Side by Side Comparison of: Schroeder vs Fiskars

it works ok

Used in my collection of tools

Excellent tool. You get what you pay for is true with this tool.

Great quality !! I recommend going with this size so that you can handle both 5/16" and 1/4" drills.

It has a keyless chuck. Sometimes that's good. Not here. If you use this as a screwdriver, any strong torque you put on this will loosen the chuck making your bit at least not turn the screw and at worst--fall out. Also, the long handle opposite the chuck end, has a tendency to come loose. It's simply screwed into the tool so if the tool rotates as you turn the crank, the handle will unscrew. Honestly, this is simply ridiculous! This is a reasonably expensive drill boasting that legendary German engineering...and it's pretty much a joke to use as a screw driver. Granted, it was not marketed as a drill/driver and it doesn't serve well as a screw driver.So use it as a drill only. I just used this drill tonight to drill 9 pilot holes for screws of varying sizes (so I used a couple of different drill bits). As a drill, this tool worked very well. It was easy to align and easy to hold. Using a "egg beater" style drill like this takes a bit of practice to get the hang of it. Because you are applying torque to only one side of the drill, it's easy to wiggle the drill as you use it causing your hole not to be straight. Once you have that skill down, this drill works just fine for drilling into anything that is relatively soft. Drilling into metal, concrete/brick, or very hard dense wood may be quite challenging because it can get extremely hard to turn the crank. Even so, this drill works just fine AS A DRILL. Again, don't even bother considering this for a screw driver! To put it plainly, it sucks as a screw driver Also, it should go without saying that this is a manual tool so you need fairly strong hands to use it. If you don't have strong hands or you have an injury to your hand or wrist, it'll be hard to use this.Would I buy this drill again? Not sure; maybe not. For the money, you can find some really great, reputable vintage/antique manual drills on eBay. At the time of this writing, this drill is selling for over $50. That's WAY over priced for what you get! I guess you're paying for that "German Engineering".Also, because of the weaknesses that this has when used as a screw driver and the hand/wrist strength needed to use this, it could be frustrating for a kid to use.UPDATE: Well, I'm not quite sure what I was doing wrong before when using this as a screw driver, but last night, I put a Phillips head bit in it and let my wife use it to a re-upholstery project she was doing. The Schroeder zipped those screws out of the bench seat very quickly and the chuck never loosened once! Perhaps I hadn't used it enough to "wear the new off it" before I formed my opinion about it as a screw driver. It worked well last night as a screw driver both to remove and to insert screws into a bench. I have also used it for several drilling jobs around the house and it works perfectly as a drill. It's light weight, tight (no wobble or looseness, and steady. I've raised my opinion to 5 stars.

Lets face it, this item is a bit of a novelty. You can buy a power drill for less money which will do everything you want to do. However this is just way more fun than the power tool. It really is amazing how well this can drill through plastic, wood, or even metal. Even at shockingly low RPM a small drill bit will go right into whatever you want.I did some basic testing on this drill. Every time you turn the wheel, the drill bit spins four times. I decided to go all out and spin it as fast as I can. I was able to spin the wheel 24 times in 10 seconds. This works out to the bit rotating at nearly 600 RPM.This has some uses for powering other devices. I actually bought it because I was building a simple hand crank generator. To really get the generator to work well it requires a belt, pulley, or chain to get higher RPM. While that would still be ideal, it is a lot of work to actually construct that. Instead this can be hooked up to a shaft producing similar results. I suspect I could even power a small home-made hand crank Van De Graff generator with it, although I have not yet tried.While the drill appears to be well made, it is really quite odd that there is not a second gear connected to the large gear for support. The frame even has an intentional space for this second gear, but the gear is absent. In the short run, this gear isn't really needed because it runs just fine on the one it has. I suspect over time the large gear will come loose since it is only supported on one side though. Amazon does not yet sell it, but this same company makes a model which sells for about twice as much which appears to have this feature along with better handles(the handle on the side of this model is just too small). Another issue is that while the two stationary handles are wooden, the handle that you actually spin is plastic. I don't know that it is an issue, but it sure looks like a piece which won't last long. Really though, I don't use a drill enough to justify the additional cost of the better drill. With how well this is made I am not even sure that it makes sense to buy this model rather than the one half its price. For my use it probably would suffice.

