REVIEW – I watch a lot of gadget review and repair videos on YouTube and always take notice of the tools they use. Because of this, I discovered iFixit tool kits and promptly bought their Manta driver and bit kit. It’s great. Then I noticed a trend with a battery-operated screwdriver called the Wowstick. It looked pretty cool but I never pulled the trigger on it. My kit was serving me just fine. But along comes the Vigrue Electric Screwdriver for review and I knew I wanted to give it a shot. It seemed much more convenient than the iFixit kit or the Wowstick for throwing in a bag and taking it with me. Is it any good? Will I put my other kit on the shelf to collect dust? Well, don’t just sit here. Keep scrolling and find out!
What is it?
The Vigrue electric screwdriver is a battery-operated, rechargeable screwdriver along with a 48-bit kit in a compact case.
What’s in the box?
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- Vigrue electric screwdriver
- 48 – 28mm driver bits
- Charging/storage case
- USB A to USB C charging cable
- Instruction manual
Hardware specs
Design and features
If you’ve ever seen the Wowstick I’m referring to, the first thing you’ll notice is how slender the Vigrue electric screwdriver is in comparison. This thing is about the size of a Sharpie or one of those huge pencils I used to use in kindergarten. This makes it very comfortable in the hand. It has a multifaceted build to keep it from rolling around in your hand while in use too, unlike other smoothly-rounded options out there.
It basically has three buttons, one for forward and one for reverse that are covered by a rubber/silicone insert, and one at the top for mode changes and LED operation. Yep, it has LEDs on the business end of the screwdriver to help those of us with tired old eyes see just what the heck we’re doing. The buttons have a nice tactile feel with positive clicks when pressed.
The Vigrue electric screwdriver also has an OLED screen to show you which torque setting you’re in, battery level, and a neat little animation of a screw going up or down depending on which operation you’re doing. Speaking of torque settings you have 5 to choose from, starting at .05 Nm and topping out at .2 Nm.
The 300 mAh battery is said to provide 180 minutes of continuous use and up to 90 days of standby time. I can’t say if that’s true. I didn’t run the thing from a full charge to flat yet, but I would say it’s a reasonable claim. I’ve taken a few keyboards apart and put them back together along with a few other little jobs around the house and it still shows a full charge.
The kit includes 48 different bit types but they are micro-bits so they aren’t going to fit your screw gun at home. They will however fit the smaller bit holder in my iFixit kit. The bits and the screwdriver are all stored in an aluminum case with a cool little spring-activated switch to open it. When you slide it closed, you’ll get a click. Then press the red button and the inside tray pops out.
The case also serves as the screwdriver charger. There are 2 little pogo on the inside and a USB C port on the outside.
So pop the screwdriver in the case, plug the case in, and you’re charging.
Performance
The Vigrue electric screwdriver performs well enough for what it is. Since I’ve never used a screwdriver like this and Nm measurements mean nothing to me, I wasn’t sure what to expect for power. I’ve used electric screwdrivers in the past but not one for small delicate jobs like the ones the Vigrue electric screwdriver is designed for. I must admit, I was a little underwhelmed at first until I tempered my expectations. I had to remember I didn’t want to drive screws through a 2×4, I just wanted to remove and replace them on small devices when I’m tinkering. So with that in mind, I’ve decided this little guy does the job admirably, although there were times I had to help it start or finish the job with a manual twist. I do like that I can slide the case with the screwdriver and bits in my back pocket and move around the house.The only real issue I have with the Vigrue electric screwdriver is the LED lighting. They are really dim. So much so I don’t even use them. I really expected with 3 LEDs, it would be much brighter.
What I like
- Form factor
- Number of bits provided
- Convenience provided by the case
What I’d change
- Give me some brighter LEDs
Final thoughts
I like the Vigrue electric screwdriver well enough. It’s pretty good for the tinkerer in your life. The build quality seems good and it feels good in the hand when in use. I will continue to use my iFixit kit while at my tinker table, but the Vigrue will be my go-to for other little jobs around the house, like changing out the battery in my Ring doorbell. There are less expensive alternatives out there but most don’t have some of the features the Vigrue offers. Check it out if you’re in the market for one of these. It might just be the thing you’re looking for.
Price: $59.99
Where to buy: Amazon
Source: The sample of this product was provided by Vigrue.
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How fast does it turn? Is it a lot faster than turning a regular screwdriver yourself?
A lot faster ? Probably about 3 times as fast. It’s better if you have a bunch of tiny screws to remove and replace. But it’s nice to carry the kit around to have all the bits