New Screwdrivers

[BigBoreFan]

Vessel Megadora for JIS Phillips. I work on motorcycles. These are great.

https://www.kctoolco.com/ is worth a look. They have a garage journal discount code also.

 

[Ton ton]

Vessel Megadora for JIS Phillips. I work on motorcycles. These are great.

https://www.kctoolco.com/ is worth a look. They have a garage journal discount code also.

Sweet, thanks.

 

[Farleyfan]

Hey measuredtwice, are these the rebranded vessel screwdrivers you were referring to ?

 

[driftpin]

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0085NTQJK/?tag=atomicindus08-20
Amazon prime, free delivery. $28.45

Features four Lasertip Slotted and two (PH1, PH2) Phillips drive tips and rack
Each screwdriver is tested at 10,000 volts in a water bath to guarantee safe working standards of 1000 Volts
Lasertip micro-rough drive tip bites into the fastener to ensure a perfect fit and reduce cam-out effect
Multi-component Kraftform handle fits the shape to the hand for the ultimate in comfort and high speed torque transfer
Limited Lifetime Warranty, German Engineered
Rack included

 

[klitzke]

So, there are a lot of great options. I’m pretty picky on my screwdrivers and the best I’ve found is a German company called Witte. Depending on your application there are a host of different sets with every size combination imaginable.

I’m in aviation and I do my own home/automotive maintenance. Home Depot sells the perfect set for either of these uses! I haven’t bought this set yet because I paid a huge amount for the matco branded version about two years ago. These babies have all the benefits of a hard handle while providing a super grippy surface when your hands are oily. I would call it a hybrid.

This set: https://www.homedepot.com/p/WITTE-M...er-Assortment-Set-6-Piece-9T-663831/100668971

It’s the perfect set in my eyes. The German brands all seem to be superior when it comes to the tips holding up in heavy use/abuse. Witte combined that with their special grip “flocking”. This set is better than the current one I own because it has two flat blades that are the same size as the shaft for all those tiny screws. These sizes also boast a smaller handle design which is easier to spin quickly in low torque applications. The best part is the price. $50 on sale! Even at $60 normal price it’s a complete steal.

Hands down, best starter set money can buy for a DIY or professional mechanic.

 

[vpd66]

I had a Snap-on screwdriver set for 25 years. I bought a Vessel Megadora set and liked them so much I sold my Snap-on set and came out money ahead!

 

[mowkep]

I'm a Wiha fan. However when I had to take some covers off of the ways of my machine, the handles were pretty slick from the oil. But then again, any screwdriver would have been slick. I've always wanted to try the Williams hard handles or the PB Swiss

 

[stg454]

I’ve been very happy with my Snap-On screwdrivers. I also really like my Klein screwdrivers.

 

[1foxracing]

Vessel works for me.

 

[Wamsutta]

From the Klein tool page:

The greatest revolution to prevent a cam out was the invention of the Phillips head screwdriver.

I'd say more but my sarcastic nature has been overwhelmed.

Part of the problem with cam out is the screw itself. If you get a deep slot Phillips on a fillister head screw paired with a well machined screwdriver tip, you're not going to cam out. Too many of these Phillips screws these days have too shallow of a slot.

 

[sr71]

Take a look at the Eastwood. They have all the bases covered: Sizes visible on the end of the handles, magnetic tips, holes in handles for hanging, square shank on bigger ones for wrenching. IMHO - handle shape comfortable

 

[Downwindtracker 2]

Part of the problem with cam out is the screw itself. If you get a deep slot Phillips on a fillister head screw paired with a well machined screwdriver tip, you're not going to cam out. Too many of these Phillips screws these days have too shallow of a slot.

Those screws should have Allen or Torx heads, Philips heads are a engineering mistake.

 

[Sorin S.]

Do their duty :

 

[racin72charger]

Snap-on hard handle in orange. I have 3 sets.

 

[Joebass]

Big fan of the German brands, I sold all my craftsman, Craftsman pro, and Snap On. I bought sets of Wera, Wiha, and Felo. Witte is good also. I kept a few Klein insulated for my electrical box.

 

[American Locomotive]

Vessel woodie/nonslip are my go to. I haven't found a screwdriver that comes close to gripping as well when your hands are oily.

 

[Mechanical Noise]

Part of the problem with cam out is the screw itself. If you get a deep slot Phillips on a fillister head screw paired with a well machined screwdriver tip, you're not going to cam out. Too many of these Phillips screws these days have too shallow of a slot.

Pretty much everything is more resistant to cam out than Phillips.

Cam out -- with Phillips, it's a feature, not a bug!!

 

[measuredtwice]

Hey measuredtwice, are these the rebranded vessel screwdrivers you were referring to ?

Yes, sir. They've been on sale for $12 for a while. But with all the promotions, you might be able to get them for even less. I stacked a bunch of promotions and paid $8 total shipped for 2 sets of 2 drivers.

They are the rebranded Vessel Impactas but the hollow ground 6 is only available with the Craftsman branding.

