Why does a screwdriver turn slowly?

If the screwdriver chuck rotates too slowly when tightening the fasteners, then most likely it simply does not have enough strength. When buying a tool, you should pay attention to such a parameter as torque. It is indicated in the characteristics of all products, without exception, presented in the corresponding section of our catalog. It is the torque that determines whether the tool can quickly drive self-tapping screws into dense materials.

The smallest torque is for drywall screwdrivers(in the region of 15 - 20 Nm for the best models). This type of tool does not need to be particularly powerful, since it is intended solely for twisting small screws (“bugs”) into a metal profile through sheets of plywood or drywall. Most utility grade drill/drivers have a torque range of 30 - 50 Nm. You can safely buy a tool with such characteristics if you plan to work with ordinary medium-sized self-tapping screws (up to 5 mm in diameter and up to 70 mm long) and screw them into plastic dowels or not very hard wood. Buying a professional screwdriver with a torque of 75 - 100 Nm, you can be sure that you will tighten almost any self-tapping screw on a construction site or in a workshop. Impact screwdrivers have the highest torque - from 100 Nm to 200 Nm, depending on the model. Thanks to the presence of a tangential impact mechanism, they can quickly and confidently turn even large fasteners such as “grouses” that connect beams in houses with wooden frames.

But a more likely reason that the chuck turns slowly or does not turn at all when tightening the screw is the torque regulatorset too low. Most screwdrivers have it. The regulator is a wide ring with numbers, which is located immediately behind the cartridge. It usually has 15 to 20 positions. By rotating this ring, you can change the value of the moment at which the clutch will work, disconnecting the cartridge from the gearbox. Turn the knob all the way up to use all the torque your tool can develop. The ability to adjust the torque is needed in order to work with different materials and screws.


You should also check the position of the speed switch. Most drill drivers are two speed. At the first speed, the tool has maximum torque. It is this mode that is used for tightening and unscrewing fasteners (as well as for drilling wood with spade and twist drills). The second speed is used only for drilling. In this mode, the torque is much less.

Popular screwdrivers

Why doesn't the screwdriver turn at all?

If the screwdriver chuck does not rotate at all, even idly, or spins jerkily, then “Houston, we have a problem.” Moreover, these problems can lurk anywhere (after all, there are hundreds of parts in a screwdriver). Most often, malfunctions lie in the electrical part (anywhere: from a damaged power cable to the engine control unit). A little less often they are associated with motors, gearboxes and bearings. You can learn about all possible problems and breakdowns from the article "What can break in a drill or screwdriver". Some minor faults can be fixed on your own without contacting a service center. But if you do not have experience, it is better not to try to repair the tool yourself.

How to insert a screw into a screwdriver?

Screws and self-tapping screws are not inserted into the cartridge. The chuck holds the tool (drill or bit). To work with fasteners, standard bits with hexagonal shanks are used. There are a lot of varieties of bits (we even wrote a special "Guide to bits and socket heads", which helps you choose the right bits for a screwdriver). In everyday life, only a few types of nozzles are usually used: cross and flat. The most popular are cross bits marked PH or PZ. They fit most screws and self-tapping screws you might come across while working in your home shop or doing DIY repairs.

Most screwdrivers have keyless chucks. The bit is inserted between the sliding jaws, and the cartridge is manually tightened until it stops. Some tools in the chuck have a hex hole for the bit exactly in its shape. Such cartridges do not need to be tightened (therefore, they are much more convenient if you often change equipment during work). The bit is held inside due to friction or with a magnet, and for some screwdrivers it is locked with a special ball. Therefore, during operation, the screwdriver is held in one hand, and the second is placed under the bit with a self-tapping screw after the self-tapping screw - and the process goes very quickly.


How long does a screwdriver last on a single charge?

The operating time of a screwdriver on a single charge depends on many factors. The most important of these is the capacity of the battery. Power tool batteries range from 1.5Ah to 12Ah (most screwdrivers come with 2-4Ah batteries). Theoretically, the larger the battery capacity, the longer the tool can work on a single charge. But in practice it turns out that battery life always depends on a number of conditions. The final result is affected by the diameter and length of the screws, as well as the density of the material into which they are twisted.

Therefore, the operating time of a screwdriver on a single charge is a conditional value that is difficult to measure. Experience shows that good cordless screwdrivers with 3 - 4 Ah batteries can screw at least 100 - 200 medium-sized self-tapping screws in a row into a wooden board. To find out a more or less accurate value, you need to watch video reviews in which the tool is tested and verified “in combat conditions”, or read owner reviews.

Cordless Screwdrivers

Why does a screwdriver discharge quickly?

If the battery of the screwdriver does not hold a charge, then the reason most likely lies in its wear and tear. The gradual loss of battery capacity is an inevitable process. For screwdrivers, it happens in the same way as for phones or laptops. The more often and intensively you use the tool, the faster its battery runs out. For screwdrivers, it is normal (when using the tool in the home workshop on weekends) for a period of two to three years, after which the battery capacity begins to noticeably drop.

