M2 Screw? What bit please?

[OldGreyDog]

I have a set of very fine/small WERA screwdrivers that cover most of the tiny screws in electronic stuff. They were not cheap but seem to be hood quality (not made of cheese). I used to be guilty of over tightening these tiny screws, not realising how little torque they needed compared to their bigger brothers.

 

[TominDales]

Lenovo laptop, screws marked, e.g. M2 1.5
Guess 1.5mm long, but M2?

Where to find a (non cheese) screwdriver please, UK based.

Hi Dave,

I bought this set from an brilliant hardware store in Ripon about 10 years ago. It contains 6 double ended bits down to Philips 000, 00 and 0 pluss tx and flat head. NOT CHEESE a bit fiddly as you have to swap out the head into the handle but have worked well on all those cheap Chinese toys, laptops, phones, etc but worked well for a long time - GOOD FOR OCCASIONAL USE. If used a lot I'd get individual ones form wera etc and pay 4x more.

Just looked on google and a set for £20 on the well known store - causing issues for our brilliant local store, but widely available.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/c-k-mixe...McO4i5hTn14-2Uw2m9waAkxHEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

 

[AES]

Just to add a bit of (late, sorry) possible confusion here, I'm guessing there's a fair chance that those M2 screws are ISO Fine, not the "usual standard" ISO Coarse.

The attached table link tells you about both M2 Coarse and Fine:

http://www.apollointernational.in/iso-metric-thread-chart.php
BTW, neighbours know I'm a scrounger/hoarder, and so when discarding bits of "electronicery" they know that I often strip the stuff for hardware. Long shot I know, but send me one of your screws (PM for address) and I'll most probably have just such screws - and many others - in my unsorted hoard.

 

[TominDales]

For most computer work I have a set of Wera Precision Screwdrivers - I use the 12 set, but there is a larger 24 pack available. Links:

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wera-Screwdriver-electronic-applications-05073675001/dp/B009ODV0PI
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wera-Kraftform-Micro-Big-Pack/dp/B07X7JSBHG
I would also recommend you get a magnetiser, if you don't have already, because those tiny screws are a PITA when they fall inside a computer (as me how I know!)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Wera-05073403001-Magnetizer-demagnetizer-52/dp/B000XIZN9C

That is that is really useful, I hadn't seen the magnetiser before, I'll get one of them.

I've added a post of the set I have that is only £20 and has a better selection of Ph and tx than the Wera £37 twelve set, so if dont want to spend £90.

Contains: flatH 1.5, 2. 3 &4mm, Ph 000, 00, 0 &1, Tx 05,06,07, 08 not cheese but you have to swap out the handle so ok for occasional use. Probably not a hard as the Wera but good for electronics stuff.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/c-k-mixed-precision-screwdriver-set-7-pieces/9230x

 

[pe2dave]

Hi Dave,

View attachment 135326

I bought this set from an brilliant hardware store in Ripon about 10 years ago. It contains 6 double ended bits down to Philips 000, 00 and 0 pluss tx and flat head. NOT CHEESE a bit fiddly as you have to swap out the head into the handle but have worked well on all those cheap Chinese toys, laptops, phones, etc but worked well for a long time - GOOD FOR OCCASIONAL USE. If used a lot I'd get individual ones form wera etc and pay 4x more.

Just looked on google and a set for £20 on the well known store - causing issues for our brilliant local store, but widely available.

https://www.screwfix.com/p/c-k-mixe...McO4i5hTn14-2Uw2m9waAkxHEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

Are they JIS though? Seems not?

 

[TominDales]

Are they JIS though? Seems not?

No its a general set for basic stuff. But for £20 covers all the bases. It contains flat cross head 4 sizes 1.5, 2, 3, 4mm Philips head 4 sizes. 000, 00, 0, , 1. Torx 4 sizes, 05,06,07.08

I find for some Asian stuff eg toys/iPhone with JIS heads, the Philips head works fine as they aren't that tight a fit. Even JIS or a specialist proprietary bolts made to fit a particular manufacturer can be eased out with only partial burr.
I've not had to use them so much in recent years on electronics stuff as the batteries tend to be permanently fixed in to phones and the makers try to obsolete the phone to coincide when the battery expires to encourage an upgrade . Also replacing the broken screen isn't so easy these days as the touch screen is a lot more precise than in the past - gorilla glass has made a positive difference.

If you are after a cost effective general set these have served me well. I do however have a much bigger set for undoing the garden tools - Still etc as these guys incest on using 5 or 6 pronged stuff to discourage DIY servicing. Happy fixing. Tom

 

[pe2dave]

Just to add a bit of (late, sorry) possible confusion here, I'm guessing there's a fair chance that those M2 screws are ISO Fine, not the "usual standard" ISO Coarse.

The attached table link tells you about both M2 Coarse and Fine:

Talk about odd? Seems the screws are JIS. Different heads (to Philips) but same threads as ISO metric? I now have a driver (which is what I was asking for) which is quite a different 'fit' to my tiny philips.

 

[TominDales]

Talk about odd? Seems the screws are JIS. Different heads (to Philips) but same threads as ISO metric? I now have a driver (which is what I was asking for) which is quite a different 'fit' to my tiny philips.

