Help me decide on hex drivers

[psychob0b1977]

Hi all,

i need some good quality hex drivers. i just got into the RC hobby, and my cheapo hex bits keep rounding out and stripping screws. so its time to buy some better quality ones.

i have had experience with PB swiss swissgrip hex drivers and thought they were awesome. so i thought i should buy them in the sizes i need. but after a look through my toolbox i remembered how much i like Wiha precision drivers, so i now i'm stuck.

who has better hex drivers? or is it six of one and half dozen of the other?

which would you buy? or something else i haven't thought of?

 

[merbie]

Is go for the rainbow pb swiss haven't heard anything bad about them


Sent from the sticks

 

[franzdom]

Are you talking about screwdriver handle type? Metric or SAE?

 

[AndrewV]

T-Handle type, or socket type?
I have Snap-On T-Handles, Lisle socket set, and Sunex impact socket sets.

I like all mine, but just mho.

 

[bart1]

Consider Hex plus as well. I think Facom and Wera have them?

Wiha or Bondhus would be good affordable options. Hazet, Stahlwille or Span on gold for the absolute best.

 

[Bigblue&Goldie]

Can't go wrong with Bondhus for quality or price.

 

[low_dakota94]

I've had these for about 6 years now and have served me well. You can get them at most hobby shops and at amainhobbies.com

 

[psychob0b1977]

Yes I am looking for screwdriver handle. I will look into all the suggestions.

 

[Dave455]

I'd definitely go for the PB Swiss!

I don't believe anybody else out there has put as much research into these things as Max Baumann, and the various hex tools I have from PB are the most durable I've ever owned!

In the past I've done a lot of repetitive assembly work, and that's a tough environment as you are often using one tool all day, but the PB Swiss stand up to it superbly!

The Wiha are o.k. but not in the same league as PB Swiss. To put things into perspective, I was once assembling components that needed a 2.5 mm hex, and it had to be a ball hex for access, which are fragile in that size! Using Wera ball hex bits in a bit driver we'd break a couple a day each. That probably dropped to one a day with Wiha, but as soon as we switched to PB Swiss we never broke one, ever! I still have the box of ten that I bought, one now well used!

For most uses I'd advise against the Swissgrip though. They are often the tools that folks first discover, probably because they are the newest and thus being advertised most, but the traditional orange hard handles are a better option for most people! I have a set of these over 30 years old in daily use and still unmarked! Doubt the Swissgrips will last that well!

 

[larry_g]

One thing to consider is that your fasteners are soft and the problem is not your tools. I would suggest that you find some good, holo-krome, fasteners. You will be happier.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[larry_g]

I've had these for about 6 years now and have served me well. You can get them at most hobby shops and at amainhobbies.com

These are purty but I would suggest that you invest in drivers that have full hex shanks so that when the tip wears you can stone it back to good hex.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[JasonJ]

I used to race On-Road 1/8th Scale 4WD Gas (MRX-3) and I still have my Mugen Seiki Prospec Hex Drivers. Though I have not raced in years, I can't seem to give these drivers up.

 

[psychob0b1977]

I'd definitely go for the PB Swiss!

I don't believe anybody else out there has put as much research into these things as Max Baumann, and the various hex tools I have from PB are the most durable I've ever owned!

In the past I've done a lot of repetitive assembly work, and that's a tough environment as you are often using one tool all day, but the PB Swiss stand up to it superbly!

The Wiha are o.k. but not in the same league as PB Swiss. To put things into perspective, I was once assembling components that needed a 2.5 mm hex, and it had to be a ball hex for access, which are fragile in that size! Using Wera ball hex bits in a bit driver we'd break a couple a day each. That probably dropped to one a day with Wiha, but as soon as we switched to PB Swiss we never broke one, ever! I still have the box of ten that I bought, one now well used!

For most uses I'd advise against the Swissgrip though. They are often the tools that folks first discover, probably because they are the newest and thus being advertised most, but the traditional orange hard handles are a better option for most people! I have a set of these over 30 years old in daily use and still unmarked! Doubt the Swissgrips will last that well!

Thanks for the help. I too have used pb Swiss tools in a manufacturing setting, and they always seemed much better than everything else. I have a full set of metric and stands ball end pb Swiss Allen keys and love them. I used to use the Swiss gross at wall a few years ago and they held up well.

One thing to consider is that your fasteners are soft and the problem is not your tools. I would suggest that you find some good, holo-krome, fasteners. You will be happier.

lg
no neat sig line

The hex bits I am using are from harbor freight. So trust me when I say the bits are failing, not the fasteners. I was unable to remove one screw and used on of my pb Swiss Allen keys and got it out as if it wasn't even damaged.

Allen keys are just not comfortable to use. That's why I'm looking for new screwdriver type

 

[franzdom]

The Witte are an option for screwdriver handles with ball ends, very nice

Also, here is a pic of the Wera drive in a T-handle that was mentioned earlier.