DEWALT 8V Max Cordless Screwdriver Kit DCF680N2

I already own a number of 20V tools including the drill and impact driver. The latter are just too powerful for more delicate jobs around the house, including screwing into drywall, wood, furniture assembly and electrical.

This gyroscopic screw driver is perfect for those more delicate jobs. I have already used it for electrical work and in screwing in screws into drywall. Rotate the screwdriver a bit to the left while pressing on the trigger and it will slowly unscrew, twist some more and it speeds up. Turn your wrist to the right for tightening. I already used the straight configuration when I was working on duct work for my dryer where screws were difficult to deal with with the grip down. Very versitile depending on location. I found it very easy to get accustomed to using.

The proper location of the bit clip is pictured. It should be near the back of the screwdriver as it has little clips on the underneath that prevent it from sliding. I found that sliding the bits in works best.

No more stripped screws because of forgetting to press the button into reverse with too much power!

The lighting is very good to see the work area as well as a mini using it for a mini flashlight. I like the power level bar.

This is perfect for those small jobs. The torque settings are very light compared to a regular drill and that is a good thing. It is not meant for building decks 🙂

This could be the best overall battery screwdriver. I do not see any other model that is so full featured. Strong torque. High quality materials and easy to use. Mine came with the two detachable batteries and quick charger, which I think is ideal. It has a three light fuel indicator. I like that that the led light is circular with even lighting at the tip. No shadows. Also, the light goes on at the first touch of the trigger and stays on for a while upon release. The gyroscopic feature is great and easy to use. But what is really amazing is the fine variable speed control. I can get very slow speed if needed. Recommend!

This screwdriver is fantastic! For a small portable powered screwdriver this checks all of the boxes:

– Variable speed, with a very low minimum speed
– Drill clutch for torque-sensitive work
– Switchable between pistol grip and screwdriver grip
– Quick-release hex shank makes it easy to swap bits
– Low-profile and lightweight
– Has plenty of power for its size
– Good battery life

It is important to note that this is *not* an impact driver nor a drill and you should not expect it to be good at either of those things; it is primarily a screwdriver and meant driving and removing screws. That said, compared to most cordless screwdrivers this has quite a bit of extra power and actually can be used for some light-duty drilling work, or driving medium screws directly into wood. In a pinch you could probably get a lot done with only this in your tool bag. Just don’t drive it too hard at unreasonable levels or you will likely wear down the motor.

The “gyroscopic” controls at first seemed like a bit of a gimmick, but after using it for a while it is surprisingly intuitive and enjoyable to use. This makes it very easy to dial in your speed with a good amount of control.

I mostly use screwdrivers to work on electronics, such as building and repairing computers, and while probably a bit overkill this driver is exceptional for this use-case. The small form factor plus the low torque and speed settings make it great for driving and removing lots of small screws in a timely, non-tiring fashion.

If I could offer one critique, it would be that the 8V battery packs are specific to DeWalt’s screwdrivers and are not currently used in any other DeWalt products at the time I am writing this, so there’s no ecosystem for you to buy into in order to save money on having batteries for every tool. Though this isn’t really a criticism of this specific tool but the lineup in general.

Another thing that I’ve wished for while using this was for integrated bit storage, like some manual ratcheting screwdrivers have. Granted, that’s probably not really possible to do here seeing as the motor and battery take up a huge portion of the interior, but it would be pretty awesome to have a small compartment to hold 2-4 bits in and would have made it an utterly perfect screwdriver.

Update:
After several months of hard use, this little tool has made the MVP of my deck building tools. The gyroscope is amazingly efficient. I have dropped it from a height greater than 7ft…TWICE. The first time I dropped it, I wasn’t expecting it to survive. But it did as it did the second time as well. It can drive 1.5” Simpson connector screws all day long. It can get a 2.5” screw 95% of the way in (I tried on a whim). I really abused this thing and it keeps asking for more. I have since semi retired this screwdriver to interior home use. It deserves an easier life. It was replaced by a Dewalt 20v compact driver as I needed more torque to drive framing screws. It will be brought out to do the final job of screwing down the trex fasteners when laying down the boards. You just cannot beat the light weight and power of this driver. Given its success, I hope Dewalt comes out with a 20v or even a 12v version of this. I would be the first in line to buy one. A more powerful version of this would be unreal.

I was a little apprehensive about getting this tool. I had to fix some well neglected gutters and I wanted something light, powerful and easy to use while hanging on for dear life at the top of a two story ladder. My other dewalt drill was just too big, heavy and bulky for use at the top of a ladder.

Size/weight
This tool has a nice compact size that can switch from a “gun” style drill to a “straight” drill. For gutter work, you need to control the torque when driving the gutter bracket wood screws at the same time keeping movement down while at altitude. It’s light weight and small form factor was a huge bonus. A traditional cordless drill is big and heavy to hold. The size of this drill is perfect when you need something powerful and compact.

Power/torque
I was able to drive the gutter bracket wood screws about 2 inches deep. There was a very small learning curve with how much rotation to apply to drive the screws but once you do it a few times, it becomes easy. Practice on the material you’ll be working on so you’ll know exactly how it responds to your input. I drove screws both vertically when attaching the gutter screens to the gutter and horizontally when driving the gutter brackets into the house. The control of the drill is so fine I didn’t strip one hole when drilling the short self tapping screws of the gutter screens. I was also able to drive the horizontal gutter brackets quickly. At first I wasn’t sure it was up to the task but it handled driving wood screws with ease. I don’t think I would be able to control a regular drill with such precision as easily as using this screw driver.

Battery Life
I bought the 2 battery kit because I was afraid I would run out of juice installing both gutter brackets and gutter screens. I only used one battery to install about 55 ft of gutter mesh, roughly 30 brackets and 100 self tapping screws. It still has power left over for more. The onboard battery gauge is a nice touch allowing you to see how much charge you have left. I would still recommend the two battery kit because you’ll be using this tool a lot!

Summary
Once in a rare while, you run into something so wonderful, you’re just blown away. This is one of those tools. It is the perfect balance between function, size, power, cost and user interface. It is now my go-to screw driver. I just look for things to use it on.

Let me tell you if you’re on the fence, don’t wait any longer and get it. The hype is real.