AM ARROWMAX Precision Electric Screwdrivers Review (SES MINI, SES, SES PRO)

Originally recorded January 15, 2023.
This video shows the AM ARROWMAX line of Precision Electric Screwdrivers. Each one comes with a case with 96 bits, extension, and manual screwdriver, stand, magnetic screw pad, and charging cable. Great for small electronics, anything from toys, phones, tablet, to laptops and beyond. They do not produce a lot of torque, which is very important for small screws, since they can easily strip out. It is recommended that you always break the screw free manually, and finish tightening by hand to prevent damage to the fastener.
The SES MINI produces 0.15Nm of torque and is shorter than the rest. Simple operation, just press the up or down button to screw or unscrew the fastener.
The SES produces 0.2Nm of torque and has 4 different speeds at which it can operate. Triple-click the top button to enter the menu, and press again to cycle through the options. Once you select the one you want, let go, and a moment later it is automatically selected and ready for use. Same simple operation, just press the up or down button to screw or unscrew the fastener.
The SES PRO also produces 0.2Nm of torque and has 4 different speeds, plus it had an "automatic mode" where it can automatically adjust the speed at which the fastener is turned. This one has body control motion actuation, press and hold the button and start turning the screwdriver in the direction you'd like the fastener to go. The screwdriver will take care of the rest.
Buy these Precision Electric Screwdrivers on Amazon:
SES MINI: www.amazon.com/dp/B0B7HJ5QSJ?...
SES: www.amazon.com/dp/B0B7HGQLMF?...
SES PRO: www.amazon.com/dp/B0B7HHP37G?...

[@gamingreuke]

A very respectful guide and comparison between the 3 types. I made my decision to get the SES all thanks to your review

[@jaykay18]

Great to hear, thanks.

[@seadogharris2102]

Excellent instructional video. The Mini arrived yesterday from Amazon. The torque and non-variable speed was a large disappointment. Thanks to your video and links, I was able to find the SES Standard which is well hidden on the Amazon site, The MINI will be returned as I have just ordered the Standard. Again, than you.

[@jaykay18]

You're welcome.

[@VidVayder]

Superb video, thank you for the comprehensive comparison.

[@jaykay18]

Thanks very much!

[@Wallisersonne]

Thanks for the great instructons. I just orderd one.

[@jaykay18]

You're welcome.

[@AMDRADEONRUBY]

I should get them they looks pretty neat Jay

[@jaykay18]

Yes, indeed they are nice. About the smallest I've worked on is a tablet-sized device, and that one didn't even have screws. Laptops, I've done thousands upon thousands. Every single one of them, completely by hand. I got so good with a manual screwdriver, I was like a machine. As soon as one screw was in place and ready to be screwed down, one hand would spin the screwdriver, the other would grab the other screw and meet the screwdriver as it was coming out of the recess and into the next. These days, a screwdriver like this would probably come in handy since I don't do that day in and day out anymore, so for an occasional project, definite yes.

[@themoonshell-F4LFJ]

Hi, very nice comparison! Which one is your favorite? I'm still hesitating between the SES and the SES Pro. How is the auto-sense mode with more practice? Thanks!

[@jaykay18]

I happen to like the SES the best myself. I live having the buttons to control it. Though I must say that the SES PRO is very responsive, never did it once think I meant something else, it always worked properly.

[@Sethshirtless]

i watch a channel called 12voltvids, who has a screwdriver just like this, i find these very cool and very useable, for computers and whatnot.

[@jaykay18]

Yes, many have electric screwdrivers now. I did all my work as a service technician by hand. I still think that proper torque can only be achieved by feel. It's a fine skill that you have to acquire over time. An electric screwdriver can give you too much or too little, but you can always get it just right by hand. I'll have another video by the end of the week involving proper torque, and how it's important.

[@Vichion]

At 5:58, you inadvertently pressed the incorrect button. 😅

[@jaykay18]

That's OK, I'm rich, so I can afford myself the luxury of making a mistake. The lessons I learn from those mistakes are worth way more than I paid for them.

[@curiosity2314]

You like I worked on as many laptops and tablets, no I would not use one of these. Cumbersome and at the same time slower when you need to get the job done. Total control with the correct manual screw driver in my book.

[@jaykay18]

I'm like an absolute machine with the manual screwdriver. Every screw is tightened to proper torque every time.

[@curiosity2314]

@@jaykay18 Yeah, it was one of those gadgets that I wanted but just could not bring myself to purchase. I could see in some weird senario where you had some crazy long screw; but never saw that in the very small screw arena.

[@jaykay18]

@@curiosity2314 Even in day-to-day life, with much larger screws, I prefer a manual driver. I have plenty of full-size electric screwdrivers and drills I could use, but stick to the humble manual one. One of the main reasons is it protects the head of the screw from stripping out. That's very easy to do with a powered unit, much more difficult to do with a manual.