Purchased for grandson , easy to use, much better than the old style drills. Very pleased with it.

I use it all the time!

as advertised

For my purposes, this drill was perfect. I did have to order the 3/16 drill bit I needed. I am not a handy or tool-experienced person by any stretch of the imagination. I found a large plastic wall hanging of branches, leaves, and flowers made in the 1960s at the Goodwill. Kind of ghastly but I had an idea for it. I wanted to drill little holes in it, attach small cup hooks, spray paint it, and then hang it on my bedroom wall so I could hang jewelry from it. I was worried that the drill would crack the plastic, but it didn't. I was able to drill about 15 holes and attach the hangers without mishap. It's going to look awesome when it's spray painted and hung on the wall with necklaces and earrings hanging from it. I couldn't be happier with this drill and now I'm looking for other things to use it for. It's probably important to get the right drill bit. I found my online and they were intended for wood and plastics.

I bought this for my sister because I have owned two - (the second not because it broke, but because someone borrowed the first and kept it!) - This is a sturdy little hand-crank drill, and light weight, but well made. I've used it all over the house - and even drilling in the ceiling for a molly bolt (to hang a plant hook) - was no problem because it's so light weight. I have several cordless electric drills and a 1/4" electric drill - I hardly ever get them out any more because this little guy does the job!

My husband calls it stubborn - I call it traditional! I will use a ratchet screw driver over a power driver (when I can), any time. I also like to use a non power drill such as this on my craft projects that could break, if a power drill puts too much pressure on the materials. But, that does not mean that this handy little drill cannot do larger jobs. I'm not saying that you can use this all day long and not be fatigued, but if you have a small job or a light job, this can handle it. I purchased a box of bits, and keep them both in my tool bag. I love knowing that I have a drill ready and waiting should I need it when in the middle of a project. No wires, no batteries to run dry, just man made (or in this case, Lady made power), that is ready when I need to put it to use. It also weighs close to nothing making it much easier to use as well. And the ergonomic grip, helps apply pressure when needed on a larger job. I heard somewhere that they may stop making these - I don;t know if that is true or not - BUT - just incase it is, I may just get a back up for future use!

Great otherwise, very solid. Too much torque could strip the gears, though. Would not be ideal for drilling into metal.

I didn't want to buy an electric drill for a one-time household project. I needed to drill starter holes for some cup hooks. This hand drill was perfect for the task. It can't handle heavy duty jobs. The drill bit is held in place using a hand-tightened collar. The collar loses its grip if there's too much stress. The drill bit gets stuck, requiring a pair of pliers to pull it free. This hand drill is perfect for small jobs or crafts projects. It's light and the handle turns smoothly.

I haven't used it yet, but I have had it in my hand and it looks to be exactly what I wanted, to wit: a drill that I can use for the occasional minor repair at home or office when I don't want to bring the power drill and all its attachments and cords. I am quite happy with it.

Saved the day for me in a pinch...I always keep it in my tool bag for emergencies and works well for smaller jobs.

Reading previous posts about the gears stripping out worried me, but gave it a try anyways. I bought it to use on my kayak, so primarily plastic material to drill through, although I did also do some odds and ends around the house into drywall and wood. The drill performed great, and had no issue with the gears whatsoever. The drill performed great, and it was used consistently on and off for a week. I would have given 5 stars if there was a better way to tighten the chuck. I was a little worried that holding the handle and cranking down on the chuck would strip the gears, but I was able to tighten the chuck to a decent level.

I bought one of these years ago and have used it constantly. It's still working just fine. Obviously, you don't use it for heavy drilling, but it's great for when you have a light job and you don't want to run to the basement and dig out the heavy-duty drill. When I realized it was still available, I bought a second to travel with. Be aware that the one they sent out this time does NOT have the slots for storing the drill bits. That is a really handy feature and has downgraded the rating from 5 stars to 4. I'm still very pleased to have a second though, I'll live with the lack of storage.

