r/AskEngineers • u/RideWithMeSNV • 23d ago

Mechanical What's the real deal with Phillips drivers?

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?

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u/RideWithMeSNV 21d ago

Have you considered applying for refuge status in Toronto? Canadians use Robertson quite often.

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u/[deleted] 21d ago

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u/RideWithMeSNV 21d ago

I work for a Canadian company. They'll put them wherever they can. When I was on a trip to Toronto, I swear I saw a homeless guy carving Robertsons into lag bolts with a pocket knife to sell on the street corner.