When I came across the Klein Tools demo driver, I thought to myself “that’s a strange-looking screwdriver.”
I then realized it’s strictly a demo tool, and not a screwdriver at all, despite the slight resemblance.
The handle looks a bit different too, compared to your average demolition screwdriver.
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I revisited the tool this morning, and realized I had missed the main point of the new Klein tool.
It’s a handle for SDS chisel-style rotary hammer bits. That’s a new concept, at least to me. Klein basically created a handheld SDS chisel and demo tool chuck and built a comfortable-looking handle grip around it, complete with steel striking cap.
Need to work faster or harder? You can use the same working tools in your rotary hammer.
Klein’s product pages say that their driver can be used with SDS Plus bits “for effortless transitions between rotary hammer drill and pry bar.”
It comes with the handle, a flat chisel, and bull point tools.
Price: $25-30
Model: 32753SD
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John
That’s smart and useful for “delicate demolition”.
Saulac
I love “dual use” like this. Now is there a handle for SDS max? I have a SDS max spade bit that I would love to use as garden hand tool. A handle or a long handle would be sweet.
Trevor
Trow and Holden offer something similar. Geared towards stonemasons. https://trowandholden.com/sds-hand-drilling-adaptor.html
Kyle
The circle is finally complete. I can now comfortably use my SDS chisels as flat blade screwdrivers.
MM
When I first saw the article headline but the page hadn’t yet loaded I immediately thought this was an SDS version of this kind of tool, which actually provides torque when you hit it with a hammer, and can also be used in a “straight” configuration without torque:
https://www.protoindustrial.com/product/jhandim/13pc-impact-hand-driver
….and I though that was an awesome idea, why hadn’t anyone thought of that before? It turns out it’s just a plain handle.
fred
That sort of spring-recoil driver may still be handy. The downward strike of the hammer blow helps to prevent screwdriver bit cam out – while the spring provides some impact turning torque.
MM
I have a Snap-On I purchased about 25 years ago. I rarely use it, maybe 2-3 times a year, but that ability to overcome camout is exactly what makes it useful. An impact wrench is better for nuts and bolts, but for socket-head fasteners or screws that ability to resist camout is just the ticket.
Anyway, my idea was that such a mechanism would let you use an SDS bit to drill more effectively than a star drill.
JR Ramos
I was just looking at this the other day, debating on giving it a shot or ordering some of the sadly gone Enderes carpenter’s chisels from HJE. People have used air chisels/rivet busters and SDS chisels for a long time but they have such a small striking surface and mushroom out pretty fast. The Klein chisel here is a great one, harder to find that type now unless you grind your own from a cold chisel or whatever. The Enderes are great and come (used to come…still available for awhile at HJE) in several widths. Other than rough and tumble use they are better than a knock around woodworking chisel for recesses and seats. But for timber framers there are special extra long versions (better than a long cold chisel).
This is way more multipurpose than a pry bar or something like the Milwaukee 1/2″ “demolition” screwdriver…for framing and construction anyway, not so much for most electricians where the abused screwdriver is revered.
I may try this Klein but I’m not crazy about a 2-piece interface for hammering.
https://www.harryepstein.com/search?q=enderes+wood&options%5Bprefix%5D=last&x=0&y=0
fred
When I started working, star drills, bull points and mason’s chisels and a drilling hammer or hand sledge were the only small-scale option. Hiti had not released their first rotohammer until 1967 – so it was either hand tools, tedious drilling with “masonry” bits or moving up to bigger pneumatics. The carpenter’s cordless screwdriver was either a Yankee spiral push driver or a Bit Brace for larger screws.
For wood chisels – Buck Brothers, Stanley and others used to make several different lines. I still have a set of Stanley (#77_ series) All-Steel Butt chisels. a set of Stanley (#60 series) Acetate-Handle-Steel-Cap butt chisels, a set of Stanley (#40 series) pocket chisels, Stanley bevel-edge socket chisels, plus a Stanley electrician chisel (#210L) , and their glazier chisel (#55), My firmer gouges came from Buck Brothers – but when I got into wood carving – mostly I bought Two Cherries brand.
Before the arrival of the Jigsaw, and OMT – cutting out a small pocket in a hardwood floor often meant using a hammer and chisel. My Dasco ripping chisels (#462 – 467) often got a pounding.
For stone and masons’ tools – my inherited star drills, bull points and chisels might well have been made by blacksmiths or small manufactures. Many that I bought early on were from Dasco – but later when my wife enlisted my labor in hardscaping projects – I bought quite a few carbide-tipped tools from Trow & Holden.