I've used this drill before when it was branded as a Sears product, and I sought this item to have one for myself. From the picture, it's exactly the same except for the branding on the handle.In reality, this product differs from the picture in that no drill bits are included, and the notches to hold the bits in the neck of the tool have been removed, along with the rubber band, leaving a smooth grip.While it's disappointing to purchase something that does not match what you expected to get (even the product packaging shows the previous design), and you'll have to purchase drill bits separately, this is an improvement in the design of the drill. I was often hesitant to use the previous drill without first removing all four bits from the handle, because it seemed too easy to get cut accidentally while holding the drill. Also, this leaves you free to purchase better drill bits than would have been included with this product.The drill itself is a valuable addition to any toolbox, allowing better fine control than any power drill. Don't worry about having charged batteries ready for the occasional drilling task.

Wrong item I received it.

The old drill came with 4 drill bits cleverly held in place with a rubber band. Simple, elegant and incredibly useful. The new one lacks the grooves to hold bits, lacks the bits, and the rubber band. A giant step backwards.

I've only used it once--I bought it to use with Cub Scouts, but I'm disappointed compared to other non-powered drills that I've encountered. The chuck (that tightens to hold the drill bits) is awkward to use--it's hard to get a good enough grip on the two separate parts (one that you hold stationary and one that you twist) to adjust and change bits. I also accidentally took apart the chuck when taking the drill bit out. Once you've got the drill bit in, it does turn it around and you can drill holes with it. It seems a bit flimsy--not a tool I want to use very much.

Bought this to be a nice compact drill for small projects. No power cord, control of every fraction of a turn. Attracted to the price and the fact that it seemed to replicate the ergonomics of a power drill.Well, that didn't turn out so well. First, you hold with left hand and turn with right - I am in the majority that is right handed, so I have less control than with a power drill. Next, you don't get to eye up the top of the drill - your hand is in the way. Finally, the spindle seems like hardware store quality threaded rod. Nothing particularly rigid or precise. Pretty sloppy until you tighten it all up, making you wonder if things are really straight. Jaws are held in place by weak springs - easy to see this getting broken, jammed up, etc. And finally, the permanently closed plastic shell. No means that I can see to open it up for maintenance. The seam does flex and contaminants can get in. No way to tell what kind of bearings and gears are inside. Might have boosted my opinion if I could see metal gears and ball bearings.So in short, I think I'll be getting a more traditional bit brace, and an eggbeater style drill. But the pistol-grip still appeals to me over the broom-handle grip of the eggbeater style. For that I still have to give this one credit.3/5 for the fact that it functions and is an attractive concept.

I wanted the model that had self storing bits, which was pictured when I purchased it. The drill is a handy item of decent quality. The delivered drill did not have the self storage. So I am disappointed ... I ordered three drills. The problem is with Amazon, not Fiskars. Wrong Picture.

It worked good for the most part. After several wholes to drill, then through oak it began to break down. It's great if you want to go through drywall to prehang a anchor and even cheap woods. But, after going through oak it began to break down. After that, I just bought a 12 volt drill to do the job.After a few months the handle broke. Opted for a real drill this time.

This is a great tool for easy jobs, such as drilling into drywall to insert anchors for curtains. It's light-weight and handy. I've been using one for years, and recently purchased this one for my daughter. The one that I have came exactly as the one pictured, with four drill bits that nest on the shaft of the drill and are held in place with a stout rubber band. The one that I purchased came without the bits and there are no indentations on the shaft in which they would rest. I bought the drill from Grady's Hardware, rather than directly from Amazon. When I reported the difference between the drill in the picture and one that I received, their customer service representative replied that the picture was only an "interpretation" and that I should read the product description. I don't know whether or not the one that Amazon sells includes the bits, but you should be prepared to purchase bits separately to go with the drill.

