The Skil Twist 2.0 cordless screwdriver is a 4V USB-recharged model with lots of convenient features.
There are different directions one can do when shopping for a 4V cordless screwdriver, and I’ve come to the conclusion that this might be the best choice for most users.
To start off, the Skil Twist recharges via USB-C, which is a huge plus in my book. My cordless screwdrivers don’t have that, and I begrudgingly have to track down an older-style cord to recharge them.
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Its main feature is the 3-positon pivoting head, which allows users to use the cordless screwdriver as a fully inline driver (0°) or at an angle (22.5°, 45°). You cannot use it at a right angle.
There are two power buttons – one for forward direction and driving tasks, and the other for reverse direction and loosening or removal tasks. You can also lock the tool to prevent unintended operation, via a long press of the torque adjustment button.
The tool features 3 torque settings, with max torque of 22 in-lbs. The screwdriver operates at a single speed – 240 RPM (no-load). It also features an LED light.
That’s basically it. This seems like an intuitive tool with decent feature set. Its torque specs could be higher, but that’s hard to find in this type of form factor.
The tool ships with a charging cable – but no power brick – and 2 screwdriver bits.
Price: $20.79 at the time of this posting
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There are no shortage of alternative options. Worx, for example, has a 3-speed 4V screwdriver at Amazon.
But, if I had to pick just one as a general purpose home furniture assembly, small project fastening, or household task screwdriver, it’d probably be the Skil Twist 2.0, especially when you can get it for close to this price point.
Joe Hurst
Not my preference. For roughly the same amount of money, I’d recommend a ratcheting (manual) head multi-bit screwdriver. Batteries can be real nuisance for kitchen drawer/tool belt drivers.
Stuart
I used to think the same. When you have 2 screws? Sure. 5? Okay. 20? 50? A compact cordless driver saves time and hand fatigue.
I still use manual and ratcheting screwdrivers for a lot of things, and 4V cordless drivers for others.
Rich
I bought the 4V Skil SD561801 off a Stuart tip here 2 years ago. I use it to whiz rack screws in and out. Very convenient. It feels a little plasticky but $15.99 on sale.
This new one looks good, slimmer profile than the gun shapped older one.
Robert
Wow, it’s nearly twice as much at Lowe’s. $39.98.
Stuart
Maybe so it can be discounted? Amazon says list price is $30, and there’s another kit with more bits at higher pricing.
fred
I had bought two of the “kit version” that comes with a 28pc. bit assortment and storage box for $29 back in the Spring and have them put away for Christmas giving. They look OK – but now the price has jumped up by $14 – so I’d say that the bare tool is now a better deal.
Mike
I bought one the first time you recommended it (last week?). I wanted something to leave in a kitchen drawer. It’s great, but I have one niggle. It comes with two bits, and I really wish it had some way of storing the second bit on the handle to keep from losing it in said kitchen drawer.
Wayne R.
There are a lot of tiny USB adapters out there, I’ve been using a couple successfully for a couple of years now. Here’s a link for an assortment:
https://www.amazon.com/Adapters-Adapter-Compatible-MacBook-Smartphones/dp/B0B8PBDZS9
I use an older USB-A-capable AC receptacle as a source. It’s not a newer USB-C schemed device, so I can’t vouch for how new things work with them. But all my stuff charges up fine overnight, including the USB-C things.
Stuart
I have USB-C to micro and mini cables, but I still wish everything was just USB-C.
MM
I’m honestly curious, what exactly do people use these for?
I don’t mean to come across as a luddite, but these are a tool that I don’t get. If I have to work with a small number of fasteners then I’ll happily use a manual driver–there’s no charging hassle and I can better feel the torque because there’s no gears, no bit wobble, etc. A power tool makes total sense if there are many fasteners, and/or of the torque required is such that it’s difficult to do by hand, but why this kind of tool specifically? The cordless screwdrivers I’ve used in the past have all been frustratingly slow and fairly weak. I’d much rather grab an impact driver or a drill-driver instead. If I’m thinking to myself “man, it sure would be tedious to drive all these screws by hand, I better go get a power tool”, you can bet I’m also thinking “if I have to get a power tool to drive all these screws, I’m going to grab the one that can drive them at >1000 rpm with my wrist at a comfortable angle, not the one that only does 200 rpm”
Stuart
I had to take something apart last week. Initial loosening with a manual tool followed by fast-spinning with a 4V driver significantly cut down on the hand fatigue.