[@jonathansquires3114]

Very good review thanks! One question though - how do you know how much torque each speed is set at? I need to limit torque on a rifle scope screw mount at 15ft lbs/1.26nm. Nothing is given in the instructions as to nm or ft lbs. Thanks for your help

[@jaykay18]

Very simple--you DON'T use a tool like this for that. You use a torque wrench. That's the only absolute guarantee yo get it dialed right in. Have you ever had to change a flat tire on the road? And you put that little tire iron the car gives you and you can't turn it with everything you've got, so then you jump on it? That's because the tire monkey had his impact gun set to "all of it". That's great, it guarantees the lug nuts won't come loose, and also stretches the wheel studs out. Each time I have a wheel off my car, I use my impact gun to get the lug nut "home" and then always finsih with a torque wrench by hand. If I ever have a flat, that tire iron is the PERFECT tool for the job, with the lug nuts torqued to 76 ft. lbs spec.

[@jonathansquires3114]

@@jaykay18 Ok totally understand. I have torque wrenches for my car work but i had hoped that this mini tool would do the work without having to purchase a mini torque wrench!. Thanks very much for your reply.

[@jaykay18]

@@jonathansquires3114 No problem. They sell "torque screwdrivers" which would of course be measured in inch pounds but that is easily converted. It all depends on what the item is. You mentioned rifle scope before, the scope I don't think is really mission criitical. If the rifle itself is to be reassembled, and has torque specs, you bet I'd be using the right tool. Tools are one of those things that once you have them, they are there for you whenever you need them. Some tools you will use a lot more than others, but some are absolutely the right tool for the right job and nothing else will do. While most of the tools I have aren't top quality stuff, they are good enough for my purposes and I haven't broken one yet. Should that happen, they aren't much to replace.

[@jamesnorris9779]

You sound like you have experience teaching. If not, you would be good at it. Thanks for the in-depth review. Have you tried the Fantik and, if so, what are your thoughts on that product?

[@jaykay18]

Thank you, I have been told that many times by many people. The people at Fantik have not sent me their product for me to test, so I cannot comment on it.

[@MStoica]

Great review/comparison! I’m a bit confused though… you say “96 bits”, but I only see 24 on one side, so I guess 48 total (24 more on the other side as well). Did you say “96” by mistake? Or…I’m not sure where the rest of the bits are…

[@jaykay18]

That was fully explained in the video, but I'll go over it again. The problem is, you and I think of a "bit" as that metal slug piece we put at the end of a driver. The manufacturer only considers the TIP of that to be a bit. So there are 24 metal slugs on each side of the holder, that's 48. Each of those has a tip at each end, which are different, 48x2=96. That's where the number comes from, and it says 96 on the holder as well, as shown.

[@MStoica]

@@jaykay18 thank you for clarifying! I didn’t notice they have tips at each end, I thought it was only one tip per bit. If they have tips at each end, then I completely agree with the 96 count. Will rewatch the video 😁

[@stevecoppin6396]

i would imagine that anybody capable of repairing a laptop probably understands the basic principles of a screwdriver

[@jaykay18]

If that were the case, I wouldn't have to fix the other techs' errors. Countless times they came to me with screws they stripped out, either by using a much more powerful electric driver, or using a poor-fitting screwdriver. Most times it was that; the correct screwdriver for small electronics is actually a JIS-type screwdriver. Similar to Philips, but not the same. A screw that is already torqued too tight, made out of poor quality materials, coupled with an ill-fitting driver is a recipe for stripping the screw head out. I never failed to get them out of a jam. I wonder what happened to them since I left when they stripped screws out.

[@Frank-Thoresen]

I have looked into these cordless screwdrivers but my conclusion is that I am way faster using my small manual screwdrivers when doing computer repairs. Maybe in a few years these cordless screwdrivers will improve in ergonomic/speed/torque control. Today these are just gadgets

[@jaykay18]

Ha, you're a MACHINE, like I was when I repaired PCs. I was so calibrated and could zip screws in and out so fast. Even with one of these, my manual screwdriver is always my go-to. All the other guys in the shop I worked in had electric ones, but my throughput of units was far and beyond theirs. Ripping machines apart and slamming them back together takes most of the time in replacing parts, I bet their electric screwdrivers slowed them down. They always came to me after they stripped a screw out and couldn't remove it. I always got it out with a nice manual screwdriver.

[@Frank-Thoresen]

@@jaykay18 I am glad I am not alone appreciating screwdrivers. I don't even like the screw drivers with bits because I feel them sloppy. I also hate looking for the right bit. My medium sized rubberized screwdrivers have rotating top that saves my palm.

[@jaykay18]

@@Frank-Thoresen Same here! I like having a dedicated screwdriver for different sizes. Feels much more sturdy and sure. I call those rotating tops "speed caps". Not only do they save your palm, they let you operate it faster.

