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my screwdriver quest

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mtkst19

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blitzburgh pa
i am finally getting fed up w/ my current work screw drivers. i have an assortment of screw drivers. yet my main set is a soft grip Mac John Foce edition set. They work, but are not on par with other brands.

So now im on the hunt for new.

my favorite screwdriver of all time is the 3 sided snap on hard handle. yet being they were made before i was born, i dont think i will luck into a set of them. yet i own a few from flea market finds...

I really liek snap on's new diamond impregnated screwdrivers. yet the handles im not a fan of. Can these be bought in hard handles?

The other two i like are wiha's soft grip handles. I own some torx and the complete metric flex shaft nut driver set liek this. these handles and blade quality are nice. Yet i have never seen the screw drivers up close. can anyone comment on their quality? As when i amazon search it, it appears there is a couple grades of screwdrivers. Im confused to what is what.

The other brand that has caught my eye is the SFS seen in this pic. A while back, I purchased the 3 pictured items off a board member. This is his picture of the items for sale. I initially just wanted the soft grip for my use. But items were cheap, so said what the hell and got all 3. The sfs torx driver has been a real pleasant surprise! Any info on this company? The handle is comfy, and the blade has held up well. as comfy and nice as the torx is, id be willing to try their screwdrivers. the blade of the torx driver i have seems to be made very well-- id say better than the wiha pictured and on same level or better than a snap on blade.

torx_driver1.jpg


thanks for any input
 
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mtkst19

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yes, i gave them thought too. but on the fence w/ them. oh, i want a pretty complete set. forgot to mention that in my initial post. like a 9 piece set.
 
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BQuicksilver

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Those Wiha Softfinish feel better than Snap On hard handles/Williams by a long shot. I like my Weras a lot, but the smooth top is just plain comfortable on the palm. Main advantage of the hard handles is clean up for mechanics, but then they're slippery.

Those hard handles are great on a ratchet, and I think guys get used to them and want their screwdrivers to feel the same (which makes sense). But from a comfort/torque point of view they're inferior to many other designs.

The collector market has made the hard handles so desirable people can ignore them not being the best ergonomic design.
 
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MrMark

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I have all the Wiha's including the two different textured grip black handled models, and the red ones too. I think the blades are all the same except for the top of the line black strike through models. The strike thru blades look like you could go into battle with them. You can also get the red soft grip in strike thru. I don't have those. The difference seems to lie in the handles. I really like the soft grip handles you have. I think of the Wiha models they are my favorite. I know I love the 5.5, 7, 8, and 10 nutdrivers that I have with those handles. You might want to try the Wera Chiseldrivers too, as they are very nice.
 
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MrMark

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That SFS looks like old hard handled Wera made for Euro market. Monte would know.

On the Wiha torx tee handled drivers, if you step up to the Wiha soft grip tee handle in hex or torx you get the cat's meow in T handles. That Green one you show is the lower line. The Wiha T's are a lot cheaper than the Snap-on T handles, which are made in Spain. I can't imagine they are nicer than the Wiha T's.
 
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MrMark

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I tried the journeys, and had two of the blades free spinning in the handle. The yellows are rather basic, shall we say. No offense, but Klein is not really in the same league as Wiha, Wera, Witte, Felo and Snap-on.
 
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bart1

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Alabama the Beautiful
mtkst19 said:
my favorite screwdriver of all time is the 3 sided snap on hard handle. yet being they were made before i was born, i dont think i will luck into a set of them. yet i own a few from flea market finds...
Click to expand...

Maybe you should look at Hazet 803s. I'll edit with a pic later.
 
T

ToddyB

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Dec 18, 2010
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The Witte fit my hands better than my wiha with the same quality blade. I also have Hard handle snap-on, klein, vaco, proto, craftsman pro old and new, stanley 100's, but my Witte screwdrivers are by far my favorite.
 
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mtkst19

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the kleins i had their journeymen set. i find that in really warm conditions, the shank will spin inside the handle. talking leave it on the trailer at the track in the sun then go to use it. other than that, cant say i had an issue w/ them

bart--please post pics if you can. i seriously love how the 3 sided handle feels. im sure hazet has decent blade tooling.
 
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dede2897234

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mtkst19,

I have owned a set of phillips and slotted Wiha MicroFinish Heavy Duty screwdrivers for 6 years. The tips, MicroFinish handle material (been exposed to oil), and metal cap (been struck with a hammer various times) have all been durable. This heavy duty model also has a hex bolster for applying additional torque to a fastener with a wrench.

