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looking for a heavy duty light weight drill for electronics disassembly

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mds33200

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May 30, 2010
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43
Hi I have a bunch of drones that have to be disassembled (we disassemble them and part them out) and I have tried many different drills, and a basic 4 volt screwdriver seems to be the perfect weight. However when removing screws, sometimes it takes up to 5 seconds to remove the screw because the driver turns so slow.

I purchased a 12v 3/8 Milwaukee drill to speed things up a bit and although it removes the screws much faster (even the long screws are removed after about one second with this drill) the drill is a bit to heavy. I have had several people try it and they all say after about 30 minutes of holding it and removing the small screws that there hands get cramped due to the heavy weight.

I have tried the pistol grip screw drivers and the power screw drivers that are straight, it seems the pistol grip is the most comfortable to hold.

Can anyone recommend a fast drill that is also light weight?
 
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kd3pc

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air available? Then the small assemblers drill would be ideal..

you can also use a counterbalance cable on the drill to take up the weight ...

bests
 
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CoogarXR

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I use a Hitachi WH10DL micro impact. It's very light and well-balanced. The battery lasts a long time and charges in 30-45 minutes.

I used to scrap TVs when I worked for an electronics recycler, and I used it to remove 1000+ screws a day. Even with my carpal tunnel I didn't find it fatiguing at all.

I think we had 5 of them, and we beat the snot out of them. One of them developed a problem with the chuck not holding, but all the rest held up great. They have a lifetime warranty too. I have since bought one for myself and I love it.
 
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isdavyy4u

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Dremel makes a great one . Hard to beat the quality and longevity.
 
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Billy Jack

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I have a Bosch 12v Impact/Drill combo that I like a lot, but for repeated low-torque use, I still grab my Milwaukee 2.4 v screwdriver most often. Lightweight, good ergonomics and batteries last longer than the typical consumer-grade tools.

Bill
 
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454ragtop

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Carver, MA
I have a Snap On 7 volt pistol grip driver that I bet would work perfect for you. Pretty powerful, but small and light weight. These show up on CL fairly regularly if you wanted to try one before contacting SO.
 
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mds33200

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Thanks for the replies. I have a palm sized skill drill,
and I have been using this for years and its my favorite drill for disassembling things.
I just wish it had a faster RPM.

2itph4x.jpg


I just set up a spring balancer and that works for now, but still I wouldnt mind spending some moneyy to buy a professional light weight unit. The weight of the unit above is 0.6 LBS (internal battery included). The Milwaukee drill weighs 2.6 LBS with the battery installed.

If the skill drill above went about triple the speed it would be perfect!
 
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mds33200

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That looks like a very nice one (dewalt 8v) But I click the link and it says it includes one battery. Did you see a different place selling it that included two batteries?
 
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mike93lx

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mds33200 said:
That looks like a very nice one (dewalt 8v) But I click the link and it says it includes one battery. Did you see a different place selling it that included two batteries?
Click to expand...

Yes, google it with just the first six digits. You can get either one or two batteries.

If you don't need the pistol grip, they have an even smaller one. Search for dewalt 8v max screwdriver
 
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mike93lx

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Fyi, the dewalt doesn't have a trigger apparently. You twist it to activate. Might work well but it might not. I would try one before buying multiple. Hopefully you have a depot or lowes with it in stock nearby.
 
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cvairwerks

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Drive rpm is very dependent on what is being driven and into what. We've had problems with screws being driven at speeds greater than 50 rpm. The fastener heats up, the lube burns off and there is a high rate of galling. I've seen screws driven into plastic at such high speeds, that it melts the material around itself and is a pain if you have to remove the screws.
 
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nes999

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mike93lx said:
Fyi, the dewalt doesn't have a trigger apparently. You twist it to activate. Might work well but it might not. I would try one before buying multiple. Hopefully you have a depot or lowes with it in stock nearby.
Click to expand...
mike93lx said:
this dewalt is just over 1lb and spins at over twice the speed of that skil. at ~$100 with two batteries, it is pretty reasonable too

http://www.dewalt.com/en-us/product...gyroscopic-screwdriver-1-battery-kit/dcf680n1
Click to expand...
I have used one daily for about 2 years now. They hold up very well. The twist to activate works a lot better than I thought it would.

Sent from my VS988 using Tapatalk
 
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PugetDude

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Superstition Mountains, AZ
Ryobi Tek4 screwdriver light, good torque on low speed, 600RPM on high speed. At $30, it won't break the bank. I've had a couple of them for 5+ years, no issues.

Wish I could find another small Tek4 flashlight, though...
 
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