German screwdriver comparison

[scubadoober]

I had been researching screwdrivers and could not settle on one brand or style so I ordered four of the major German brands. I will give my initial impressions and update this thread with future findings. Hopefully someone will find the comparison helpful.

The above image is for scale. All of the tips are lined up, and all are phillips #2 x 100mm. This was just an exercise in handle comfort and tip quality/life. Left to right (Country of Origin): Wera Kraftform classic (Czech Republic), Felo wood handle (Germany), Wiha SoftFinish (Germany), Witte Maxxpro (Germany). First impression is they were all comfortable in my hand. The Witte handle was a bit too thick, and I have decent sized hands (7.5" base of palm to tip of middle finger). I decided to drive some screws and all fit the head very snug, but more on that later. After initial use I would place them in this order: Felo, Wiha, Wera, Witte. The two big stadouts were the Felo and Wiha which surprised me since the Wera felt the best out of the box. The largest circumference could be slightly smaller. While the Witte triangular grip didn't seem to hit the creases in my hand just right it felt much better in actual use. Even with the Felo having the shortest grip it was extremely comfortable and functional. The Wiha basically tied for first with the Felo, and you could pick either with confidence based on handle material preference. The Wiha had a very secure grip with the rubber compound and would probably function better when wet.

Sorry I didn't flip the drivers. So from left to right: Witte, Wiha, Felo, Wera. I tested the tip holding with a #8 countersunk, #8 pan head, coarse drywall. All of them held the screws without fault even while being shaken in the vertical down position. No major standout, but the Wiha possibly held the best. It also had the roughest finish, and not rough as in poorly finished. None of the tips were magnetized in any way, and this was verified by the stainless screw. I will continue to update this thread and if you have any questions please do not hesitate to ask.

 

[dar24601]

Nice overview, I have couple of wiha soft finish screwdrivers and love em. Haven't tried any of the others but note my sister has small hands and the wiha feels bit too large for her for reference she uses the craftsman acetate handles

 

[JimNC]

I like the look of the Felo, have never tried one. I have and love the Wiha, but mine have a metal cap and wrench flats.

 

[B_Bimmer]

Wiha drivers are always a joy to use.

 

[rrich1]

I have all but the felo. Witte are my personal favorite followed by with then wera.

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[scubadoober]

I like the look of the Felo, have never tried one. I have and love the Wiha, but mine have a metal cap and wrench flats.

It looks like Felo has changed the shape of their wooden handles unfortunately. There are definitely better versions of each of these drivers, but I didn't want to buy the tricked out bells and whistles until I narrow down handle type. All are very high quality, and faaaaar superior to any hardware store Craftsman/Stanley. Can't really go wrong.

 

[visionguru]

It looks like Felo has changed the shape of their wooden handles unfortunately. There are definitely better versions of each of these drivers, but I didn't want to buy the tricked out bells and whistles until I narrow down handle type. All are very high quality, and faaaaar superior to any hardware store Craftsman/Stanley. Can't really go wrong.

I have the Felo 5-piece set screw drivers, a set of precision screw drivers (forget the brand name),3 tweezers, all Made in Germany.

"faaaar superior"? They are just OK. 2 of the 5 Felo drivers have shafts slightly off center, yeah, it's ok to use, but the workmanship is not there. The screw driver tips don't seem to have much "bite", comparing to my Craftsman and Carlyle.

The 3 made in Germany tweezers are no where near the quality of Swiss Made ones.

In my experience, German stuff is over priced for its quality or workmanship. Regarding screw drivers, I'd rank Carlyle > Craftsman > Felo.

 

[jumbojak]

I wonder if the tips on the black handled Wera drivers are as soft as their laser cut style. Those work great for about a week but then they start to get chewed up as badly as a craftsman.

 

[Wamsutta]

I like the one with the gray tip; whichever one that is.

