Every Major Cordless Power Screwdriver Brand Ranked Worst To Best

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At their core, power tools let us do what a hand tool would allow, but faster and more easily. There are some exceptions, of course — cases in which a power tool is the only reasonable choice (who even uses a hand drill anymore?) and things that are best left to a good brand of hand tools. According to some, driving fasteners is one of those exceptions: something to be done by hand, lest you be accused of laziness. Yet the facts remain the same: No one outside of internet forums cares if you assemble your IKEA furniture with an electric screwdriver, and you'll save a lot of time using one of these tools.

However, if you spend enough time looking around hardware stores and toolmaker inventories, you'll notice a distinct lack of cordless screwdrivers. Even though many tool brands sell one electric driver, only a handful have decided to expand their lineup to include models for different price ranges and use cases. Plus, a lot of well-known brands make mediocre and overpriced screwdrivers. Hopefully, our ranking of major power screwdriver brands will make this whole thing less confusing.

To be clear, this is a list of the best screwdriver brands, not individual electric screwdrivers or brands of impact drivers. We have covered these topics before in other articles, so if that's what you're interested in, you're in luck. Finally, before continuing to our list, keep in mind that even the brands at the bottom can still make some good screwdrivers. They may not offer as much choice or may make expensive and slightly underpowered models, but they're probably good enough to replace your manual screwdrivers in most cases.

Currently, Dremel sells only one model of electric screwdriver, which doesn't seem to be available at any hardware store at the time of writing. That alone costs the brand a few points on the list. The Dremel Cordless 4V USB Rechargeable Lithium-Ion Powered Electric Screwdriver used to be available at Home Depot and Lowe's, but it seems to be out of stock right now. More importantly, even assuming you manage to get your hands on this product, should you go with Dremel for your screwdriving needs? Probably not.

Home Depot's listed price of $50 is not too bad for a driver with a six-position torque regulator, "Smart Stop" technology that is meant to prevent damage to the screws, and a manual mode, plus automatic forward and reverse. There's also an alternative activation mode that rotates the screw as the tool is pushed down, which could prove useful. However, if Home Depot is to be trusted, this driver can reach just 5 in-lb of torque, significantly less than what most people can produce with their own hands. Even the user reviews note that the tool is only good for small jobs.

Kobalt, Lowe's in-house toolmaker, sells just one electric screwdriver, available in classic blue and a less-than-classic pink. Of course, this makes Lowe's offering in the field quite weak, which is why it didn't score well on our list. The reason it sits at the bottom is that the lone Kobalt driver is fairly underpowered, as some reviews note, while costing almost $20 when not on sale.

Being a 4-volt 1/4-in cordless screwdriver, no one would expect extreme speeds and torque from this model, but as it stands, it's one of the weakest units on the list. It can reach up to 280 RPM and 13.5 in-lb of torque. The speed is not too bad, but the torque is so low as to be a little disconcerting. For comparison, the IKEA Trixig power screwdriver, which is more of a gadget than a power tool, goes up to 44 in-lb. Having personally used it a lot, I find it slightly underpowered. I can't imagine relying entirely on a device with one-third of the strength, even for basic tasks like assembling furniture.

The Kobalt electric screwdriver comes with a cable, a bit holder, and a number of driver bits, but it has no replaceable battery. For that, you'll want to take a look at Ryobi's popular USB Lithium Screwdriver.

DeWalt is one of the many brands that makes just one electric screwdriver. That's reasonable, considering how many of its drills (clutched ones, right-angle drills) can double as screwdrivers. The DeWalt electric screwdriver is a 1/4-inch, 4V model with good speed (360 RPM) and decent torque (44 in-lb, which can be pushed further with a manual finish), but no replaceable battery or extra features beyond the six-stage torque adjustment. The collar could be more useful than a regular trigger in some circumstances, but would you miss it if you chose a regular driver with a standard trigger instead? It's hard to say.

The problem with the driver, as some reviews point out, is the price. At $80, it's one of the most expensive units discussed on this list, and it doesn't do a lot more than some $30 models. The shape is good for getting into small spaces, though users say the now-discontinued DeWalt DCF680 was a better tool.

Metabo HPT, a union of the former Hitachi and Metabo brands, makes just one cordless screwdriver for a somewhat expensive $79. This tool, the Metabo HPT 3.6V Lithium-ion Cordless Screwdriver, comes in a kit with two batteries, a quick charger, and a case to keep everything organized. The tool itself features a dual-handle position, many clutch settings, and a drill mode. The 44 in-lb torque rating and 780 RPM max are quite good, but not exactly impressive for the price. Unsurprisingly, drill mode isn't powerful enough to be very useful as a drill, but users seem to have found a use for it anyway.