As I get a little older, I’ve come to appreciate tools that save me time and fatigue from repetitive motions.
I use 4V drivers differently from 12V or 18V tools. L
Yes, they’re slower and weaker. But I find the performance tuned to smaller fasteners that I might have instead chosen to turn by hand.
I buy some tools to explore the “if I have it will I use it?” question, and have found that 4V drivers are a useful part of my kit. Essential? No. Good to have? Absolutely.
MM
Saving time and fatigue makes perfect sense. Which leads me to the question: what made you select the 4V driver to “fast-spin” out those fasteners as opposed to using a drill-driver or impact driver instead? Wouldn’t that have saved you even more time and fatigue? I can see how in some situations you might not want to use a big power tool for small delicate fasteners, especially when driving them, but in this example you already broke the screws loose manually so that’s out the window?
Stuart
Maneuverability.
Consider slicing a strawberry vs a cantaloupe. You can use a chef’s knife for both, but should you? Sometimes the size of a larger tool requires digging out longer bits to clear obstructions.
It all depends on the task. Sometimes I start with a hand tool and then grab something easier or quicker.
Don’t buy one if you’re unsure, just keep the type of tool in mind and then see if any “I wish I had one” moments come up.
MM
Probably not the best example, as I do use my chef’s knife (11.8 inch) for strawberries. I’m far more proficient with it than I am with a paring knife. I don’t find it awkward to cut small things with it. Despite owning a bunch of fancy kitchen knives the more I cook the more I’ve come to share Anthony Bourdain’s opinion that most styles of kitchen knives are redundant wastes of money. Anyway, not to derail the subject talking about cooking, I get what you’re saying generally. I wouldn’t want to use a DCD1007 to zip out tiny screws from a small toy or electronics, and certainly not to drive them. But I really struggle to see situations where I’d want the 4V driver over, say, a compact drill/driver.
And note: I used to own one, it was actually one of the first power tools I bought as a teenager, the Black & Decker VersaPak model VP730. I thought the idea was really cool at first…but I hardly ever used it. I took it apart to scavenge the motor & gearbox for a science project for school and I’ve never looked back. I’ve never thought to myself I wish I had this style of cordless screwdriver, which is why I’m curious what people are using them for.
Stuart
@MM on the contrary – I’m aware that some people can use a single kitchen knife for everything. Others prefer unitaskers. I use a petty knife with 4.7″ for almost everything related to food prep. I using a paring knife where I need high precision, and a chef’s knife where I need a large blade.
I prefer to core strawberries rather than slice the tops, and it’s something I can’t do with a larger knife. The same with carving out hot peppers – a smaller knife makes batch work a lot quicker.
Workbenches are similar, with shorter heights ideal for high leverage work, taller heights for precision work, and in-between for mixed work.
4V drivers aren’t for everyone. My point is that if you’re looking to get one, this might deserve a place on your shortlist.
A long time ago I got a free AA-powered Black & Decker screwdriver for opening a bank account.
In 2007, when Amazon was still trying to gain market share, they were giving away free Black & Decker 3.6V cordless screwdrivers if you spent a certain amount of money. I used it quite a bit, and then I favored hand tools or 12V/18V tools if needed.
My hands are older and my time more limited than back then.
And not all 4V screwdrivers are built the same. I bought the Craftsman gyroscopic and HATED it so much. Black & Decker’s Gyro driver was so much better.
I’m not sure if $20 is “let me see if it works out, and if not I’ll give it to a friend of relative” territory for most people.
In that case, it could be an “I’ll consider it if there are 5 times I wish I had it between now and Black Friday” type of situation.
Lastly, it’s on my agenda to sub in larger 12V-class cordless screwdrivers where I might grab a 4V. I’ve been trying to eliminate redundancy in other areas where it could be done without too much sacrifice or compromise.
That’s partly why I’ve been paying more attention to the 4V space, in case I part with my existing go-to’s and wish to replace them. But, I also think they’re a good spot for users who have hand tools and higher powered 18V/20V Max, 24V Max, or 36V/40V Max tools which are not well-suited for more delicate tasks.
