Customer Reviews

KR Tools Autoloader 6-in-1 Autoloading Screwdriver, 52-Piece Set

5 star:		(28)
4 star:		(22)
3 star:		(5)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Length:: 8:31 Mins

Amazon vine ate my original video review so take 2 is presented here. It actually worked out for the better since in take 2 you get to see the tool fail in 2 ways:

#1 - fail to feed a bit - you select a bit, close the action, and nothing pops out at all
#2 - jam - you select a bit, try to close the action, and the bit bites the plastic magazine preventing you from closing the action, so you recycle the action to unjam it.

It's not a revolver - it behaves more like an automatic. The feedsystem relies on gravitational and magnetic forces to pull the bit into the tube alligned properly so as not to jam. Your grip may affect its reliability in feeding, but its not a big issue - it just happened to have these 2 failures in this footage, despite being used extensively with no failures.

I really do like this tool for its innovative design, however in the attempt to cut costs, it was (like everything) made in China. This isn't always bad - see my review on vine's lowenpro video camera case - made in china also but it would give G***i a run for their money!. In this case though the bits are made from pot metal (melted down cars from the usa) then plated to look tough. The plating flakes off and conducts electricity which is a serious problem around PC boards that are bare like a motherboard in a desktop PC. Those flakes get in between small parts and the board smokes and dies. Smoking is very bad for electronic devices! I chose to use a higher quality set of bits with my screwdriver that are not plated but have a phosphated finish on tool steel from Taiwan.

My only other complaint is shared with other non-metalic tools including high quality nutdrivers - they pass the torque through a weak point - the plastic handle in this case. This handle, unlike a nutdriver, is mostly hollow for holding the bits, so it lacks the strength of a nutdriver handle.

My cautionary words are simply this - YOU HAVE ONE PAIR OF EYES! ALWAYS WEAR SAFETY GLASSES!. The bits can break, the plastic can break, and depending on the torque applied a fragment could fly into your eye destroying your stereo vision. Never use extension wrenches or breaker bars to force it - put the bit into a steel 1/4" wrench if you need more torque.

Enjoy the video - you can see the tool malfunction (I honestly didn't expect it but kept on going with the script and ad-libed my way through the problem) and you can see alternative bit sets including a 100 pc set I bought for $16 made from tool steel in taiwan - best part is that all 100 pieces are for tamper proof fasteners so you can get into almost anything with them. For going cheap on the 48 piece bits I'm deducting one star. I've run manufacturing plants in Suzhou, China and I know these bits likely cost 1cent each to make, plus 0.01 cent each to handload into the case, or 48.5 cents which for an extra buck could have been done with toolsteel and no plating.

Lights, action camera.

This is the type of gift you give to someone who doesn't really have any tools. It's handy to put in your glove compartment, kitchen drawer or for a college student.

This is not a gift for a contractor/carpenter/mechanic by trade.

The concept is great and I recently used this while installing a outlet-mount surge protector (a surge protector that screws into the faceplate of the electrical outlet). I had to squeeze behind my large TV to get to the dark corner of my living room. I had looked at another electrical face plate and saw that it was a simple Phillips screwhead.

Upon installing the surge protector, the included screw was a flathead. I know this was a minor/trivial task, but let's re-enact what happens in real life if I didn't have the 6 in 1 Autoloader.

The re-enactment:
1. Look at faceplate and see that I need a Phillips screwdriver.
2. Grab a Phillips screwdriver and then squeeze in behind the tv to get to the face plate.
3. Can't see too well, climb back out and search for a few minutes for a working flashlight
4. Climb back in and prop flashlight on wall and begin to take screw out of face plate, knock flashlight over and re-prop it and continue taking screw out, bump the flashlight with my knee in the tight corner and re-prop the round end of the flashlight against a wall that it rolls and falls over on
5. Finally, I've taken the screw out and announce manly-success and grunt like Tim Allen
6. Reach for the surge protector and realize the embedded mounting screw is a flathead and I'm holding a Phillips <cue in manly-ego deflation noise>
7. Climb back out, go find a flathead screwdriver
8. Climb back in and realize the flathead screwdriver is too wide for the hole for the surge protector - need a screwdriver that is 1mm smaller in width <slight anger festers, almost about to say heck with this>
9. Climb back out and go find a smaller flathead screwdriver, but grab 3 extras just in case
10. Climb back in and wah-lah, I have a flathead screwdriver that fits, knock over flashlight and re-prop against wall. Firmly mount the outlet-mount surge protector in place, and though there were a few lost battles, the war is won.
11. Climb back out and realize I forgot to get the flashlight. I say heck with it and the batteries it rode in on.

Now here's what really happened with my Autoloader 6-in-1:
1. I have my Phillips and flathead tips all built into my Autoloader, I simply pull and turn the handle to the tip that I need, no running out to the garage.
2. It got a little dark, so I slide the 'Autoloader-tip-flashlight' over the Autoloader and wah-lah, bright LED lighting exactly where I use the tool and NO KNOCKED OVER FLASHLIGHTS.
3. I don't forget anything behind the TV because all the tools came out of a really nice canvas carrying case.
4. Unfortunately I did burn less calories by being more efficient...

