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Turn it in instead of going crazy: The five tested devices
Photo: Rainer Claassen
Do-it-yourself is popular - and not just since most people have been spending significantly more time at home due to the corona crisis.
Anyone who occasionally assembles furniture from Ikea, attaches shelves to the wall or gets creative and designs furniture or home accessories will quickly notice that working with a hand screwdriver quickly becomes tiresome.
If you work with solid materials such as hardwood, you will soon reach your limits anyway.
Not everyone wants to invest in a large cordless screwdriver right away.
The models tested here are small and handy, but do a good job in the household - and some of them should also be appreciated by professional craftsmen.
The products at a glance:
Bosch cordless screwdriver IXO (5th generation) (29.85 euros)
–
the small device is delivered in a practical and also compact storage box that looks really chic.
The scope of delivery includes a mains adapter and a small set of ten bits in total.
Bosch Cordless Screwdriver IXO (6th generation) (41.99 euros)
– the main difference to the significantly cheaper predecessor model is the new design.
In its sixth generation, the IXO looks almost futuristic.
The device can be supplied with power in the charging cradle without having to fiddle with a cable in a socket.
Brandson Cordless Screwdriver with Torque Attachment (EUR 37.85)
– Four different attachments are included in the scope of delivery.
Among other things, a tool for cutting carpets is included.
Together with 28 bits, a recording extension and a charger, it all comes in a robust black case.
Makita cordless screwdriver DF001DW (48.73 euros)
- the manufacturer is known for professional tools.
The handle of the device rotates so that it can be held either like a pistol or like a classic screwdriver, which is useful for some tasks.
Tacklife SDP51DC cordless screwdriver (23.99 euros)
– the delivery of the cheapest device in the test field does not include a transport box.
an attachment is included for this purpose, which can also be used to screw in angles.
Also a total of 30 bits and a fine drill attachment.
This is how we tested:
Handling
– does the screwdriver fit well in your hand?
Are the controls easy to reach and in the right place?
Power
- Screws of different lengths and thicknesses were screwed into wooden beams - how deep can the different devices drive the screws into the wood?
Endurance
- The batteries were fully charged and the devices were then left running continuously until they shut down due to lack of power.
Amenities
–
What is included in the scope of delivery?
Are there enough essays?
Bosch cordless screwdriver IXO (5th generation)
The cheaper model from Bosch - it's been on the market a bit longer than the second device from this manufacturer in the test field - makes a very balanced impression.
The battery life is in the upper midfield at 70 minutes, and the device also ranks in the middle when it comes to power transmission.
Only ten bit attachments are supplied in the white carrying case.
A power supply unit with a USB connection is also included.
During the charging process, an LED on the top of the device shows the progress of the charging process.
It also signals by flashing red when the battery power is slowly running low.
Bosch offers various alternative attachments as accessories.
In order to attach it, a rubber cap that lies around the drill chuck must be removed.
This can be attached in two positions, in which different screens are attached in front of the LED, so that the light either shines more focused and brighter, or illuminates a larger area of the work surface a little darker.
Speed and energy used cannot be regulated - the "trigger" only knows the positions on and off.
The direction of rotation is set with a switch on the top rear of the housing.
Bosch cordless screwdriver IXO (6th generation)
Shortly before the battery died after almost 75 minutes, the device signaled that work was about to end with one of the three LEDs on the top flashing.
The case not only looks elegant, but also feels good in the hand.
The direction of rotation is set with a slide switch, which is conveniently located for the thumb of the working hand.
The rotational speed and thus the transmitted energy can be precisely dosed with the index finger on the trigger.
The integrated LED illuminates the work area while the "trigger" is pulled - and for a few seconds afterwards.
Bosch offers alternative attachments as accessories, for example for screwing in angles or for cutting carpets.
Even a grill fan attachment is part of the range.
However, there is no transport case - and only ten bit attachments are supplied.
However, they can be accommodated in the practical charging cradle.
The device is not the strongest in the test field.
In a hardwood beam without pre-drilling, she turned a four-millimeter screw just over two centimeters deep.
However, the power is sufficient for "normal" handicraft work.
In addition, the device had the best endurance with an operating time of 75 minutes.
Brandson cordless screwdriver with torque attachment
Several alternative attachments are included with this device.
In addition to the »normal« screw attachment, the black plastic case also contains an attachment that is bent at right angles, one with which you can screw close to edges and one with which the maximum torque can be regulated.
For the ten levels that can be set, the manufacturer does not provide any information on the maximum amount of power that can be transmitted.
However, there are definitely situations in which it can make sense to dose the torque.
The pistol-type trigger does not allow you to regulate the speed of rotation and energy transfer.
A slider mounted above it toggles between right and left rotation - accidental actuation can easily occur with this positioning.
The device had the least power of all test candidates - the six millimeter screw, which all other test candidates screwed into a soft wood beam as far as it would go, protruded almost 2.5 centimeters from the wood when the device stopped.
He drove the four millimeter screw only 1.5 centimeters deep into the hardwood.
The battery lasted almost exactly an hour.
The scope of delivery includes 28 bits and an extension attachment.
Makita Cordless Screwdriver DF001DW
Not entirely unexpectedly, the Japanese manufacturer's model turned out to be the strongest in the test field.
The four-millimeter screw even drove the hardwood beam almost 4.5 centimeters deep.
The manufacturer is not stingy when it comes to accessories: the price of just under 50 euros includes a large transport box made of plastic, in which, in addition to the screwdriver and a charger, there are also 68 short and six long bit attachments as well as six attachments with which smaller nuts can be tightened .
The material looks robust and of high quality.
The screwdriver itself is not elegant, but it is not only impressive because of its great power.
The handle clicks into place well in two selectable positions, the shaft is well centered and the device can be gripped firmly with both hands despite its compact dimensions.
While the LED lights on the other test candidates turn on automatically when the device is activated, here you have to press a button on the end of the screwdriver if you want the work surface to be illuminated.
A rubber cover protects the micro-USB port for charging - so no dust or water gets in there.
The battery life was in the middle at 65 minutes.
Tacklife SDP51DC cordless screwdriver
The inexpensive Tacklife model comes in a cardboard box with a thin plastic insert - you should probably get another container for long-term storage.
However, the plastic box in which the 30 supplied bit attachments are housed is practical.
It can be attached to a belt with a clip, for example.
The battery provided a runtime of one hour.
A micro-USB charging cable was in the box, but the matching USB charger is missing, which is also the case with the current iPhone.
If you pull off the rubber cover around the bit holder, the attachment for screwing can be easily attached at an angle and fixed in eight positions.
The drill chuck itself has some play, making it difficult to drive screws in with precision.
An LED light is attached to the bottom of the screwdriver.
By rotating the bracket, the size of the illuminated area can be slightly changed.
The running direction is set with the thumb on the back of the device, a pistol grip is used to switch it on and off - but the transmitted power cannot be dosed with it.
The running time was one hour.
Conclusion:
Although artificial intelligence is not yet built into these tools, all test candidates are charged via a micro-USB connection.
In this case, however, it does not function as a computer interface.
Annoying: In none of the models is it intended that the battery can be changed.
Due to the unavoidable aging of the electricity storage, the service life is therefore limited to a few years.
Basically, all tested models work well, and even the comparatively weak model from Brandson supplies enough energy for most DIY tasks.
Here you can also get a lot of accessories for a comparatively low price.
The branded devices from Bosch and Makita appear better processed and should last longer.
The current generation of the Bosch IXO combines attractive design with good functionality.
The most robust and powerful device is the Makita model.
