Vehicle Reviews | Vehicle News | Vehicle Information

About six years ago I found and bought my first mini powered screwdriver, a brand called the “iGo.” The iGo was the same in concept as this Ultra Tech in that it was a super mini screwdriver, with small driver bits (albeit the iGo bit are not as small as the Ultra Tech). The iGo is powered by two AAA batteries.

Back then the iGo was the only miniature battery powered screwdriver on the market (at least that I could find). There were plenty of large AA battery powered drivers (that use four batteries), for example Black & Decker’s drivers. But those are powerful screwdrivers meant for heavy duty jobs such as inserting wood screws into hardwood.

In 2004, when I was first researching and looking for a battery powered mini screwdriver, I wanted something for delicate, small jobs such as working on computers or small electronic devices. (The Black & Decker type drivers are too big, cumbersome and powerful to work on small screws, plus those powered screwdrivers don’t come with bits small enough to fit into small screws.) What size screws am I talking about? Look on your netbook or notebook computer case, to see the screws I am talking about.

Enter the iGo powered screwdriver. Those have served me well all these years and I am still using the original two I bought back then. (Actually, I bought five of them and gave two as gifts. By the way, geeks love these powered mini screwdrivers. My friend gave one to her sister’s new husband at their wedding reception, part of a box of gifts. Everyone at the reception was asking to play with the screwdriver and he caught two of his guests trying to “forget” they had the driver, by putting it in their pockets.

Fast forward to three weeks ago when I decided to see if there were any new powered miniature screwdrivers on the market. A search yielded pay dirt when I found this “General Ultra Tech Power Precision Screwdriver” (that’s a mouthful but that’s the official name of it).

I read the description and was impressed that this was obviously a better product than my iGo (even though the iGo was only $5 per driver and it has worked flawlessly). What I liked about this General Ultra Tech is that it comes with six screwdriver bits, including two torx bits (T5 and T6 that typically fit cell phones and small electronics). The bits case has two very small flathead and two small Phillips head bits.

The chuck that the bits fit into are proprietary to the Ultra Tech bits. That means the full size bits that come on bigger drivers won’t fit. Besides, bits such as those on a Black & Decker driver are too big to work on small precision screws. And to be sure, a full-sized powered driver would strip screw threads, holes, or heads because there’s simply too much power driving the screw.

Sidenote: The iGo driver also has a proprietary chuck and bit. The iGo came with two bits, a flathead and a Phillips, that conveniently stores inside the driver, so you don’t lose or misplace them.

Also, the iGo bits and chuck are magnetized, a handy feature when working in tight spaces or difficult to access screw holes. (This General Ultra Tech is not magnetized.)

Impressions of the Ultra tech: This is a great driver. It was a well thought out design and it’s perfect for doing precision work.

For example:

– You grip it like holding a pen. Because it’s a small diameter device, you can hold it and easily “target” the screw you are working with.

– When using the driver your thumb is conveniently on the power switch. So you can power the switch to screw or unscrew without having to twist or contort your grip to operate the power switch.

– The driver at the base is curved inward, like many pens that advertise a comfortable grip design. So when holding the driver with your fingers it’s really a natural grip.

– Lastly on the grip or feel in the hand, the driver body is 6″ long and about the diameter of a U.S. dime. So when holding it, the top half rests on your hand, in between the thumb and forefinger. (This is similar to holding a pen.) This results in your being able to hold the driver firm and steady when using the driver.

All in all, the form factor is a great design and pleasure to use.

Now on performance.

I see some people criticize this as being under powered or incapable of driving certain screws. Excuse me folks, first of all, this is for precision work, not driving bolts or screws into hardwood or metal. This driver has more than enough power to work on any electronic device’s screws. If you want more power, trust me, you are going to strip the screw or female threads of whatever you are working on.

True, the driver head has a slight degree of of wobble indicating that these are not machined parts, where tolerances need to be precise…

Read more

Help other customers find the most helpful reviews 

Was this review helpful to you? 

|

 Comments (4)