the useful features it contained, all measured against its price point.

Power

Power is generally a combination of RPM and Torque. Attention was paid to RPM and Inch-pounds of course, but the main decider in this category was simply what sort of tasks was it rated to accomplish (the correlation between those two things was, of course, exceptionally high). You can think of it this way, something suited to only small household tasks would get the equivalent of 1 point, once it broke that plateau into more industrial tasks, it would receive another point. Screwdrivers suited to the heavy-duty work would receive maximum points in this category.

Precision

Complaints about chuck wobble or exceptional weight that made the screwdriver hard to use were weighed together. If a screwdriver operated great but was too heavy or unwieldy to be used in a comfortable or practical way, it suffered heavily in its evaluation.

Ease of Use and Versatility

Easy to use is a nice feature, but it can be very subjective when dealing with power tools – most have a learning curve or take some time to get comfortable with. What weighed heavier was the versatility of the device. How well it could reach awkward places, how many hands it took to utilize, and where and when you could see somebody using the tool.

Features

Features are always talked about and are usually the first thing people will bring up. Usually, this is because bonus features are the easiest way to differentiate between two similar tools. Normally features are fairly gimmicky, but this list contained a few stand out items. The screw holders and belt fed operating systems definitely helped their respective screwdrivers out – and the LED light never hurts.

FAQs

Cord or Cordless?

The cord or cordless debate is more or less settled when it comes to screwdrivers. As you can see only two corded devices even made this list (and one of them is also available in a cordless version). Cordless screwdrivers are definitely more desirable these days now that the advancements in battery technology have made them powerful enough for the vast majority of screwdriver needs. The lithium-ion batteries of today are immensely more powerful than the batteries of a generation ago.

While we still stand by corded versions of the tools like the jigsaw that still need that extra kick, the only reason to go with a corded screwdriver would be to save on batteries.

That’s not to say you should never buy a corded screwdriver (you can usually get a better device for a lower cost that way) but you will be sacrificing quite a bit of mobility.

What does the Clutch do?

A clutch is a device that transmits power from one part of an object to another. It is used to regulate the amount of power being sent across a device into its final output. If you think about a car clutch, in one position no power is being transmitted, while at the opposite state the mechanics are fully connected – when it is somewhere in between there is a controlled amount of power being generated.

The clutch on a screwdriver or drill will control how much torque is being transferred to the bit. Clutch settings help you control the amount of power your trigger will generate. Some screwdrivers have up to 22 settings (or more in rare cases). At the highest setting, there will be nothing limiting the bit from operating at the full torque the device can generate. Having a good number of clutch settings lets you decide exactly how much power you want to put into a task.

What is Torque?

A common mistake with drills and screwdrivers is thinking that torque is the speed in which the bit spins, this is not the case. Rotations per minute (RPM) measures that. Torque is the amount of force behind the spin itself. Lately, it is not only corded devices but also cordless devices that have been able to produce torque well beyond what is required for the majority of an average jobs needs.

Simply put, torque is how capable your drill or screwdriver will be at powering through harder surfaces. The more torque a tool has, the more it will be able to overcome the target material.

Nowadays a power rating is being applied to tools to measure a combination of both torque and speed.

Sometimes a battery may seem broken when it is operating under less than optimal conditions. You may feel your battery lose power when it becomes overheated. Let it sit in a cooler area until it reaches that room temperature and then retry it. If you let it cool off, and let it charge overnight and it still is fussy, then it may be time for a replacement.

Do I need a LED Light?

We understand why this question comes up so much. So many power tools come equipped with a light these days, that it bothers some people about to make a big purchase that the one they are buying does not. They worry that this must be some terrible mistake. Well let me help you feel more comfortable with your purchase, you do not need a LED light.

With that said, there are some benefits to having one. Many people know the struggle of working at night, underground or in a cramped spot and trying to properly prop up a flashlight in order to see what you are doing. Or maybe your eyes just aren’t so good anymore, and you need the extra help. Either way, when it comes to those tight spaces, an LED light can be a godsend.

What is the Reverse Switch?

The reverse switch changes the spin direction of the screwdriver. One direction will further insert the screw into the target area; the other direction will remove it. Electric screwdrivers need a switch that allows you to change direction. Otherwise they would only let you either tighten or loosen screws, and that is just silly.

What is the History of the Screwdriver?

Okay, no one ever actually asked this, but let us indulge ourselves for a paragraph or so.

The screw actually predates the screwdriver. The earliest screws were likely developed from the nails of the time and screwed in using knives. The flat head/slotted screw was obviously the first one developed. The Philips (“+” sign) screw that we see so often today wasn’t invented until the 1900’s. In fact, the first handheld screwdriver didn’t appear until the 1800’s, a couple of thousand years after the first screw.

We like to think there must have been a few independently developed screwdrivers from the past we just haven’t discovered yet.

Making Your Decision

Hopefully, this list and explanation has given you everything you need to make a screwdriver purchasing decision. We know that buying power tools can be a frustrating experience with the multitude of brands, versions, and conflicting accounts – but every device presented here is guaranteed to get the job done right, and we like to believe we offered the reasons why. We often disagree with reviewers on their technical judgments and subjective views, and we know you will probably disagree with us on quite a few things too. That’s fine.

So whether you are a pro looking to add to your repertoire, a DIY enthusiast looking to for the perfect tool for the next project, a technician, or a homeowner looking to start their toolbox off right – we made an effort to make sure the screwdrivers presented here should be the right fit for your needs. Good luck – and remember – build smart, build safe, and build big.