 

[davethorik]

Never used Felos or Wittes but a lot of experience with Wiha and Wera. Last year I bought an electrician friend a set of Wera insulated hard handle screwdrivers, they were $25 iirc for a 5 or 6 pc set, and they still have good tips as of today. He is hard on tools, too. They definitely blow Crapsman out of the water.

 

[gdocktor3]

Wera tips wear quick in my experiences. No experience with the others, but I picked up a few Vessel screwdrivers last year after reading about them on here and they are pretty damn awesome. Just saying...

 

[gdocktor3]

Regarding screw drivers, I'd rank Carlyle > Craftsman > Felo.

This symbol (>) means greater than, as in better than. Are you using this symbol correctly in this sentence? Carlyle is better than Craftsman which is better than Felo. Is this real life?

 

[visionguru]

This symbol (>) means greater than, as in better than. Are you using this symbol correctly in this sentence? Carlyle is better than Craftsman which is better than Felo. Is this real life?

Yes, my comment was based on "real life". A few weeks ago, I was replacing a light bulb of a dryer. The screw was not that tight. The Felo slipped, and I can see slight marring on the tip. Not sure if you can see the marring in the picture. I used my 10 year old craftsman instead, no such issue. The last picture shows the gap between the shaft and the metal cover. If I wiggle the shaft, there is about 1mm of movement. I never saw this on even the cheapest screw drivers. The metal of Felo doesn't seem high quality compare with craftsman and carlyle.

German has never been known for craftsmanship. They are making decent stuff, not better than made in USA, but charge high prices. I drive a German car, use German knives, have 2 German watches, and some tools, never was impressed by the quality. Germany does make good looking stuff though.

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[f_jimenez]

Felo Series 330 for home and auto repairs if you remove the clear coat on the handles; credit to AVE in youtube for the tip, you'll have the best grip possible even with oily hands. For electric boards i vote for the Wera Stainless steel tip with Kraftform; for precision screwdrivers nobody beats Wiha.

 

[Tonyuk]

Wera are the best screwdrivers i've used, normally use their lazertip drivers and they're excellent.

Wera and wiha also make some of the best fitting torx and spline bits in my experience.

 

[scubadoober]

I like the one with the gray tip; whichever one that is.

That is the Wiha my friend.

 

[rrich1]

The Carlyle by Witte? Those are super nice. I want some but I can't justify it...

I don't think the carlyles are made by Witte. I believe those are made in Taiwan.

I have this set as my daily driver and am very happy with them. They are German made by witte.

https://www.handtoolsforless.com/products/8-pc-professional-combination-screwdriver-set

They have a larger set for a good price as well.

https://www.handtoolsforless.com/products/16-pc-screwdriver-set-slotted-phillips-made-in-germany

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[garagelogician]

Felo Series 330 for home and auto repairs if you remove the clear coat on the handles; credit to AVE in youtube for the tip, you'll have the best grip possible even with oily hands. For electric boards i vote for the Wera Stainless steel tip with Kraftform; for precision screwdrivers nobody beats Wiha.

I intended to post the same thing here, glad to see another fan of old Uncle Bumblefuck.

 

[fatfillup]

I have and like the Wittes that are rebadged Matco and Cornwell. Got a set at an auction that were so dirty you could hardly tell they were orange. I assume they were the guys go to drivers. They cleaned up great and the tips looked about perfect. That sold me on them. Have a couple of singles in the home fleet and they work nicely. The complete sets get sold.

 

[ptgarcia]

Wera tips wear quick in my experiences. No experience with the others, but I picked up a few Vessel screwdrivers last year after reading about them on here and they are pretty damn awesome. Just saying...

I recently purchased a couple Vessel and Wiha screwdrivers and love both brands. Just excellent drivers.

 

[Mr Ratchet]

I have Wera and Wiha (3K) drivers and like them both but, prefer the Wera the most.

 

[visionguru]

The Carlyle by Witte? Those are super nice. I want some but I can't justify it...

