The Great Screwdriver Discussion of 2024

Oddly enough, I LIKE the 6 in 1 cheapies! I can leave them all over and always have one near at hand. I bought a pile for my First Robotics kids; much better than a set that only comes with ONE #2 Phillips!

The Milwaukee 11 in 1 is a nice step up; good bits, nice nutdrives.

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wachuko said:
I went ahead and ordered the VESSEL 4500 screwdriver 8-piece set. Thank you for the recommendation.
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I love the little button on the butt, for pounding with a hammer! The Japanese know how we use a screwdriver in the real world! (the blade jobbies anyway)
 
I have an older Craftsman set with the red and blue handles that I like.
I also have one of those combo things with the double-ended shaft- 2 Phillips and 2 slotted. Well made, by who I don't know
Great when you want to cover all the bases with one tool- I use it more than I thought I would
Kinda like this: I've been carrying it in the car lately
driver1t.jpg
 
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There are actually TWO JIS standards - old and new. "New" is much closer to a Phillips drive than the original JIS. Phillips was made to cam out upon tightening for manufacturing expediency, JIS was not. The new JIS is also not meant to cam out, but is not as resistant to it as old JIS. New JIS work pretty well with Phillips drivers, old JIS is worth having around if you service older Japanese vehicles. (Sorry, I'm not sure when the change occurred or how quickly and thoroughly it was implemented, so you're stuck figuring out what 'older' means.)

I have seen this reported as a 'harmonization' of JIS and Phillips, but there remain differences between the two.

GsT
 
I still use my 50 years old Sears Craftsman screwdrivers. The others are old Benchmarks and no name brands. The quality tools like my Sears hold up much better than the off brands.
 
I have the standard Vessel, and Impacta Vessel sets. I have not needed the impacts yet, but it shows rotation of the tip when struck.
 
Aukai said:
I have the standard Vessel, and Impacta Vessel sets. I have not needed the impacts yet, but it shows rotation of the tip when struck.
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I find this proprietary cam rotation mechanism very fascinating.
 
I guess I'm not a screwdriver connoisseur. I have probably a dozen different brands, and that many if not more different styles. A quick look reveals, Snap-On, Craftsman, DeWalt, Stanley, Mac, Matco, Williams, and several with no name. They all seem to do the job. There are also a bunch of specialty drivers for carburetor settings, sprinkler head adjustments, and electrical work. I can't say I have a favorite brand, or style.
 
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A hack that will get you by to turn a JIS screw with a Phillips driver is to grind a little (it doesn't take much) off the tip. The JIS design doesn't have as deep a bottom as the Phillips, and the Phillips driver hits on the tip before the blade is fully engaged.

Grinding the tip on the Phillips driver does not seem to affect its performance on Phillips screws. Apparently, there is so little engagement at the tip that there is no loss of torque transmission.

Back in the 1970's I learned that it was worth the extra cost to buy Snap On screwdrivers. They were so much better than the others available to me at the time that is was a no-brainer. The WF Craftsman's were decent, but not near as good as the SO drivers. The high-quality imports came around much later.

The 1/4' hex bits were another leap forward. I found the SO "anti-camout" Phillips with the grooves in the teeth worked very well. The SO ratcheting screwdriver with the oversize handle allowed you to control the engagement while applying much more torque. The insert flat bits were sort of hollow ground so they fit the slots better and didn't want to pop out like standard tapered bits.
 
How come I'm looking at screwdrivers, AGAIN, ready to buy, when I already have dozens sitting in the toolbox? You guys are a BAD influence on my weak spending resolve!
 
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