The Xiaomi Wowstick Electric Screwdriver 19-in-1 with battery is currently available for €15.30 at Banggood – voucher: BGCGHD001.
If you do a lot of screwing, you’ve certainly had your eye on electric screwdrivers. Of these, there is also a wide range of Chinese products. Of course, there is also an electric screwdriver from Xiaomi. The Xiaomi Wowstick 1fs has been extremely expensive for a while, but now you can get it at an acceptable price.
Xiaomi Wowstick Electric Screwdriver
- Xiaomi wowstick 1fs with battery
- at Banggood (currently out of stock)
- Xiaomi wowstick 19-in-1 with battery
- at Banggood for €15.30 – Voucher: BGCGHD001
- Xiaomi wowstick 1fs with battery
- at Banggood for €49.11 | GeekBuying 33.27€ (currently sold out)
| Model | wow stick |
| Dimensions | 15.75mm |
| Weight | 46.5 g (without batteries) 69.4 g (with batteries) |
| battery pack | 2 AAA batteries or rechargeable lithium batteries |
| Accesories | 18 different magnetic bits |
- Two versions
In many pictures you can see the Wowstick Electric Screwdriver in a white, rounded box that also has space for the bits. However, this is only one version of the screwdriver. Here the motor is powered by two batteries, and there are also two LEDs next to the screw head that light up when you press the stick. The second version needs two AAA batteries instead of rechargeable batteries and has to do without the LEDs. We got this second version of Xiaomi screwdriver.
Oh yes, why actually Xiaomi? Wowtation, as the manufacturer is called, is one of the many smaller companies supported by Xiaomi and whose products are sold on Xiaomi’s sales platform xiaomiyoupin.com . It is difficult to say exactly how much Xiaomi is in the company and thus in the wowstick. The only thing that is certain is that Xiaomi is at least financially involved here, but probably also through product development.
Packaging – cardboard or plastic
As already mentioned, a version of the Wowstick comes in a white storage case, which is closed by magnets. In our case, there is a white box, which in turn contains three narrower boxes. One contains the Wowstick, one contains three tubes of six bits each, and one contains a cloth pouch that can hold both.
The batteries are pushed into the back of the stick. The clasp can be unscrewed with a flat-head screwdriver or simply with your fingernail, as it doesn’t close very tightly (but is tight enough not to open on its own).
As already mentioned, the Wowstick has 18 bits. That’s five fewer than the Xiaomi Wiha screwdriver set, but as is well known, you have to do the work yourself. Attaching the bits is relatively easy with magnetism. So all you have to do is plug them into the head of the stick and you’re good to go.
The stick is easy to hold and can be held like a pen. The head can be rotated in both directions using the button. There are no other buttons or setting options, the torque cannot be changed; the fixed speed is about 100 revolutions per minute. In the version with LEDs, the latter cannot be switched off either.
In practice – working with the wowstick
Basically, the stick works well. The gadget is especially helpful for small jobs that require a steady hand but have to pull a lot of screws. The number of bits included covers many, if not all, screw heads; the change between two bits takes place within seconds. We tweaked our gadgets a bit to put the stick to the test. In the end, that’s what it’s intended for: laptops, mobile phones, and everything that’s put together with the (tiniest) screws.
Unfortunately, the biggest problem is the insufficient power of the wowstick. The stick simply cannot loosen a reasonably tightened screw (by hand). You can also turn the screw manually with the stick, but this should not be good for the engine in the long run. With screws that really have to be rock-solid, you always have the problem that you still have to tighten them manually by hand.
This is not necessarily a KO criterion. You can still save time with the device, and pressing a button on the Wowstick is easier than turning many screws by hand. Even if you first have to manually loosen or tighten them individually. And the following applies: after tight comes loose. You will certainly not tighten the screws too tightly here, so that you can be safe beforehand.
What the Wowstick is definitely not suited for are larger craft projects. You can’t build furniture or turn screws in the wall with it.
Accesories
Even if it is not included with the Wowstick, there are still some accessories from the same manufacturer. Elsewhere we introduced the Wowpad, a magnetic base for your screws. There is also the wow case, in which up to seven bits can be accommodated. If you use the enclosed bag, you don’t need the case, but it offers faster access to the bits than the somewhat unwieldy plastic tubes.
Conclusion – no more screwdrivers?
The stick does exactly what we expected of it. It is easy to use and space-saving to store. We had already thought that the force would not be sufficient to loosen tight screws. Overall, however, the stick is quite helpful for precision engineering work. So if you often screw together or disassemble devices of this size, the Wowstick is easy on your wrists. If you only open the battery compartment of the remote control once a year, you definitely don’t need it, and it doesn’t replace the cordless screwdriver either. Wowstick Electric Screwdriver Review video below:
