2-In-1 Switch Drill & Driver

Brand: WORX
Manufacturer: Positec USA
Model: WX176L
EAN: 0672050290061
Category: Gadgets & Tools
Price: $195.50  (127 customer reviews)
Dimension: 8.50 x 9.00 x 3.50 inches
Shipping Wt: 2.90 pounds. FREE Shipping (Details)
Availability: Usually ships within 7 to 8 days
Average Rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
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Product Description

Get ready for a faster, more enjoyable DIY experience with the innovative WORX Switchdriver 2-in-1 Cordless Drill & Driver. The Switchdriver features two 1/4 in. chucks that rotate 180° at the push of a button. This unique dual-chuck design lets you move effortlessly between drilling and driving without stopping to change out the bit. Just load both chucks with standard ¼” hex bits, drill your hole, then press the button to rotate the second chuck and drive the screw. No more fumbling for bits means you can work twice as fast, even while standing on a ladder. You can even work in the dark, thanks to an automatic LED light that engages in drive mode. At 3.1 lbs, the Switchdriver is compact, lightweight and easy to control. A variable-speed, reversible motor delivers enough power to handle most drilling, driving or fastening jobs around the house. Use high speeds (up to 1,500 RPM) for fast drilling, and low speeds for jobs that require more torque. A precise electronic torque control dial lets you choose from 11 positions and 265-in-lbs. of torque to set screws to the right depth without stripping or work surface damage. The Switchdriver comes with two powerful 20-volt MAX lithium batteries, compatible with all WORX 20V DIY lawn and power tools as part of the Power Share battery platform that saves you time and money. Included in the box are the Switchdriver 2-in-1 Cordless Drill and Driver, two 20V 1.5Ah Power Share batteries, battery charger, one 1/8" drill bit, one 3/32" drill bit, and a #2 Philips driver bit, and a manufacturer’s 3-year warranty. Do not maintain secondary cells and batteries on charge when not in use

Features

  • [TWO BITS AT ONCE] Easily and instantly alternate between two bits on the innovative Switchdriver head. Drill a pilot hole then the screw, all without switching tools or bits
  • [STRIP-PROOF] Automatic torque control stops you from stripping screws. It also prevents you from damaging the surface of the project
  • [DO IT ALL WITH THE SAME BATTERY] Worx Power Share is compatible with all Worx 20v and 40v tools, outdoor power and lifestyle products
  • [2 SPEEDS] Variable gear train lets you go slow for backing out or drilling into tricky materials, or fast for driving your screws home
  • [JUST PRESS THE BUTTON] Switch between the alternating ¼” chucks just by pressing a button. The heads rotate 180-degrees and you get a whole new tool without having to get down from the ladder
  • [LED WORK LIGHT] Work in dark or dusty spaces with the trigger-activated LED light. An illuminated workspace is a safe and efficient workspace
  • [LIGHTWEIGHT, COMPACT] At just 2.75 lbs., you can use the Switchdriver all day without strain. At that weight, you can maneuver into high and tough to reach spaces

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Top Reviews

Do Not leave the batteries plugged into these dumb chargers.
by Prof100 (2 out of 5 stars)
December 12, 2015

I bought mine directly from the Worx website and got a significant savings with a special holiday price and new customer coupon. Before going further let me state I am not a shill for WORX. I did what anybody should do. I researched the Switchdriver after watching some of the infomercial and found very few real world reviews because it is new to the market. I did find several PR placements that said nothing meaningful about real world use. I even read a review about how the rotating driver head wears out but suspect it is conjecture and not based upon long term use.

I have attempted to post a similar review on the Worx website but it never gets approved and posted by the Worx website moderator. If it ever does get posted there I will update this review. Meanwhile, if you read the Worx website reviews keep in mind they appear to ONLY post super positive reviews.

DUMB CHARGER (no auto shutoff or cell balancing)

That said, it arrived with drill, a charger and two 1.5 ah 20 volt batteries. I have a 2013 cordless Jawsaw which came with a battery and a spare I bought. The 2015 charger is a similar' "dumb" design but slightly different green/red display scheme. Luckily, both turn solid green when battery is fully charged. Both are clumsy to release from the battery pack.

WARNING: Do Not leave the batteries plugged into these dumb chargers. It will kill them. Continuous charging of a Li Ion battery is a fast track to premature battery failure. Failure to remove a battery pack from the charger is probably the root cause of batteries not lasting.

