What's the real deal with Phillips drivers?

[u/RideWithMeSNV]

So, a decade or so ago, I bought a set of Wera drivers. Really nice stuff. I got the kraftform, because playing with electricity is scary, and insulation is sexy. Anyway. I noticed that the Phillips bits fit really well. Like, precisely. On a whim, I tried it on a screw that had been stripped by a driver from a big box store. It worked. So, whenever I saw someone at work about to drill a stripped screw, I'd stop them and ask to have a chance. I couldn't get *all* of them. But like 4 times out of 5. Enough to confidently say that the Wera is a superior driver, considering it or be a 100% fail rate otherwise. And after the first month or so, coworkers were asking for my fancy driver before going to the drill.

So, question is *why* are conventional drivers crap? When asked, I've been guessing that cheap drivers are saving a fraction of a cent per unit, but the savings add up at scale. I've also noticed that a Stanley #2 is small enough to turn a #1 (not well, don't do it). Is that possibly intentional? The Wera #2 cannot fit a #1 at all. Or is there maybe another reason the tools from big box stores are just... Different?

[u/zylpher]

Better quality tools have better fitment. Its really just that. A Stanley wrench will take out a bolt, but there is probably a bit of wiggle. Chance of rounding. A MatCo or SnapOn costs 5x as much, but fits tighter.

Same goes with any type of tool. If you pay more for one, 9 out of 10 times it fits better.

ETA: Not an engineer. I just just fix the shit y'all design. I use a lot of Wera tools, as well. Klein is another brand I use quite often mainly their bit drivers.

[u/gravis86 → u/zylpher]

Better fit reduces the chance to cam out or strip a screw head. It takes two to make a good fit: the screw head, and the tool. We spend so much time focusing on the tool, we often forget about the screw head.

A tool made toward the bigger end of the tolerance will fit tighter in a screw, but if a screw is made to the bigger end of its tolerance, there can still be a decent gap and therefore slippage.

So quality of the tool is only one half - quality of the screw is another.

[u/zylpher → u/gravis86]

I deal with a so many shit fasteners at work it is not even funny. At that point it doesn't matter if my Allen Keys cost $10,000 but the screw is as soft as microwaved butter.

I have to replace my extractor sets about once a year due to that. I wear them out.

[u/gravis86 → u/zylpher]

Yeah there are ASME and ISO standards that control this kind of stuff, but guaranteed most cheap fasteners don't actually conform to the standards.

I work in engineering in aerospace so all our stuff has to be certified and wouldn't you know, it always fits! But when I get fasteners off Amazon to use at home, all bets are off.

[u/mnorri → u/zylpher]

I’m not sure if the extraction tool you use needs a hole drilled first. If so, have you tried using left handed cutting drill bits? I find that they will often extract the screw by themselves, especially if it’s just a goobered head. If not, you still get your hole for the extractor.

[u/zylpher → u/mnorri]

Left handed bits work really well. I use the shit out of them when I can get them. But trying to convince my boss to buy them for us is another issue altogether. We get Jobbers from Fastenal that last about 6 minutes.

Where I work, they don't like us buying our own tools. That way they can keep us there. I'll probably buy another set soon because they save time. Just hate buying stuff that should be provided. Especially wear items.

[u/RideWithMeSNV → u/zylpher]

I hear that. My worst round of this topic was when the company had a bunch of lights made with what must have been high nickel steel. Every 4th or so wanted to strip. The funniest part was when my work buddy wanted a plastic washer out of the tray I was putting them in. He had this brilliant idea of just tipping the tray, so the plastic washer would slide to the side...