Snap On Nano Axcess - Alternatives?

[Pinne]

Snap On's new cordless screw drivers look great. USB charging, small, nice ergonomics and they do 1/4" square drive as well as 1/4" hex versions.

Link for anyone who hasn't seen them: Snap On NanoAxcess Drivers

If you click the link you'll probably see the issue - they're nearly $200 each.
I can't justify that but I would like a couple of interior / trim screw drivers for places where an M12 impact or ratchet isn't the right tool.
I have tried some cordless screw drivers and they're mostly too large, have poor buttons / ergo, or some other issue.
Is there anything else out there that's comparable to these Snap On drivers?

 

[Nobody-named-Olli]

Does it have to have a 1/4” square drive?

Kind regards,
Olli

 

[bwringer]

Torque Test Channel has tested a bunch a few times:

TL/DR: DeWalt, Dremel, but surprisingly, Amazon Basics "Denali" kept topping the rankings at $24 at the time of testing.

That said, you're not getting that second pistol form factor tool, unless you get one that folds in the middle.

Personally, I prioritize high usable torque (TTC prioritized speed and price) and so I have a Milwaukee M12 pistol-shaped screwdriver. If I worked on more small stuff, I'd probably grab one of those as well.

 

[Pinne]

Does it have to have a 1/4” square drive?

Kind regards,
Olli

It doesn't, but that would be a nice option to have. I'd probably buy multiple versions of these to have choices in use, if available.

There is a right angle 1/4 square driver that I've seen on social media, but hasn't yet made it to their website - that would be excellent given the access it provides.

Torque Test Channel has tested a bunch a few times:

TL/DR: DeWalt, Dremel, but surprisingly, Amazon Basics "Denali" kept topping the rankings at $24 at the time of testing.

That said, you're not getting that second pistol form factor tool, unless you get one that folds in the middle.

Personally, I prioritize high usable torque (TTC prioritized speed and price) and so I have a Milwaukee M12 pistol-shaped screwdriver. If I worked on more small stuff, I'd probably grab one of those as well.

I own the Amazon Basics one, it's fine but I'd give it a very average score in terms of usability. It does not do what I want as it's too long to fit well in many of the areas that a tool like this would be useful. The Amazon one is fine for tasks around the house or tasks with lots of open space, not great for automotive interiors IMO.

The Snap On pistol grip and right angle drivers make much more sense for this usage - which seems to kind of be where Snap On always excels, making tools that actually suit the needs of the users.

The M12 looks nice, but it is probably still a good bit bigger and more powerful than I need for this application. But Milwaukee would be my first choice generally.

 

[Nobody-named-Olli]

Personally, and I will stress this is highly personal, the best pistol style small drill/driver had been the Bosch GSR mx2drive. It has been discontinued a long time ago but is well worth hunting it down in used, good, condition. It has a locking 1/4” hex chuck and is really small but powerful when needed. The trigger needs a bit of getting used to, as it is a two stage trigger. First it’s zero to full speed step less in 2nd gear, and engaging the trigger beyond that point reduces the speed again but offers more torque in first gear. Switching forward and reverse is the same as on most drill/drivers via a slider above the trigger. No USB charging, has a charger and proprietary battery. 4,xV. Not compatible with the 12V series.

Really worth hunting one down. Shouldn’t be more than 50 bucks, likely less than that.

A shame it was discontinued.




Kind regards,
Olli

 

[mikey03]

I like my m12 impact driver. Since you have to hold a cordless screwdriver in your hand it doesn’t seem like you could fit one in a tight spot where the impact driver couldn’t fit.

 

[Pinne]

Personally, and I will stress this is highly personal, the best pistol style small drill/driver had been the Bosch GSR mx2drive. It has been discontinued a long time ago but is well worth hunting it down in used, good, condition. It has a locking 1/4” hex chuck and is really small but powerful when needed. The trigger needs a bit of getting used to, as it is a two stage trigger. First it’s zero to full speed step less in 2nd gear, and engaging the trigger beyond that point reduces the speed again but offers more torque in first gear. Switching forward and reverse is the same as on most drill/drivers via a slider above the trigger. No USB charging, has a charger and proprietary battery. 4,xV. Not compatible with the 12V series.