Ideally, store them with half a charge but these batteries are pretty robust and don't suffer from the memory effect that Nicads are known to suffer from. That said, storage temp is important. They really like being stored in a controlled environment not hot or freezing. If Lithium battery storage in your house scares you then switch to corded drills or buy a used metal ammo box to store the Lithium Ion batter packs.

IN THE BOX and first impressions

Drill, charger, two batteries with instructions. Plus, there are two drill bits and one #2 Phillips included. The Switchdriver is a compact and comfortable design. I grabbed a charged pack and did some testing of the new drill. I inserted the Phillips bit in one chuck and the drill bit in the other. The chuck operates quite easily and changing a hex head bit is simple. The switching head position is locked in place to prevent accidental rotation. It requires releasing or unlocking to swap driver head. A simple trigger releases the rotating head. Simple and elegant design. Drilling holes in wood requires high speed setting. Driving is done at low speed. The electronic torque control clumsily behaves like a battery that's having the voltage cutoff due to a discharged battery. I don't like it because it mimics a discharged battery pack.

Pros

Compact size
--Well balanced
--LED light illuminates some of the work area
--Conventional locations for reverse switch and low/high speed switch.
--Swapping driver heads is easy and quick
--Total price, if shopped well, is less than two batteries. If you need batteries buy them in a discounted kit. However, the kits with two packs are the older style 1.5 amp hour picks. Newer model Worx trimmer kits have 2.0 amp hour packs. Amp hour rating is more than just capacity or size of the "fuel tank". It directly affects the packs ability to deliver current. I suspect Worx will changeover to the higher capacity packs across the board once they turn inventory over. Remember, amp hour (ah) rating is akin to the size of your "fuel tank."

CONS
--Torque output is underwhelming at 330 inch lbs. or 27 ft. Lbs. That is amazingly low for a 20 volt drill / driver. I could not drive Kreg screws into a pre drilled joint.
--electronic torque control is virtually worthless to me. It simply shuts off the current and acts like your battery is low and the torque load has stalled the switchdriver. I am marking this down to 3 starts as a result.
--Charger does not diagnose or balance the cells when charging. Nor does it shutoff when the pack is charged. Hence, their nickname is "dumb charger."
--LED light should have a delayed off so it can triggered on to find the screw head without spinning the drill or driver it. (This feature is standard on competitive offerings )
--No belt clip or hook which is often standard on cordless drills.
--No carrying case although HF offers a range of different size bags for a reasonable price.

BOTTOM LINE

Bottom line is the unique easy to switch multi-head design is fast if your project requires repetitive drilling of holes and driving of screws. You really need to pre-drill every hole in a 2x4 because the screws cannot be driven in like you would expect with a 20 volt sized drill / driver. Design objective was met with the final product but as a drill and driver it is average at best except for the switchable head.

Worx designed-in a unique selling proposition and delivered but the other features are average at best in terms of maximum torque. Every company strives for some type of differentiation. Home Depot Ridgid power tools have an honest to goodness lifetime service agreement including battery packs which differentiates Home Depot brand from the rest. Worx has their Switchdriver in the competitive arena of cordless 20 volt Drill / Drivers.

Overall, not a bad purchase if you are looking for spare batteries for another Worx power tool. For 15% less than buying two spare batteries I got the batteries, the charger, and a low torque 20 volt drill. With that in mind I give this drill and driver 3 stars.

Edit 12/31/15 -- I have twice attempted to post this same review on the WORX web page but it never gets approved by the Worx moderator. Therefore, be wary of AVERAGE review scores of Worx products on the Worx website. Only super positive review ratings are posted on the Worx website.

EDIT 1-13-16 Update -- It has been a month since I bought this hybrid drill & driver. The review I wrote remains unchanged. I used it along side the other drills and impact drivers I own. The Ridgid 12 volt combo has more torque and is smaller. The 12 volt Dewalt impact driver has a charger that allows you to leave the battery in the charger after it is charged. Of course, the torque is in a different league. My 18/20 volt Ridgid drill and impact driver costs $30 to $50 more. Like the 12 volt DeWalt impact driver you can drive a 3" deck screw into 2x4 without pre drilling. That being said I do like the switch driver to be at hand or nearby because I store it with a deck screw sized drill in it but parked in the us engaged position. I can quickly grab it if I need to drill a pilot hole. I am still pleased with the purchase because for the discount price I have two more batteries for my Worx cordless Jawsaw.
2-17-16 UPDATE