Here is a link to these Wiha screwdrivers on WihaTools' website:
WIHA MICROFINISH.


Dave
 
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cundifc

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Does anyone like the Klien journeymen set? Found the 7 piece set for 30 bucks.
 
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84bimmer

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Lawrence, KS
cundifc said:
Does anyone like the Klien journeymen set? Found the 7 piece set for 30 bucks.
Click to expand...

That seems like a good price on those. I don't have any experience with the journeys. Read back in this thread and there are some negatives about them people have brought up. I'd pass. I think the yellow handles are overpriced junk.
 
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dumb as a stump

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I'm also a vote for Klein ..Junked all my other stuff or use it for misc custom tools (like bending 90's to make scrapers or picks) used by electricians are they put them thru heck. Especially like my cutters (not for the feint of heart at 40 bucks Canadian)
 
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aidank

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mtkst19

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caper150 said:
Our local Fleet Farm recently got rid of all the Pratt-Reed and replaced them with Felo and I have been thinking of getting a set, they seem like a nice set.
Click to expand...

im convinced my cornwell branded torx screwdrivers are fello. the handle say made in germany. however, i see some wiha models that are similar style too. her eis a pic of the cornwells.

productimage.php



direct link to the screwdrivers if they dont allow hotlinking--
http://www.cornwelltools.com/webcat...TSD7S-%2d-7-Piece-TamperTorx-Screwdriver-Set#

they are pretty decent

the wiha's posted w/ the striking cap have my interest.
 
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MrMark

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mtkst19 said:
im convinced my cornwell branded torx screwdrivers are fello. the handle say made in germany. however, i see some wiha models that are similar style too. her eis a pic of the cornwells.

productimage.php



direct link to the screwdrivers if they dont allow hotlinking--
http://www.cornwelltools.com/webcat...TSD7S-%2d-7-Piece-TamperTorx-Screwdriver-Set#

they are pretty decent

the wiha's posted w/ the striking cap have my interest.
Click to expand...

Those Cornwell are, I believe, Witte Protop Plus.

If you want tough blades that can be beat on, there is no substitute for the Wera Chisel Driver or the Wiha extra heavy duty, which come in either the black pebbled finish, or the red soft grip. The Wera have a better balance, however, as the striking cap makes the Wiha a little tail heavy. I have both and my impression is that the Wera is better for all around use but the Wiha is stronger and will take more abuse.

Felo makes a nice striking cap model too. I bought a set and gave it as a gift. The felo handles were too small for my hands. If larger, they probably would be my favorite.
 
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Eric Nordstrom

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Nov 19, 2007
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334
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catoosa,ok
I am a snap on fan when it comes to screwdrivers.....But I must say that
Wiha soft grip is SWEET! I picked one up at a pawn shop last week.
We also have some at work. I will by more!
Eric
 
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GrantCee

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Aug 23, 2010
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Willamette Valley, Oregon
I'll be a dissenter...picked up a few Wright Phillips about 9 months ago to fill in some missing pieces in a black handled Williams set. I'm a fan of Wright wrenches, but didn't know what to expect from their screwdrivers. I know Wright doesn't make them, but I've been unable to figure out who does.

The Wrights have become my favorites! The handles are extra large, which I originally thought I wouldn't like, but they transmit a lot of torque to the fastener without a lot of hand pressure. I've yet to have one cam out of a fastener; they stick like they were welded there. The Williams, despite the praise they get here, don't compare.

Wright for me from now on!
 
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Don 18

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Buffalo NY
This place is great! These were waiting for me when I got home this evening: :thumbup:
 

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I

IndyGarage

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I have some of those old Snap on Hard handles that I picked up a long time ago at a swap meet - They were used when I got them, and I've beat them more and they've taken it.

However, I think time has passed that design by. About 18 months ago I bought a set of Felo's and ever since then I don't want to use anything else.

They're not the soft handle ones shown above, they have a hard black handle with a red end - I think they're shaped just like ones show above.

Based on how well I like the Felo's I'm going to try some Wera's - I ordered the bitholding screwdriver kit to replace the 4 in 1 for my "crash kit". We'll see how they do.
 
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mrholeshot

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Jun 22, 2010
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I just love my Wera screwdrivers. I get that #2 phillips in my hand and I'm like a dog with a hard on. I'm just going everywhere trying to screw something
 
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