The Carlyle is from this set:
https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/CHQSDS8GR

Made in Taiwan. In my opinion, Carlyle is professional grade, well made, very close to truck brands.

My other hobbies include mechanical watches and kitchen knives. I found that higher end "made in Japan" tends to show amazing workmanship. German stuff is mid grade at best, the attention to detail is what German stuff lacks.

Craftsman (made in USA) is probably the best in terms of price and quality for general/home use.

 

[SantaAna12]

So many good choices.

I like the Wera laser tips, and the Vessels. I have one Felo, it is OK. I have the large Wiha precision set. I use PB Swiss bits in my old Mac red handle, and my SO ratcheting.

So many good choices.

German tools lack attention to detail???

Not in my experience.

 

[visionguru]

....
German tools lack attention to detail???

Not in my experience.

Glad that you like yours.

That's been my experience in watches/knives/tools, just enough to be called good, but not excellent workmanship when comparing with better ones.

Staying with screwdriver discussion, Felo drivers are not high quality. Among the 5 I have, 2 shafts are slightly off center. 1 has wobble shaft. The tips are somehow more slippery. Good looking and design, yes, but not well made IMO.

 

[scubadoober]

I used the Wera today in a tip down grab it like a stick shift style, and it was very comfortable. This may turn into a long term which one do I grab the most type comparison. So far they all seem on par, but durability may start to creep in. We shall see. I am open to compare some US and JIS, but my understanding is JIS is a completely different standard.

 

[M6erfan]

I used the Wera today in a tip down grab it like a stick shift style, and it was very comfortable. This may turn into a long term which one do I grab the most type comparison. So far they all seem on par, but durability may start to creep in. We shall see. I am open to compare some US and JIS, but my understanding is JIS is a completely different standard.

JIS is a defunct screwdriver standard (since 2008 IIRC). The current standard is DIN 6250. If a screwdriver meets DIN 6250, it will be "JIS" compatible.

I love my Vessel screwdrivers and they work extremely well on 40-50 year old Japanese motorcycles that I work on and restore. I also have some Engineer & KTC screwdrivers that work well too.

I believe PB Swiss, Wera & Wiha meet DIN 6250 standard. I have Wiha PH screwdrivers and I like them a lot, but I still prefer my Vessels for working with the older JIS PH fasteners

 

[Finky198]

I am very happy with my Wiha stuff. I have a Full set of extra heavy duty micro finish drivers ( with the striking cap). And the master set of the precision drivers. Wiha seem to be a good value. A quality tool that doesn't break bank yet is well made and long lasting.

 

[scubadoober]

I ordered a Blackhawk (France) #2 today. When it comes in I will update with initial impressions. The handle shape looks similar to the Wiha. I'm not sure if these are made by Facom or another company. I also scored a Knipex 10" cobra quickset for 24.99 on clearance at Menards.

 

[M6erfan]

Wonder if the Blackhawk is indeed Facom from the Facom/Stanley relationship?

 

[scubadoober]

Wonder if the Blackhawk is indeed Facom from the Facom/Stanley relationship?

I'm not sure. There aren't a ton of good pictures or reviews of the Blackhawk online. I can get Proto/Blackhawk through work (cheap) so I figured it couldn't hurt as a fair comparison. Still no complaints on the four in the OP, and I might end up giving the Witte to my dad. He seemed to like it the best. That is a good illustration of how subjective this test is.

 

[exmaxima1]

Made in Taiwan. In my opinion, Carlyle is professional grade, well made, very close to truck brands.

My other hobbies include mechanical watches and kitchen knives. I found that higher end "made in Japan" tends to show amazing workmanship. German stuff is mid grade at best, the attention to detail is what German stuff lacks.