I still use the Switchdriver but not as a primary drill and driver. I also have two Ridgid 12 volt lithium ion impact drivers and drills plus a 12 volt Dewalt impact driver. These 12 volt combos have monstrous torque compared to the Worx Switchdriver. In addition, I have a 18/20 volt Ridgid combo drill and impact driver which is heavier but incredibly nice more powerful. That said, I like having the Switchdriver handy with a drill bit installed but positioned in the protected position. I find myself using it for drilling pilot holes. It is handy to have it at your fingertips.
3-25-16 Update

I still use the drill once in a while to drill small pilot holes. Leaving the drill bit in the Switchdriver with the drill stored near the handle is inherently a feature I find quite desirable. Just grab it a drill the hole.
11/25/17 update

I seldom use this drill and driver combo. It is a toy like device.
5/28/18 update

This drill and drive combo never gets used. It is time to sell it to someone else.
↭ 🍁 ↭

Worx switchdiver drill that doesn't work any longer !
by gskp (1 out of 5 stars)
June 26, 2017

I purchased this item in February 2016 and it just stopped working 2 weeks ago. I paid allot of money for it and quite upset that I now have to purchase another drill. At Amazon it doesn't tell me how to get it repaired, so I am even more angry. It was a really nice tool while it worked, but I will not buy another one. I tries to work when I press the trigger but it fails every time.
↭ 🍁 ↭

Neat invention.
by Chris (4 out of 5 stars)
June 11, 2017

Pros: Very useful having two 1/4" shank/drivers in one tool. The drill feels well built and thought out. It feels light weight. It comes with two drill bits and one Phillips 1/4" Shank. Low and High setting. Comfortable grip. The LED light is decent.

Cons: The red, torque control knob between 1-11 are useless. There is no difference. It seems stuck on the drill mode. The dial turns but I only get full torque using the drill. Giving this product only 4 Stars because of the faulty torque control.

Overall, I'm happy with the product.
↭ 🍁 ↭

Very Short Life
by Renard D. Linnell (1 out of 5 stars)
May 9, 2018

While working on the first project where I needed to switch from drill to driver and back several times, the Switchdriver failed. Now only one of the quick connect shafts works. Not much use to me. I have several conventional drill drivers. Maybe the batteries will work with one of my others.

I'm usually pretty good at fixing things, so I took it apart. No luck. Checked the paperwork and saw that it has a 3 year limited warranty only valid if nobody else has tried to fix it. Lesson learned. Don't really want to mess with contacting customer service, returning it etc anyway.
↭ 🍁 ↭

works perfect for me
by MOUNTIN DU (5 out of 5 stars)
February 26, 2017

I bought this; with some apprehension, to be battery compatible with my cordless Worx lawn equipment. this thing works great for drill and drive jobs around the house and camp. no need for two tools (drill & driver) anymore. wooden fence work, deck and pier jobs... this tool has it covered and delivers on power as well. both chucks are quick change hex with ball & groove retention. they are not magnetic and require hex shank bits with groove. they are inexpensive and easy to find, so not a show stopper for me. it's shipped in a cardboard box with a couple screw bits, two batteries and a charger.
↭ 🍁 ↭

Innovative and very useful designed cordless drill
by C. Ernest Knowles (5 out of 5 stars)
July 1, 2018

What a great drill and an innovative design. The Switch-driver 2-in-1 quick change 1/4" chuck allows a drill in one side and a Phillips or regular screw driver bit in the other. Drilling a hole and immediately putting in a screw is something I've done many times. I replaced an older cordless drill because the batteries would not hold a charge overnight - I had to fully charge just before use - and buying new ones was getting harder to do.

I also have the WORK blower and the edger, and the two batteries that come with this drill are interchangeable with those tools.

Finally, I like the advanced design of charger - it has the same "floating" ability when battery is fully charged, but now lets you know when the battery is charging (blinking green), when it is fully charged (steady green), and when a damaged battery needs recycling (steady red).
↭ 🍁 ↭

Switch-driver feature is a pretty neat innovation but only accepts 1/4" hex-based bits
by Mer (4 out of 5 stars)
March 29, 2018

I love this product! The switch-driver feature is a pretty neat innovation that makes this drill stand out among the rest - that is, of course, if you're working with just a pair of bits most of the time. While using a standard power drill with keyless chuck is comfortably easy, having a Work Switchdriver makes it a lot more effortless - and being lightweight at just over 2.5 pounds makes it very handy and comfortable.

