Screwdrivers.

[pe2dave]

I've a 50 year old Stanley wooden screwdriver, about 10". A go to for medium slotted screws.
A couple of electrical insulated ones which don't feel right with wood.

Do you have 'old faithful' or new kids on the block that feel right when you pick 'em up?
I'm particularly missing a long (10" blade?) posidrive.

 

[Argus]

Yep.

I started my apprenticeship (Electrical, at first until I switched to Refrigeration) when the Beatles were first in the charts, in 1963.

After a year or two, I started buying a tool or two each month and I still have some of 'em. Mainly because I had a little illicit work coming in on the side..... but that's another story.

I still have a very big, much-hammered screwdriver............ a hammer with the same handle (much shortened), a Britool 1/2 inch ratchet that cost 12/-6d at about the time of Sgt Pepper - still used, plus a load of obsolete refrigeration gear...... I could go on.

My motto with tools is "buy well and buy once".

As far as I'm concerned good hand tools are to be valued.

 

[Adam W.]

I have some concave ground Lie-Nielsen plane screwdrivers which I like very much and I also have some older, very long screwdrivers which I plan to put into action very soon.

 

[Bod]

My first purchase of tools when I started in the motor trade, was a set of Snap-On screwdrivers, paid £27. £5 down, £5 a week, till paid for.
Father thought I was mad, 40 years on, they all still work, as well as when they were new.
One was used to try and remove a Triumph Stag cylinder head stud, the screwdriver now has a slight twist in the shank, but the tip is as good as new. (The hex at the top of the shank is there for a spanner to increase the turning torque and was well used!)
Good tools last.

Bod

 

[Essex Barn Workshop]

, the screwdriver now has a slight twist in the shank, but the tip is as good as new.


Bod

Don't snap on have a life time guarantee? If so, wouldn't they exchange it?

 

[gog64]

Wiha and Wera are my go to brands for work and at home. I’ve bought quite a few over the years and they are both reliably good. That’s assuming you want a tool for work, not a vintage tool for aesthetics.

 

[Bojam]

Wiha and Wera are my go to brands for work and at home. I’ve bought quite a few over the years and they are both reliably good. That’s assuming you want a tool for work, not a vintage tool for aesthetics.

I have a Wera set that has served me well.

 

[Doug B]

I get through screwdrivers at a fair old rate though they do tend to get an awful lot of abuse, for the last few years I’ve had Stanley Fat Max in my tool bag about 20 of different types & lengths.
They seem to be holding up as well as any I’ve used over the last 40 years plus I like the fact that the ends are colour coded, blue for pozi yellow for Phillips & red for straight makes picking the right type out of my bag a lot quicker.

 

[Bod]

Don't snap on have a life time guarantee? If so, wouldn't they exchange it?

It's so minor, and it could be argued as abuse, I didn't bother.

Bod.

 

[Cabinetman]

I can recommend these, they just fit, and work properly. Couldn’t get any of the old style Stanley black ones, but these seem just as good. Ian

 

[Inspector]

Don't snap on have a life time guarantee? If so, wouldn't they exchange it?

The one time I had one break they pulled the handle off and pounded it on a new blade. They do not warrantee the handles. They don't warrantee the tips if they wear out just breakage so while I had lots of them I went to their magnetic screwdrivers as the company had bits by the handful. Old aircraft and Phillips screws are tough on screwdrivers. A buddy worked for an airline and when the screwdriver tips wore out they soaked the ends in liquid nitrogen, quickly put them in a vice and used the hex at the top to twist the tip off. Then Snap-On would replace the blade every time.

Pete

I'll add that my favourite tool when I was wrenching aircraft were lock wire pliers. Sped up the safetying of fasteners immensely.

 

[Sideways]

I have tried a fair few screwdrivers and my recommendations would be
1. Wiha - I find the ergonomics of their handles the best. I use them first for everything including the cross points, straight blades, torx and in standard and insulated versions.
1. Anex Japan make Japanese standard (JIS) cross point bits that are a thing of beauty. Used on the production lines that assemble your TVs and toasters.
2. Wera - I think they make the best bit driver adapters and bit holder handles in various sizes. Not unbreakable but nicest to use.
2. Vessel Japan - great quality. Their "ball" shaped handles are worth looking for if you like old wooden drivers with big handles. They also do drivers designed to be hammered.
3. Klein - I resisted for a while but eventually tried a pair of modulo / xeno bladed electricians drivers. They are better than I expected them to be.
4. PB Swiss make a nice handle but prices are too silly unless you want a screwdriver for some special purpose.

So, Wiha for a replacement pozi screwdriver. Screwfix carry a range including some sets. Occasionally they go on discount.

 

[Ollie78]

I like the wera ones but I wish they wouldn`t scale them with the sizes, the big size fits my hand well the smaller ones less so.
I prefer the black and yellow ones with the steel through the handle so you can give it a bit of gentle persuasion.

Also the elementry ones are a good classic shape but with the ability to change the ends, Gone up in price a good bit since I bought mine though TheScrewdriver

Ollie

 

[againstthegrain]

I have far too many screwdrivers but of the really old ones (pre pozidrive so for slotted heads) my three absolute favourites are ((large) a wooden handled one I got with my first Renault car in 1972, (medium) the first one I bought myself with a wood handle, and one for smaller screws with a very long shaft which was my father’s and more than 80 years old...

 

[clogs]

I also have an old'un.....I got the first week of my apprenticeship, mechanical eng....
I still use today.....big round plastic handle no idea of make or cost....
I'm 72.....
for cheapish but good qual, try Magnusson tools there screwdrivers are really quite good...sold in the UK by B+QI think.....they were everywhere in France...even the spanners are good......
I buy them and bend em for special jobs....

 

[spanner48]

My oldest is a little blue unbranded plastic-handled electrical screwdriver that I bought as my first-ever tool in 1956, for 6d [Old pennies, for you youngsters]. Much battered and bent; still works fine.

 

[user 36896]

When I'm using slotted screws I prefer the early Stanley, even the long thin finer ones keep their edge and I've been using some for the last 30 years. Crossheads I'm a bit lazy and usually use magnetic type in a drill driver. I used to own a snap-on magnetic bit ratchet driver, unfortunately, I lent it out on a building site and have not seen it since, eer was it anyone on here?

 

[pgrbff]

I have fairly full sets of PB Swiss swissgrip and Wiha soft touch. For bigger screws I will always reach for the Wiha, I find them most comfortable to hold. If Im hanging a door I will invariably go for my old Yankee.