This is the type of tool that everyone needs to consider for themselves, and $20 might be a reasonable risk, at least compared to the >$80 Dewalt https://www.amazon.com/DEWALT-Screwdriver-FLEXDRIVE-Screwdriving-DWHT66719/dp/B0DJBQ9ZBF/?tag=toolguyd-20 .
ColeTrain
MM, it’s the same price as a good screwdriver. It’s possible you don’t have a use for one because you don’t have one. It’s not my first choice but when you need one they’re handy. Putting today’s furniture together with an impact regardless of the setting you’re just asking for it. I used to be a powersports mechanic and when everybody panel is plastic held on by body screws, this is the best tool. I also worked in aviation where a drill head slipping is not an option or where all the machine screws are aluminum, this tool is a must. Maybe not your line of work but have you ever repaired anything old held together by all flatheads? If you’re using a drill or an impact for that then you’re living more dangerously than I am. For 20 bucks I’m buying one
MM
I’ve worked on old stuff with flatheads, and installed a lot of aluminum M5 and M6 socket-head screws in race motorcycles. I’ve also worked on megabuck lab equipment and older rack-mount electronics with a lot of slotted fasteners. I used a full-size drill (first the Dewalt 14.4V Ni-Cd model, then later the DCD990), using the clutch to prevent damage. When the M12 installation driver came out I switched to using that for the small stuff. If something was very delicate I’d tighten by hand, using a torque screwdriver if necessary.
I power-tap with cordless drills as well, even pretty small stuff, I got very good at that because one of the machines I used to build required about 150 #8-32 holes tapped into laser cut steel parts. I used to do that with a Tapmatic auto-reversing head on a drill press before I welded it together but found it was faster to use the cordless drill to tap the holes after welding.
It has been years since I’ve assembled flat-pack furniture, but when I did I just used a manual screwdriver. Maybe the screw count has increased in the modern stuff but those I assembled rarely had more than a handful of screws, maybe a dozen or two tops, and then only every few years–nowhere near enough volume to get me to buy a power tool for the job.
It’s odd that I can’t think up a use for one of these, which is why I mentioned it. Normally I have the opposite problem: I’ll see a tool, perhaps very obscure, and come up with all sorts of uses for it with some more practical than others. Yesterday I stumbled across tiny concave-soled planes meant for shaping the fingerboards of violins–not to be confused with the even tinier convex planes used for shaping their soundboards. I don’t build violins, but you bet I can think of uses for those planes. I want one. I often repurpose surgical tools for precision work. The 4V screwdriver? I can’t think of when I’d pick that over a compact or subcompact drill/driver. Like I wrote, I used to own one and never used it. They’ve been around at places where I worked and I didn’t use them there either. For me it was always either not precise enough for delicate tasks, or it was inferior to different type of power tool for the jobs that didn’t require that level of care.
Matt_T
Stuart,
Since you mention “initial loosening with a manual tool” do these tools not have a spindle lock?
Stuart
It depends on the tool, but it’s a matter of leverage.
Some 4V tools can be used in manual mode to exert greater torque, but a lot of times it’s not enough. It really depends on what you’re doing. Outlet or switch covers, for example, shouldn’t give you a problem.
Mr B
I have this model and the spindle does lock so it can be used in manual mode.
Also, does anyone know why there is the transparent windows? You can see a red ring around the shaft with Skil printed on it.
Jared
I keep one in my portable tool kit. I like it because the battery is built-in and it’s compact. It’s handy for electrical work, assembling flat-pack furniture or the like and doesn’t take up much room in my bag.
You can definitely do the same work with a compact drill and I will grab that instead if I know I’ll need it – but I don’t want to lug one of those (and a charger) around with me just-in-case. My toolkit is explicitly for work away from my shop and tools.
I don’t use my cordless screwdriver much around my own house. I suppose it could be a kitchen-drawer type tool but, like you, I would also prefer a manual multi-bit driver for that. I don’t need a power tool for an impromptu repair or adjustment.
Mike
Putting together IKEA furniture mostly I would bet. Many people don’t have or want a drill and buy something like this instead.
fred
The basic driver and even the more complete sets only come with Phillips bits. While Ph2 may do – the Ikea screws that I’ve encountered are better driven with Pozidriv bits.