However, this new design is not perfect yet. First, the spring-lock chuck would ONLY take 1/4" hex-based bits - no other sizes will fit in. I understand that having a pair of chuck alternatingly switch position would have obviously limited the provision of a bulkier keyless chuck that would accept variable bit diameters, so they came up with a single-size option. So if you're ready to buy a whole new set of screwdriver and drill bit set, or if you already own a conventional power drill with keyless chuck, this is cool to keep. Secondly, the LED light would have been most effective if located somewhere else (probably on top of the battery pack (where the downward chuck points at), an angle where it is not obstructed by the front drill mount. Lastly, i tried the torque settings of 1-11, but i don't see a remarkable change switching from number to number - 'not sure if i got a defective unit, or the torque control just doesn't work.
↭ 🍁 ↭

WORKS SWITCH DRIVER
by Robert B. (5 out of 5 stars)
May 29, 2017

I the first I noticed it on amazon, and bought it. I do lots of light and medium wood work around the the house. Having 2 chucks really is very handy. There is a switch above the trigger, you just pull and spin the the drill holder ( in either direction) to rotate to the other chuck, which is already loaded with another drill. The drill is light and very comfortable to hold. It has a very effective led light which can be activated without the drill turning . It comes with a charger and 2 20v 1.5 amp batteries. As the 2 chucks are the quick release type, I also bought a Drillpro . 5mm -8mm conventional chuck. I allows me to also regular round drills. It is small and fits well on this drill. This product is also available on amazon.
↭ 🍁 ↭

A Time Daving Tool You Need In Your Collection.
by Captain Greg (5 out of 5 stars)
March 15, 2016

An extremely versatile tool and a true time saver.

Only drawback is that you have to use her head bits, because the chuck is a quick release. Only comes in a 1/4" chuck, but not a problem, since you can buy drill bits of various sizes. I purchased Drill Bits from 1/16" to 1/2", Socket Adapters for 1/4", 3/8" & 1/2" Drives, and Various Screwdriver Bits.
↭ 🍁 ↭

We'll see about the longevity.
by Jan R. Klincewicz (5 out of 5 stars)
June 27, 2019

We had a heavier version of one of these (different manufacturer) for years. The battery finally got stuck, so could not recharge. This Worx appears to be the only company that makes one of these handy switchable screwdriver / drills. 90% of our projects require a starter hole, so these are AMAZINGLY efficient tools. This seems quite sturdy and is much lighter in weight than our previous one. A little less torque, but a decent tradeoff. Because of the battery being standardized, I also bought a Worx power washer. Nice to have multi-use batteries. We'll see how long this lasts , bt the price was reasonable, and we're very happy with it so far.
↭ 🍁 ↭

Do Not leave the batteries plugged into these dumb chargers.
by Prof100,Top Contributor: Woodworking (2 out of 5 stars)
December 12, 2015

I bought mine directly from the Worx website and got a significant savings with a special holiday price and new customer coupon. Before going further let me state I am not a shill for WORX. I did what anybody should do. I researched the Switchdriver after watching some of the infomercial and found very few real world reviews because it is new to the market. I did find several PR placements that said nothing meaningful about real world use. I even read a review about how the rotating driver head wears out but suspect it is conjecture and not based upon long term use.

I have attempted to post a similar review on the Worx website but it never gets approved and posted by the Worx website moderator. If it ever does get posted there I will update this review. Meanwhile, if you read the Worx website reviews keep in mind they appear to ONLY post super positive reviews.

DUMB CHARGER (no auto shutoff or cell balancing)

That said, it arrived with drill, a charger and two 1.5 ah 20 volt batteries. I have a 2013 cordless Jawsaw which came with a battery and a spare I bought. The 2015 charger is a similar' "dumb" design but slightly different green/red display scheme. Luckily, both turn solid green when battery is fully charged. Both are clumsy to release from the battery pack.

WARNING: Do Not leave the batteries plugged into these dumb chargers. It will kill them. Continuous charging of a Li Ion battery is a fast track to premature battery failure. Failure to remove a battery pack from the charger is probably the root cause of batteries not lasting.

Ideally, store them with half a charge but these batteries are pretty robust and don't suffer from the memory effect that Nicads are known to suffer from. That said, storage temp is important. They really like being stored in a controlled environment not hot or freezing. If Lithium battery storage in your house scares you then switch to corded drills or buy a used metal ammo box to store the Lithium Ion batter packs.

IN THE BOX and first impressions

Drill, charger, two batteries with instructions. Plus, there are two drill bits and one #2 Phillips included. The Switchdriver is a compact and comfortable design. I grabbed a charged pack and did some testing of the new drill. I inserted the Phillips bit in one chuck and the drill bit in the other. The chuck operates quite easily and changing a hex head bit is simple. The switching head position is locked in place to prevent accidental rotation. It requires releasing or unlocking to swap driver head. A simple trigger releases the rotating head. Simple and elegant design. Drilling holes in wood requires high speed setting. Driving is done at low speed. The electronic torque control clumsily behaves like a battery that's having the voltage cutoff due to a discharged battery. I don't like it because it mimics a discharged battery pack.

