The Skil 2336-01 and Black & Decker Li3000 are new, pistol-like cordless screwdrivers that are small enough to be stored in a drawer (the Skil touts “power in the palm of your hand”). Their other advantage: lithium-ion batteries, which claim to keep their charge for up to 18 months. Another new, reduced-size option: a Sears Craftsman impact screwdriver, which uses hammering pressure to remove extra-tight screws, nuts, and bolts. It uses nickel-cadmium batteries.

We compared these three devices with two slightly bigger, more conventional cousins: the Ryobi HP472K driver/drill and the Black & Decker Pivot Plus PD600 screwdriver. We assessed power, speed, how long each ran on a charge, and how easy each was to use for both men and women.

How they fared. The new, smaller screwdrivers didn’t measure up. The pistol-like drivers were easy to handle but weak, slow, and low on running time. The Skil drove only three screws on average into pine wood before pooping out; the Black & Decker Li3000 drove 39. (The Ryobi driver/drill drove an average of 159 screws per charge.) All five models need 3 to 6 hours to recharge. Although each pistol driver comes with more than 30 accessory bits, many are of little use for common household tasks.

The small Craftsman impact driver was powerful but slow, not especially easy to use (you need two hands), and noisy (you need hearing protection). It drove 30 screws on one charge.

The bottom line. In with the old, out with the new. The conventional Ryobi driver/drill was best for light-duty tasks, working faster and driving more screws per charge than the others. Next best, a pound lighter, and slightly smaller: the B&D Pivot Plus. Both cost $30.