Overall – the explosion of power tool solutions – especially the cordless variants – have obsoleted the use (and demand for) many hand tools – while reducing the amount of grunt work needed to get lots of jobs done.
Jim
The Stanley #60s have good steel in them.
I watch for them at garage sales as I find them great as rough work chisels.
fred
Their #40 series were a more premium line and came out of the box with dead-flat backs – well polished and ready for final honing.
https://www.jimbodetools.com/products/stanley-no-210-set-of-nine-no-40-everlasting-pocket-chisels-in-original-roll-88123-as-of-aug-1
The #40’s were promoted more for longer cuts and woodworking – while the #60 series were directed more for carpentry tasks – like cutting hinge butts. Buying a #60 you might expect to need to lap-flatten the back and do a bit more than just honing if you wanted an edge that could produce really thin shavings. I’m not sure if the steel choice was any different between #40 and #60 – but both chisels took a good edge and could hold it adequately long.
JR Ramos
I don’t miss star drills – at all – but I kind of wish I had kept a few. Funny but that’s one of those tools that has all but disappeared from stores and an awful lot of the up and coming tool users these days have no idea what they are, or how people drilled holes way out in nowhere. I enjoyed half mangled fingers one summer doing about forty 5/8″ holes by hand in mostly limestone but a little of some kind of granitic rock…thankfully only 3″ deep. But y’know, those are good memories and it was a fun workout as a kid. Later in our tool stores we stocked a pretty full range of them…I think either Estwing or Dasco and then later Enderes. We probably sold five in a decade. Ha.
It was nice when Dasco was quality and I sure wish the Enderes tools and quality was able to be resurrected – they had several items that I don’t think anyone else had and that’s still the case, but they were quite useful. Those carpenter chisels at HJE just being one example. Some unique bars, too, which I haven’t seen elsewhere.
But yeah, so many power tool options now and nearly all of those available cordless as well…it’s great really.
I’ve wondered how much the mason chisels and such are still used. An awful lot of that is handled with hammers or rotary hammers now, or guillotine shears, etc. I suppose good old bricks still need a good whack sometimes but even bricklaying seems like a diminishing trade now.
Jerry
I may have to get one of those. I have several SDS chisels, and hand use might be good for some hard to get places.
Jared
I was thinking this over and it seems like it makes sense. Like there may be times when you would want a hand chisel for precision instead of your SDS – this might save carrying a separate tool.
Leo B.
Looks nice for strike plate mortising!
BigTimeTommy
There have definitely been times where I’ve hammered on an sds chisel in a pinch. This would be a nice tool to throw in a toolbox just to have, but wouldn’t use it enough to justify buying it.
Al
Secondary use: turn it aroind and grab by thw SDS bit. Now you have another hammer.
S
If I was still remodeling houses, I would have already ordered two before getting to the comments section. This is a great idea.
I might still order a few as Christmas gifts for the tradesmen I keep in touch with.
On brick houses, sometimes the house forces the drilling location for you. I can’t even count how many times I’ve used channel locks to turn stuck bits out of walls where the rear face of the brick chunks off while drilling and captures the bit in a way that power tool removal is impossible.
There’s also plenty of times where installing something new, or at least where the brick layer messed up, that requires altering the brick face slightly to allow for devices and boxes to sit flat on a wall that’s otherwise crooked, again, where a hammer drill would go to far and visibly damage the surface.
I’ve got the klein demolition flat head screwdriver, and loved it. In a lot of ways it worked better for finish work because the flat blade design made for a lower profile tool that more predictably cut or chopped edges off than a real but bulky chisel.
James
Thank you! I need this.
fred
Amazon apparently sold what stock was available and now list the item as temporarily OOS. Looks like this ToolGuyd post resulted in a run.
JR Ramos
I got this sometime back and it’s really a fine piece of kit – can take a beating.
I just noticed that they are introducing a kit form with more chisels and what looks like a pretty decent storage case (generally I have not liked their various little storage cases but this one looks better). The angled pry bar/nail puller looks very handy and they had a keystone flat tip made for them…and a 1/4″ hex bit adapter. OPT shows the price at $50 which is actually a very good value here.
https://www.kleintools.com/catalog/multi-bit-screwdrivers/sds-demolition-driver-set-6-piece
JR Ramos
The only thing I would change is to give the handle a little more protection…fits your grip very nicely but adding a lip of harder rubber or plastic like you see on some mason chisels would be nice to prevent…hand strike.