[@Frank-Thoresen]

@@jaykay18 Absolutely "speed caps". I am looking for a larger set of screwdrivers of high quality. If you know of a brand please share it

[@jaykay18]

@@Frank-Thoresen These are the exact ones I have been using for many years. Still have my original set which are in perfect condition, bought another just in case. www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000B63BWC While there are 4 flat and 2 Philips, that's all you need for most repairs. Positive fit in the screw, they never cam out and strip the screw. While the flat blade ones may seem like they won't be of much use, you're right---until you get a stripped out one. Find one that fits a Philips screw across one axis, bear down hard, and turn. Like I said, there hasn't been one I haven't been able to remove!

[@seadogharris2102]

Unfortunately, there are no drill bits that fit these screwdrivers.

[@jaykay18]

It's a SCREWDRIVER, not a drill. Don't invent uses for it that don't exist.

[@MStoica]

For drilling, there is the “Ultra”. But I don’t think it’s available yet. They’ve just started shipping a few days ago, to people that backed them on kickstarter. I hope it will be available soon to everyone to purchase.

[@seadogharris2102]

@@MStoica I have both the screwdriver and the drilling models. I was hoping to find hexagon based drill bits that would fit into the screwdriver model.

[@MStoica]

@@seadogharris2102 oh, I understand now. I wouldn’t have expected to find such bits. I don’t remember ever seeing any drill bits that would have a hexagonal shape at the bottom. However, on a regular Bosch battery drill&screwdriver, I have an adaptor for that.. hexagonal at one end, and a mandrine at the other end, in which I can put drill bits. I know, I could put the drill bits in directly, but I bought that for fine/thin bits. Maybe even smaller adapters can be found, more suited for the Arrowmax, to not make it bulky 🤔

[@seadogharris2102]

@@MStoica I’m afraid you are correct. All my full size drills accept hexagon based drill & driver bits. I just thought that perhaps somewhere someone was manufacturing the same but for micro drivers. It would really expand the versatility of my SES driver body.

[@Maxime-ho9iv]

Those screwdrivers do not fit in the case?!

[@jaykay18]

They come packaged as shown, and are stored as packaged.

[@Maxime-ho9iv]

@@jaykay18But we don't see how they are packaged?

[@jaykay18]

@@Maxime-ho9iv Just in a black cardboard box...

[@MStoica]

I’ve just received my SES Pro. I was ripped-off. It doesn’t have the stand, doesn’t have the magnetic pad, doesn’t have the manual screwdriver and only has one sided 34 bits. I will report the seller… so disappointed :| Edit: took another look at the product page… It does say “33 bits” and the images look like what I received. And the seller is called “AM ARROWMAX Store”. I don’t think Amazon would have let them use the name and logo, if they weren’t ArrowMax. It appears that there is also a variant like I received. And now I can also see another one on the store page, that is exactly like what you are reviewing. I didn’t know there can be multiple variants for the same “ses pro”… I was expecting what you reviewed to be the one and only “ses pro” 😐

[@jaykay18]

I don't think it's the seller's fault, missing that many items. Missing one item, yes, I can see that. I would think this was probably an Amazon screw-up, where they sent you a returned product instead of a brand new one. Normally that doesn't happen, but a company that big, with that many orders, is bound to make mistakes.

[@MStoica]

@@jaykay18 it was sealed. And also, looking at the page more carefully, it does say “34 bits” and also the pictures reflect exactly what I received. So it looks like there are multiple variations, regarding the accessories it includes. I didn’t pay attention. After watching this review, I quickly searched on Amazon and ordered the “SES Pro”, without reading too much on the page, expecting to be exactly like it is shown in this review. I’m not sure if the reviewer is aware about the fact that there are multiple versions of the SES Pro, in terms of “what accessories it comes with” Edit: just realized that you are the reviewer 😁. Yeah, so it really looks legit. Even on their Amazon page where I see all the products, they list the SES Pro with 34 bits and there is also another one, exactly like you reviewed, with 96 bits, but that one is not available…

[@jaykay18]

@@MStoica I AM the reviewer. I always provide links to the products in the video description. Those are non-affiliated links, I make no commission off of any sales. Those links are for the exact product shown. The only time there could be a discrepancy is if the seller modifies the listing page, but I am certain the links I provided are for those particular products.

[@MStoica]

@@jaykay18sorry for the confusion. I wasn’t clear… I didn’t purchase from the link in your description. It said “Currently unavailable” (still does), at least for me (probably depending from which country you access it, don’t know). So I manually searched for “ses pro” and purchased the one I found, unaware of the fact that there are multiple versions (in terms of “what accessories it comes with”). It’s the same store that sells the ones in your description I see, “AM Arrowmax Store”, and they also sell the variant I got, with 34 bits and no other accessories except the cable.

[@jaykay18]

​@@MStoica Yes, all of the products I review are for sale in the United States. They may have different listings or different accessories for a similar product in other countries.