Screwdriver
The Screwdriver is a small blade-type melee weapon and utility tool in DayZ. It can open canned food with 20% to 40% food loss, remove certain restraints, lock vehicle parts to a vehicle, mine Small Stones, break down a Remote Detonation Unit into a 9V Battery, cut bark, disarm Land Mines with an 80% success rate, and skin dead animals or players.
Quick item summary
Quick answer
The Screwdriver is a compact utility tool in DayZ that also counts as a blade melee weapon. It is weak in combat, but useful for early survival actions like opening cans, cutting bark, mining Small Stones, skinning, removing some restraints, and interacting with certain vehicle parts.
In-game description
“Regular screwdriver. Can be gently inserted into a screw, or into somebody's jugular.”
Main Uses
- Open canned food with 20% to 40% food loss
- Remove certain restraints from players
- Lock a Car Radiator, Car Battery, or Truck Battery to a vehicle
- Mine Small Stones
- Break down a Remote Detonation Unit into a 9V Battery
- Cut bark from trees
- Disarm Land Mines with an 80% success rate
- Skin and quarter dead animals or players
- Use as a weak blade melee weapon
- Repair with a Sharpening Stone
How to use this item
Open canned food
The Screwdriver can open canned food, but some food will be spilled.
- Hold the canned food or the Screwdriver.
- Combine the Screwdriver with the can.
- Open the can and expect 20% to 40% food loss.
Remove restraints
The Screwdriver can remove certain restraints from players.
- Equip the Screwdriver.
- Approach the restrained player.
- Use the remove restraints action when available.
Lock vehicle parts
Use the Screwdriver to lock a Car Radiator, Car Battery, or Truck Battery to a vehicle.
- Install the compatible vehicle part.
- Equip the Screwdriver.
- Use the lock action on the vehicle part when available.
Mine Small Stones
The Screwdriver can mine Small Stones for survival crafting.
- Equip the Screwdriver.
- Find a valid stone source.
- Use the mine Small Stones action.
- Collect the Small Stones.
Break down a Remote Detonation Unit
Use the Screwdriver to break down a Remote Detonation Unit into a 9V Battery.
- Have a Remote Detonation Unit available.
- Combine it with the Screwdriver.
- Use the break down action to recover a 9V Battery.
Cut bark
The Screwdriver can cut bark from trees for survival crafting.
- Equip the Screwdriver.
- Look at a valid tree.
- Use the cut bark action.
- Collect the bark.
Disarm a Land Mine
The Screwdriver can disarm Land Mines, but the wiki lists an 80% success rate.
- Approach the Land Mine carefully.
- Equip the Screwdriver.
- Use the disarm action if you choose to risk it.
Skin and quarter
The Screwdriver can be used to skin and quarter dead animals or players for resources.
- Equip the Screwdriver.
- Look at the dead animal or body.
- Use the skin and quarter action.
- Collect the resulting resources.
Repair the Screwdriver
Use a Sharpening Stone to repair a damaged Screwdriver.
- Place the Screwdriver in your hands or inventory.
- Combine it with a Sharpening Stone.
- Repair it until it reaches a better condition state.
How to get Screwdriver
- Search farm areas.
- Search industrial areas.
- Search villages.
- Check sheds, garages, workshops, barns, houses, and work buildings.
- Loot players or bases where small tools are stored.
Spawn info
- • The Screwdriver is listed as a common item found in farm, industrial, and village locations.
- • It is weak as a weapon, but useful as a compact early-game utility tool.
Crafting and item conversions
Used in recipes
9V Battery
Result: 9V Battery
Craft 9V Battery using Remote Detonation Unit and Screwdriver.
View crafting guideImportant notes
- The Screwdriver is both a tool and a blade-type melee weapon.
- It is a poor primary melee weapon because of its low damage and short range.
- It can open canned food, but spills 20% to 40% of the food.
- It can remove certain restraints.
- It can lock a Car Radiator, Car Battery, or Truck Battery to a vehicle.
- It can mine Small Stones.
- It can break down a Remote Detonation Unit into a 9V Battery.
- It can cut bark from trees.
- It can disarm Land Mines with an 80% success rate.
- It can skin and quarter dead animals or players.
- The Screwdriver can be repaired with a Sharpening Stone.