If you want to see some attention to detail, check out a Taiwanese-made Spyderco pocket knife. While I generally prefer a USA or Japanese model, I bought a Gayle Bradley that just blew me away in fit/finish. Probably the best made knife I've owned, including the much more expensive Chris Reeves Sebenza. My German Bokers and Pumas are well polished, but don't have the amazing machining of the Taiwanese stuff.

 

[scubadoober]

Wonder if the Blackhawk is indeed Facom from the Facom/Stanley relationship?

After doing a little digging these look identical to the Facom made SK scredrivers I'm sure most are familiar with. Just FYI

 

[mowkep]

I have the red Wihas at work and the blue ones at home. I also have the mini precision ones. All are excellant. I had the Weras. The tips wore too easily. The grip wasn't that comfortable. I had the Felos. They were just okay. I gave the later away.

 

[scubadoober]

A quick update. I finally got in the Blackhawk screwdriver and it is made in France. I included the below picture with the Wiha since the handle shapes were similar. The Wiha has a rounded square profile while the Blackhawk is strictly round and has no flats to prevent it from rolling. The diameter of the Blackhawk is close to the smaller diamter of the Wiha. It fits in the hand nicely and the tip looks like bead blasted chrome. The tip holds screws as well as the others listed. The chrome on the shaft looks OK and the soft rubber is harder than the Wiha. Another note on the Wiha tip is it has an extra raised ridge running inline with the tip to help bite while loosening screws. This feature is not on any of the other screwdrivers in this comparison. Updated usage is I still find myself using the Wiha and Felo the most of the original four.

 

[toolmutt]

Wera tips wear quick in my experiences. ......

My experience, also.

 

[mbshop]

I had stahlwille or hazet. Seemed ok to me. Now that I'm retired I will ask a question. To me the german metric screwdrivers fit german screws better than std tools. Question is, is there a real differance between american and metric sizes ?

 

[scubadoober]

I have only used the Blackhawk once on four screws. 1" wood screws into particle board (cheap furniture), and the tip didn't bite well on one of them. The tip camed out a couple times showing some wear. This surprised me a bit since I was comparing it to the Wiha which didn't seem to have any troubles on the same screws. As of now the BH isn't blowing me away, and the tip wear looks similar to dollar store screwdrivers. A bit of a let down, but I'm only into it for a few bucks. That is why I'm doing this comparison.

 

[kythri]

The Witte Maxxpro's are nice drivers.

I've got a set of them, branded Napa in the old blue/yellow livery, before NAPA went Carlyle.

 

[T45]

I had stahlwille or hazet. Seemed ok to me. Now that I'm retired I will ask a question. To me the german metric screwdrivers fit german screws better than std tools. Question is, is there a real differance between american and metric sizes ?

YEs, especially on the slotted but also on the p2. The metric and sae slotted are off sligtly in manufacture, which is not a practical problem but is enough to make one set appear to have poor tolerances. There is the difference between say a 5.5 and a 7/32" or a 6,4 or 6,5 and a 1/4".

With something like combo wrenches this is noticeble, even if its 0.10mm that is about the typical variation from a high-end brand to a **** brand when you measure the jaw-width tolerances with calipers or look at published tests etc.


The shape of DIN/JIS + and true phillips is also visibly different. If you look at a PB swiss, Apex, or Witte the shape is not the same as a Snap-On p2. The SO ACR are still very effective when used in the correct application, and the actual hardware being used is as important as the drivers.

Typical GJ answer is its good to have both



Sorry for being an enabler .....

 

[nbruno]

I absolutely love my Witte/Matco torx drivers, the handle is really comfortable in my hands and affords me enough grip along with the strong positive gripping action of the tip to actually break loose the shaft inside the handle. I don't believe that it was a quality issue, just a wrong tool for the amount of torque I needed to apply to break loose the screw.
I also have full sets of Crapsman, Snap on (X2-plastic handle and comfort grip), Craftsman professional and Wiha. What do I grab 98% of the time? Believe it or not I grab the craftsman professional.

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