by 
All men are always told that size is important aren’t we? In some instances that may well be the case, but when it comes to power tools and cordless screwdrivers in particular, it doesn’t have to be all about the size of the instruments and bigger isn’t always better. It about getting the right tool for the situation you are in.
The majority of cordless screwdrivers take on a similar look to a cordless drill, mainly because many drills are also capable of being used as a screwdriver too with a simple change of accessory. But that bulky power tool isn’t often ideal for the kind of situations where a screwdriver is needed, and that is why the longer, slimmer varieties of screwdriver should not be dismissed simply because they look smaller and inferior.
Buying the more traditional drill-style cordless screwdriver such as the Black & Decker Lithium Compact Screwdriver is the cheaper option of the two – perhaps more than half the price of a top-of-the-range slimmer, straighter version such as the DeWALT Screwdriver – so it really has to be more about power tool performance and what is best for you, the buyer, than price when comes to buying a screwdriver. For the most vain of us too, there is colour to consider too – if it has to match the rest of the tools in the box or even suit the colour of our eyes or overalls.
If bigger is what you want, then using Black & Decker’s Lithium Compact Screwdriver as an example, you get a screwdriver that is more suited to wide open areas doing DIY tasks around your home such as attaching shelving systems or
pictures to walls or putting together flat pack furniture that we so often receive these days when purchasing new tables, chair, wardrobes or cabinets for example. While it is suited to those general tasks, the screwdriver is also capable of getting into tight corners too.
Where the Black & Decker Lithium Compact Screwdriver, which like all power tools has both forward and reverse mechanisms and comes in its hard-cased own storage box, is arguably better than many of its rivals is in its battery life, the 3.6v lithium battery holding its charge when not being used. And where it does stand out as a bright star of power tools is through the built-in LED work light which improves visibility in dark areas – preventing frustration and the likelihood of the screwdriver being thrown across the room when things aren’t easy.
The DeWALT Screwdriver, on the other hand, is just 30cm long – the size of your ruler at school if you remember that far back – and is just 4cm wide at the head of the screwdriver. The difference in size is immense when you put the two size by size, but you will not find DeWALT’s suffering from an inferiority complex.
The battery power isn’t of the same standard – the two Ni-Cd batteries take an hour to charge – but the screwdriver does have three different positions which make it ideal to access situations from a variety of angles and therefore a leader in the power tool field. A rubber-coated grip makes it easy to handle, the two-speed setting and 8-torque settings offers control and power depending on the work being carried out and an LED light is incorporated just as in Black & Decker’s offering.
by 
Confessions of a DIY Novice
