Question About Felo Phillips Screwdriver Variation

[measuredtwice]

I was looking at the Felo screwdrivers at FleetFarm and noticed that some of the Phillips drivers have bronze color tips instead of black tips. Wife was using the cell so I didn't get to take a photo.

Did they just forget to dunk those in black paint or is it a different finish? Which one is better?

I'm thinking that I'll pick up a set since I find the handles more comfortable than my Wiha and Wera drivers.

 

[measuredtwice]

I bought the cheaper $8.99 blue handle set for fun since it was so cheap. Got home and noticed that the blade on the #2 phillips was crooked and the tip of the 4mm slotted wasn't ground correctly. Went back to exchange it and looked through the 5 other sets that were in stock and all of the 4mm slotted drivers were poorly ground. But I did find a set with straight blades and took it.

The Felo handles fit my hand better than the Wera handles. The Wera handles feel sort of like I'm holding a huge knot. I envy those who are a good fit with the Wera handles because they make nice stuff. I'm a fan of Wera's precision drivers.

The plan was to buy a more expensive Felo set if I liked the blue handles. But I got a new set of Wiha drivers instead. The main reason is that I think the Wiha phillips fits better than the Felo phillips. The Felo PH2 fits slightly better than my Klein PH2. The Wiha fits better than both.

Haven't tried the PB Swiss or Vessel drivers yet. I don't work on Japanese stuff so I'm not sure that I would benefit from JIS drivers. But some seem to say that the JIS drivers fit USA Phillips better than other drivers.

 

[Legion Prime]

Were those the hard blue plastic handled ones? If so i think those are their budget set. I got one driver in Torx to keep with my chainsaws and it is nowhere near as nice or comfortable as my other Felo with the black rubberized grip. I think if I had bought the blue handle one first I probably wouldn't have bought the other, so don't write Felo off just yet.
I bought a Vessel JIS #2 and liked it so much I bought a second. I used one opening up some old drills last week to give them a bit of a once over (GE & John Oster) and they fit in the phillips screws solid, I like them way more than my SnapOn. At about $10ish on Amazon, they're totally worth it. The handles aren't very textured but they're big enough to get a really solid purchase on especially if you've got big hands like me.

 

[measuredtwice]

Were those the hard blue plastic handled ones? If so i think those are their budget set. I got one driver in Torx to keep with my chainsaws and it is nowhere near as nice or comfortable as my other Felo with the black rubberized grip. I think if I had bought the blue handle one first I probably wouldn't have bought the other, so don't write Felo off just yet.
I bought a Vessel JIS #2 and liked it so much I bought a second. I used one opening up some old drills last week to give them a bit of a once over (GE & John Oster) and they fit in the phillips screws solid, I like them way more than my SnapOn. At about $10ish on Amazon, they're totally worth it. The handles aren't very textured but they're big enough to get a really solid purchase on especially if you've got big hands like me.

Yes, the 5 piece set is only $8.99 locally and around $20 online. They are the cheapos. My local store also has the wood and top of the line Ergonic handles in stock and I could compare them directly. The PH2 tips are the same on all of them but the finish and handles are different.

Do the Vessel drivers with "jaws fit" chew up screws? Some guy in another topic said not to use them if you want to reuse the screw (quote below). Is that true? I was going to buy them but that worried me.

Yes, but if you are doing work where you want to use the screw again then you prob don't want the jaws fit.

 

[Legion Prime]

Really? I didn't pay that much less for the single driver, of course that was Torx. I honestly don't think anywhere local carries any Felo or Vessel as far as I know. If I give you a Jackson would you mind picking a couple sets up for me? A set for $9 I'd jump all over even with the hard plastic handles.
Chew up the screw? I can't imagine what they're talking about. The "serration" is on the outside of the flutes and short of bashing the driver into the screw with a maul I can't imagine how it could possibly mar it let alone render it unusable. I've got two of Vessels #2 drivers and I regret not a penny spent on them. They're apparently not JIS anymore but they're still some of the best screwdrivers I've handled in years. I wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone unless they had tiny pixie hands.

 

[4xdog]

Y...Do the Vessel drivers with "jaws fit" chew up screws? Some guy in another topic said not to use them if you want to reuse the screw (quote below). Is that true? I was going to buy them but that worried me.

I'm relatively observant, and I've never noticed any damage to screws from my Vessel drivers with jawsfit "teeth". Certainly *nothing* that has prevented me from reusing hundreds of screws.

I'm a big fan of Vessel Megadora drivers. They're just about all I use now.

 

[measuredtwice]

Thank you for tips on the Vessel drivers, guys. I'll get an order in.

Legion, I looked online and my local store is out of stock now. But you could order them online for $8.99 each and have them shipped to you. Looks like up to 5 sets can ship for $8. It's the national chain mentioned in my first post. ...don't know if a link is okay or against the rules. But you might get a few with crooked blades etc. I was able to cherry pick at the local store.

 

[Legion Prime]

None in my state, I may just order some online. As chintzy as the handles are I'd still take them over the usual HF or dollar store trash that's usually at that price point, thanks!

 

[cheechi]

I have only one Felo driver, a P2 Ergonic. I have had no issues with the tip since I got it.

 

[PhysicsDude]

I have about 40 Felo screwdrivers, and all of them have black tips (or at least had black tips out of the package). I bought all my Felo drivers online and they've all been fantastic.

Only screwdrivers I know of that have gold/bronze tips are Wera lasertips.

 

[measuredtwice]

I have only one Felo driver, a P2 Ergonic. I have had no issues with the tip since I got it.

I have about 40 Felo screwdrivers, and all of them have black tips (or at least had black tips out of the package). I bought all my Felo drivers online and they've all been fantastic.

Only screwdrivers I know of that have gold/bronze tips are Wera lasertips.

Thanks, guys. I guess a few escaped the factory without getting the phosphate coating. I think the bronze color is from the heat treat. You can see the machining lines very clearly without the black coating. Just guessing.
Looks nice. I'm sure I'll pick up some more.

None in my state, I may just order some online. As chintzy as the handles are I'd still take them over the usual HF or dollar store trash that's usually at that price point, thanks!

The PPC material has a nice feel. Probably too slick for the garage but still nice to have around the house. Good luck.

 

[measuredtwice]

Got the Vessel Megadora 900 +2 today.

I just got the driver and can't comment on durability but the tip fit on regular Phillips screws seems at least as good as Wiha. Too early to say which is better. The Vessel handle size is close to the Wiha Softfinish but slightly shorter and thinner.

It was not expensive by any means (especially compared to SO) but it was a few dollars more than I spent on drivers from German brands which are more readily available in the USA.

I ordered one of the multi-bit ball drivers at the same time but it is still in the mail. I still need to get a P1 or P3 with the Megadora handles.

I downloaded the Vessel catalog and flipped through the pages. The 990 is interesting-- Odd handles but the slotted drivers have parallel tips like PB Swiss, Grace USA, and Chapman USA.