Also, we must not forget about the different quality of batteries from different manufacturers. Although all lithium-ion batteries have 18650 "cans" inside, their quality (and, accordingly, the price) is not always the same. Therefore, a Chinese-made low-cost "shurik" usually works on one charge less than a well-known brand cordless screwdriver. This issue is discussed in more detail in the article “Which screwdriver is better: 12 V, 18 V or 24 V?”.

How long does it take to charge a screwdriver battery?

The charging time of the battery depends on its capacity and the characteristics of the charger. The charge replenishment rate is proportional to the current strength, but it is limited by the electronic board that is inside each battery. On average, the battery of a screwdriver is charged in one and a half to two hours, but this indicator “walks” very much from model to model (some tools, for example, need to be left to charge overnight). All decent manufacturers of cordless tools that respect their customers indicate the charging time for different types of batteries from a standard charger right in the instruction manual.

How to drill a concrete ceiling or wall with a drill?

Impact drills should be used for drilling in concrete, brick, stone, and other dense building materials. Inside such a tool is a percussion mechanism. When the impact mode is on, the drill not only rotates, but also makes small (literally a couple of tenths of a millimeter) reciprocating movements. The tip of the drill bits the concrete or brickwork at the drilling site a little and crumbles it, so the process goes at an acceptable speed. It should be noted that concretes of different grades are used in construction, which are very different from each other in terms of characteristics. For example, a mixture of the M400 brand, from which the monolithic frames of modern high-rise buildings are poured, after solidification becomes so strong and hard that a hand drill is unlikely to take it. It is also worth bearing in mind that when drilling concrete with a drill, you need to press hard on the tool. Therefore, to make a hole in the ceiling, you need to have strong enough hands. And, of course, you need to use special drills for concrete. They have carbide tips or soldering, without which drilling into concrete walls and ceilings would be torture.


How to drill steel with a drill?

For drilling steel, in addition to a drill, you need to buy special metal drills. It is most advantageous to take drills made of high-speed steel or those with a titanium-nitride coating, because they drill better and keep sharpening longer. Before work, you need to punch the center of the future hole with a hammer and dowel. A drop of engine oil should also be dropped there to facilitate the process of cutting metal.

The pressure on the drill and the speed of rotation of the chuck must be such that when drilling there is an even twisted chip. You don’t need to press too hard, the feed should be slow and smooth (therefore, if possible, it is always better to make holes in the metal not with a drill, but on a stationary machine). To make the holes accurate, it is worth buying a drill with an additional handle and holding the tool with both hands while working. Better yet, use racks and tripods, with the help of which even a simple middle-class drill easily turns into a miniature drilling machine.

Impact Drills

How to make a drill from a rotary hammer or vice versa?

Many rotary hammers can be used as a drill. If you need the most versatile tool, then it is better to choose among the so-called "three-mode" punchers, which can not only chisel, but also drill (with or without impact ).

And converting a drill into a rotary hammer will not work. The problem is that they have a different device. The impact mechanism of the perforator is made in the form of a crank or a “drunk” bearing. And the mechanism of the impact drill is much simpler (there are “wavy” washers inside). Therefore, there is simply a huge difference in impact force between hammers and drills.


How to clamp a drill in a drill without a key?

The toothed drill chuck is tightened using a special wrench that comes with the tool. If it is lost, then you can get out of the situation using a small drill (about 5 mm in diameter) and a strong screwdriver with a flat end. A drill (or any other similarly sized metal rod) is inserted into the key hole. It will serve as a fulcrum. Using a screwdriver as a lever and clinging to the teeth on the crown with its end, you can twist and unscrew the drill chuck.

Fixing a drill in a drill in this way is not very convenient (and, frankly, not entirely safe). If you often lose the key to the drill, then it is better to immediately buy a tool with a keyless chuck that is tightened and unscrewed by hand. Keyless chucks are also sold separately. Many old drills can be "upgraded" with them. The process of such "tuning" is described in the article "How to replace a drill chuck".

How to get a stuck drill bit out of a drill or screwdriver?

Thin drill bits sometimes get stuck in the chuck and won't come out. This also sometimes happens when using low-quality equipment (the drill turns between the jaws, and chips are formed that stop the mechanism). If you don’t have enough strength to pull the stuck drill out of the drill with your hands, you should take a gas wrench or adjustable pliers. With their help, you can apply much more effort than manually. If this does not work, you should unscrew the cartridge from the drill and, securely fixing it in a vise, knock out the drill with strong, but accurate and accurate blows.

Answers to other questions

Many questions regarding the choice of screwdrivers, drills and hammers, as well as the features of working with them, are discussed in the articles “Which is better: a drill, screwdriver or drill driver” and “Which screwdriver is best”.