Independent comparisons. We may earn from shop links. More info

How to use a mini multi tool

Updated: October 2026

You have a case open, or a pen with a bag of bits, and the listing never printed a collet diameter. This is how to use a mini multi tool for the first fit: charge only what is powered, seat a bit while the tool is stopped, and stop again if the chuck will not hold. Which box claims a case stays on the [mini multi tool comparison](/hub/lawn-and-garden-equipment/mini-multi-tool). This page is the sequence, not a ranking. Peter F. followed the UK review notes, a generic mains-tool fitting order, and HSE guidance on eyes, on 22 October 2026. We did not measure a collet. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have a case open, or a pen with a bag of bits, and the listing never printed a collet diameter.

Our top picks

Saker Saker 42-in-1 magnetic ratchet screwdriver set

Best overall

Saker Saker 42-in-1 magnetic ratchet screwdriver set
9.2/10about £29.74
View offer
Uolor Uolor mini cordless rotary tool

Alternative

Uolor Uolor mini cordless rotary tool
8.8/10about £29.99
View offer
STREBITO STREBITO 67-in-1 mini electric screwdriver

Alternative

STREBITO STREBITO 67-in-1 mini electric screwdriver
8.8/10about £29.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Charge it, and see what was not in the box
  2. 2.Fit a bit while the tool is still
  3. 3.A ratchet is a swing, not a torque wrench
  4. 4.Stop if it loosens, sparks, or will not switch off

Charge it, and see what was not in the box

Saker and APEXSELECT are hand ratchets. There is no battery, so a USB lead on the bench belongs to another tool. STREBITO is the precision driver: the bullets name a 350 mAh cell, USB-C, and electric torque capped at 0.5 Nm. If you are charging a keychain, you have the wrong object. The pens are the USB tools, and the boxes do not promise the same lead. JENABOM’s bullets say no adapter. GINELSON’s 240-minute claim is the listing’s claim, not a time we ran. One CHOKMAX review put the runtime at about 20 minutes. Treat that as one review. Uolor claims USB charging at 5,000 to 20,000 RPM. Family names are on the buying guide linked below. The collet steps are for a pen, not for Saker’s T-handle.

Fit a bit while the tool is still

Switch off, press the spindle lock only while the tool is stopped, insert the shaft fully, then tighten. Do not start with the bit already touching the work. Uolor, CHOKMAX, GINELSON, and JENABOM are USB pens, and none prints a collet diameter. Dremel tells you not to force a larger shank into a smaller collet. The UK set lists 0.8, 1.6, 2.4, and 3.2 mm. That is Dremel’s set, not a measurement of these pens. If the bit will not enter, stop. Where a range is printed, start at the low end, with the bit clear of the work. CHOKMAX prints 16,000 RPM in both cells, so there is no stated low setting. JENABOM’s minimum-speed cell prints 25,000 RPM against a bullet range that starts at 5,000. If you already own 3.2 mm bits, the condition is on pocket multitool or rotary tool.
Saker Saker 42-in-1 magnetic ratchet screwdriver set

Testsieger

Saker Saker 42-in-1 magnetic ratchet screwdriver set
9.2/10about £29.74
View offer

A ratchet is a swing, not a torque wrench

A ratchet lets you reset your wrist without lifting the bit. Set forward, reverse, or lock before you load the screw. APEXSELECT states a 58-tooth ratchet and a 6.2° swing. Saker’s tooth count is not printed. A Saker review says the magnets could be stronger. If the bit walks, you will round the screw. None of these sets prints a torque you can treat as a clutch. STREBITO will not finish a furniture screw on the motor. Electric torque is stated at up to 0.5 Nm, with a manual claim up to 7 Nm. Reviews use it on laptops and phones. If the screw still stands proud, move to the hand ratchet.

Stop if it loosens, sparks, or will not switch off

The stop points are anecdotes, not failure rates. A GINELSON review says the chuck loosened and the bit bent. A CHOKMAX review says a sanding bit flew off. A JENABOM review says the tool switched itself off. One text is not a percentage. It is enough to stop that unit. Protect your eyes before a cutting disc or a sanding band. HSE guidance HSG17, written for abrasive wheels at work, expects eye protection and names BS EN 166. It is not a certificate for these pens. If a disc has already flown off, another attempt is the wrong next step. A tool that will not hold a bit or will not charge is a sale-of-goods point: section 22 of the Consumer Rights Act 2015 is the short-term right to reject, normally 30 days, and section 9 is satisfactory quality. If the object in your coat has a blade, the limit is carrying a multitool in the UK.

Common questions

How do I fit a bit without spinning the tool?
Switch the pen off. Hold the spindle lock only while it is stopped, insert the shank fully, tighten the nut, and keep the bit clear before you start. That order is borrowed from a mains rotary manual. These USB listings do not print a collet size, so the pattern is not a claim that you own that mains tool.
What if the bit will not enter the collet?
Stop. Dremel documents 0.8, 1.6, 2.4, and 3.2 mm collets and tells you not to force a larger shank. None of these pens prints a diameter. CHOKMAX reviews say some bits miss the collets, and a GINELSON review says Dremel bits do not fit. A bit that will not enter is a mismatch.
When do I stop instead of tightening harder?
Stop when the chuck has loosened, the bit has bent, a sanding accessory has left the tool, or the pen will not stay off. Those are the review reports on GINELSON, Uolor, CHOKMAX, and JENABOM. One review is not a failure rate, and it is still a stop for that unit.
Do I need goggles for a sanding band?
Treat your eyes as protected before a sanding band or a cutting disc spins. HSE guidance for abrasive wheels at work names eye protection, with BS EN 166 as the eyewear standard, and it is not a test of these pens. A CHOKMAX review already describes a sanding bit that flew off.
Who takes over if the disc has already flown off?
You put the pen down. A workshop, or the seller under the 30-day right to reject, is the next conversation if the chuck will not hold or the tool will not charge. Do not run the same disc again to see if it stays.

Related pages

Mini multi tool buying guide

Mini multi tool

Best mini multi tool: who it is for, and who skips

Pocket multitool or rotary tool: lever or spinning pen

Carry a multitool in the UK: blade, lock, and point

Sources

Public UK sources from the research digest. Listing prices and stars were taken from the amazon.co.uk files on 22 October 2026.

  1. GOV.UK: buying and carrying knives (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  2. Criminal Justice Act 1988, section 139 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  3. CPS: offensive weapons and knife crime guidance (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  4. Ask the Police: bladed multi-tools (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  5. Criminal Procedure (Scotland) Act 1995, section 49 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  6. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 9 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  7. HSE: selecting equipment and hand-arm vibration (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  8. Dremel UK: 3.2 mm collets (retrieved 22.10.2026)