Admittedly, it’s so covered with carefully-branded “features” that we almost completely overlooked this little driver when it launched. But considering the positive experiences we’ve had with the Smartdriver, we spun around for another look. Here’s what we see at second glance: a Smartdriver-like 3.6V li-ion screwdriver with the addition of a clutch and a screw holder.
And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Remove the contrived “SmartSelect Technology” sticker — complete with “project icons” representing lengths of screws — and you’ve got a simple clutch just like you see on larger drivers. And even with only 44 in-lb of torque to apply toward stripping a screw, we can clearly see uses for a clutch in this application.
The screw holder we’re not so sure about. It’ll prove handy if you’re driving screws a lot, but many of the people we know who’re big fans of the Smartdriver use it primarily for removing and installing machine screws. They’d benefit from the clutch, but the screw holder — not so much. Of course, it’s retractable, so just keeping it stowed makes sense, too.
So the bottom line: For around $55 — and as low as $40 online — you’ll pay about $15 more than a new Smartdriver, and about $25 more than what we’ve normally seen the Smartdriver go for on sale. Is $15-$25 a fair price to pay for a clutch and screw holder? That depends entirely on how many wood screws you drive.
LI4000 Li-Ion Screwdriver [Black & Decker]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Via Amazon [What’s This?]