The new Worx AiDrill cordless drill, WX178, is either the most innovative DIYer drill ever, or the most gimmicky.
I’m calling it a DIYer drill, because I assume it’s aimed at consumers, homeowners, hobbyists, DIYers, and similar audiences. From what I’ve seen, Worx cordless power tools aren’t aimed at professional users.
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Worx says that their AiDrill will lead you to Rethink drilling and driving, entirely.
There are 3 main features that together make this an extremely unique drill.
- Automatic BitLock Chuck
- SafeDrive
- PulseAssist Impulse Function
Automatic BitLock Chuck
The Worx AiDrill features a self-centering and auto-locking chuck, which is activated by a rotatable switch. Rock the switch collar one way to secure bits in the chuck, and the other way to loosen them up.
The promo video, embedded below, makes it look fantastic, but the proof will come when a variety of bit types and sizes are thrown at it.
SafeDrive Automatic Screw Stop
Worx is calling this a game changer, and claim that the automatic screw stop works regardless of screw size or working material.
This feature basically replaces the adjustable clutch found on nearly every other cordless drill.
Sounds a lot like the Black & Decker AutoSense drill to me.
PulseAssist Impact Function
There’s also a hammer-like an impact-like impulse mode, PulseAssist, that can be used to start drill bits on hard, slick, or curved surfaces, and to loosen stubborn screws.
That sounds a lot like Metabo’s Impuls drill feature, which has been around for a number of years now.
Innovation or Gimmick?
As you watch the embedded video below, or skip the video and only consider the above points, do you feel more that the Worx AiDrill is an innovation, or a gimmick?
I think it has the potential to be an innovative cordless drill for casual users, but I have hesitations.
What happens if you under-drilled hardwood and require more torque to drive in some screws? Or if you’re using self-drilling screws? Spade drill bits, or any other non-twist drill bit, including hole saws, Unibit-style step bits, and so forth.
What happens when you’re driving in a fastener, and it hangs for a brief moment due to a lightly mangled thread?
Yes, drill clutches can require some trial and error to dial them in perfectly. But that trial and error, and adjustment range, gives you control. A tool like this looks to take away some of that control, in favor of convenience and in theory worry-free results.
Worx’s last cordless drill innovation was the SwitchDriver, an odd-looking tool with two quick release chucks.
Worx runs a lot of TV commercials and infomercials, and I fully expect for the new Worx AiDrill to be their as-seen-on-TV tool. That’s not a bad thing, it just means that a lot of the videos you see will show exaggerated failures of traditional tools.
That’s what turns me off of a tool like this – the ridiculous way “normal” tools are portrayed. If a drill is set to near its lowest clutch setting and that proves to be insufficient to drive a long screw, what sane individual will turn it forward 2 notches, try again, and then swing it to its maximum setting?
It looks to me like the “without [any of these fancy features” model is a European Bosch 18V green cordless drill with single speed, but I can’t quite identify the model.
This drill wouldn’t be a good fit for me today, 5 years ago, 10 years ago, and maybe even further back. But what about around 14 years ago when I bought my first cordless drill, a Black & Decker 12V Firestorm? Maybe…
Promo Video
As of the time of this posting, this YouTube video is the only place we’ve seen the Worx AiDrill. You can’t find it on Worx’s websites, or any typical Worx retailers, so we don’t know how much it’ll cost, or what its relevant specs are.
Drew M says
What cordless drill on this planet has the torque to shear off a bolt head?!
Mike says
Most of them. Fasteners can be very cheaply made now, and don’t have nearly the strength to survive being over torqued, even slightly. It happens all the time. It’s not about the drill, it’s the fastener and the material it’s going into.
Stuart says
Yup. I’ve sheared the heads off lag screws, sometimes just with hand tools.
It’s possible they intentionally weakened the fastener to exaggerate the effect for video.
Steve says
makita XFD07 – 1,090 in.lbs of torque
Drew M says
Must be some really cheap bolts but I mostly deal with DIN 12.9 hardware which is just insanely strong.
Bruce says
My right hand… 🙂
Nathan says
isn’t worx a black and decker company – they sure seem to parrot the same devices.
otherwise it might be nifty – but I’d have to put hand on one to test it.
like most worx stuff I have picked up I tend to pass on the ideas. I suspect I would here as well
Stuart says
No, Rockwell and Worx are brands under Positec, which sometimes also makes tools for other brands.
