The Skil 2362 7.2V Lithium Ion Drill/Driver has become one of our favorite screwdriver replacements. With its handy, compact size and enough power to handle many day to day tasks, this tool is a great addition to anyone’s tool collection. Because of its usefulness, it has gained a semi permanent place on our work bench and has started to be the go-to tool for simple tasks like drilling pilot holes, installing lights, installing car stereo systems and much more.
While it is called a cordless drill/driver, we have really found this tool to excel as a screwdriver replacement. Just insert the right size bit into the quick change 1/4″ hex chuck and you are in business. The Skil 2362 comes with a handy little kit that includes some of the most common driver bits along with some smaller sized drill bits that are designed to slip right into the chuck.
Build Quality
There was a lot of thought that went into the packaging of this tool. With its bow tie like cross section and creative combination of clear plastic and cardboard, we found it to be quite a challenge to open the box without completely destroying it! Once inside the packaging, we found the drill, a charger, a small set of bits and the instruction booklet. Right off the bat we noticed how the charger was designed to either sit on a flat surface or be mounted on a wall. We took note of the wall mount feature because in our testing facility, bench top space is a premium and anytime we see something that can be mounted elsewhere we like it. Additionally, some competitors’ models forgo the charger and simply have an adapter that plugs directly into the tool. The charger seems like a step up from other tools which have you plug a cord into the handle. The bits live in a little black nylon case that neatly organizes three smaller size drill bits and seven of the most common screw bits around in a handy pocket size package.
The Skil 2362 drill driver actually has a nice feel to it. It is interesting to note that its battery is internal and not removable from the unit like many other cordless tools. Some might see this as a bad thing but with claims of being able to keep a charge for up to 18 months, I am not sure the need to have battery swapped out is critical. Simply insert the handle of the tool into the charger and you are ready to go in about a half hour from a dead battery. To add to its functionality (and to take the guess work out of it) there is a battery level meter on the top along with indicators that let you know which way the chuck is spinning. When power drops to 30% or less, the fuel light glows red to let you know it is time for a refill. The body of the drill is all plastic with black over molded rubber grips. While holding the drill, it is immediately noticeable how lightweight it is and how balanced it feels. The reason we like this is for doing some tasks that require a delicate touch. We find we can precisely position and hold this drill/driver without any trouble. (Needless to say, our 18V cordless has been on vacation since this drill showed up!) There is an adjustable chuck that gives 11 different torque settings along with a variable speed motor that is controlled by the trigger.
Testing and Use
While we normally test our drills and drivers with a torque meter, this particular tool really is more on par with a cordless screwdriver and is not a torque powerhouse. Also since there are no torque specifications given from the manufacturer, we really did not have much to compare it to. We figured the best way to test this tool is to use it in the way it was designed to be used in real life. What we have done is just left it out on the testing bench for the last month or so, just to see who might use it and for what.
So far, it has been used to install light fixtures, change batteries out of toys, drill pilot holes, hanging curtains, putting a desk together and install a car stereo to just name a few. If you noticed, most of these tasks are things that we would normally grab a screwdriver to do, but since this little drill/driver is such a useful size and has plenty of power it was a logical choice. Also, it is more convenient for smaller tasks than dragging out our big 18V 1/2-in chuck drill or even our impact driver for that matter.
Now, don’t get us wrong, there are limitations with this tool. It really does not have enough oomph to drive in 3 in deck screws or to drill large holes. But if we keep that in mind and choose the right tool for the job, the Skil 2362 performs just fine.
Conclusion
For many homeowners and even some skilled trade people, they will find the Skil 2362 drill/driver a useful and handy tool. It takes up little space, fits in most tool pouches and is just that handy size that makes sense for many smaller applications. With keeping all things in perspective, the Skil 2362 functions as a fantastic cordless screwdriver with some additional capabilities. For our performance rating we gave it a 7/10 since it does what it is designed to do quite well. For our value rating we gave it a 5/10 because it has a pretty high price, but don’t let this scare you since it can be found at much less than half of this price at many retailers.