Increasingly screws are proprietary which is going against 150 years of standardisation from BSW onwards. I'm sure they do this so that you have to take it to their repair shops.
JIS is ok as its a Japanese standard and has been in use in current form since 1946 and it pretty standard across most Japanese manufacturing. the larger sizes are based on BSP pitch.
For Japanese cameras I ground down a flat head screwdriver to fit. For most electronic stuff I've got away with philips, or the driver that came with a phone glass changing kit, which is a JIS type head. Although the kids have grown out of the broken phone stage.
Let us know what worked when you get their.

 

[pe2dave]

Increasingly screws are proprietary which is going against 150 years of standardisation from BSW onwards. I'm sure they do this so that you have to take it to their repair shops.
JIS is ok as its a Japanese standard and has been in use in current form since 1946 and it pretty standard across most Japanese manufacturing. the larger sizes are based on BSP pitch.
For Japanese cameras I ground down a flat head screwdriver to fit. For most electronic stuff I've got away with philips, or the driver that came with a phone glass changing kit, which is a JIS type head. Although the kids have grown out of the broken phone stage.
Let us know what worked when you get their.

I bought an iFixit kit, included three tiny JIS driver bits. Fit perfectly.
It was the smallest (m2 1.5mm) that came out when trying Philips. Red threadseal really locked down the screws. This on the trackpad of my laptop.
Lesson learned.
Youtube video, showed (on a m'cycle) how the JIS driver 'held' in the screwhead!
Also (larger sizes only?) screws have a dot or cross on them, indicating JIS driver needed.

 

[J-G]

There has been agreat deal of confusion in this thread (no pun intended ).

The issue about 'Coarse' ot 'Fine' pitch is totally irrelevant - the real subject is the shape of the ScrewDRIVER - or, even more precisly, the RECESS in the screw head.

Of course the physical or nominal size of the thread has a bearing upon which size designation screwdriver is needed to fit or remove the screw but 'twas ever thus, whether talking about ISO, Unified, Whitworth . . . or whatever . . . The thread 'Standard' in use does not concern itself with the size or shape of the driving recess so you could have a 'Standard' M2 screw with 0.4mm pitch or 0.25mm pitch (Coarse and Fine series) with a Slot, JIS, Torx, Philips, PoziDriv, SupaDriv or any other recess (though I doubt that the last two referenced would be aplicable to an M2 Screw!) just as you could have a Countersunk, Raised-Countersunk, Cheese, Hex, Button, Cap. . . . or any other 'head'.

 

[TominDales]

I bought an iFixit kit, included three tiny JIS driver bits. Fit perfectly.
It was the smallest (m2 1.5mm) that came out when trying Philips. Red threadseal really locked down the screws. This on the trackpad of my laptop.
Lesson learned.
Youtube video, showed (on a m'cycle) how the JIS driver 'held' in the screwhead!
Also (larger sizes only?) screws have a dot or cross on them, indicating JIS driver needed.

iFixit get a lot of good reviews, I'm tempted, like clamps can you have too many screwdrivers?? I have virtually all the securtiy ones, but ...

 

[GerryT]

I imagine that JIS are what your looking at as Gordon mentioned above.
Vessel do some nice sets on Amazon.

 

[AES]

There has been agreat deal of confusion in this thread (no pun intended ).

The issue about 'Coarse' ot 'Fine' pitch is totally irrelevant - the real subject is the shape of the ScrewDRIVER - or, even more precisly, the RECESS in the screw head.

Of course the physical or nominal size of the thread has a bearing upon which size designation screwdriver is needed to fit or remove the screw but 'twas ever thus, whether talking about ISO, Unified, Whitworth . . . or whatever . . . The thread 'Standard' in use does not concern itself with the size or shape of the driving recess so you could have a 'Standard' M2 screw with 0.4mm pitch or 0.25mm pitch (Coarse and Fine series) with a Slot, JIS, Torx, Philips, PoziDriv, SupaDriv or any other recess (though I doubt that the last two referenced would be aplicable to an M2 Screw!) just as you could have a Countersunk, Raised-Countersunk, Cheese, Hex, Button, Cap. . . . or any other 'head'.

I must accept the rebuke for setting off a red herring. I jumped into this one late, not having read the OP properly. Quite right, whatever the head type has nothing to do with the thread, sorry.

 

[J-G]

Sorry AES - my post was not intended as a rebuke to you. The OP initiated the confusion but totally unintentionally, he simply didn't know what he wanted to know - A Donald Rumsfeld moment I suspect

 

[BiffoBear]

The screws in question may well be a 'JIS' head rather than pozi or phillips - there's a subtle, but important, difference.

G.

Well, I've learned something today. I had often noticed a definite difference in the way some Phillips type screwdrivers fitted into some screws but I guess I put this down to badly manufactured screws. This thread has highlighted to me the existence of JIS. I found a good article in which the writer gives a very clear description of the differences, link below.

One moment, please...

 

[AES]

Well, I've learned something today. I had often noticed a definite difference in the way some Phillips type screwdrivers fitted into some screws but I guess I put this down to badly manufactured screws. This thread has highlighted to me the existence of JIS. I found a good article in which the writer gives a very clear description of the differences, link below.

One moment, please...

Well, a huge thank you for that. Not only have I learnt something new (never even heard of JIS before!), like Biffo Bear, but thanks to your link Sir, I now have a well-written and knowledgeable article giving all the info. EXCELLENT, thank you very much indeed. ;-)

 

[Donald Sinclair]

iFixit get a lot of good reviews, I'm tempted, like clamps can you have too many screwdrivers?? I have virtually all the securtiy ones, but ...

Screws on Honda motorcycles are easier to remove without damage if you use the appropriate JIS screwdriver.