Sadly, this is the best lightweight inline cordless screwdriver I could find. To be perfect this tool needs five things. First, a carry case. None is included or available. Second, a modern battery. This tool uses nickel cadmium batteries, which are large (relatively) and suffer from memory effects. Any high performance cordless device should have nickel metal hydride or lithium ion batteries, which could make this tool smaller, lighter, and give improved battery life. Third, I want a screwdriver that has continuously variable speed like that is common on many cordless drills (but not screwdrivers).This tool is just on or off, in high or low gear. Fourth, and minor, it comes with only 2 philips head bits. Strangely, no slotted bits (or any other bits at all) are included. Fifth, it should have a compartment that would accommodate 1 or 2 bits on board the tool like many cordless drills do.

This tool is the best available but it's not the tool I wanted to buy and was willing to pay for.

16 of 16 found the following review helpful:

Good Screwdriver ~ If it dosn't break  Oct 18, 2002
By Edward Card
This is one of the best cordless screw drivers on the market. Especially for repairing or assembling electronic devices. (computers)
BUT.....
You better hope it never breaks. Panasonic repair center will not offer service to repair it, even though it is their product. They want you to send it to a authorized service center, but they don't want to be bothered with something like a cordless screwdriver. its more expensive than some cordless drills. You would think Panasonic would give it more consideration when it comes to service, especially because it is usually only bought by professionals that buy high end tools such as this.

14 of 14 found the following review helpful:

Best cordless tool  Apr 13, 2001
By Howard Fisher
I have owned 6 different "stick drills" over the past 10 years. This panasonic is far above all the others. The adjustable clutch allows for precision work and the rapid rechargeable battery really only takes 15 minutes. I wish they made a model with the power switch on the opposite side for us lefties!

4 of 4 found the following review helpful:

Great Product  Feb 25, 2006
By Mountain A/V Tech
This is a must for anyone who turns screws. Fast and light weight.

Don't expect to use this tool to screw together a deck, but it is great for electrical trim work.

3 of 3 found the following review helpful:

I love this screwdriver  Jul 22, 2005
By J. Musto "Toolman Joe"
The reason I gave this 4 stars instead of 5 is that this screwdriver is a bit pricey and also a bit large for a 3.6V model. But if you do a lot of electronic assembly or repair, this is the screwdriver for you. This model has a 2 speed transmission with a surprising amount of torque in low gear and fast (600 RPM) in high gear. The most important feature though is the electronic clutch. You will not strip even the most delicate screws with this screwdriver. If you are looking for an all purpose drill driver or you want something with lots of power, the DeWalt may be a better choice as it is cheaper and more powerful. But if you need a screwdriver for delicate work that is fast, fairly powerful and won't strip out small screws, this is the only choice. Normally, I say the more power the better but if you want a screwdriver with a precision clutch for delicate work, this is THE tool for you.

Toolman Joe

See all 16 customer reviews on Amazon.com