Tool Box Buzz

General Tools Lighted 8-IN-1 Screwdriver – Model 75108

8-IN-1 Lighted Screwdriver

5/5

Manufacturer: General Tools & Instruments
Model number: 75108
Price: $9.99
Power source: 3 - LR41 Watch Batteries

The He-Man Club of America will probably revoke my membership card for writing this, but sometimes you just don’t need a bigger hammer – you need a smaller tool with a delicate touch. There, I admitted it. And I feel good, because that’s precisely what General Tool’s Lighted Precision Screwdriver embodies – a delicate touch for jobs that require more finesse and less brawn.

Lighted Screwdriver Features

• LED Light-Dispersing Collar
• 360 Degree Illumination – No Shadowing
• Bit Storage in Handle
• 2 Drivers in 1 Handle
• 8 Bit Sizes – Phillips #0, #000 Slotted 1/8″, 5/64″  Torx T5, T8, T6, T10

Delicate But Tough

This little guy is scrappy. It’s survived several butter-fingered tosses at the ground and being jostled around in a backpack and tool bag. Like those old Timex watches, it takes a licking and keeps on ticking.

I’ve always been adept at destroying the delicate heads on precision screwdrivers, so finding one that I’m having a tougher time rounding off the tips is a nice surprise. These are made of hardened steel and zinc plated.

Oh, and unlike some other multi-bit tools I own, these bits stay firmly seated in transit.

Lights, Bits, Precision

I’ll start with the most obvious benefit on this tool – the LED lights near the bit holder. There’s not one, but two LEDs on this tool. The benefit here is that there’s far less of a nuisance shadow cast on your work. More on that in a bit.

In a bit of irony, the batteries do not come installed in the screwdriver handle. Instead, they arrive within the clamshell package and must be inserted into a tiny, covered compartment, whose lid is held securely with…a tiny T6 screw. Luckily, there’s one included in the bit set, and because there’s a mini-handle with this set, the batteries can be installed relatively quickly.

Grab your spectacles if you’re over 40, though – keeping an eye on the tiny fastener and batteries is a challenge. Oh, and be sure to tackle this procedure on a flat, clean surface. Otherwise, if you drop any of the parts, you may never find them again!

Once the tool is put back together again, you’ll find several other features that make it a nice addition to the tool box.

The Handle is ergonomically designed with a cushioned grip just behind the LEDs. The LEDs, in turn, are housed in a clear plastic collar that helps disperse the light evenly and keeps those pesky shadows at bay.

The ON/OFF Switch controlling the light is easily triggered, but is positioned so that it’s not accidentally pressed during storage. At least, that hasn’t happened so far.

The Cap that houses the bits at the back of the handle spins freely. This allows for a much firmer grip of the tool and precise placement/control of the tip when you’re working in delicate environments like the innards of your laptop or desktop computer.

Overall, General’s #75108 8-IN-1 Lighted Screwdriver has been a pleasure to work with. It’s been tough, reliable, and the batteries have lasted now for several weeks without replacement (thanks to those miserly LEDs).

Wait! The Batteries Cost How Much?!

I’ll have to say that I’m always skeptical of those tiny batteries we discussed earlier. It seems that when they finally wear out, we discover that it’s cheaper to replace the tool than the batteries. Not so in this case, General used LR41s, which I found on Amazon for less than 30 cents each! See? And that is a happy ending.

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