fred says
Also I think that the current Rockwell brand has little to do with the old Rockwell International conglomerate (at one time #27 on the Fortune 500) who once owned such tool brands as Porter-Cable, Porta-Nailer, and Walker Turner – and who’s Rocketdyne Division was a lead player in the country’s space program
Michael says
I don’t think it has anything to do with to do with it. Just the name
fred says
Yes – I’m not sure if the purchased the rights to the brand name – or if it expired with the breakup and demise of Rockwell International. It seems that a lot of folks selling tools sourced in China slap American sounding names on their products. That may start out as an attempt to hornswoggle the consumer – but may in time become a legitimate brand name. I can think of some of the brand names that you see on tools at places like Odd-Lots, Harbor Freight or at liquidation outlets. To be fair – some Pittsburgh brand tools at HF – get pretty good reviews as do some of their US General items . But why brand something “Chicago Electric” if its made in China? Or – how about a “Slaymaker” (the venerable lock maker) grinder:
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Angle-Grinder-4-1-2-new-Slaymaker-650-watts-power-grinding-sanding-finishing-/162224769547?hash=item25c5598a0b:g:emgAAOSwoydWpP81
T says
You have rockwell collins avionics mixed up with rockwell indistrial divisions that manufactured everything from switches to sunroofs in cars at one time.
fred says
My understanding was that Rockwell International started divesting businesses in the 1980’s as the space program was winding down and cold war was ending. After the sell offs to Boeing and others and other divestitures – what was left was 2 separate companies Rockwell Collins and Rockwell Automation (maybe some remnants of the old Allen Bradley Co. included) – with a jointly owned laboratory company that was spun off as Rockwell Scientific and was then sold to Teledyne. I defer to Wikipedia for more details.
Nitsan says
Interesting features.
I’ve never had so much trouble with drilling and screwdriving, i just stop pressing the button when it reaches the end. 🙂
How does the impulse thing help keep the bit on a round material though? Doesn’t make sense.
Nitsan says
I mean what they show at 3:41 in the video. Makes no sense to me.
Booger says
I think he is switching from pulse to normal drill once his pilot is started so it drills through the material faster.
Stuart says
I guess it works by creating a growing divot for the drill bit to self-center into.
BonPacific says
It’s like feathering the trigger when drilling in a slick surface, the intermittent power means the bit will drop back into the hole if it is starting to climb out of it.
The whole pulse thing work almost exactly like anti-lock brakes. Except that anti-lock brakes mean you don’t have to think in the .05 seconds of a car crash… Drilling a hole isn’t the same thing, and if you can remember to push that button, you can remember to feather the trigger.
William Butler says
Additional features include a built in paper weight and exercise machine. That’s all this “drill” will do; hold down papers and workout your arms when you throw it across the garage because you get too frustrated with it.
Those screws were not “perfectly flush”. I wonder if the impulse function would still work if they held the “drill” at an angle like they did the classic drill.
I would like a self centering chuck though. I don’t need the push button “bitlock” though. Its all gimmicky besides the chuck.
BonPacific says
I actually laughed when they zoomed in and said “perfectly flush”… When the bit was at least a millimeter above the surface.
Memories says
First set of driving screws – the 2nd screw isn’t “perfectly flush” at 1:15-1:22 in the video. I stopped after the 2nd part, yes, screws will not anchor something if you over drive them spinning for an extra couple of seconds.
I’d lean “Gimmick”
I would venture that their market is a beginner who has zero idea how to use a drill.
Todd H. says
I thought the Pulse feature was patented by Metabo who created it? How can Worx steal it and claim it as they’re new idea?
Jerry says
The only thing I think I would REALLY like would be auto chuck but only if it didn’t slip.
Jared says
I feel that a lot of the time people are quick to say it’s a gimmick when a brand that’s not one of the big 4. I feel if ( especially the auto chuck) was on a DeWalt drill it would be the greatest ingenuity since the impact driver. However stuart did a great job at saying it could be innovative but only time will tell. I think people realize that this could be and are willing to wait to see. It’s just easier to say gimmick until a major brand incorporates it to their product.
Booger says
Looks like it fulfills a need. I’m just not sure I’d be willing to switch platforms for it. Maybe they need to do what cellphone companies do and impose a buy out program.
RKA says
I don’t think that’s it. I think it’s what Stuart said. For those that have been around a drill in a variety of situations, you know there are a bunch of variables you take into account drawing from experience and that affects how you use a tool. Anytime you have pre-programmed logic making those decisions with no apparent way to account for this variables it suggests they made an assumption in the design and baked it into the logic. That can spell more frustration and it may not be easy to override. That step backward is what I call a gimmick. On the surface it’s advertised to solve a problem but in reality it doesn’t or it makes substantial compromises in the process.
Michael says
It’s a point and shoot camera version of a drill but without the years of perfecting it
firefly says
I think you hit it on the nail with that assessment. There is some truth to the branding though. The big 4 have a reputation to protect. Hence they are a lot less likely to put out a new feature without thoroughly testing it out. So yes if it’s something that come out of the big 4. We are a lot more receptive for that reason.
Unless the setting is variable or the drill have a way of sensing the material type/screw type then I can see it’s one of those future that work 50% of the time while wasting the rest of the user time trying/wishing to get it to work right… 😀
John says
Honestly I was actually rather surprised of the B&D AutoSense I would have liked to have seen more companies fleshing that out.