Really worth hunting one down. Shouldn’t be more than 50 bucks, likely less than that.

A shame it was discontinued.

Kind regards,
Olli

Thank you for the very thoughtful reply - I am sure the Bosch is a good tool. I don't know that this is my Huckleberry though. It's not any shorter than what I've got currently and adding another battery system to the mix isn't ideal.

I like my m12 impact driver. Since you have to hold a cordless screwdriver in your hand it doesn’t seem like you could fit one in a tight spot where the impact driver couldn’t fit.

The M12 impact drivers are quite a bit larger in volume (width / circumference) which is the problem Snap On seems to be solving for. This is for use on auto interiors and plastic fasteners - a compact impact is a great tool, but they can destroy these sorts of fasteners if you slip up a bit.

 

[Nobody-named-Olli]

I apologize. I hadn’t realized just how small that NanoAxcess driver really is.

Kind regards,
Olli

 

[OneEyedMan]

This has been my interior do-all for a long time(not the one pictured, it’s a screen grab). I really wanted to go with the new ones but even if they were $100 each that would feel a bit pricey. Even with twenty year old batteries on their last legs, it’s tough to beat this style and size for so many trim and component removal tasks.

 

[Buckgnarly]

They had a killer SEP sale on the 1/4 set, like 200 for both. Just could not pull the trigger as inline screwdrivers seem utterly useless to me, especialy 1/4 anvil. I would buy the pistol style and right angle in a heartbeat though....maybe in time!

Edit: sale is still on....someone convince me WHY I need an inline 1/4 drive.....HAHAHA!!

 

[Demon4x4]

They had a killer SEP sale on the 1/4 set, like 200 for both. Just could not pull the trigger as inline screwdrivers seem utterly useless to me, especialy 1/4 anvil. I would buy the pistol style and right angle in a heartbeat though....maybe in time!

Edit: sale is still on....someone convince me WHY I need an inline 1/4 drive.....HAHAHA!!

Link?

 

[Pinne]

They had a killer SEP sale on the 1/4 set, like 200 for both. Just could not pull the trigger as inline screwdrivers seem utterly useless to me, especialy 1/4 anvil. I would buy the pistol style and right angle in a heartbeat though....maybe in time!

Edit: sale is still on....someone convince me WHY I need an inline 1/4 drive.....HAHAHA!!

I'd gladly pay $100/ea for the pistol and the right angle drivers. I don't want the inline either, I don't like that format.

 

[Buckgnarly]

Link?

It's for students, there is no link, you gotta be enrolled into the program.


Thought of one use for that inline.....valve covers and oil/trans pans.....hahaha!

 

[Jeffrey D]

I was in Walmart and remembered this thread and well, it influenced me to pick this up.

Hart model HFSD02, 4V usb-c rechargeable from Walmart. 250 rpm and nothing in the manual on torque output. A Google search claims it to produce 95 in lb of torque. I have not yet played with it, but the darn thing is small. It was around $26, so I figured I would roll the dice on it. I hope it proves to have some longevity.

 

[Pinne]

I was in Walmart and remembered this thread and well, it influenced me to pick this up.

Hart model HFSD02, 4V usb-c rechargeable from Walmart. 250 rpm and nothing in the manual on torque output. A Google search claims it to produce 95 in lb of torque. I have not yet played with it, but the darn thing is small. It was around $26, so I figured I would roll the dice on it. I hope it proves to have some longevity.

Just ordered one of these, arriving tomorrow. Thanks for posting it!

I was actually on a Snap On truck earlier today. They had the new right angle drivers on the truck and they are super nice, but that set was priced at $420 and I just can't justify that. Maybe they'll pop up on Marketplace.

 

[glenng]

Personally, and I will stress this is highly personal, the best pistol style small drill/driver had been the Bosch GSR mx2drive. It has been discontinued a long time ago but is well worth hunting it down in used, good, condition. It has a locking 1/4” hex chuck and is really small but powerful when needed. The trigger needs a bit of getting used to, as it is a two stage trigger. First it’s zero to full speed step less in 2nd gear, and engaging the trigger beyond that point reduces the speed again but offers more torque in first gear. Switching forward and reverse is the same as on most drill/drivers via a slider above the trigger. No USB charging, has a charger and proprietary battery. 4,xV. Not compatible with the 12V series.