Overall this is a great toolset for household chores, but if handywork were my profession, I'd have an arsenal of expensive tools...and a big toolbelt. ;-)

UPDATE: 12-23-2009: I consider myself a handyman and this Autoloader tool really saved the day today and I wanted to chime in: So today I'm on vacation and painting a vaulted wall that's 20 feet and has 6 windows with blinds. I wrestle an 18-foot extension ladder into place and grab my trusty Autoloader. I remove the highest blinds and I see that the mounting clips are Phillips screwheads, no problem, I remove a set. I move to the next window and repeat - but this time, one of the screws is a flathead - no problem, I adjust my Autoloader and wah-lah, one of the mounting clips is removed. I go to the next clip and it's 2 Phillips screwheads, but one looks a lot different. I remove the regular screw and notice the Phillips bit is too narrow for the different screw - no problem, I adjust my Autoloader and I remove the last mounting clip I can reach.

Why is this even meaningful? Because it saved me from climbing up and down an 18 foot ladder probably half a dozen times today fetching different types of screwdrivers. Who knew the mounting clips would be different? I sure wasn't expecting it, but with my trusty Autoloader, no problem - I was prepared!

The main feature of this product, the 6-bit autoloading, is most useful for a situation where you don't have room to store 6 individual screwdrivers. In that context, the small autoloader is a nice upgrade from my 2-bit Stanley that I used to keep in the kitchen drawer (and I keep the large autoloader upstairs in the desk drawer). I haven't yet had to go to the garage for any simple screwdriver tasks since receiving my KR Tools Autoloaders -- wall plates, sunglasses, and computers are all handled by the autoloaders' preloaded assortment of bits.

In addition, having Phillips bits down to 000 is handy since many glasses require bits that size, yet you probably don't have screwdrivers that small unless you have a set of jeweler's screwdrivers.

There are 48 bits total, though only 36 are unique (the 12 bits that are preloaded into the two screwdrivers are repeated in the set of bits that are housed in the case). The machining of the bits doesn't appear to be very precise, and the chrome plating on one or two was flaking off even though brand new. I did torque test one of the larger flat heads and found that I couldn't bend it with moderate manual twisting in a vice, so they are somewhat harder than they might appear. One other minor quibble with respect to the bits is that they are held in place through magnetization, which is a dual edged sword. Magnetization helps to pick up a dropped screw, but you probably don't want to use this on your watch.

If I ever do come across a job that requires one of the esoteric Torx, square or hex bits, I'll have to make a trip to the garage. At which point, I will have lost the convenience factor that is this tool's main value proposition. And the price tag for this pair of screwdrivers, cool though they may be, is pretty high. If reducing the assortment of bits and the LED light could have shaved 30% to 50% of the price tag, it would have been well worth it.

Bottom line is that while I like this product, I think it costs too much. I am therefore deducting one star from my overall rating.

P.S. Be sure to hold the autoloader vertically with the bit at the top when swapping bits. You pretty much have to do this to see which bit you're selecting, but I've noticed that the autoloader sometimes jams if you hold it horizontally or bit downwards.

We built a home, a shop, and a garage on our property. The list of projects never ends! So, I'm always on the lookout for tools that help us accomplish things more quickly.

We have similar tools to the AutoLoader, but you need to open a compartment and manually insert different bits, the Autoloader does this much more quickly, so seemed like a great option for projects requiring multiple different bits.

My first job for the Autoloader was a new cabinet requiring a large flat #2 driver, a flat blade, and a hex head. In use found the following benefits and disadvantages to the tool:

GOOD:
1. The large grip made the regular-sized Autoloader easy to hold and get good torque.
2. Switching bits is quick and easy.
3. The tool feels very well-made and sturdy.
4. Hard chrome bits seem to hold up well and don't round off.

BAD:
1. The way I insert a screw into a hole usually includes gripping the shaft with my left hand as the driver end is held in my right, I use my left hand to guide the screw. Unfortunately, pulling on the shaft with my left hand retracts the bit into the Autoloader. I had to revise my regular way of doing things and remember not to pull on the shaft while guiding the screw.
2. The hard chrome surface of the bits makes them slip off screw heads. This is especially apparent with flat-blade applications.

SUGGESTED UPGRADES:
For the price, the addition of a ratchet-style head would make this a very effective tool.

Although this is a well-made product and an ingenious design, it did not make the job of building our cabinet any faster or easier. Switching bits in a ratchet driver was faster. Not needing to switch bits in the Autoloader, but screwing everything in by hand was slower and more tedious.

The addition of the light attachment, although a cute idea, is hampered by the size of the light. Typically you'd need light in tight spots, and this "halo" takes up too much space, plus makes using and changing bits more difficult.