Pros

Compact size
--Well balanced
--LED light illuminates some of the work area
--Conventional locations for reverse switch and low/high speed switch.
--Swapping driver heads is easy and quick
--Total price, if shopped well, is less than two batteries. If you need batteries buy them in a discounted kit. However, the kits with two packs are the older style 1.5 amp hour picks. Newer model Worx trimmer kits have 2.0 amp hour packs. Amp hour rating is more than just capacity or size of the "fuel tank". It directly affects the packs ability to deliver current. I suspect Worx will changeover to the higher capacity packs across the board once they turn inventory over. Remember, amp hour (ah) rating is akin to the size of your "fuel tank."

CONS
--Torque output is underwhelming at 330 inch lbs. or 27 ft. Lbs. That is amazingly low for a 20 volt drill / driver. I could not drive Kreg screws into a pre drilled joint.
--electronic torque control is virtually worthless to me. It simply shuts off the current and acts like your battery is low and the torque load has stalled the switchdriver. I am marking this down to 3 starts as a result.
--Charger does not diagnose or balance the cells when charging. Nor does it shutoff when the pack is charged. Hence, their nickname is "dumb charger."
--LED light should have a delayed off so it can triggered on to find the screw head without spinning the drill or driver it. (This feature is standard on competitive offerings )
--No belt clip or hook which is often standard on cordless drills.
--No carrying case although HF offers a range of different size bags for a reasonable price.

BOTTOM LINE

Bottom line is the unique easy to switch multi-head design is fast if your project requires repetitive drilling of holes and driving of screws. You really need to pre-drill every hole in a 2x4 because the screws cannot be driven in like you would expect with a 20 volt sized drill / driver. Design objective was met with the final product but as a drill and driver it is average at best except for the switchable head.

Worx designed-in a unique selling proposition and delivered but the other features are average at best in terms of maximum torque. Every company strives for some type of differentiation. Home Depot Ridgid power tools have an honest to goodness lifetime service agreement including battery packs which differentiates Home Depot brand from the rest. Worx has their Switchdriver in the competitive arena of cordless 20 volt Drill / Drivers.

Overall, not a bad purchase if you are looking for spare batteries for another Worx power tool. For 15% less than buying two spare batteries I got the batteries, the charger, and a low torque 20 volt drill. With that in mind I give this drill and driver 3 stars.

Edit 12/31/15 -- I have twice attempted to post this same review on the WORX web page but it never gets approved by the Worx moderator. Therefore, be wary of AVERAGE review scores of Worx products on the Worx website. Only super positive review ratings are posted on the Worx website.

EDIT 1-13-16 Update -- It has been a month since I bought this hybrid drill & driver. The review I wrote remains unchanged. I used it along side the other drills and impact drivers I own. The Ridgid 12 volt combo has more torque and is smaller. The 12 volt Dewalt impact driver has a charger that allows you to leave the battery in the charger after it is charged. Of course, the torque is in a different league. My 18/20 volt Ridgid drill and impact driver costs $30 to $50 more. Like the 12 volt DeWalt impact driver you can drive a 3" deck screw into 2x4 without pre drilling. That being said I do like the switch driver to be at hand or nearby because I store it with a deck screw sized drill in it but parked in the us engaged position. I can quickly grab it if I need to drill a pilot hole. I am still pleased with the purchase because for the discount price I have two more batteries for my Worx cordless Jawsaw.
2-17-16 UPDATE

I still use the Switchdriver but not as a primary drill and driver. I also have two Ridgid 12 volt lithium ion impact drivers and drills plus a 12 volt Dewalt impact driver. These 12 volt combos have monstrous torque compared to the Worx Switchdriver. In addition, I have a 18/20 volt Ridgid combo drill and impact driver which is heavier but incredibly nice more powerful. That said, I like having the Switchdriver handy with a drill bit installed but positioned in the protected position. I find myself using it for drilling pilot holes. It is handy to have it at your fingertips.
3-25-16 Update

I still use the drill once in a while to drill small pilot holes. Leaving the drill bit in the Switchdriver with the drill stored near the handle is inherently a feature I find quite desirable. Just grab it a drill the hole.
11/25/17 update

I seldom use this drill and driver combo. It is a toy like device.
5/28/18 update

This drill and drive combo never gets used. It is time to sell it to someone else.

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