5 Insulated Screwdriver Sets For Your Next DIY Electric Job
Winter is a great time to tackle indoor home improvement projects, which also means you might be in the market for some new tools if you have electrical work to do. Power tools from the likes of Milwaukee can be handy for DIY electrical projects, but you'll also want a complete set of hand tools to tackle tasks like installing or replacing outlets, light fixtures, wiring, and switches. When working with wiring inside your home, the first rule is to ensure your circuit breakers are turned off; this can be a life-saving measure. Electricity-related incidents are common, however, causing more than 400 deaths and 4,000 injuries each year in the United States alone.
The National Fire Protection Association mandates using insulated tools when working with current higher than 50 volts, and taking multiple precautions when working with potentially fatal current is always a good idea. Fortunately, plenty of insulated hand tools are available to home improvement DIYers at popular online and brick-and-mortar outlets. Here are five insulated screwdriver sets that will not only make your work go smoother but could even save your life.
Milwaukee ten piece set
Milwaukee makes thousands of tools for woodworking, auto repair, and home improvement projects. The 100-year old company offers several sets of insulated screwdrivers, including a ten-piece kit that will protect you from current up to 1,000 volts. This kit sells for $165.99 at GME Supply and comes in a zippered case with a foam insert to keep the screwdrivers organized and protected. The screwdrivers are tested to meet current NPFA standards and are flame and impact-resistant. They also have built-in wear indicators, so you'll know when their protective abilities have been compromised to the point that they need to be replaced.
Each driver has an icon on the handle for easy identification; the kit includes the following drivers: 1/4, 5/16, and 3/8 inch slotted, #1, #2, and #3 Phillips and square drivers, and a #1 ECX head driver. The kit has an average rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars and a 96% recommendation rate from Home Depot buyers, where it usually retails for $170 but is currently on sale for $99.97.
Klein Tools six-piece set
If Milwaukee's ten-piece set is a little out of your price range, check out the six-piece kit from Klein Tools. This kit retails for $39.97 at Amazon and Home Depot and, like the more expensive set from Milwaukee Tools, will protect you from shocks up to 1,000 volts. This kit includes 1/4-inch slotted and #2 Phillips drivers with 4-inch round shanks, as well as #2 Square, #1 and #2 Phillips, and 3/16-Inch slotted drivers with 6-inch round shanks. The drivers are impact and flame-resistant, and the black rubberized handles have tether holes for hanging from a belt clip or ladder.
Amazon buyers give these screwdrivers an average rating of 4.8 out of five stars, with 86% of them rating the kit a perfect five out of five.
Several buyers noted that they offer sufficient protection when working on hot circuits, including professional electricians and home improvement do-it-yourselfers.
MIlwaukee three-piece set
If you're loyal to the Milwaukee brand but the ten-piece set is more than you need for the jobs at hand, consider the three-piece set sold by Home Depot for just $21.97. This kit includes a 6" long 1/4 inch slotted driver and 4-inch long #2 Phillips and #1 ECX drivers. Like the ten-piece assortment, all three screwdrivers in this set are rated for protection from currents up to 1,000 volts and are tested to meet NPFA and OSHA standards. The handles are marked for easy identification and have holes to attach to a lanyard or ring for easy access.
Home Depot buyers give the three-piece Milwaukee set an average rating of 4.8 out of five stars, and 95% of them would recommend this kit to others. Many buyers praised the comfortable grips and slim shafts, which make accessing recessed screws easy. Others pointed out the potentially life-saving safety feature that makes the insulation turn from red to yellow when the protective ability of these drivers has been compromised.
Crescent VDE 7-piece set
Crescent Tools is best known for the eponymous wrench it introduced in 1907, but Crescent also makes a wide array of other handy tools, including a seven-piece set of insulated screwdrivers that sells for $22.99 at Home Depot and Lowe's. Like the other kits mentioned above, this set is rated for protection from currents up to 1,000 volts. It includes #0, #1, and #2 Phillips drivers and four slotted drivers in sizes 1/8", 5/32", 3/16", and 1/4". All of the drivers have tips made of heat-treated alloy for strength and durability, and the handles have rubberized grips, lanyard holes, and bit indicator icons for easy identification.
The 37 Home Depot buyers who left reviews gave this kit a perfect five out of five stars, most mentioning the comfortable handles and strong tips. 45 Lowe's customers left reviews for this kit, giving it an average rating of 4.7 out of 5 stars.
Wiha 7-piece set
Wiha Tools might not have the name recognition that Milwaukee or Crescent does, but this German company has been around since 1939 and has since built a global presence and a catalog of about 10,000 tools. Their current offerings include a seven-piece insulated screwdriver set that sells for $53.49 at Home Depot and Lowe's. These drivers are made in Germany, are tested to ASTM and NFPA standards, and will protect you from currents up to 1,000 volts. The ergonomic soft-grip handles have tip identifiers stamped on them and are molded to the shafts for long life.
The set includes #1 and #2 square and Phillips drivers and slotted drivers in 3.5, 5.5, and 6.5mm sizes. Like the Crescent kit, this Wiha set has a perfect rating from Home Depot buyers (42 customers there give it a perfect five out of five stars), and 56 Lowe's buyers rate this set 4.9 out of 5 stars.