Really worth hunting one down. Shouldn’t be more than 50 bucks, likely less than that.

A shame it was discontinued.




Kind regards,
Olli

I remember that little driver. Back then I had the Dremel 1120 Driver 7.2v, and that little thing had tremendous power for such a tiny driver. Considerably smaller than the Bosch 12v screwdriver. A shame they discontinued it too. Goes for several hundred now if you can find them on eBay. They don't make anything comparable these days.

 

[Pinne]

The little Hart HFSD02 screw gun showed up today. Nice find @Jeffrey D

Used it a little bit, so here are my initial thoughts:

It's 3.75" in length and right around 5" in height. Even smaller than the Snap On.
Has enough power for the types of fasteners I plan to use it on.
Also has the ability to manually tighten past the driver's torque, which realistically isn't that important because I'll use this mainly for interior and plastic fasteners.
Has a little bit holder on top too.

The trigger on the Hart is a forward / reverse paddle but it is not variable speed.
The Snap On has a variable speed trigger but you need to hit a button on the back to change the direction.
I think the Snap On is higher peak RPM from my very brief use with it so the variable speed trigger matters there. But, I prefer the forward / reverse paddle style that the Hart has.

If the Hart had a variable speed trigger it would be perfect, but it's actually quite good and very hard to fault this tool for under $30. I look forward to using it a bit more.

 

[T45]

I've been eyeing those hart screwdrives at walmart for a while now.
May need to check and see if they still have one on the shelf.

I find myself wanting to try an on/of paddle trigger thinga-ma-gigy...

 

[Cruzan80]

Sacrilege! The tools wont match! Hart doesn't offer it in 8 different colors! What about the warranty?! It will spread and contaminate all of your other fancy truck tools!

/s

 

[KnurledNut]

The little Hart HFSD02 screw gun showed up today. Nice find @Jeffrey D

Used it a little bit, so here are my initial thoughts:

It's 3.75" in length and right around 5" in height. Even smaller than the Snap On.
Has enough power for the types of fasteners I plan to use it on.
Also has the ability to manually tighten past the driver's torque, which realistically isn't that important because I'll use this mainly for interior and plastic fasteners.
Has a little bit holder on top too.

The trigger on the Hart is a forward / reverse paddle but it is not variable speed.
The Snap On has a variable speed trigger but you need to hit a button on the back to change the direction.
I think the Snap On is higher peak RPM from my very brief use with it so the variable speed trigger matters there. But, I prefer the forward / reverse paddle style that the Hart has.

If the Hart had a variable speed trigger it would be perfect, but it's actually quite good and very hard to fault this tool for under $30. I look forward to using it a bit more.

Cool tool. I think I would cut that bit holder off the top.

 

[Hakeem]

They had a killer SEP sale on the 1/4 set, like 200 for both. Just could not pull the trigger as inline screwdrivers seem utterly useless to me, especialy 1/4 anvil. I would buy the pistol style and right angle in a heartbeat though....maybe in time!

Edit: sale is still on....someone convince me WHY I need an inline 1/4 drive.....HAHAHA!!

Yeah im considering it too, but I can’t say I have any real need for the in-line driver either. At best, I would just use them at the same time with different sockets so I wouldn’t have to swap sockets back & forth on one gun. $200 for both is a good deal but if I’m only likely to be using one , I’m not really saving money on it

 

[Jeffrey D]

Cool tool. I think I would cut that bit holder off the top.

I thought the same.

 

[Pinne]

Yeah im considering it too, but I can’t say I have any real need for the in-line driver either. At best, I would just use them at the same time with different sockets so I wouldn’t have to swap sockets back & forth on one gun. $200 for both is a good deal but if I’m only likely to be using one , I’m not really saving money on it

There is a set that was released more recently that has a 1/4" Hex right angle driver (similar to the Hart above) and a 1/4" square drive right angle long reach type of driver. For ~$200 I would buy that set for sure, if it also happens to be on special / promo.

Cool tool. I think I would cut that bit holder off the top.

I am split on it - I like having the PH2 at hand. Or the ability to go back and forth with T20 and T25 which are what I see myself using the most with this.