It's very flimsy, the famous German quality is no longer what it used to be 50 years ago. I bought this "tool" for my 6 year old son, who cannot yet handle power tools. It's kind of OK for him, but the handle needs to be re-tightened quite often, otherwise it just unscrews itself (the handle is screwed in to allow making the tool shorter, probably for shipping, because it makes no sense to constantly be disassembling the tool at home). The chuck is keyless, and as a result you cannot really tighten the drill bit properly - several times the bit got stuck in wood and fell out of the chuck. After a single day of use, the wooden handles are scratched in multiple places and the color is off, and we didn't really do anything to the handles, except laying the tool on the table between the uses. This tool seemed to have better reviews than other comparable ones, so it's not clear if there is a better option. BTW, you can buy this drill at Sears for less than a half of the Amazon price ($25-$30).

Amendment written 2/16/2008===========================I see that the Peck Tool Company has changed the description of this drill from "Heavy Duty" to "Standard Duty." Judged against this different description, my opinion is that this drill is a five-star product. I say this because there is probably not a not a better quarter-inch hand drill manufactured today. Indeed, I would not have returned it if I did not already have a quarter-inch single-pinion hand drill (bought about 45 years ago) in my tool collection. In all fairness, a quarter-inch drill as sturdy as this one doesn't need the second pinion unless you expect to abuse it and yet have it survive for use by your grandchildren.For a 3/8-inch chuck, the second pinion becomes more necessary. But don't buy a larger chuck than you need. A 1/4-inch chuck is difficult to find, and will fit into places where a larger one will not.It's too bad there isn't a common description that fits between "Standard Duty" and "Heavy Duty." The quality of this drill is well above "Standard." You will not be disappointed with it for any normal use.(I have changed the title of this review. I would also change the number of stars I have posted--but if there is a way to do so, I cannot find it).Original review follows for reference=====================================If you want a reasonably sturdy hand drill for light-duty use around the house, this drill will meet or exceed your needs. But if you are a trade-person who intends daily use of this drill for decades, you will be disappointed.An ordinary "eggbeater" hand drill has two gears--the driving gear which you turn with a hand crank, and the driven or "pinion" gear, which is attached to and rotates the chuck. When the drill is used, the force transmitted through the gears tends to push the driving and pinion gears apart at their point of engagement, causing the driving gear to tilt on its axle. In the extreme case, the axle will bend, allowing the gears to disengage.In a more robust design, a second pinion gear is mounted to the frame at a point directly opposite the pinion that drives the chuck. This second pinion gear also engages the driving gear and rotates as the driving gear turns. Otherwise, it is connected to nothing.The sole--but very important--function of the second pinion gear is to support the driving gear at a point opposite the pinion connected to the chuck. This prevents the driving gear from tilting, and removes the bending force from the driving-gear axle.From the price, the item description, and indeed from close inspection of the illustration, I believe it is reasonable to expect this drill to be the more sturdy, two-pinion, design. Alas, it is not.This drill is designed so that the frame could accept a second pinion, but it is absent. There is only an empty space where this second pinion and its axle could be. Thinking the lack of the second pinion to be an accidental and unusual omission from the assembly, I called the United States vendor, for whom this was a new item. (I may have bought the first one they sold). The vendor checked remaining stock, and found their others to be the same. They quickly agreed to accept the return of the drill, and immediately refunded my total cost including the cost of return shipping.I've happily given the Vendor a five-star rating.This drill does have a fine-quality chuck. If it were described as a light-duty drill, or as a precision drill, and if the frame were not designed to accept a second pinion yet did not have one, I could give this product a higher rating. But when I compare the "heavy-duty" description to the actual construction of the drill, two stars is the most generous I can be.

I had a previous version of this drill and it had an elastic band around the neck and slots for several drill bits and screwdriver heads. Fiskars has completely eliminated 1/2 the usefulness of this tool...having the bits right where you could find them. I didn't notice when I ordered it or I'd have tried to repair and save my old one. Bummer...

