I'm not the handy one in my family. Growing up, my mom was the one always involved in projects like building a bookcase or fixing the dishwasher. Apparently this gender reversal from traditional roles has carried over into my own family, because my wife is the one to install shelves in the living room or put together a new dining room table.
That said, I have not fully relinquished my manly responsibilities; if there's one tool I know my way around, it's a screwdriver. And as with anyone who's ever used one, I've wished I had more heads to choose from. Often, the standard head is too small for the job or the Phillips head is too big. That's why the Bit Dr. is a great little tool to have around the house.
Billed as a tool that "cleverly packs the function of a 21-piece driver set in the weight of one standard screwdriver," the Bit Dr. lives up to the hype. While I found the individual bits a little hard to remove with my fat fingers, it was not overly difficult, and I imagine someone with more svelte hands would have an easier time with it. The tool is extremely compact, and I found it easy to carry wherever I might need a screwdriver. I used it for tightening some screws that had come loose on my boat, and it did the trick.
The extendable shaft seemed sturdy enough, and at four inches, it is long enough to reach behind most spots on a pontoon. Starting at $19.95, the Bit Dr. does seem a bit pricy.
In all, the Bit Dr. performs no better than a regular screwdriver, but the convenience of having 21 driver heads available at all times makes it a good purchase.
-Brandon Barrus, PDB