A couple things to keep in mind... they are impacts so the internal spring makes them handle heavy and the balance is off compared to normal non-impact screwdrivers. Also, the shafts are black rather than chrome.

I bought them because they were a good deal and the only way to get the hollow ground 6.

 

[Farleyfan]

Yes, sir. They've been on sale for $12 for a while. But with all the promotions, you might be able to get them for even less. I stacked a bunch of promotions and paid $8 total shipped for 2 sets of 2 drivers.

They are the rebranded Vessel Impactas but the hollow ground 6 is only available with the Craftsman branding.

A couple things to keep in mind... they are impacts so the internal spring makes them handle heavy and the balance is off compared to normal non-impact screwdrivers. Also, the shafts are black rather than chrome.

I bought them because they were a good deal and the only way to get the hollow ground 6.

Thanks, gonna look and see if there still available on-line.

 

[captmoto]

A lot of folks seem to focus on the handles and comfort is important but I think the tips are much more important.

For slotted drivers...

I like the "parallel tips" of the Swiss VSM 35601 standard. You can buy PB Swiss parallel tip drivers from Toollady on sale for 30% during the Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale. There are also some discontinued Wera VSM 35601 standard drivers for really cheap on Ebay.de. That's the only place you'll find those discontinued Wera drivers. I have both the PB Swiss and Wera "parallel tip" drivers.

I also like the fit of hollow ground drivers. There's a 1/4" slotted and phillips 2 set made by Vessel for Craftsman on sale at Sears for $12. You can get it even cheaper using their promotions. That set is the only way to get the hollow ground slotted driver from Vessel.

For Phillips drivers...

I like Vessel Megadora with and without the "jaws fit" serrations. You can buy them on Amazon and cheaper on Amazon.co.jp. The "jaws fit" is good for stubborn screws. The regular Phillips without serrations is good for when you don't want to risk damaging the fastener.

My suggestion...

I'd pick up the Craftsman set of Vessel drivers, a Vessel Megadora Phillips 2 with Jaws fit from Amazon, the discontinued Wera "parallel tip" screwdrivers from Ebay.de (or the more expensive ones from PB Swiss), and torx drivers from PB Swiss (expensive) or Felo (inexpensive at Fleetfarm with coupon) or Wiha or Wera.

If you really want everything to match and don't mind spending money, then just buy all the PB Swiss drivers.

The craftsman/vessel driver set, is that the ones with the red and black handles?

 

[captmoto]

Thanks for all the input. I haven't made a decision but have narrowed my focus. I like the idea of Vessel since I already have 3 JIS screwdrivers for my bikes. Theu are miracle workers. They will bite in JIS heads that have been buggered by phillips screwdirvers.

 

[tarbellb]

Two very impressive cheap sets-

$10 - HF Pittsburgh Pro (red/blue pc)
https://www.harborfreight.com/8-piece-professional-screwdriver-set-94607.html

$20-25 - Tekton Trilobe 8pc
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B014US21JA/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[Sloper0204]

Good vendor to purchase Vessel screwdrivers from? I am specifically looking for the 10 piece wood-compo set pictured in the upper right of 1foxracings drawer quoted below. I haven't found it on amazon (us or jp) yet.

Vessel works for me.

 

[measuredtwice]

The craftsman/vessel driver set, is that the ones with the red and black handles?

These are the Craftsman branded Vessel impact drivers --> https://www.sears.com/craftsman-2-pc-impact-screwdriver-set/p-00986616000P

Good vendor to purchase Vessel screwdrivers from? I am specifically looking for the 10 piece wood-compo set pictured in the upper right of 1foxracings drawer quoted below. I haven't found it on amazon (us or jp) yet.

You can buy them individually for around $4.50 each here --> https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B00Q6CQX0C/

 

[Sloper0204]

You can buy them individually for around $4.50 each here --> https://www.amazon.co.jp/dp/B00Q6CQX0C/

You forgot shipping in that price, closer to $10.50 each (￥ 507 + ￥ 590 (Shipping) for the -6).

 

[measuredtwice]

You forgot shipping in that price, closer to $10.50 each (￥ 507 + ￥ 590 (Shipping) for the -6).

If you order only 1 single screwdriver, the shipping cost will be a large percentage of the cost. I suspect most will order more than a single screwdriver so that the shipping balances a bit more.

 

[IndyGarage]

I like the German ones - Wera, Wiha and Felo are my favorite.

I have a set of Milwaukee I bought for a job - they were cheap, and they work pretty good.

I don't really care for the hard handle ones anymore.

 

[Minnesota Steve]

I bought a set of Felo at the local Fleet Farm... really impressed with them. Also nice that they carry individual screwdrivers at the store so I can pick things up one or two as needed. Went back and bought the #2 stubby for example. These are the Ergonic yellow/black with soft handle.

I also have some Wera and liked those. My main rationale for getting the Felo was they were local, and I could buy individual pieces.

 

[Frederik]

I've worn out a few the German makes and ended up with the following:

Felo/wurth: Tips are soft/tough and tend to wear out fairly qucikly. They don't shatter or snap when used for hitting/prying though, which is nice. Handles are my favourite.

