The Best Electric Screwdrivers For Quick And Easy DIY Tasks

The NoCry has the most turning power in this roundup, with up to 10 Nm quoted, so it keeps going on longer screws where the smaller pen-style drivers give up. A 7.2 V, 1500 mAh lithium-ion battery powers it, and the 5+1 torque settings let you dial it back for soft materials so you don't strip the head or sink the screw too deep.

It comes as a set with 30 screw bits and two extensions, so most of the household screw types are covered from the day it arrives. The built-in light sits at the bottom of the handle rather than near the chuck, and it throws a wider pool of light over the work area, which helps inside cupboards and under sinks. It's relatively expensive, though the four-year warranty takes some of the sting out of that.

The IXO is Bosch's long-running pocket screwdriver, and this set adds an angle adapter and an offset angle adapter to the standard tool. Those two attachments are the reason to buy it, as they let you reach screws tucked behind cabinet frames, inside appliance housings and in the corners of flat-pack units.

It's a gentler tool than the NoCry, with Bosch quoting 4.5 Nm of torque and 215 rpm from a 3.6 V, 1.5 Ah battery, but that's still enough for screws up to 5 mm in diameter. A magnetic bit holder keeps screws from dropping off the tip. It charges by USB, and Bosch quotes a charge time of three hours. The adapters push the price up compared with the bare tool, so only buy the set if you'll use them.

Makita's DF001DW arrives as an 81 piece kit in a sturdy storage case, so it's ready for most fixings around the house without a separate bit set. What sets it apart is the adjustable body, which switches between a straight grip and a pistol grip. That makes it comfortable in tight spaces and gives you a better push behind the screw when you need it, without reaching for an adapter.

It runs at up to 220 rpm in forward and reverse, and the soft grip, LED work light and battery protection circuit are welcome extras. Makita quotes three to five hours to charge the built-in battery, and our one grumble from testing is that there's no charging light, so we were never quite sure when it had finished. Otherwise we were impressed with its build quality and how it performed on the job.

The PushDrive is Bosch's more compact driver, and it works differently to the others here. Instead of a trigger or button, you press the screwdriver against the screw and it starts turning, a push-to-go system that makes one-handed work feel natural once you're used to it.

It's also the quickest driver here, with Bosch quoting a no-load speed of 360 rpm, alongside up to 5 Nm of torque with variable control and a 3.6 V 1.5 Ah battery. A full charge takes 1.5 hours. It can also lock into a manual mode, so you can give a screw a final turn by hand without the motor overtightening it. It isn't built for heavier fixings, but for hinges, sockets and light fittings it's quick and tidy.

The KAIWEETS ES20 is a pen-style precision driver, and it's built for the small screws that a normal electric screwdriver would chew up. KAIWEETS quotes an adjustable torque of 0.15 to 0.35 Nm and a no-load speed of 200 rpm, which is enough for laptops, game controllers, glasses and the battery covers on children's toys.

The kit runs to 137 pieces, 120 of which are chrome vanadium bits, all held neatly in a carry case. In our testing it was easy to use and worked well on both torque settings, and the whole set felt well made. The 350 mAh battery charges by USB-C and KAIWEETS says it holds its charge for up to 90 days on standby. The smooth body is our only complaint, as it needs a firm grip to stop it slipping in your fingers.

The Hi-Spec set is a budget way into a full electric screwdriver kit. You get a 102 piece bit set in an aluminium shell carry case, with a trigger-operated driver that switches between forward and reverse.

Hi-Spec quotes a maximum torque of 3.5 Nm and a top speed of 200 rpm, which suits flat-pack, cupboard handles and other light household jobs. Twin LED lights come on with the trigger and light up the screw head, and there's a three-year warranty. The lithium-ion battery takes three to five hours to charge fully and battery life is short, so it's best kept for short jobs rather than a full day of furniture assembly.