Without some specs, just looking at the video, I’m assuming this is just a lower power rated drill. The clutching is also likely an exponent lower than typical duty drills. This isn’t a bad thing thats actually a good area that is ignored, most drills for driving fasteners tend to be way overkill for light duty and their clutch doesn’t engage soon enough. I’d assume they picked an “average” torque setting and mixed it with some fuzzy logic to figure out when to just stop instead of increasing torque. I’m also hoping the “auto clutch” still has a manual option just in case its not able to lock tight enough.
The weird part is this whole thing seems way overkill for a 20 volt battery system. I would instead love to see everything here in a small handheld “screw driver” like model instead of a full on drill (12 volt, 7 volt, 4 volt etc?). I would also imagine that bigger battery is going to push this up in price. Another reason why a smaller handheld screwdriver would be a great use of this tech.
I’d still give it a shot for the heck of it, I still drive much more fasteners that don’t need nut busting power and this might fit the bill.
firefly says
Which is precisely what the one key does…
jeff says
Gimmick, no self respecting tool guy/gal will need/buy this.
Michael Quinlan says
I agree that only time will tell if it’s a gimmick or not. But it seems the features are targeted at those who are less-than-competent with power tools, as demonstrated by the less-than-competent use of the standard tools in the video. Idiot-proofing is an endless endeavor because it just leads to new and improved idiots.
Lauren says
The tool itself might be fine. The batteries are a whole ‘nother story.
Corey says
Market seems to be “sucks with drills. ” You can see the operator releasing the trigger in half the auto sense demos, and the operation of the generic drill was borderline offensive.
Dacan says
If its Worx, then its 99% gimmicky. I think they mean well when designing products, but they only seem to be good at the 1% of the time a particular situation arises.
Zack says
How would this drill be like to use, compared to an impact driver? Can impact drivers start fasteners in hard surfaces and curved surfaces?
BonPacific says
Yes, as long as you’re holding them straight, and are screwing into a surface that can take the fastener. Don’t try and put a screw into acrylic, that’s never going to work, no matter what driver you buy, just like no screw in the world will drive straight into a galvanized pipe.
WatTho says
Is it really just pulsing the throttle? How is that supposed to help?
BonPacific says
Same reason you feather the trigger on your regular drill. It makes control easier, and helps prevent the bit walking or climbing out of a shallow hole.
Oleg Kuperman says
Metabo’s implementation of this useless feature (useless=no anvil, hence no impact!) was bad and, well… Useless… Can’t imagine that the bright minds of Worx cracked the secret of the formula of nor only making this feature usable for actual work but also important enough to have on a tool to even call it a “feature”
Worx tools, by majority, a filled with cool, interesting gimmicks that do, at times, provide those that are in the beginning stages of their DIY careers with some usability but plagiarizing perhaps the worst driver feature that Metabo or any other drill manufacturer had ever thought up, I don’t know… Is it even worth talking about?..
KL says
I’m glad people are open to calling out a gimmick and I disagree that we would all love it if it were from a bigger name. I own 100+ Milwaukee tools but just can’t see a need for One Key and it strikes me as gimmicky.
Furthermore drills like this Worx are, sadly, built for the equivalent of today’s motor vehicle operator. Must have an automatic transmission, automatic AWD, back-up cameras, etc.
I’m glad some people still want control over their drill – I know I do
firefly says
I must respectfully disagree on this. I doubt that most of us here would love something just because it were from a bigger name.
Take the one key for example, while personally I don’t have a need for it. I can see it’s something that work very well. For example if I need to repeated screw hundred of similar screws into similar materials. The one key allow me to do precisely that. What the one key give us is repeatablity. However it doesn’t try to outsmart the user. That’s the key different. The software can/will give guidance of what the initial setting are. The user can fine tune from the base setting for their need. That mean it still require smart user input. It’s not something that we need for one screw. It’s when we need to sink hundred of screws without having to think about the clutch or the trigger. Now that’s power.
This particular drill doesn’t take user feedback into the loop. It have no sensor to detect the screw type/size/material nor the material that’s being screwed into. That’s gimmick.
Stuart says
I’m sure backup cameras have prevented plenty of accidents. Are you really complaining about automatic transmissions?
I rolled my eyes a little at the bank, for the calculator right next to the deposit slips. But if something can save time and improve accuracy for people making multiple deposits, why not?
A few years ago someone boasted about their ability to make a stack of calculations by hand. I caught an early error which threw everything off. The error must have been compounded at least 2 dozen times.
KL says
Do you really want to go there, here? Perhaps best for email.
Rick says
Anyone who falsely portrays a competitive product to that extent doesn’t deserve anyone buying their products.
BonPacific says
Anyone notice the “concrete” wall that was wobbling back and forth as they drive their fasteners? Lust ludicrous.
It’s a shitty drill with some marketing gimmicks.
Kent says
The drill for people who have no skills, no common sense, and should really be calling a handyman.
The “totally flush” screws weren’t. Look at 1:20 in the video – the screw isn’t flush; it’s about 1/16″ proud.
I’ll go so far as to say that it’s this year’s electric adjustable wrench.