Denali 3.6-Volt Lithium-Ion Cordless Screwdriver Kit with Wall-Mountable Charger
by Denali
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List Price: Our Price: $25.52 You Save: $24.47 (49%) Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours Buy Used: from $22.41 (click here) Category: Tools See more product details |
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Tools and Hardware Reviews of Denali 3.6-Volt Lithium-Ion Cordless Screwdriver Kit with Wall-Mountable Charger
Customer Review: A great little tool
Summary: 5 Stars
I really thought about buying the Denali cordless screwdriver a long time before actually doing it. There were quite a number of negative reviews for this tool and the price was so low I figured it might be a piece of junk.
However, the complaints about the Denali were mostly from people who expected the tool to be some sort of miniature cordless drill with the capacity to drive deck screws or drill holes in hardwood boards all day. To me, that seemed to be a matter of unreal expectations for a small 3.6V battery powered tool. The majority of reviews were positive and they described the Denali cordless screwdriver as an excellent tool for small `around the house' jobs. I finally went ahead and purchased the thing.
Why?
1. It was smaller than my aging Black and Decker cordless screwdriver.
2. The Denali had a light in the nose, useful for finding screw heads in dark places.
3. The screwdriver had a long life (always ready) Li-Ion battery. Many others did not.
4. It is actually a cordless screwdriver kit, complete with charger, driver and drill bits in a nice Cordura carrying/storage bag.
5. There is a three light charge indicator on the tool so you know how much power is left in the battery.
6. The forward/reverse switch can be controlled while holding the driver in one hand.
7. The fit and finish is excellent.
8. The Amazon.com price was a bargain for such a high-quality tool.
9. The complaining reviews were usually unwarranted except in a few cases where the tool was defective.
If you need a cordless screwdriver, the Denali is for you. If you need a hefty cordless drill, buy a DeWalt 18V unit and build a house with it. Otherwise get a Denali, charge it up and keep it in that kitchen junk drawer in case a cupboard hinge needs tightening or a toaster needs fixed.
Customer Review: Avoid this drill-shaped paperweight!!
Summary: 1 Stars
Made in China, and it shows!! As soon as I saw the box for this piece of junk, red flags started going up. The box is flimsy and cheap, and the drill, bag and charger were haphazardly stuffed in. I unpackaged everything and the disappointment continued. The charging stand is flimsy plastic, about the quality of a cheap childrens' toy. The zippered bag that the thing comes in is bush league too. The belt clip (a silly idea in the first place) was crooked, and looks like it was sewn on by a blind person. thread everywhere. The 'owner's manual' was also minimal, with many grammatical errors, believe it or not. This company looks like it cuts corners wherever it can, and they've found many corners to cut on this product. No wonder I couldn't find a website for this company. It would be flooded with complaints. So, I charge the thing overnight and try using it. The light is green in the morning, indicating it's fully charged. It wouldn't even drive a 1.5" sheetrock screw into a 2x4. Not a solid steel 2x4, but a plain old scrap of pine from my garage. The screw made it about a third of the way in. Now i fully realize this is not a 19.2 volt behemoth meant for driving giant lag screws, but i at least thought it could drive a little screw into a piece of wood! So I try the drill bits. Failure! The bit made it about an inch into the wood. And, there is no chuck, the bits are loosely held in magnetically, so when (not if) your drill bit gets stuck, you can't pull it out with the drill. Have pliers or your teeth handy. I could probably find a few more things to complain about, but my fingers are getting tired. I am returning this thing today, after about 20 hours of ownership. I have seen enough. I would not keep this thing if it were free, for fear of its awfulness rubbing off on my other tools by proximity.Customer Review: Nice Aid for Lazy Handymen and Women
Summary: 4 Stars
This will be a quick review. Bought this on sale for $20 here on Amazon. Liked the idea it has a Lithium Ion battery instead of NiMH or NiCad. It comes with more than a dozen bits, and a nice case. Small, easy to handle, and comfortable to hold, it's perfect for light duty jobs. Don't expect it to replace a drill or sink long screws into hardwood, but if you need to hang stuff, save time turning those long machine screws, or just be lazy instead of using a screwdriver, this guy does the trick. A tad more power would be nice, but this driver is far from useless.
