I wanted to try out Channellock's new screwdriver line and gave this one a whirl. I've used a number of these types of multi-bit screwdrivers, from Klein, to Wiha, and even Snap-On, but without a doubt this one blows all of it's competition out of the water.I'm picky with tools, and can generally find some small detail to nit-pick on things, but there's absolutely nothing bad about this screwdriver. I only have good things to say about it:- The material of the handle, at first glance and first touch, is hard plastic; The benefit to this is it's easy to slip in and out of a pocket vs the dual material or rubber overmold options offered by other manufacturers. However, after using it for a little while, it somehow gains a slight tackiness and texture-- not enough to start drawing in tons of dirt and grime and to stick in your pocket, but just enough to make holding it effortless compared to the conventional slick plastic handle. It's a perfect combination that gets the best of both worlds.- The design of the handle, as well, is top-notch. The tapered tri-lobe design lets you torque screws much harder than the traditional round handle, with or without rubber overmold, but also lets you quickly spin the driver in the palm of your hand with fingers, unlike the four-sided square handles. Plenty of grooves near the blade also allow for fine control. Definitely inspired by the Snap-On instinct handles, and very comparable in comfort. It's also surprisingly small and light, which may just be the result of me not being used to a 6-in-1 vs modern 27+in-1s, but it makes it super easy to throw in a pocket and carry around. People with large hands may find it too small, but it's perfect for someone with baby hands like me.- The fit of the screwdriver shaft and bits is nearly perfect. Shaking it around, there's 0 rattling. On the screwdriver I recieved, the shaft has absolutely zero play in any direction. The bits have a tiny, tiny amount of movement, not enough to even make any noise when shaking it around. This is the first X-in-1 screwdriver of this style I've ever used that could boast this-- even the Snap-On one has a little bit of play in the shaft. I may have just gotten lucky and recieved a flawless one, but if they're able to repeatedly reproduce this sort of quality, that's amazing. No issues with bits falling out, or being excessively difficult to remove; I've been using the screwdriver in a hip pouch while doing the acrobatics and aerobics one would expect on an industrial jobsite with no problems.- The business end of the bits also have an incredible fit. The phillips holds in well enough that, if I were to turn something like a drywall screw on a wall and let go of the screwdriver, it will grip it well enough to support the weight of the entire screwdriver on it's own. Even after a few days of use, I'm still having to actually pull the screwdriver out of phillips screws, because it won't let go on it's own. Nothing special about the flatheads, the expected hollow-grind on a bit, and no issues with tips bending or breaking so far.The only negative I can say about this is that it's only a 6-in-1. A lot of people will probably get more utility out of an 11-or-more-in-1, but if all you need are these 6, this is without a doubt the best example of this screwdriver currently available. I hope Channellock follows up with more bit options and choices.For some reason, it's not very available on Amazon right now-- try looking on Big Box stores or Channellock's shop for a cheaper price and faster shipping.