The drills I received are not the drills pictured on the web site. The product number appears to be correct, but it is a different model. The ones I ordered (like the one I already own) have drill bits attached. I had to go out and buy drill bits for this product. Because they were intended as gifts, I had no time to return them.

My product received was NOT as pictured. There were no bits sold with the drill, nor are there any indentations to hold the bits as pictured. Granted, I knew I'd need to buy more bits, but it should come with items pictured, or say something like 'bits sold separately'. Neither this ad, nor the packaging stated this.

Worked for a while, great for small drill jobs, then the s*** can't dance anymore. Damn, after attaching the bit and you rotate the handle, the tip of the bit wobbles!! Strongly suggest you save this $$, top up and invest in a friggin' cordless drill instead(dewalt, makita, bosch,etc). I have a dewalt for 6 months and never regretted getting it - reliable and gets s*** done.

This is very poorly built and wouldn't recommend to be used on thick wood or metal, after using it 5 times, it broke. As they say, on the long run cheap is more expensive.

I give it a point for a much more ergonomic design than the old style hand drills. The handle is much more comfortable to grip while drilling. Even then, there's a problem with insufficient clearance between the grip and the crank, so you have to be careful how you hold it to avoid skinning your knuckles.But after maybe a dozen uses, as I was tightening the chuck on the bit, something went pop inside, and it barely worked any more. Apparently the internal gearing is plastic, a cheap plastic that's not strong enough to hold up under hand power, and one or more teeth broke. There's no obvious way to get inside, and it's not worth my time to saw it open to verify what happened. As it's been a couple of years since I bought it, it's going in the trash.I don't expect such a tool to stand up to having a power tool attached to it, or to be able to drill half-inch holes 6" deep in seconds. But I see no excuse for its being unable to withstand normal hand use by someone whose arms are no stronger than average and has significant arthritis in his fingers which limits how hard he can twist it.

It broke down on the very first day I attempted to use it. Save your time, money and invest a little bit more for something of a decent quality for a higher price.

By the second time I used it the gears were slipping so badly that it wasn't working. I would not recommend this. I only tried it on wood. I can't imagine it working at all on hard plastic or metal.

I really wanted to like this little hand drill, but true to the warning of those who bought it before me, it's not made for durability. After using it a few times, something happened to the internal mechanism where the crank no longer turned smoothly and I could hear a dull clicking sound. I think during the process of tightening up the bit or loosening it, too much force is applied to the internal cranks.

The drill was simple enough to use, but fell apart the second time I tried to use it. The drill bit caught in the plastic I was drilling and instead simply catching, the chuck on the drill came completely undone. The springs inside went flying and I have not been able to find them all to repair the drill. This was undoubtedly partly user error, but simple plastic should not have ripped the drill into pieces.

I bought this item because I needed a cordless drill to take on a boating trip and because I respectED the Fiskars name as a quality brand. On the very first attempt to use the drill, the internal gears failed rendering the tool totally useless. I had to resort to drilling with a vice-grip holding the drill bit. That worked better!Now I question whether the Fiskars brand is quality.Don't buy this tool.

Got this, shipping was fast. This guys is the perfect little drill for small home improvement projects. It beats the hell out of a power drill for just putting holes in the wall to mount something. The control is great, you can get just the depth desired and the drill bits are easy to load. You've got to tighten the hell out of the thing or when you start to crank it might come undone. I don't know why they engineered it that way but the standard clockwise motion will loosen the drill bit housing if it's not tight enough. Still though, great drill. I haven't used it enough to know if the plastic housing and crank handle can take a good bit of abuse but be sure if it breaks I'll edit this review.EDIT TO ABOVE REVIEW!!! IT BROKE!!!I've used it enough now and it's not the plastic housing or the crank handle but the inner components of the crank itself... Okay so after this broke I took it apart and found that one set of teeth on the inner gears is plastic and one is metal. Needless to say after a while of use one of the plastic teeth will strip and then you'll start to notice it stripping more and more and sooner rather than later it'll be completely useless. It doesn't last, don't waste your time buying this, find something more rugged with better components.