Cabinet Screwdrivers vs. ”Traditional”

[The Critic]

Let’s say you use your screwdrivers as intended, and only for lower torque applications…so having a hex on the shank is not a factor for me.

Cabinet screwdrivers are obviously a bit more compact at the tip. To me that seems advantageous without a downside. So, is there any reason to still own “traditional” screwdrivers?

 

[Jack Ryan]

Let’s say you use your screwdrivers as intended, and only for lower torque applications…so having a hex on the shank is not a factor for me.

Cabinet screwdrivers are obviously a bit more compact at the tip. To me that seems advantageous without a downside. So, is there any reason to still own “traditional” screwdrivers?

I think the answers to that question are subjective although some are pretty adamant about their opinion.

I tend to use a traditional screwdriver for traditional screws - slot, Phillips, Pozidriv - and bits otherwise.

I'm not sure how useful cabinet bit would be. For that matter, any screw (fastner) in a recess probably needs a screwdriver unless you have some very long bits.

Jack

 

[Prospecter]

My house is 1840s era. Also some old family furniture. Lots of slotted screws. The cabinet screwdrivers are good for those. I bought NOS Proto from Epstein's. I save them for slotted screws. I abuse my older Craftsman slotted drivers. I'll also use the Craftsman drivers to clean paint out of slots before I use my Protos.

 

[RTM]

Cabinet screwdrivers are obviously a bit more compact at the tip. To me that seems advantageous without a downside. So, is there any reason to still own “traditional” screwdrivers?

My cabinet screwdrivers (set of four) don’t get as big at the tip as other screwdrivers, so they don’t play with the big kids. Also there were a bit more dear $$ than normal.

So as noted above, I save them, and my gunsmith’s screwdrivers, for things I care a bit more about, antique tools and furniture, or places the others won’t fit.

Also hidden away so they don’t get loaned to the neighbors.

 

[CoogarXR]

I prefer cabinet tip screwdrivers. I deal with a lot of recessed screws, and I have no use for big, bulky tips. I mean, what's the point of all that meat on the sides of a tip that doesn't engage the fastener:

 

[mike93lx]

I've never heard the term "cabinet screwdriver" and had to Google it. TIL

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[AEAdam]

Let’s say you use your screwdrivers as intended, and only for lower torque applications…so having a hex on the shank is not a factor for me.

Cabinet screwdrivers are obviously a bit more compact at the tip. To me that seems advantageous without a downside. So, is there any reason to still own “traditional” screwdrivers?

While cabinet tip is a style of screwdriver, I typically don’t see (or have) them in the full range of sizes. So, they work when they fit. When they don’t fit, they ****. I don’t think there’s an either or for most of us.

 

[4xdog]

I have a number of cabinet drivers, most of them pretty old and used infrequently. The ones that get used the most are the long-thin ones. Sometimes that's a perfect fit for a tricky screw.