Customer Reviews

Milwaukee 6742-20 6.5 Amp Drywall Screwdriver

5 star:		(16)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

This is a plain, bare bones screw gun for drywall installation.

It has a soft start feature that helps the motor last longer since some people rather pull the trigger for every screw they shoot.
People who do tons of drywall just lock the trigger and keep driving one screw after the other.

It's designed to shoot screws in all day. Nothing fancy, no clutch, just a depth stop.

I actually use my clutched cordless drill for most drilling and general screwing. I only break this out for drywall. It has the advantage of being lighter weight with pretty decent balance.

If you're going to screw into something that's maybe questionable in strength might benefit from a clutched drill or a clutched screw gun or just going slow with this. These screw guns are really fast and since they're foremost intent is screwing into wood or steel studs having that type of adjustability really isn't required.

This is about the least expensive, no frills way to go for a screwgun and a brand that's been making these for a very long time. It's a good dedicated drywall screw gun.

For decks I might use a clutched gun or just one of the slower rpm screw guns that are geared for more torque to drive longer, fatter screws.

The Milwaukee drywall screwdriver is a priceless tool if you've got a job bigger than 1 sheet. The depth settings are convienient and have good granularity of adjustment. You may have to try a couple of brands of bits however. I've found that the bits with ridges on the blade faces work best. They allow you to be slightly off 90 degress (perp. to the wall surface) without camming out. The rubber finger grips on the top of the Milwaukee make it comfortable to handle. It's well balanced and powerful. It takes a few practice screws to get the hang of it but it's by all means worth the (money). You'll use it every chance you get!

The Milwaukee 6742-20 is the Best Drywall/General purpose screwdriver available Period! The US made one that is. Unfortunately, even the iconic Milwaukee brand succumbed to the "Made in China" Syndrome. More like a runaway disease at this point. More to the point. The first time I purchased the Milwaukee 6742-20 was in 2003. Right here on Amazon. The Tool proudly displayed Made In USA on its sticker. That tool lasted a grueling 7 years, doing everything from Drywall to Hardiebacker Cement board to multilayer Fiberock installations to even Decking and MDF. Even at 4000 rpm (not ideal for decking) and drywall to 18 and 16 gauge steel studs were no match for this gem. It's best feature is it's "Snap Action Clutch". The let off is so incredibly crisp with absolutely no grinding or head stripping no matter the depth. The tool is also very ergonomic in its dimensions, grip angles, balance and materials. Such as the rubber inserts and their placement on the handle and around the tool, the thickness and dimensions of the grip and weight distribution. Recently I was putting up some Hardiebacker cement board on Steel Studs using Cement Board screws for Steel Framing. All of a sudden I experienced an unusual pop at the end of the screw drive cycle, right before the head got seated. After that, the tool was not the same. It started stripping heads and would not seat heads flush. Thinking that my screw gun has lasted and performed so long and so well, I went on Amazon and was very pleased to find the same model still in production. I ordered it and two days later had it in my hands. The first thing I noticed, is the tool looks is exactly the same. The only difference, the "new" one, now displays Made in China on its sticker. Not wanting to be prejudice I decided to put the tool through its paces and see if the new one can live up to nothing but positive experience I had with the old. The first thing you do with a Drywall Screw gun is adjust the nosepiece for proper depth. Right away I felt a difference here. The old one had crisp detents (clicks) when turning the nosepiece for adjustment that really stays secure in its place. The new one felt much sloppier here, with no clear feel between clicks. Also, the nosepiece is much easier to turn on the new one making your perfect setting easier to misadjust.

Ok, let's get to the best feature of the old 6742-20, It's magical clutch. I started with regular drywall screws and 1/2" USG Fiberock to Wood. The tool seated the screws well with not much grinding. While doing so, the new one feels like it has less torque and at the same time making more noise. Which I can live with as long as the tool does its Job. Here is the letdown. I switched to Hardie Backer cement board and Cement board screws. The tool is completely useless here. It does not seat heads flush and grinds and strips both the screws and your brand new bits. No matter the depth setting even with the head exposed and up, it will grind. Like its name implies, this is strictly a "Drywall Screw Driver". If all you are doing is regular drywall then this tool may be fine. It is still better than the Hilti SD4500 in terms of reliable grind free screw seating in regular drywall but it is nowhere near the same tool it used to be. I popped open the gear case on my old 6742-20 and this new Chinese iteration, and the quality difference is noticeable. The clutch machining on the old tool is much more precise and looks much more accurately made with better steel. The new clutch looks sloppy, like it was Cast and clutch "teeth" already look like they were chewed. The Clutch Thrust Washer has a deep gouge from the Bias Spring. This is on a brand new tool! Ironically, the parts in the gear case of my old tool look really good. Without any signs of wear on the gear surfaces, clutch washer or bearings. I'm actually very hard pressed to understand why my tool is actually malfunctioning.

