I started working in the automotive industry in 2003. Back then the Milwaukee used ABS plastic instead of the more modern materials it’s clearly made of now. Also everyone, except myself had one! They were slow, weak, took forever to charge, and had no power! I couldn’t get over how bad they were however I did like the thumb switch on the side. I refused to buy one because the price was absurd for the performance so I bought a Snap On NiMh driver that was similar in price and much faster and more powerful. Then a few years later I purchased a Matco lithium driver. I still have both and in fact still use the Snap On to this day! That rocker switch is just so nice and my 20 year old batteries are still as good as brand new! Anyways, when’s the last time Snap On cost the same as a non tool truck brand? Too bad Milwaukee seemingly didn’t update anything else aside from the case material. One of these using a Milwaukee USB 3.0 battery with modern electronics could be really good! Bottom line, the vast majority of these are massively overpriced and underperform for 2025!
Unless the Milwaukee tool says "Fuel" it probably isn't too great, with a few exceptions. Same concept with regular DeWALT and DeWALT XR. You don't have that problem with FLEX too much, just avoid their compact drill/impact.
You don't always need or want high torque. Back in the early 90's I used one of those B&D screw sticks EVERY DAY at a repair depot to remove the outer cases on military portable field computer equipment. You had to remove like 25 captive screws just to take the cover off. The B&D screw stick was a godsend. I feel the physical construction of the B&D unit was superior to many of today's offerings. It could withstand a lot of rough handling without issues. The only week link on the B&D unit was the NiCad batteries of the day. If Li-ion replacement batteries were available I'd probably still be using it today.
Mostly elecitral work here but Vessel usb drivers dewalt gyro when you need more power. Sometimes less is best and they work great. Yes the dewalt gyro can put a 3in deck screw into a 2x4 but its not its purpose nor would you wanna do alot of them. What we didnt see here which isnt nessarly a fair comparison but is nice to see is pen impacts from makita panasonic Hitachi ect. Same size as the makita much more power but expensive and ussaly only obtainable from japan.
I have the Dewalt for around the house stuff. It's amazing. I have the Makita in impact in my tool bag. Also an amazing tool. A drill and driver in 1 for light to medium duty. Kind of funny I was watching you test the Makita and thinking I need one of those when I realized I already have it. lol My tool bag is for on the road repairs so I don't use it much.
I have the impact version of that Makita stick driver and carry it everyday in my backpack. Obviously not the most powerful impact but it’s definitely the lightest and most compact. Even swapped the battery cells for Molicel P28s for more capacity and oomph.
Very thorough. Sorry if I missed it, but any comments on the trigger control / responsiveness? I know I sound like a broken record, but my Bosch installation driver has a beautiful trigger that is really responsive. I can make it run at
I have 3 of the Dewalt Gyros, 2 with the convertable pistol grip and 1 that is fixed straight. I also have the newer stick style Dewalt, I love the way all of these tools activate. The Gyro does take a few minutes to get use to, but if you spend that few minutes, I believe it is the best on the market. No stretching your fingers to hit a forward or reverse button, and the fastest change in directioon out there. I did own the Black and Decker Years ago, and considering the options at the time, I was very satisfied. But I wouldn't go looking for it or ever consider buying a replacement. I think the tourque figures are informative, but let's face it, If you need more torque, turn it with your hand, for the last little bit, or the first little bit depending on your need. Thanks for the video.
my biggest problem with cordless screwdrivers is i need a very low torque setting that is is a little bit higher than a pencil 4mm drive one. At my work i am removing and installing 100s of t10 head screws in to plastic and they strip out easily if you are not careful. I ended up using a modded black and decker that I changed the battery on and loosened the clutch I can still lock it down if i need to but this seems to have worked the best for me.
I’ve had the dewalt for a few years now and have used it pretty much exclusively for electrical work (replacing outlets/switches/etc) or putting small furniture together. In fact, I used/enjoyed it so much, I got one for a family member on their first small home buy. The led lights aren’t super powerful, but they’ve been enough to find a dropped screw in the dark or when I can’t get great visibility from the light set up behind me. And the turn to torque took a minute to get used too, but is actually really convenient if I want to slowly tighten something (lowest setting + minor turn) or need to back out for some reason. I’m a little sad you mentioned it might be discontinued! I got it before I started actually learning about all the different brands/features/comparisons and only had some idea of DeWalt is usually a pretty safe bet, but I haven’t been disappointed with it!
