Consider buying an electric cordless power screwdriver to make life easier!
Posted on | July 12, 2010 | Comments Off
Ever bought a piece of furniture that you had to build yourself? Did you unpack the box and notice in horror how many screws were included? Not to mention the crummy screwdriver that was included to do the job. You undoubtedly had a few sore muscles the next day from it.
This is exactly the kind of job where a cordless power screwdriver would come in handy. But who wants to buy an expensive power tool to fasten a few screws once in a while? Luckily a small cordless electric screwdriver is not expensive and is therefore the ideal tool to have in your household. The foundation of this tool is its batteries. It defeats the purpose of using a power tool to assemble some furniture if you are hindered by cables. The rechargeable batteries in a good cordless screwdriver from Dewalt or Makita are very small and light, and last long enough to finish most jobs in a single charge. Surely some of you have tried to tackle an assembly with your huge corded drill and realized that it is just not worth the trouble. Even a cordless drill is just too heavy and powerful to make it worth using for assembling furniture and such.
Some of you might be thinking that it is not really that hard to fasten screws in a piece of furniture. This is true in situations where there is a predrilled hole- But if there isn’t and the wood is solid, you will have a much tough time. With a cordless power screwdriver you just have to press a button and let the torque of the motor do its job. If the material is even too strong for the strength of the tool, just plug in a drill bit and predrill a hole. It is that easy. All in a tool that is only slightly bigger and heavier than a manual screwdriver.
Of course a cordless power screwdriver also has a reverse button so you can remove screws just as easily. The drilling capability of a good model is also more than enough for most people’s needs. You won’t have to buy yourself an extra power tool. Therefore, I highly recommend everyone to shell out the 50 dollars for a cordless screwdriver. You will save yourself a lot of time and agony with your future Ikea purchases. Above all, it makes these kinds of inevitable tasks a whole lot more fun. I personally recommend checking out the Dewalt DW920k-2 7.2 volt cordless screwdriver, the Makita TD020DSEW 7.2v lithium ion impact driver, or the DF010DSE 7.2 volt Lithium-Ion Cordless Driver-Drill Kit with Auto-Stop Clutch. If you want to spend a bit less I suggest the Black & Decker PD600 Pivot Plus 6-Volt Nicad Cordless Screwdriver with Articulating Head or the Skil 2346-01 3.6-Volt IXO2 mini Screwdriver, which is the smallest of the bunch. It helps to look for some good reviews before making a decision about which one to buy.
Tags: 7.2 volt > batteries > black and decker > cordless screwdriver > dewalt > DF010DSE > dw920k > makita > Skil > TD020DSEW
Best Cordless screwdriver drill bits?
Posted on | July 9, 2010 | Comments Off
Buy the right drill bits for your Dewalt or Makita cordless power screwdrivers
One thing that a lot of inexperienced power tool owners wonder about are the attachments. There are so many to choose from, but not all will fit with every tool. So before you decide to buy some expensive attachments for your cordless power screwdriver you should make sure that they will work with your tool. The Makita TD020DSEW 7.2 volt cordless screwdriver is equipped with a quick release 1/4-inch hex chuck. This is not the most common chuck and most drill bits will not work with it. This system is a lot easier to use than the standard ratcheting chuck found on most drills.
A good set from Makita is the Makita T-00153 17-Piece Impact Driver Drill Accessory Set which even comes with adapters.
Keep in mind though that every hex type drill bit will work with any hex chuck power tool, so don’t worry if you don’t buy a Makita drill bit set for your Makita cordless screwdriver – it will work. You can even buy Makita bits for your Dewalt DW920k-2. I personally own Makita bits and have not had anything to complain about so far. They’re pretty much brand new looking and I use them a lot with my cordless screwdrivers. I do not suggest you get the cheapest no name bit since you run the risk of wearing them out very quickly. It is better to spend a bit more for good quality because it will pay off in the end…trust me, I know!