I would give the old tool six stars of I could. It is absolutely irreplaceable for any professional board fastening work. The New Tool deserves three stars to be fair. I will rate it a one star! Why am I being so unfair? I feel that if you are going to take your manufacturing overseas and especially to China, steal seats from American workers and fall victim to your competitors moving offshore and keeping prices low; then at least make sure you find a factory or build a factory that can make your product to the same or better standard than before. The old saying "They don't make them like they used to" does not ring more true than in this particular case. I would gladly pay twice the money to have another tool replace mine that would be as productive and enjoyable as my trusty Milwaukee has been. I hope someone there is listening!

Once again, Milwaukee delivers a quality tool. This gun is a vast improvement over their older, less balanced screw guns. It fits the hand well, is not overly heavy, and runs screws into either wood or metal studs without hesitation. The only complaint I have about this one versus the older models is the trigger lock. It's now a recessed button, which is very awkward to operate with one hand. But even the DeWalt's isn't that convenient, so this is my screw gun of choice. Plus, it has a 5 year limited warranty, which none of the competition can touch.

Anyone hanging more than 20 sheets of drywall at a time should consider this tool. Battery operated drill/drivers are not meant to produce speed in installation.
Checked others in stores and for the money paid on Amazon, this was the top gun.

I am becoming a huge fan of Milwaukee tools. They deliver more value per dollar than anything else I have found. I have an older Milwaukee screw gun and a new DeWalt screw gun and a very old Craftsman Professional that appears to be made my DeWalt. The new Milwaukee is the gun I reach for when I need to drive some screws with the heads embedded in a precise manner. I needed to hang about 1100 square feet of drywall on the ceiling of an old house. I was going over the top of an existing plaster over plaster board ceiling. The house was framed in with rough sawn green oak that was everything except straight. The plaster installers did a masterful job of making up the variation in the ceiling with a coat of plaster that varies in thickness from less than 1/2 inch up to about 1-1/4 inches over 1/2" plaster board. Therefore I had to use 2-3/4" screws going through very hard plaster of varying thickness into 50+ year old oak that is hard as nails. All my other screw guns would drive the screws, but seemed to have trouble setting the depth correctly. The Milwaukee has the best repeatability of depth under these conditions of any screw gun I own. They all work pretty good with new drywall over new studs, but when the going gets very tough, the Milwaukee really shines.
This gun is light and powerful and comes with a cord that is long and flexible. I don't know how they could make it any better.

I have had this gun for about 2 weeks. It is very easy to use, feels good in my hand, does an excellent job. The only suggested improvement would be to move the reversing switch to a different location. I keep hitting it with my thumb, reversing direction. Not a showstopper however, just a nusiance for me.

A must for anyone who is serious about "flying rock". After a short learning curve and not hesitating to move fast you can screw off a whole sheet of dry wall in one to two minutes. My only criticism is that it is difficult if not impossible to engage the trigger lock with one hand.

I've spent all of my working life in industrial environments and most of the old timers who taught me my skills had a preference for Milwaukee power tools and I still have a nostalgic loyalty to Milwaukee despite the fact that most all of them are made overseas now. To be honest, I've seen this exact same driver on the shelves at several home centers selling from $80 to $110 marketed under various brands, the only difference being the color of the plastic case. Amazon had the best price that I found anywhere at under $60. Milwaukee tools have a full five year warranty, which is plenty of comfort zone for me, and of the twelve that I own I've never needed repairs on any of them.
This driver has plenty of power. I've used it to drive several hundred 3" screws into wall studs on my storage shed project and the driver performed without complaint. Set the depth and you're good to go. I don't think this tool can be beat for the price I paid.

plenty of power, will drive screws all day long. used it for driving 1 5/8" drywall screws into old studs and it barely slowed down. trigger lock is difficult to engage with one hand, but that also means you won't actuate it accidentally. great tool at under $60.