It may be more expensive than some alternatives, but the 21 clutch settings, the two rechargeable and replaceable batteries, and the pivoting handle make this electric screwdriver a lot more versatile than some other options in the same price range. That said, Metabo sells just one model that doesn't neatly fit into either the heavy-duty or affordable market, making the brand's overall offering just fine.

Worx user reviews agree that Worx tools are better suited for DIY than professional work. That's probably why the company's small offering of electric screwdrivers feels distinctly non-professional. On the one hand, there's the WX242L. This is your average cordless screwdriver — with decent strength, being rated at 44 in-lb, and with a good shape to fit in odd spaces — that comes with a case and a lot of bits. It also has seven torque settings and a magnetic bit chuck. Not bad for a $50 tool.

The other Worx screwdriver is an odd one. It only goes to 230 RPM and has no known stats for max torque, but at least it can hold up to six bits simultaneously in its "reloadable cartridge," which could help if you ever found yourself with only half a second to switch from a Phillips 2 to a Phillips 1. It also comes with a "semi-automatic driver" and, of course, has a pistol grip.

I would call this an obvious joke, but I'm not sure what the joke is. Pistol-grip drivers are called that for a reason, and "it looks like a gun" isn't a novel observation. That said, we certainly haven't seen anything like this before. You, too, can gaze upon the majestic WX255L and decide for yourself if it's a bad idea or some sort of artistic statement wearing the shell of a bad idea.

Milwaukee is represented on this list by the M12 Fuel Hex Screwdriver as the premium option and by the M12 non-Fuel as a cheaper alternative. This already puts it above many brands that only offer one electric screwdriver, but after taking a better look at the two tools, we find a common issue: They're both quite expensive, meaning Milwaukee lacks a true budget option. The Fuel comes in at $150, and while the non-Fuel is cheaper, it's still $90, with batteries and charger not included. Both have great torque (325 in-lb for the first, 175 in-lb for the second), making them a good choice for power users.

Milwaukee also sells an M4 4V Cordless Screwdriver that's really expensive at $150, but it has an odd shape that could prove useful in some circumstances, clutch control with 21 settings, and a replaceable battery. It is, however, a relatively weak tool, reaching only 44 in-lb of torque. It's also the only tool in the M4 line, meaning the battery and charger can't be used for anything else. Unless you really need the thin shape and pivoting head, you'll be better served by the M12 screwdriver.

Hercules, a Harbor Freight-owned brand, makes some decent tools that are often sold at extremely convenient prices. Oftentimes, the specs of the tools match those of much more expensive brands. Sure, a Hercules tool may not last very long, but for occasional use of a cordless screwdriver, this brand may be the best choice. That's exactly what the $40 Hercules 12V Cordless 1/4-inch Hex Compact Screwdriver delivers: a lightweight tool with good stats (312 in-lb and 1,500 RPM max) at a very reasonable price. It's probably not as sturdy as a Milwaukee or a DeWalt, and it's certainly bulkier and less comfortable to use, but it's cheap and efficient.

The only problem is that this is the only electric screwdriver made by the brand, and it's not exactly what you'd imagine when hearing the words "electric screwdriver." It may have "compact" in the title, but it's roughly the size of a compact impact driver, not a pocket-sized screwdriver. Casual users may want something that fits in a small drawer, while professionals and more demanding DIYers may want to avoid Hercules altogether. There's a reason why the company barely made it onto our ranking of the best cordless power tool brands.

Skil, one of the many tool companies that used to be an American corporation, has an impressive inventory of affordable tools, and the same is true of its electric screwdriver selection. If anything, it has a bit too much overlap in the sub-$50 category. There's the cheap, elongated driver with an LED light near the head that nearly every brand on this list offers. This one comes with a five-year warranty, "circuit sensor technology" for detecting electrical current, and a max torque of about 8 in-lb.

Unless you often work with electricity, the $33 pivot-grip and $23 pistol-grip 4V Skil screwdrivers may be a better choice. They can both reach 36 in-lb of torque and 220 RPM, and the latter is also available in a bundle with a hard case and a lot of bits and other accessories. Finally, Skil sells the Twist 2.0, which would make a great gadget for new homeowners. This thin electric screwdriver has an equally thin head that can rotate up to 45 degrees, ideal for reaching screws in really awkward locations while still producing up to 22 in-lb of torque. The Twist 2.0 is sold for $45 with a carrying case and some bits. All in all, Skil lacks a premium electric screwdriver, but it delivers in every other category, and at a good price.

Currently, Bosch makes two electric screwdrivers: the small, 4V GSD4V-35 (a similar model to the Bosch Go 3) and the heavy-duty GSR12V-300HXN 12V Max Brushless. The first is a simple tool that's quite expensive at $70, but it has an ace up its sleeve: dual activation. This screwdriver can be used with the dedicated button or with what Bosch calls "workpiece contact," meaning you can tighten a screw just by pressing the unit toward it. It also has eight torque settings, even though it's hard to say how useful they'd be, since there's no max torque value given by the brand.