Wayne R.
The Vessel hybrid JIS/Phillips bits are pretty good for this too, though I haven’t tried a lot of it…
Dave
May be worth a try however I am not sold on the electronic clutch as of yet but I am betting it’s the wave of the future in all these cordless items. I have the Skil Flip and also the Worx and they both use the electronic clutch and I can’t seem to feel the difference between clutch settings. Too old I suppose but with the manual clutch you could set it under powered and quickly ratchet up to higher clutch settings in seconds.
Jared
That’s a fair point. I don’t have any tools with electronic torque settings yet, but it seems like one of those things you’d have to try to see how well it worked on a particular tool.
My Dremel-branded cordless screwdriver (which I understand is also sold as a Bosch tool), has a manual clutch and I rely on it a lot. I suppose most of these low-power electronic screwdrivers are slow enough that you could just stop short when driving a small screw or a fastener into delicate materials, but it’s just easier sometimes to adjust the clutch and go.
Still, I think the Dremel/Bosch is considerably more expensive.
frobo
I have quite a few Skil tools and generally like them. I was thinking hard about this driver because I agree with Stuart that there are times when it’s the exact right tool for the job.
But, I also have quite a few Bosch 12V Max tools, and so I ultimately went with their PS11-102 right angle drill. It works great, with a couple of comments:
On the plus side, it can be adjusted to right angle (obviously).
On the minus side, it’s a lot bigger than it appears in the pictures.
So, I’m still on the fence a bit about the Skil. I just might get one at some point because I too am getting older and as much as I love my PB Swiss manual screwdrivers, repetitive actions are not as easy as they used to be.
ElectroAtletico
Pass. I got the AMAZON “Denali” with a whole kit of bits and torque in that beast is…..a beast. Unfortunately the trigger control is not the best, but for working on bicycles and RC it’s very very handy.
Rick
In a comparative test of cordless screwdrivers on Youtube, your Denali came top in a field of thirteen!…
https://youtu.be/PMfEs6PAS7I
Stuart
You mean “Amazon Basics.” They changed the name again. https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Brand-Rechargeable-Cordless-Screwdriver/dp/B09PFCX8Q1/?tag=toolguyd-20
Jason
I’ve been in the market for one, will have to consider.
Adjacent topic: was just having a convo with a diehard Milwaukee guy who has all the headlamps and stuff and bought the dewalt screwdriver instead. Blows my mind Milwaukee hasn’t updated one with the USB
Stuart
I’ve bugged them about this, but it seems they’re not interested in launching RedLithium USB-powered motorized tools. This could change if or when there is strong enough demand from customers (name Home Depot) or end users.
Matt_T
I can see the appeal of a replaceable battery for a pro tool. That said the Bosch and Dewalt versions look way better than that right handed milwaukee. It’d just suck having to spend an extra $100 for a second driver so you could keep working.
Mr B
You can add some versatility to this tool by purchasing a 1/4 inch hex 4 mm hex bit adapter on Amazon. It’s useful for the precision screwdriver bit sets.
Chris
How does this compare to the Vessel rechargeable screwdriver? The vessel has been in my cart for a while. I’ve always liked the idea of the small rechargeable screwdrivers, but have never pulled the trigger. Getting the itch to try one.
Stuart
I haven’t tested the newer Vessel models. I like that they have different models for high speed or high torque, but I don’t believe I’ve seen the USB-C models in the USA yet.
Katie
I originally had two of the black and decker gyro drivers that you recommended. I loved it, why I got a second. Now the batteries don’t hold as much of a charge, though I still grab it for the one-off.
I loved it for woodworking since I never stripped a screw or blew out some wood, unlike drill-drivers or impact drivers, where that often happened. Because I had wrist and hand trouble, and a lot of screws in a project, it was perfect. Some woodworking items are small or fragile, then I’d hand screw before the gyrodriver, but then the hand/wrist problems would limit me.
Still looking for a replacement and this looks promising. The gyrodriver has it’s own charger with a power block and flimsy cord. I like the sounds of the USB-C.
Al POE
Absolutely Love this tool, bought a week ago Amazon deal $14 👍. It’s use same charge plus as my cell phone. Had my wife take it for a spin, she also gives it 2 thumbs up 👍 👌