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Torque screwdriver for electricians

Updated: October 2026

The terminal screw is the one that either crushes the conductor or leaves it loose, and feels tight does not tell you which. A torque screwdriver for electricians is the insulated blade plus the newton-metre figure the device maker printed, not a rule that every screw in a house needs a torque tool. Stem bolts and scope rings stay on the other pages. The eleven listings are on the [torque screwdriver comparison](/hub/hand-tools/torque-screwdriver). The Products Compared editorial team checked these listings against public UK sources on 16 October 2026. There is no laboratory test. If you buy through our links, a qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The terminal screw is the one that either crushes the conductor or leaves it loose, and feels tight does not tell you which.

Our top picks

Draper Draper XP1000 9-piece VDE

Best overall

Draper Draper XP1000 9-piece VDE
9.4/10about £74.50
View offer
Awang Awang 1–6 Nm 36-piece

Preis-Tipp

Awang Awang 1–6 Nm 36-piece
8.1/10about £28.79
View offer
Wera Wera 7441 VDE handle 1.2–3.0 Nm

Alternative

Wera Wera 7441 VDE handle 1.2–3.0 Nm
8.4/10about £116.49
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.The figure comes from the maker, not from a rule of thumb
  2. 2.The blade has to be the insulated one
  3. 3.Match the window before you buy the set
  4. 4.An insulated handle is not permission to work live

The figure comes from the maker, not from a rule of thumb

BS 7671 does not appoint a torque screwdriver for every screw. The IET FAQ points at Regulations 526.1 and 134.1.1: connections made properly, and equipment installed to the maker’s instructions. The figure is the one on the sticker or in the device sheet. A Wylex sheet in the same search prints 2.3 Nm, 2.0 Nm, 1.7 Nm and 3.0 Nm for named devices, not a figure to copy onto Hager. If the figure is missing, stop. How a window is chosen is in the buying guide.

The blade has to be the insulated one

The insulation standard, as Professional Electrician sets it out, is BS EN IEC 60900:2018. Look for a double triangle and a 1,000 V mark on the blade, not only on the cardboard. Draper 65372 prints VDE, a 10,000 V test, 1.0–5.0 Nm and ±6%, with a certificate in the box. The Wera 7441 is a handle at 1.2–3.0 Nm, blades not included. A bare bit in that handle removes the insulation. Armeg names IEC 60900 and prints no newton metres. GROWNEER’s title says electrician, and one UK review says the bits will not do an RCD terminal. The Awang listing states no insulation.
Draper Draper XP1000 9-piece VDE

Testsieger

Draper Draper XP1000 9-piece VDE
9.4/10about £74.50
View offer

Match the window before you buy the set

Draper 65372 prints 1.0–5.0 Nm, so a 2.0 Nm or 2.3 Nm example sits inside it. The Wera 7441 prints 1.2–3.0 Nm. A 3.0 Nm terminal is the last mark, and anything above 3.0 Nm is outside that handle. Draper 81762 and Armeg do not print a window on the amazon record. Above 5.0 Nm, Draper 65372 cannot show the figure. UK reviews of both XP1000 sets say the certificate arrived already old. A factory declaration is not a UKAS certificate. Who should buy which insulated row is on the best torque screwdriver page.

An insulated handle is not permission to work live

Regulation 14 of the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989 allows live work only when it is unreasonable for the conductor to be dead, reasonable for you to work on it while live, and suitable precautions are taken. An insulated blade can be part of the precautions. It does not satisfy the first two conditions. Isolate, prove dead, and tighten to the maker’s figure. A householder is not the competent person because the carton says VDE. Set, stop and store are on how to use a torque screwdriver.

Common questions

Does BS 7671 say I must use a torque screwdriver on every screw?
No. The IET FAQ points at Regulations 526.1 and 134.1.1: connections made properly, and equipment installed to the maker’s instructions. That catches loose and crushed conductors on devices that state a torque. It does not say every screw in a house, or every consumer-unit screw with no printed figure, needs a torque screwdriver. Where the sheet states a figure, hand tightness is a guess.
Which of these listings actually includes insulated blades?
Draper 65372 includes blades and prints 1.0–5.0 Nm, ±6% and a 10,000 V test. Draper 81762 is the larger VDE roll and prints no newton metres. Armeg’s listing names IEC 60900 and prints no newton metres. The Wera 7441 is a handle only, 1.2–3.0 Nm, so the blades are a separate purchase. GROWNEER’s bits are not a VDE claim, despite the word electrician in the title.
Why is a 1/4-inch bit in an ordinary handle the wrong tool for a live terminal?
The bit is bare metal in a handle that was not sold as insulated. BINGCOBBER, Awang, ATsafepro and the other 1/4-inch sets on this shelf do not claim VDE or IEC 60900. A click at the right newton metres does not add insulation. Live terminals need a blade that carries the insulation mark, and even that blade does not authorise live work on its own.
What are the three conditions in Regulation 14?
All three are required under the Electricity at Work Regulations 1989. It is unreasonable for the conductor to be dead. It is reasonable for you to work on or near it while it is live. Suitable precautions are taken to prevent injury. An insulated screwdriver can form part of the precautions. It does not meet the first two conditions, and it does not make live work the default on a consumer unit.
Is a VDE mark on the cardboard the same as a mark on the blade?
No. One UK review of the Draper 19-piece says the card claimed 1,000 V VDE safe while the blades carried a logo without a voltage. Read the double triangle and the voltage figure on the blade in your hand. A bare bit in the Wera 7441 handle fails the same test, because the insulation was never on that bit. The carton is not the tool.
What if my board’s figure is above 3 Nm or above 5 Nm?
Above 3.0 Nm, the Wera 7441 cannot show it, and 3.0 Nm itself is the last mark on that handle. Above 5.0 Nm, Draper 65372 cannot show it. Draper 81762 and Armeg do not print a window on amazon.co.uk, so you cannot check the figure from those pages. Choose a tool whose printed scale contains the sheet’s number, with room above it. Do not wind a short scale past its last line.

Related pages

VDE screwdriver

Torque screwdrivers 2026

Best torque screwdriver: the top pick and best value

Torque screwdriver buying guide: Nm window and tip

How to use a torque screwdriver: set, stop and store

Torque screwdriver vs torque wrench: which one fits

Sources

Public UK sources and the amazon.co.uk listings in this comparison. Page updated October 2026.

  1. Heamar: torque screwdrivers (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  2. Advanced Witness Systems: how often to calibrate (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  3. Lambda Calibration: torque calibration (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  4. Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, regulation 14 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  5. Professional Electrician: insulated hand tools (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  6. IET: consumer units and protective devices (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  7. Electrical Safety First, Q1.21 (retrieved 16 October 2026)
  8. Park Tool: threadless stem (retrieved 16 October 2026)