The GSR12V-300HXN 12V Max Brushless, on the other hand, is a $150 electric screwdriver that's clearly overkill for anyone but a professional, and that's before you consider that it needs the (not very common) 12V Bosch battery and charger to work. Having said that, this is a very capable tool with great reviews. It reaches up to 300 in-lb of torque and 1,750 RPM, way more than a regular screwdriver needs, and it's still portable at just 5 x 2 x 6.3 inches.

Who'd have thought that Black+Decker would make it this far into our list? This classic toolmaker has been having a rough time these last few years. Not the parent company that owns 13 other major tool brands — that one's been doing really well — but the Black+Decker brand that makes orange and black tools that are no longer synonymous with quality. The exception to the rule being, apparently, electric screwdrivers.

Black+Decker makes a lot of different electric screwdrivers, starting with the Rotobit. Available in a number of odd and aggressive color schemes (as well as orange and black), this pistol-grip driver reaches up to 35 in-lb and 180 RPM — not too bad for the price of $40. A similar but simpler model is the Lightdriver, which comes with a variable grip, an LED light on the head, and exactly the same stats as the Rotobit. The price is roughly the same, too.

An even cheaper model, the Black+Decker Cordless Screwdriver with AA Batteries, is much smaller and weaker, but also thinner than the other drivers from the same brand. It's powered by regular batteries, but there's nothing wrong with rechargeable AAs, especially if you get them from a good brand. There are other cordless driver models from Black+Decker, but frankly, they're not worth going over in detail, as they're mostly variations on the ones we looked at here. Still, even if the brand is clearly aimed at casual users and the affordable market, it's good that it gives these users some choice.

Craftsman has only two cordless screwdriver options on its website, but at least they're quite different from each other. One is your average 4V driver — affordable, portable but not pocket-sized, and powerful enough for basic tasks and maybe a little more (35 in-lb at 180 RPM max). The second is the 20-volt max Brushless 1/4-in Cordless Screwdriver, a powerful driver that reaches up to 315 in-lb and 1,080 RPM but is quite a lot bulkier and significantly more expensive, coming in at $119 compared to the $35 price tag of the smaller Craftsman model.

This would already be a pretty good lineup, balanced in both price and use case and made up of worthy products with good reviews, but it gets better.

There are a couple more Craftsman cordless screwdriver options on Amazon, both very small. The most interesting of the two is the Craftsman Electric Screwdriver 25-piece Kit with Charging Base, in no small part because it comes with a charging base that also doubles as storage for both the tool and its bits, some of which are for precision screws. No, it's not very powerful, but it would be a great addition to a work desk, especially if you often deal with electronics or delicate projects. All in all, it's a great way to cap off Craftsman's inventory of cordless drivers.

Ryobi makes four different models of electric screwdrivers, even if three are quite similar, as they're all 4V models. Still, there's a lot of variety here. The cheapest of the bunch, simply called the Ryobi 4V Cordless 1/4-inch Screwdriver, is just $25. It's exactly as underpowered as you think it is, barely getting to 18 in-lb of torque. It's small but not pocket-sized, and it has neither a pivoting head nor a replaceable battery. It's also just about the cheapest screwdriver on the market that you don't need to rotate by hand.

Yet another 18 in-lb model, the USB Lithium Multi-Head Screwdriver Kit comes with a replaceable battery used by the whole Ryobi USB-Lithium line of tools, a pistol grip that many users call comfortable, and best of all, three replaceable heads to fit in a few more places than most screwdrivers, electrical or otherwise. And if you'd rather have more power than comfort and versatility, the One+ 18V Cordless 1/4-inch Hex Screwdriver Kit has you covered. A bulky 18-volt tool, this model brings you 135 in-lb and 600 RPM of power, a battery, and a charger for $60, about the same price as the multi-head driver.

Finally, there's the middle-of-the-road model, a pivoting-head USB-Lithium driver with a whole 55 in-lb of torque and 200 RPM of speed. Sure, that's not a lot, but it's enough for basic tasks like assembling furniture and disassembling electronics. More importantly, it ties the Ryobi offering of electric screwdrivers together really well, with a budget, portable option that still has some power.

This article lists every major power tool brand (defined as a brand that makes dozens of power tools and is well known among tool users) that has at least one cordless electric screwdriver in its lineup. We ranked these brands based on the quality of their individual electric screwdrivers, their availability and affordability, and the price ranges and use cases covered by their entire lineups. We based our analysis of each tool on user reviews, tool specifications, and (when available) professional reviews.