I have almost verbatim experience in the electrical industry with the Dewalt. The light is perfect in crawl spaces and ceilings. The clutch and the gyro are excellent. It can be set low so it doesn’t stress box cover and panel screws and the speed control is great. I have had mine for years without issue. I have one at my home. I got one for my dad and one for father in law. I can’t say enough good about this tool. I have been searching for batteries and found them to be out of stock everywhere except for the knock offs. Dewalt tried to put a few tools out years ago on the battery platform but it didn’t really take off. I hope they are not discontinuing these but maybe they will use that gyro and clutch set up in another screwdriver in the future. Great tool.
Go on a industrial electrical jobsite for mundane tasks I bet you will see more dewalt gyros than impact drivers. They really do cut the weight and size down.
Great stuff, makita performed surprisingly well. I would really like to see you test their 7.2 impact, samo format as this one just different switch (variable) and of course impact mechanism :)
That Ryobi looks to be pretty good value for money given the performance. The Dewalt gyro is a clever design and pretty unique and not too bad a price considering the manufacturer name. Thanks for all the info 👍👍
The dewalt Gyro is really high quailty near makita/panasonic pen impact/driver levels. The price reflects the build quailty for sure. That ryobi is pedestrian.
I literally bought that dewalt screwdriver couple days ago and I’ve been eying it. It seems like acme tools has it in back order but really concerning that it might be discontinued soon
Good stuff. I started looking at stick style electric screwdrivers out of necessity for work, and at this point I'm just collecting them (gotta catch 'em all 😉 ) In Canada it's pretty much damn near impossible to find a dewalt gyro anymore. One of the few I'm missing. I might have to make a trip down to the States to grab one. Any spots you can recommend that will have it?
I’m a Milwaukee guy but I do have a couple of Dewalt tools including that gyro screwdriver which is unique by way of functionality and in your top three. That one is a keeper! 🪛🪛🪛
I started working in the automotive industry in 2003. Back then the Milwaukee used ABS plastic instead of the more modern materials it’s clearly made of now. Also everyone, except myself had one! They were slow, weak, took forever to charge, and had no power! I couldn’t get over how bad they were however I did like the thumb switch on the side. I refused to buy one because the price was absurd for the performance so I bought a Snap On NiMh driver that was similar in price and much faster and more powerful. Then a few years later I purchased a Matco lithium driver. I still have both and in fact still use the Snap On to this day! That rocker switch is just so nice and my 20 year old batteries are still as good as brand new! Anyways, when’s the last time Snap On cost the same as a non tool truck brand? Too bad Milwaukee seemingly didn’t update anything else aside from the case material. One of these using a Milwaukee USB 3.0 battery with modern electronics could be really good! Bottom line, the vast majority of these are massively overpriced and underperform for 2025!
Cant wait for the milwaukee guys to say you didn't use it right lol
They are a rabid bunch! 😂
Unless the Milwaukee tool says "Fuel" it probably isn't too great, with a few exceptions. Same concept with regular DeWALT and DeWALT XR. You don't have that problem with FLEX too much, just avoid their compact drill/impact.
You don't always need or want high torque. Back in the early 90's I used one of those B&D screw sticks EVERY DAY at a repair depot to remove the outer cases on military portable field computer equipment. You had to remove like 25 captive screws just to take the cover off. The B&D screw stick was a godsend. I feel the physical construction of the B&D unit was superior to many of today's offerings. It could withstand a lot of rough handling without issues. The only week link on the B&D unit was the NiCad batteries of the day. If Li-ion replacement batteries were available I'd probably still be using it today.
Mostly elecitral work here but Vessel usb drivers dewalt gyro when you need more power. Sometimes less is best and they work great. Yes the dewalt gyro can put a 3in deck screw into a 2x4 but its not its purpose nor would you wanna do alot of them. What we didnt see here which isnt nessarly a fair comparison but is nice to see is pen impacts from makita panasonic Hitachi ect. Same size as the makita much more power but expensive and ussaly only obtainable from japan.
I have the Dewalt for around the house stuff. It's amazing. I have the Makita in impact in my tool bag. Also an amazing tool. A drill and driver in 1 for light to medium duty. Kind of funny I was watching you test the Makita and thinking I need one of those when I realized I already have it. lol My tool bag is for on the road repairs so I don't use it much.
I have the impact version of that Makita stick driver and carry it everyday in my backpack. Obviously not the most powerful impact but it’s definitely the lightest and most compact. Even swapped the battery cells for Molicel P28s for more capacity and oomph.
