ZDNET’s key takeaways
- The primary is the Makita Impact XPS Mag Boost, and this has been a complete game-changer for tackling these tough, hard-to-reach screw-driving duties.
- The Wera Screw Gripper Attachments are designed to suit over the shafts of insulated screwdrivers, however these attachments additionally work remarkably nicely on longer screwdriver bits.
- Each units are very reasonably priced, with the Makita promoting for as little as $5.
Think about the scene: You are squeezed right into a cramped, awkward area — possibly below a eating desk or wedged inside the cabinet beneath your sink. It is darkish and uncomfortable, and there is a unusual odor coming from someplace. In a single hand, you maintain a screwdriver; within the different, a handful of screws. A flashlight is clenched between your enamel, casting a dim mild that hardly reaches your work space.
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Your process? To safe some fasteners which might be frustratingly just a bit too far, stretching your attain and endurance. Such is the difficult (and infrequently comical) actuality of tackling DIY tasks in less-than-ideal circumstances.
On this tight spot, it is tempting to depend on the magnets constructed into fashionable screwdrivers and bits, which, below regular circumstances, are held securely in place. However when circumstances are removed from best — akin to that cabinet below the sink — these magnets typically fall brief. That is when your DIY mettle is examined, and having the precise instruments could make the distinction between ending a job and throwing your instruments out the window.
1. Makita Affect XPS Magazine Enhance
There are two equipment I discover invaluable in such conditions. The primary is the Makita Impact XPS Mag Boost, and this has been a complete game-changer for tackling these tough, hard-to-reach screw-driving duties.
It includes a magnetic collar geared up with two highly effective uncommon earth magnets. This modern instrument matches snugly over the shaft of a bit, considerably enhancing its magnetic capabilities. The perfect half is that you would be able to slip it on and off as wanted.
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Not like commonplace magnetized driver bits, which offer primary retention, the Affect XPS Magazine Enhance secures fasteners rather more firmly. This added magnetic power ensures that screws keep connected to the bit, lowering the frustration of drops or misalignments, particularly in awkward or cramped working circumstances.
2. Wera Screw Gripper Attachments
Magnetic instruments just like the Makita Affect XPS Magazine Enhance will not at all times do the trick when working with non-magnetic supplies like chrome steel. That is the place my second go-to instrument comes into play. The Wera Screw Gripper Attachments are designed to suit over the shafts of insulated screwdrivers, however these attachments additionally work remarkably nicely on longer screwdriver bits.
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The Wera Screw Grippers make use of mechanical grippers somewhat than counting on magnetism. These grippers clasp the fastener, offering a safe maintain whatever the materials’s magnetic properties. This makes them extremely helpful for dealing with chrome steel screws, that are impervious to magnetic results.
As regards to screwdriver bits, I like to recommend getting a set of lengthy ones like this Milwaukee power bit 5-pack, as not solely do they work higher with the screw grippers, however additionally they make it simpler to get to these hard-to-reach spots.
And in case you are questioning, the electrical screwdriver I am utilizing right here is the wonderful HOTO screwdriver set, a instrument that has given me nicely over a 12 months of flawless service.