I have a lot of screwdriving solutions, and it is my earnestly held belief that each one is beautiful and special. (Editor’s note: This is true!) Sometimes you need the power and endurance of the impact driver; other times, the compact ratcheting screwdriver with the extra bits tucked away in its butt.
But one screwdriver I reach for more often than you’d think is this USB-C rechargeable electric screwdriver from Hoto with adjustable torque and a built-in ring light. It was my personal pick for best deal of Amazon Prime Day in July, and right now it’s on sale again at a steep discount for October Prime Day.
It was first recommended to me (endlessly) by my colleagues at The Verge, and I purchased it because… well, again, all screwdrivers are beautiful and special. But its convenience has helped it earn a spot in my office, instead of the garage, when I need to tinker on some gaming stuff. A brief list of things I’ve used the Hoto electric screwdriver to do:
- Upgrade the SSD in my Steam Deck
- Replace the display, and both front and back covers, of a perhaps too well-loved Nintendo Switch
- Open retro controllers to give them a good tub. Most recent controllers include: An original Indigo Gamecube controller, a Sixaxis controller (don’t laugh), and a Japanese PC Engine controller
- Replace the swollen battery in my Razer Blade 14
- Tinker with the MiSTer
I can’t tell you what the right price for this level of convenience would be — that’s between you and your accountant — but I can tell you that it is currently on sale during Amazon Prime Day for $39.99, or 43% off its list price. That is not as cheap as last year’s Prime Day deal, but isn’t everything more expensive these days?
Some caveats: First, the Hoto electric screwdriver comes with 12 bits — three Phillips head (PH1, PH2, PH3), four hex (H3, H4, H5, H6), three Torx (T15, T20, T25), one flat blade (SL4), and one Pozidriv (PZ2) — which should be enough to get you through a lot of tasks. But if you don’t already have a set of electronics bits, this $19.99 iFixit set is a great complement (and will get you the 3.8mm and 4.5mm Gamebit bits necessary to open older Sega and Nintendo consoles and cartridges).
Second, it only comes with the USB-A to USB-C charging cable, and does not include a USB-A charger. Presumably you have been alive the last quarter century and have a junk drawer full of them, but on the off chance you do not, there is a Prime Day sale on this Anker two-pack for $12.99, and it comes with two USB-C cables. You can put the extra in that junk drawer and start your collection now.
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