Very thorough. Sorry if I missed it, but any comments on the trigger control / responsiveness? I know I sound like a broken record, but my Bosch installation driver has a beautiful trigger that is really responsive. I can make it run at
I have 3 of the Dewalt Gyros, 2 with the convertable pistol grip and 1 that is fixed straight. I also have the newer stick style Dewalt, I love the way all of these tools activate. The Gyro does take a few minutes to get use to, but if you spend that few minutes, I believe it is the best on the market. No stretching your fingers to hit a forward or reverse button, and the fastest change in directioon out there. I did own the Black and Decker Years ago, and considering the options at the time, I was very satisfied. But I wouldn't go looking for it or ever consider buying a replacement. I think the tourque figures are informative, but let's face it, If you need more torque, turn it with your hand, for the last little bit, or the first little bit depending on your need. Thanks for the video.
my biggest problem with cordless screwdrivers is i need a very low torque setting that is is a little bit higher than a pencil 4mm drive one. At my work i am removing and installing 100s of t10 head screws in to plastic and they strip out easily if you are not careful. I ended up using a modded black and decker that I changed the battery on and loosened the clutch I can still lock it down if i need to but this seems to have worked the best for me.
I’ve had the dewalt for a few years now and have used it pretty much exclusively for electrical work (replacing outlets/switches/etc) or putting small furniture together. In fact, I used/enjoyed it so much, I got one for a family member on their first small home buy. The led lights aren’t super powerful, but they’ve been enough to find a dropped screw in the dark or when I can’t get great visibility from the light set up behind me. And the turn to torque took a minute to get used too, but is actually really convenient if I want to slowly tighten something (lowest setting + minor turn) or need to back out for some reason. I’m a little sad you mentioned it might be discontinued! I got it before I started actually learning about all the different brands/features/comparisons and only had some idea of DeWalt is usually a pretty safe bet, but I haven’t been disappointed with it!
I have almost verbatim experience in the electrical industry with the Dewalt. The light is perfect in crawl spaces and ceilings. The clutch and the gyro are excellent. It can be set low so it doesn’t stress box cover and panel screws and the speed control is great. I have had mine for years without issue. I have one at my home. I got one for my dad and one for father in law. I can’t say enough good about this tool. I have been searching for batteries and found them to be out of stock everywhere except for the knock offs. Dewalt tried to put a few tools out years ago on the battery platform but it didn’t really take off. I hope they are not discontinuing these but maybe they will use that gyro and clutch set up in another screwdriver in the future. Great tool.
Go on a industrial electrical jobsite for mundane tasks I bet you will see more dewalt gyros than impact drivers. They really do cut the weight and size down.
If you can get your hands on one imported the Bosch go 3 is really nice to have very high quailty still half the price of the makita.
Great stuff, makita performed surprisingly well. I would really like to see you test their 7.2 impact, samo format as this one just different switch (variable) and of course impact mechanism :)
I'm actually surprised the B&D held a charge after 25+ years.
That Ryobi looks to be pretty good value for money given the performance. The Dewalt gyro is a clever design and pretty unique and not too bad a price considering the manufacturer name. Thanks for all the info 👍👍
The dewalt Gyro is really high quailty near makita/panasonic pen impact/driver levels. The price reflects the build quailty for sure. That ryobi is pedestrian.
I literally bought that dewalt screwdriver couple days ago and I’ve been eying it. It seems like acme tools has it in back order but really concerning that it might be discontinued soon
The hikoki is my currant goto. Comes with 2 batts and enough torque for the size screwdriver it is
The Hikoki/Metabo HPT looks like a decent balance of price to performance, and quality vs the other options
I have an older B&D that took 2x AA battery, but I'll stick with the old Bosch PS21N brushed 12V two speed-Pocket Driver .
Wondering how much forwards torque you would really want on one of these anyway, at least with screw heads. Torque settings would be very important.
Good stuff. I started looking at stick style electric screwdrivers out of necessity for work, and at this point I'm just collecting them (gotta catch 'em all 😉 )
In Canada it's pretty much damn near impossible to find a dewalt gyro anymore. One of the few I'm missing. I might have to make a trip down to the States to grab one. Any spots you can recommend that will have it?
Milwaukee needs an M12 version of a stick driver
Good job
Great testing and analysis TT! For the money, I'd opt for the Ryobi. 👍👍
Imo the gyro on the Dewalt is not "interesting" it's a game changer! Wouldn't buy one of the others even if they had twice the power.
I’m a Milwaukee guy but I do have a couple of Dewalt tools including that gyro screwdriver which is unique by way of functionality and in your top three. That one is a keeper! 🪛🪛🪛