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Screwdrivers


Nova Scotia Mike

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Howdy,

You all seem like a handy bunch. I'm looking to upgrade my tool collection a bit and the first place I want to start is at my screwdrivers. Over the years, I've cobbled together a mismatched collection of screwdrivers that I can seem to use to get whatever job I need done in most cases, but they are of lesser quality and are showing their age.

So, what makes a great screwdriver great? I almost gave in to an impulse buy yesterday in the hardware store as they had a 75 piece screwdriver set on sale for 60% off ... I backed off at the last second realizing I don't really know what qualities to look for in a set to end up with a great set. With 75 pieces I figured there'd be a lot of crap in there that I'd never used.

Related, it seems like most Jap bikes I have/had use Phillips head fasteners that have a little "+" indicated on the head. Is this a special sort of Phillips head? I think I knew the answer to this question at one time, but excessive substance abuse over the years seems to have purged that info from my receding memory bank.

Thanks

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I own a Snap-On ratcheting screwdriver and it is easily the greatest Snap-On tool I've ever bought. I've had it so long I can't even remember when I bought it. It is magnetic, and it has several different tips you can store in the handle. It was close to $50 when I bought it, but was worth every penny. I have literally shattered bits in that screwdriver trying to undo screws that apparently King Kong tightened, but the screwdriver still ratchets like the day I bought it.

For the really tough jobs, I have a Dewalt 12 volt 1/2" impact with a reducer that holds a screwdriver bit. It will break the head off of whatever is being stubborn.

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I own a Snap-On ratcheting screwdriver and it is easily the greatest Snap-On tool I've ever bought.

I completely agree. I liked mine so much I bought a second one for indoor jobs (computers, etc.). One of them is an engraved Bill Elliott signature model! (I guess it didn't sell all that well so they were discounted.)

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Although I don't have specifics. I do know from experience that screwdrivers are not created equal.

I have a set from Germany that work well on most English or standard thread screws.

I have a set of Vessel screwdrivers that were recommended by work for use on our Japanese CT scanners. The Phillips by Vessel fit much better on the blackbird.

I remember seeing a note on a tool website that Vessel production had been affected by the earthquakes.

My good screwdrivers have tempered tips, and typically round shafts. You don't need many, just long and short reach in the sizes that you typically use.

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I have found that a magnetic, multi-tip screwdriver with extensions is the bare minimum that you will need. Not always will the tips that come with the set work on every screw. You may have to purchase some tips that match your needs. Once you put your set together, it will be Indispensable. You may want to purchase some extra bits for spares.

Kazi

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So, what makes a great screwdriver great? I almost gave in to an impulse buy yesterday in the hardware store as they had a 75 piece screwdriver set on sale for 60% off ... I backed off at the last second realizing I don't really know what qualities to look for in a set to end up with a great set. With 75 pieces I figured there'd be a lot of crap in there that I'd never used.

That sounds like a canadian-tire set, they are journeyman quality, but like the craftsman they are guaranteed forever, it's what I've been using at home for decades. For work it's either greenlee or westward, the boss would have kittens if I showed up with snapon, that and I can never seem to get a truck out my way, they would probably also disappear. The Can-tire tools are easily replaced if you break one with no hassle or receipt needed. As for those weird screwdrivers that you may need once, trust me, the one time you need it you'll be smiling. Make sure if you get a set it's for Canada, for some reason the USA doesn't use Robertson.

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I like the Craftsman tools because of the guarantee, because they are made in USA, and because they really are quite good quality.

I don't know about Birds, but on my older Japanese bikes the OEM Phillips-head screws are JIS standard which is different from US. The grooves are at a shallower angle than on US screws, and a US screwdriver doesn't seat fully and is more likely to cam out and strip the screw head. There are several online sources for JIS Phillips drivers and I highly recommend getting a set - around $30, maybe less.

I also have a set of flat screwdriver bits for gunsmithing. These have scalloped heads that ensure the driver is fully seated at the bottom of the groove and pressed equally against the walls - as opposed to a straight-sided, angled bit that puts its pressure mostly at the top of the groove. These also do a better at avoiding stripping the screw.

I prefer a hand impact driver over the electric ones. Perhaps it's only subjective, but it seems that the action of striking the impact driver both presses the bit into the screw and provides vibration to help loosen it.

Nearly all the screws on my Saab are Torx heads. I don't understand why these haven't become universal and it would be great if they were widely available in stainless, too. The driver engages positively and the star-shape ensures solid torque transfer with no risk of camming out.

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Related, it seems like most Jap bikes I have/had use Phillips head fasteners that have a little "+" indicated on the head. Is this a special sort of Phillips head? I think I knew the answer to this question at one time, but excessive substance abuse over the years seems to have purged that info from my receding memory bank.

As was mentioned these are JIS screws or drivers. I just ordered one from the company on the below attachment. I need it to pull the flies on my Concours.

http://www.ikaswebshop.com/hodcogrjis2d1.html

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  • 2 weeks later...