Gedore: Tips are quite hard, and don't wear, but can snap when prying. Don't really like the handles.

Wera: Tips are good balance of hard/tough. Don't like the handles as much as Felo or Wiha, better than gedore though.

Wiha: Good tips, both tough and hard. Like the handles as well.

 

[Ton ton]

Snap on tips seem a tad soft in my limited experience.

 

[1foxracing]

Good vendor to purchase Vessel screwdrivers from? I am specifically looking for the 10 piece wood-compo set pictured in the upper right of 1foxracings drawer quoted below. I haven't found it on amazon (us or jp) yet.

This is where I purchased them.
https://www.vesseltools.com/handtools/screwdrivers/screwdriversets/300-kit10-detail

 

[Sloper0204]

This is where I purchased them.
https://www.vesseltools.com/handtools/screwdrivers/screwdriversets/300-kit10-detail

that's what I had hoped to hear. Planning on purchasing from there myself.

 

[BK13]

I was thinking the same thing. To the OP: if you own Asian vehicles, then I'd recommend the Vessel line of screwdrivers. They're JIS, magnetic-tipped and overall excellent screwdrivers. You can easily order them via Amazon.

Those Vislas really bite the fastener...

 

[pizza]

I'm a big fan of the Wiha SoftFinish CushionGrip

I have their very basic 5-piece set (~$45) that I reach for ~90% of the time. I love them mainly because of their grips & quality. I wouldn't still be using them if they weren't also great drivers. Haven't failed me yet

https://www.wihatools.com/screwdrivers/softfinish/softfinishr-slotted-phillips-screwdriver-5-piece-set

I have some of their MicroFinish Screwdrivers as well.

They're nice. The texture is a bit coarser than their red cousins, which are a grippy rubber that doesn't compress very much.

those look really nice.

i've heard the microfinish is nice because it stays grippy even when wet or oily.
on the other hand, i've heard that it leaves black dust/debris. at least for a while when it's new.

i'd like to get a couple wihas eventually, but idk which finish i'd prefer. do you have a favorite between the two grip finishes? i don't care about grip performance when it's covered in oil. i'll probably never use it like that.

 

[IdahoMan]

A question about screwdrivers that take bits.

Is there much difference in a screwdriver that takes power bits and those that take the typical 1" bits, or what other type of bits are there?

I want to get an assortment of bits and figured why not power bits because they can be used in drill too and some come in lengths for tight spots. But how firmly and how deep is a power bit held in the shaft of the driver?

 

[1cargarage]

those look really nice.

i've heard the microfinish is nice because it stays grippy even when wet or oily.
on the other hand, i've heard that it leaves black dust/debris. at least for a while when it's new.

i'd like to get a couple wihas eventually, but idk which finish i'd prefer. do you have a favorite between the two grip finishes? i don't care about grip performance when it's covered in oil. i'll probably never use it like that.

I haven't experienced any black dust/debris from either finish style.

I prefer the SoftFinish drivers personally, but that's probably because I have ~10x more miles on them than the MicroFinish ones (which I got more recently). Having said that, between the two you can't make a bad choice. They're both sweet.

 

[measuredtwice]

A question about screwdrivers that take bits.

Is there much difference in a screwdriver that takes power bits and those that take the typical 1" bits, or what other type of bits are there?

I want to get an assortment of bits and figured why not power bits because they can be used in drill too. But how firmly and how deep is a power bit held in the shaft of the driver?

If you want a holder for power bits, I recommend the one from Wiha or Festool (rebranded Wiha). Holds the bits very securely without any wobble.

https://www.wihatools.com/wiha-centrofix-1-4-power-blade-handle

This video shows the bit has some wiggle room in the Wera. But the Festool/Wiha holds the bit securely. I chose to buy the Wiha holder after I saw that comparison video.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/S4G5R0ZKmBw" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>

 

[glenng]

^^^Yes, that Wiha handle with the centro fix is hands down the best bit holder for power bits. Holds the bit very firm, no wobble.

 

[jives]

A year ago I was in the same boat. With a mismash of old screwdrivers and worn-out Craftsman pros (Phillips finally worn down), I finally decided to get a new and complete set and be done with it. Because of sales and GJ recommendations, I ended up with a set of Wihas (red/black handles shown earlier) and tri-lobe K-Tools.

The K-Tools are clearly inferior (tip "paint" wearing off), but I got them cheap to see if I like the tri-lobe handles. Now I go to them every time. Love the handles, never go back to round or too small.

Keep in mind that they do not have rectangular shafts or bolsters to put a wrench on, but I never used that feature in my old Craftsman. I do have a couple of screwdrivers with through shafts and metal caps to hammer on, so my Wihas and K-Tools do not serve that purpose.

 

[Downwindtracker 2]

Our local tool store had a bin full of cheap Chinese screwdrivers. either it was 99 or 49 cents each. I picked up a couple for the truck. The guy beside me was buying a large handful, he said they make good tent pegs.