This would be a good kit to keep in the house, the high-quality zippered pouch stores everything neatly away, and you'd never be without the right bit for a quick job. For the regular toolbox, and large jobs, it is not as effective as a regular ratchet or power driver.

I will admit that when I saw the Amazon videos for this screwdriver system, I was skeptical about usability. I think we've all been at the checkout aisle at a Home Depot and seen a multi-bit screwdriver, bought it on a whim and then found it cumbersome in real use. This is not that screwdriver; this is useable and darn right cool. The action for switching bits is quick, smooth and has the pleasing sound of mechanical parts meshing. It is also easy to replace bits, just set the bit to the one being replaced, pop it out of its magnetically held place and put in the preferred bit. And despite appearances, the handle is not bulky, it's about the same as a typical screwdriver and fits the adult hand well.

I can imagine filling the driver handles with bits I need for specific projects. The smaller handle, I will fill with bits used in replacing items in my MacBook and tightening my glasses. The larger handle I will fill with various sized Phillips heads and perhaps one moderately sized slotted head. Should I need one of the more odd ball bits, they are always in the box.

Not that this is perfect. A more grippy rubberized handle would have been better. The included bits are not of particularly good steel; luckily they are of a standard size (at least the larger handle takes standard quarter inch bits) and I can put in higher quality bits as needed. I put in a favorite Wera diamond coated bit without problem. And it's darn hard to get the smaller bits out of their molded slots, probably near impossible with greasy hands.

Still this is just being picky. These are great both for the toolbox and the kitchen drawer.

Oh, and my four year old son loves the included LED flashlight collar. He was running around the basement hunting ghosts and zombies with it today; perhaps not its intended use.

Forgeting for the moment that the handles are pink, this is an innovative screwdriver. Each screwdriver holds six bits -- six small and six medium.

The pros:
1) Fast and easy to change bits loaded into the handle. Extend the shaft, rotate and retract.
2) Solid feel when loading a bit. It's kind-of like loading a mini pump shotgun. Click click.
3) Bits are magnetic so screws stay in place
4) There are a lot of smaller bits. There's bits from medium sized down to about 1/8" small. Most other screwdriver bits are in the medium to medium-large range.
5) There is a large variety of bits and sizes. In fact, there's so many bits that some will go unused.

The con:
1) The clear plastic that stores the bits in the handle is a little thin IMHO. I don't know how much torque the handle can take before a failure occurs. I'm also not sure if you could generate enough torque with bits this size to cause a failure. Obviously, I would have preferred it if this part was metal instead of plastic.

In conclusion, I was very impressed with the innovations that this screwdriver set introduces. I really like that there are a large range of bits in the small to medium range. It won't handle large tasks but in its range, it is highly capable.

I have to say that when I ordered this, I thought that it looked "cutesy" and wondered about how useful it would be. It's awesome! I ride a motorcycle and I have used it for small repairs--using bits that I would have a hard time finding while rummaging through the toolbox...I have used it for home repairs, too--it's got every bit I can imagine and they are all organized and easy to access.
It is very easy to use, very convenient, and compact so it fits in the ever full junk drawer.
(And yes, it's cute, too.)

With all of my miscellaneous tools unorganized & dumped in a toolbox, this is a nice set that's easy to keep together in one place and handy in an emergency. The bits are on the cheap side, but this shouldn't deter one from purchasing this set. It was especially nice to have the necessary bits already loaded one day when I was taking down old blind brackets. There were two different screws and I needed different bits, and the autoloader made it painless to switch on the fly, rather than get off my little ladder and sift through the toolbox. I haven't needed to use the flashlight, but for testing purposes I gave it a try. It was cute, but for some reason I found it awkward and it kind of got in my way when switching bits. Needing some light and not having to switch bits might be a plus in the long run; I'll have to test further.

Received one as a gift. Innovative design on the loading portion.
However, it is possible to push the button and pull out the base, which then drops the bits and spring.

I was using the small unit on a tight spot. The tool got stuck in a metal rail. While pulling on the handle to pull the unit out at an angle, the metal collar around the bit broke off where the magnet touches the bit. The shaft could have used some reinforcement.

For use on small hobbies, the bits seem to work fine, otherwise, this would be a 0 rating, if that were possible.

I've been using the Autoloader around the house. Definitely got the cool gadget factor...I enjoy switching out my bits like I am Tim the Toolman Tailor. For a minimalist do-it-yourselfer like me this kit has more bits than I will ever need or use.

I do think for the actual carpenter professional this would be too much of a gadget and it would just be quicker to have the actual screwdrivers on hand to grab.

Quality- doesn't seem that rugged so I'm knocking off one star. We'll see how it holds up over time. Some of my other changable bit screwdrivers have tended to lose the magnetics over time so we'll see how that holds up.

Color- I have the pink one based on availability but I have to wonder what the true market size is for pink screwdrivers (Marketing 101). Carpentry is typically male dominated and I'm not sure if Tim the Toolman Tailor would walk around with a pink screwdriver!