Maybe it's time to toss my 30 year old Black & Decker, that long since lost its ability to hold a charge.
I am very pleased with this purchase
UPDATE:
I didn't realize I'd reviewed this, and wrote another review. Here's the second review, since I can't post 2, and it would be a shame to have wasted 10 minutes writing it:
I've owned one for a year and a half and it's a great driver. Comes with a good assortment of bits and the case clips to your belt for easy access up on a ladder.
The only drawback is the base has to be used to charge it so if you have more than a charge worth of work to do, you need to bring the base with you. Battery is not replaceable (at least not easily. I haven't tried).
I couldn't say that Lithium Ion makes it more powerful, but it does have the advantage of not having the memory effect of NiCad or NiMH. So you can just drop it in the charger when you're finished a job.
Lack of replaceable battery, and lack of socket to plug in charger loses it one star. I got mine for $20 on a Lightning Deal. Current Lightning Deal is $27. So Don't go paying $35. Be patient.
Very happy with this purchase.
Customer Review: A $100 screwdriver for $24
Summary: 5 Stars
Denali is just an amazing company. Truly amazing. They packed so many features into such a tiny package that the selling price of this unit had me asking "what's the catch?" or "did they fall off the back of a truck?"
Ok, for starters, everything ships in a convenient small box that is easy to wrap if giving it as a Christmas or birthday gift. Shipping box is, maybe, 8in x 8in x 8in. Inside the box are two neatly wrapped pieces. One piece contains the plastic stand-up charger. The other contains the Denali bag -- which contains the driver, the drill bits, and the screwdriver bits.
Let's talk about the battery itself. The battery is lithium-ion so you can leave it in the charger all day long without worrying about running down the battery. Speaking of the battery, the unit carries a charge for at least a day. Light user will get 2-3 days from it easy. On the driver are three LEDs (red, yellow, green) that tell the state of the battery.
The driver has a standard trigger plus a forward/reverse toggle button. The best part? It also includes a flashlight! Built-in under the socket is a small flashlight, which is great for lighting up those hard-to get places. The driver is small enough to toss into a bag or toolbox.
The bag of included bits contains the usual screwdriver bits (flathead and Phillips) plus some drill bits for light drilling. Oh, the bag has a belt clip on it so you can take the unit with you anywhere.
I couldn't be happier for the price. In fact, it was so good, I bought five more for co-workers (they are field engineers). Highly recommend -- although it appears Amazon isn't selling them anymore.
Customer Review: Simply not enough power
Summary: 2 Stars
I'm surprised the other critical reviews didn't mention this, but I guess that might be the difference between "light duty" and using it for a serious job. Not having a lot of experience/knowledge perhaps I should know what to expect with a 3.6v unit. Here are the circumstances under which I used it so you can be the judge:
I charged it up overnight, took it off the charger in the morning and used it late that day to install a chin-up bar which requires 5 screws on each side. I drilled the 5 holes (through the stud) on the first side with the unit which worked, but it was getting tough toward the end of each drill but they did go through, and then I tried to fasten the bracket on with the screws - the unit will not drive the screws in all the way. I had to finish the job using a manual screwdriver.
Incidentally, I got this for $30 as part of a goldbox deal, I see the REGULAR price has since DROPPED to $25 - so it looks like they're really trying to move these.
Some may say it is a good light-duty unit, good for what it is and the amount of power it has. I suppose in the end it depends on the application, but I just don't see the point of even having an electric screwdriver if there's just not that much power to it, thus the two star rating. I suppose in a situation where you just don't need a lot of power but a lot of repitition, perhaps repeatedly assembling manufactured furniture at a store or something. Otherwise I don't see it saving you much time over using a manual screwdriver.