I have found that the Craftsman Professional series is worth the extra coin. The tips are made of a very hard material and they do not seem to show wear. They really grip and fit into metric Jap head well.

They also have a flat surface under the handle so that you can get a wrench on it if you need to.

143691_big.jpg

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I own a Snap-On ratcheting screwdriver and it is easily the greatest Snap-On tool I've ever bought.

I completely agree. I liked mine so much I bought a second one for indoor jobs (computers, etc.). One of them is an engraved Bill Elliott signature model! (I guess it didn't sell all that well so they were discounted.)

Ditto. Snap-On has a proprietary (I think) tip that grabs almost anything, and their ratchet mechanism is flawless. I have an old, beat up one that I keep in my travel toolkit and a nice new one in my garage rollaway.

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Klein

after trying them all they are the only ones i will own

Oh thank you...

I have been looking for another set of Tri-lobed handle screwdrivers with Hardened tips for a while now, with no luck. personally I won't buy the Craftsman and Strap-on junk.... because it's just that Junk.

Well.. the Craftsman is Junk... alll the way around, and the Strap-on is just stupid over priced... and the tips still don't last that long.

But, as has been mentioned... I think.... the Most important thing about a screw driver is... "how well the tip fits into the Screw."

As for the Craftsman again..... sure it's got a lifetime warranty, but the first time you take that piece of shit back to the store... it just cost you more money that the better unit.

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No, Snap-On is not junk. Dependent on your perspective, it may be overpriced. But if it has a lifetime warranty, and the truck comes to your shop once a week, and the guy onboard cheerfully fixes broken stuff, and you make a living with your tools, it is considered by many to be the way to go. Mac and Matco are similar in the service, but I think Snap-On has the edge on quality. And for that, they cost more. It is equipment for professional mechanics, not for the guy in his back yard tightening the screw on his kid's Chinese-made swingset.

A decent ratcheting 1/4" screwdriver handle will fulfill a ton of missions (and it doesn't lend itself to prying or chiseling very well, so there's that) as you can select inexpensive bits to fit whatever weird shit you encounter. And you can have a few of each in case you shatter one on a tough screw that hasn't seen enough Kroil yet.

Klein is decent stuff. It is starting to show up at the HD and Lowes, but I wonder if it is the same product line/quality as their industrial supply and catalog stuff.

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  • 2 weeks later...

My favorite screwdriver is one that does not break when I use it as a pick, lever, chisel, prying device and all other un-approved methods that it was not designed for.

I have found some expensive ones that break and some cheap ones that I have been unable to break.

Sometimes you need to break something lose that an impact driver can't reach. :icon_whistle:

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My favorite screwdriver is one that does not break when I use it as a pick, lever, chisel, prying device and all other un-approved methods that it was not designed for.

I have found some expensive ones that break and some cheap ones that I have been unable to break.

Sometimes you need to break something lose that an impact driver can't reach. :icon_whistle:

I was given a sample set of Wera screwdrivers, and was pretty blown away by the quality. Some had laser etched tips for grip, and some had diamond impregnated tips. Talk about secure. They also had way more configurations, tip types and grips, than I had ever seen. www.wera.de is the site, I think. I found them at an off the wall Tool Town or such like, and now I grab them first.

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My favorite screwdriver is one that does not break when I use it as a pick, lever, chisel, prying device and all other un-approved methods that it was not designed for.

I have found some expensive ones that break and some cheap ones that I have been unable to break.

Sometimes you need to break something lose that an impact driver can't reach. :icon_whistle:

I was given a sample set of Wera screwdrivers, and was pretty blown away by the quality. Some had laser etched tips for grip, and some had diamond impregnated tips. Talk about secure. They also had way more configurations, tip types and grips, than I had ever seen. www.wera.de is the site, I think. I found them at an off the wall Tool Town or such like, and now I grab them first.

Did you mean Wiha.de?

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  • 1 month later...

I have a ton of screwdrivers, mostly mutts. Some of them I've had for 40+ years and I wish I knew what brand they were. When I want a good one, I reach for a Snap-on or one of my old, old Craftsman. I use them as prybars, chisels, scrapers, shims, and screwdrivers. Some of the cheapest looking screwdrivers I've ever had were purchased from JC Whitney in 1968 and still serve me well.

So anyway, I'm looking at screwdrivers as a favor for friends cuz they don't know what to get for their dad, and checked this thread out. I looked at the Klein set in Home Depot. How sad. They looked nondescript and inexpensive, poorly packaged in a jumble in a single bubble plastic crap retail hanger. If it were an unlabeled test, I'd pick Harbor Freight over these any day.

The Milwaukee set was nice, and the Dewalt set looked like cheap tools. Today I'll check out the Craftsman Professional line, and the Wera brand if Sears has them in stock.

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