Black & Decker 4V MAX Cordless Screwdriver

Why I reached for this little driver

A lot of the screwdriving I do at home falls into the “quick and awkward” category—assembling flat‑pack furniture on the floor, snugging cabinet pulls without dragging out a drill, or driving screws behind a TV stand where a full‑size tool won’t fit. That’s exactly where a compact 4V hex driver shines. After a few weeks with Black & Decker’s small pistol‑grip driver, I found it to be a handy, quiet helper for short, low‑stress jobs—provided you understand its limits and a few quirks.

Design and ergonomics

The first thing that stands out is the pistol‑grip form factor. It’s genuinely helpful in tight quarters, letting my wrist stay neutral while I reach into cabinet boxes and behind appliance panels. At about 1.3 pounds and roughly 9 inches long, it’s light enough to hold overhead but substantial enough not to feel like a toy. The handle shape is comfortable, with grippy surfaces where they should be.

The nose is relatively long for a compact driver. With short 1/4" bits, the bit sits recessed farther than on some competing micro drivers. In practice, two things help: using 2‑inch bits (it includes five) or snapping on the included plastic extension collar, which adds a bit of reach and visibility. Once I adopted that habit, the nose length stopped being a nuisance.

I also appreciate the LED ring light. Unlike single-spot lights that throw hard shadows, the ring gives a more even wash of light around the fastener. In the back of a cabinet or under a desk, it makes alignment much easier.

Bit compatibility and included accessories

This driver accepts common S‑shaped and L‑shaped hex bits in addition to standard 1/4" hex bits. Out of the box, you get an L‑shaped hex key, five 2‑inch driver bits, a bit storage bar, and the extension collar, plus a USB charging cable. The storage bar isn’t glamorous, but it’s genuinely useful; I kept the five essentials (PH2, PH1, SL4, SQ2, and a Torx) on the bar and threw it into the same drawer. If you’re used to an onboard bit magazine you might miss it, but the separate bar is actually quicker to manage for me.

Power and performance

Under the hood, this is a 3.6V (4V max) Li‑ion tool with 6 Wh of capacity. Translation: it’s built for light duty. In its element—cabinet hardware, furniture cam screws, small hinge screws, electrical box covers, light switch plates, picture hanging—it performs as expected. It’s not a speed demon and it’s not meant to be. The slowish top speed gives you better control and reduces cam‑out on small fasteners.

Where it struggles is with long wood screws, tight deck screws, or anything that demands meaningful torque in dense material. That’s not a knock; it’s simply the nature of this voltage class. For those tasks I pre‑drill or switch to a higher‑voltage drill/driver. With flat‑pack furniture, it handled cams and confirmats just fine, though I stopped short and finished the last quarter‑turn by hand to avoid over‑torquing particleboard.

Runout (bit wobble) on my unit was acceptable for the class. With 2‑inch bits, I saw a trace of wobble at full speed, but it didn’t affect driving #6 or #8 screws. If you’re doing precision accessory installation where tiny wobble matters, you’ll want a tool with a precision chuck; for general home tasks, this is fine.

Controls and usability

The control scheme is a rocker that both selects direction and powers the motor. Press the left side and it turns counterclockwise; the right, clockwise. There’s no separate trigger. The upside is simplicity; you can one‑hand it in awkward positions. The downside is you can’t “pre‑select” direction without the motor spinning briefly. After a day or two, muscle memory made it a non‑issue, but it’s not ideal when you’re aligning a fragile brass screw and want zero movement until you’re ready.

There’s also a manual mode. With the motor off, the driver allows you to apply hand torque through the bit, which is useful for initial thread engagement or snugging delicate fasteners. Occasionally I had to give the bit a tiny bump with the motor to let the gear train settle before it fully freewheeled for hand use. It’s a mild quirk, but worth knowing—it’s not a precision clutch; it’s a simple spindle lock.

One feature you won’t find is an adjustable clutch. That’s typical for 4V drivers in this price tier, but it means you need to use your ears and finish by hand when working in soft materials. It’s a good habit regardless.

Battery life and charging

Charging is via USB with the included cable. I prefer this over a proprietary cradle because I can top it up from any USB port in the house. The flip side is you need to remember where the cable lives, and there’s no drop‑in convenience. For my typical use—assembling two small cabinets, installing eight pulls, and hanging a few frames—the battery lasted the session with charge to spare. If you plan to work nonstop for hours, this isn’t your tool. For the kind of start‑stop household tasks it targets, the capacity makes sense.

The battery isn’t user‑replaceable. That’s standard for compact consumer drivers, but it does set the life expectancy at the mercy of the pack. Keep it charged every few months to preserve the Li‑ion health if you’re an occasional user.

Lighting and visibility

The LED ring light is better than average for this category. It turns on with the motor and illuminates broadly without harsh shadows. The only time I wanted more light was when the bit was deeply recessed in the nose and I was aiming into a narrow pilot hole. Using the extension collar or longer bit solves that and lets the light do its job.

Build quality

This is a mostly plastic housing with clean seams and a sturdy feel. The mechanism is appropriately quiet, more whir than grind. There’s some inherent play in the hex interface, as there is with most 1/4" hex tools; use quality bits and you’ll get better engagement. I wouldn’t toss it in a jobsite box or expect it to survive a ten‑foot drop, but around the house it feels up to the task. The included accessories fit well, and the USB port cover seats securely.

What it’s great for

• Flat‑pack furniture assembly and disassembly
• Installing cabinet knobs, pulls, and hinges
• Electrical faceplates and small hardware
• Hanging pictures and light brackets
• Working in tight cabinets or behind appliances

Where it falls short

• Long or large‑diameter wood screws into solid stock
• Precision work that demands a clutch or a separate trigger
• Situations where you need to pre‑select direction without motor movement
• All‑day, high‑duty cycles

Tips to get the most from it

• Use 2‑inch bits or the extension collar to keep the bit tip visible and the ring light effective.
• Start screws slowly, and finish by hand to avoid stripping soft materials.
• Keep a quality selection of bits on the included storage bar; better bits reduce cam‑out and wobble.
• Top off the battery before a longer project; USB charging makes it easy.

The bottom line

This compact 4V driver hits its brief: it’s easy to maneuver, quiet, and genuinely useful for short, light tasks in tight spaces. The LED ring light and pistol‑grip shape are well executed, and the USB charging fits modern households. Its quirks—the combined direction/trigger rocker, the recessed bit position on short bits, and the absence of a clutch—are worth weighing, but they’re also common tradeoffs in this class.

Recommendation: I recommend this driver for homeowners and renters who want a simple, compact tool for occasional household fastening. If your to‑do list skews toward furniture assembly, cabinet hardware, and light fixtures, this will make those jobs faster and less fiddly without overwhelming you with features. If you regularly drive longer screws, need fine torque control, or prefer a traditional trigger and clutch, step up to a higher‑voltage drill/driver or a premium 4V unit with those features.