This is what hex type bits look like:
Makita T-00153 17-Piece Impact Driver Drill Accessory Set
Tags: accessories > cordless screwdriver > dewalt > makita > power tools > TD020DSEW
I just discovered the limits of my Makita cordless screwdriver…ouch
Posted on | April 26, 2010 | Comments Off
So I have been using my Makita cordless screwdriver for many months now and was absolutely delighted with its quality and performance. Ever since moving into my new place I had plenty of tasks for it to handle…and it always lived up to its name. The TD020DSEW 7.2 volt was, and still is, one of the best cordless power tools I have ever purchased. Today I completely overdid it. I bought this new TV wall unit that is partly mounted to the wall. The cabinets are really big and heavy, which required some serious holes to be drilled into the wall. Without thinking I pulled out my cordless screwdriver and got to work. I held the tool to the marked spot, leaned in with my body, and powered her up. Everything was like it always was until suddenly I hit…the brick wall hidden behind the drywall!! My power screwdriver did not take this lightly and came to a loud and screaming stop, until I let go of the trigger.
The wall did not even budge. I didn’t want to believe that there was something hidden in the wall that my tool couldn’t handle so I tried it again. And the same thing happened again. Besides the drill bit getting all charred and dull, I made absolutely no progress at all. I was really upset at first, but after putting the power tool down for a while I realized that it was unreasonable for me to expect this little Makita cordless screwdriver to get into that wall. So I went back to my tool box and got my large Dewalt 18v lithium ion battery powered cordless drill to finish the job.
It turns out that this damn brick wall is so tough that not even the drill was able to get in. My drill bit was totally ruined and I progress about a quarter of an inch. I was left with no other option but to got to the hardware store to rent a nice big Makita hammer drill. It went in like a hot knife through butter…
The moral of the story is that you have to be realistic and not get overly confident with your little cordless power screwdriver. Be accepting of its limits no matter how much you think it can do any job in the world. Happy drilling.
Tags: cordless screwdriver > dewalt > lithium ion > makita > makita 18v battery > TD020DSEW
Review: What makes a good cordless screwdriver the best cordless screwdriver?
Posted on | February 26, 2010 | Comments Off
Sorry for not posting in the last few months but things have been extremely busy for me. I have been using my great Makita cordless screwdriver quite a bit during this time. I have found that I’ve been using this power tool more and more, and my other tools have been staying in the toolbox. This is because cordless screwdrivers are very versatile tools that aren’t a hassle to carry around. Think of all the times you have used your cordless drill; you always think about whether or not you actually need it. You wont take it with you if there is only a slight chance that you will need it. This is because it is a pretty large and heavy tool. The cordless screwdriver however is to so small and light that you can carry it around with you all the time without being a hassle. My drill only comes with me when I know that the job is too demanding for my little screwdriver…but otherwise it stays at home or in my trunk. So far, I have never been let down by my little Makita.
Have I intrigued you about cordless screwdrivers? You might be wondering what the best cordless screwdrivers on the market are. Is there a huge difference between Dewalt and Makita, or even models from Black and Decker. The answer is yes, there are huge differences between some of these models that you should be aware of. First of all, you should be concerned about power. There are some cordless power screwdrivers that lack power and are therefore limited in usability. When selecting a cheaper brand such as Black and Decker or Skil you want to watch out for this. The second most important thing to look out for is build quality. There are many cheap power tools out there that cheap for a very good reason. These will work for the occasional household user but that’s it.
In the end of the day you are left with a small group of cordless screwdrivers from Dewalt and Makita, maybe even one or two from Black and Decker, Skil, Milwaukee etc. After reading a few of the best cordless screwdriver reviews you will probably narrow your selection to the Dewalt DW920K-2 7.2 volt, the Makita DF010DSE 7.2 volt lithium ion, or the Makita TD020DSEW 7.2 volt cordless impact screwdriver with lithium ion batteries. This is because they have the most power, the most features, and the best build quality. Which one is right for you is only for you to determine. Go to the store and play around with them. Compare the specs and make a decision. Either way you will not regret your purchase.
Tags: 7.2 volt > black and decker > cordless > cordless screwdriver > dewalt > DF010DSE > dw920k > makita > power tools > reviews > TD020DSEW