A while back I reviewed the General Tools 500 Cordless Ultra Tech Precision Screwdriver in my search for an electric precision driver that would work well for my computer repair business, specifically for disassembling and reassembling laptop computers.

While my review was generally positive about this product, as it turned out it was not up to the task power-wise and this tool has since fallen by the wayside. So I went on the hunt again looking for a more professional grade electric precision screwdriver, which wouldn’t break the bank in the process. There are industrial-grade electric drivers made for the assembly line, but these products are very, very expensive. What I was looking for was a more professional grade unit that had a lot more power than the General Tools 500. I didn’t really care if the driver was cordless or not.

What I found was the Proxxon 28690 MIS 1 Micro Screwdriver. My first impression of this product, out of the box, was that there wasn’t much of anything “Micro” about it-it’s a beefy and weighty tool.

The Proxxon 28690 MIS 1 Micro Screwdriver sells for around $100 depending on where you buy it, and the Proxxon 3874 Heavy Duty Transformer for around $65.00, for a total investment of $165.00 or thereabouts. Pretty reasonable. Proxxon does offer a smaller and cheaper transformer, but I have no experience with this.

So how well does this product work, in this case for assembling and disassembling laptop computers?

It does make the job considerably easier and faster. When you consider the fact that the average laptop may have dozens of screws holding it together, that makes for a lot of screwing and unscrewing with a manual precision screwdriver. If you work on multiple laptops a day, this can take a toll on your hands and fingers. So any computer repair tool that can take some of the burden off your beleaguered fingers is welcome.

One common reservation a lot of computer repair technicians have about the use of an electric screwdriver for laptop repair is the increased possibility of stripping screws. While the use of such a tool does increase this risk, in actual practice this has not been an issue for me. The tool is large but you still retain a sense of touch when it comes to the driver bit. When the bits starts to skip you can feel it and hear it. My advice is that, when you first get this tool, practice on a defective laptop until you get the feel of it. You can adjust the torque on this driver, but not enough to ensure that you don’t strip a screw. That being said, hundreds of screws later I still have not stripped a screw with this device.

What I like about this screwdriver:

1. Build quality. Proxxon is known for producing high-quality tools for the hobbyist. The Proxxon 28690 is no exception. It is very solidly and durability built.
2. It comes with a generous supply of bits, 16 to be exact.
3. At first I was concerned that the on-off switch, being located at the top of the driver, and activated by the thumb rather than the forefinger, would be awkward to use. But it’s well designed in this respect, and the tool is just too big to be operated any other way. Proxxon does offer a foot-petal activation switch that can be used in conjunction with this tool.
4. Has very good power.
5. It is priced reasonably.
6. The bits are good quality, hardened metal, and should last for years.
7. Adjustable torque.

What I don’t like about this screwdriver:

1. It is too big and bulky. It is more like a slightly more compact version of a standard electric screwdriver. Again, there’s nothing “Micro” about it.
2. No quick-release mechanism for efficiently changing bits. You have to use the provided wrench to change out the bits. For this reason, out of 16 bits, I only use one for the most common laptop screw sizes. I switch to a manual driver when needed.
3. While the torque is adjustable, it is not adjustable enough to ensure that you don’t strip a screw. On the lowest torque setting it will still skip.
4. Requires a transformer, which means more $$$. I’m not sure whether there is an adapter you can get that would allow you to forgo the transformer. If so, I wouldn’t recommend it. The best thing about the Proxxon 3874 transformer is that it has a dial which allows you to adjust the rotational speed of the driver.

The “perfect” product would have the following characteristics.

1. Good power, but coupled with the ability to adjust torque sufficiently to prevent any chance of stripping screws.
2. Durably and ruggedly built.
3. Reasonably priced.
4. The ability to swap out bits quickly.
5. Ultra compact design that allows you to hold the unit between thumb and forefinger like a pen. This may be asking too much given the first requirement, that it have good power. This is the big short-coming of the General Tools 500. It has the perfect ergonomic design but it needs more power than two small batteries can provide.

Conclusion: All in all, it was a good investment in my computer repair business and it was well worth the $165.00 or so I paid for the combo. I’m still waiting for the perfect electric precision screwdriver for laptop repair. Apparently it has not yet been invented.