Ratcheting Screwdriver

[DARKSCOPE001]

Hello all. I have a question regarding a few of snap-on's ratcheting screwdrivers and was wondering if anyone had an opinion on it.

Im looking at two of there full sized ratcheting screwdrivers with the interchangeable tips, and soft grip. I have two that i was looking at in particular.

The 5 position handle model # sgdmrce44
http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item...roup_ID=681983&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog

And the normal handle model # sgdmrc44b
http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item...roup_ID=681248&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog

I had a few questions I used the normal handel model last night and borrowed it from a buddy. it felt awesome. but wanted the 5 position for using as a pistol grip, but noticed the joint on it felt sloppy and bothered me. so I would rather have the model with the more solid feel to it but i really want the pistol grip?

Anyone have any input on it? does it bother anyone? im leaning towards the straight handle model currently and i really like snap-ons ratchet mechanism.

Thanks everyone

 

[d.mcfarland]

You can get a fix model of the pistol grip.

 

[jjjrmx5]

If you do a lot of screwdriver work day in and day out loosening TIGHT fasteners, then the pistol grip may be for you. But I am not a big fan.

The reason being that since Snap-On no longer sells the fixed pistol handle, the 5 postion can and does become unlocked during use which can be annoying. If done repeatedly, it becomes really annoying.

I had a co-worker that had the 5-position as his job was to install and remove prototype armor plate material all day long . He loved it. I used it once and hated it. It was like a floppy donkey dong.

For me it was ratchet, ratcheting screwdriver or battery screwgun.

Now I do indeed own teh 5-postion S-O unit, but it is far from my go-to driver. It's great for tight torqued screws or bolts, but the fact that it does not feel ridgid in the long/std. position and can hop out of position if in pistol mode makes it a cantankerous ***** in my world. It has its place , but not a regular place.

If I had to choose, i'd stick with the soft grip, removeable shank st. straight snappy driver.

And I have several.

My 2 cents.

BTW-the fixed pistol grips are no longer in production. But they are available on ebay and other used tool sites.

 

[plinker]

I have not used the 5 position soft grip handle model (pretty much have all the others though), but I would recommend the T handle ratcheting driver.

You can get a lot of torque from it, I was really suprised after using the one I have a couple times.

 

[rlitman]

I understand you wanting a pistol grip ratcheting screwdriver for the tougher screws.
For those (when I'm not using an impact), I reach for my Craftsman grip driver. It had a pivoting handle that has a recess which gives you thumb a really great place to grip.
I don't think Sears sells these any more, but it was made by Schroder anyway, and was called the Comforce. The current generation (which I do not have), has bit storage in the handle too.
http://www.garrettwade.com/product....ine&zmam=91072717&zmas=1&zmac=1&zmap=08C03.05

Unfortunately, the ratcheting mechanism is nowhere near the quality of SnapOn's. There's a reason I own at least a dozen SnapOn ratcheting screwdrivers.

 

[DARKSCOPE001]

Thanks guys. Yea the airplanes i work on use mostly mortorq screws and they are made out of some kind of titanium alloy. and it seems like if they get stuck from corrosion or whatever and you or someone else lets the bit slip even once. your done. you gota drill the head out. and they arent easy to drill either.

I recently bought a snap on TMS4EK speeder wrench with the big plastic knob on the end and use an apex addapter to put a driver bit into so i can really jam on the screws but there are places where you cant always use these. and i prefer to use a ratcheting screwdriver for some tasks instead of blasting them all in with my screw gun.

Thanks

 

[thruthefence]

Regarding removing stuck screws from, say, a wing inspection panel, this is the best I've seen. Looks like a lot of trouble, but not as much trouble as replacing a fuel cell nutplate after a bodged "easy out" attempt. ( or a hole drilled through structure.)

The guy who builds these calls it "Brutus".

 

[rlitman]

it seems like if they get stuck from corrosion or whatever and you or someone else lets the bit slip even once. your done

And that's why I just use my impact driver for everything phillips nowadays.
Without it, I would have to put ridiculous amounts of down pressure onto screws I'm trying to remove, just to keep them from camming out. But that down force also makes it harder to turn the screw, increasing the likelihood of camming out.

With the impact, you don't need that much down force, and my camout woes are pretty much gone now.

 

[DARKSCOPE001]

Regarding removing stuck screws from, say, a wing inspection panel, this is the best I've seen. Looks like a lot of trouble, but not as much trouble as replacing a fuel cell nutplate after a bodged "easy out" attempt. ( or a hole drilled through structure.)

The guy who builds these calls it "Brutus".

we keep those in the tool room i should probably get one the next time i have a bunch of pannels to open or something.

rlitman. yea I know I need to get my impact driver running again. But i have damaged my fair shair of screws with an impact driver too. seems to me like if you let an impact driver slip they do so much damage so fast there is no possible way to salvage the screw.

Thanks

 

[thruthefence]

Please tell me you are NOT using an impact driver on aircraft?

http://www.intonic1.com/images/Impact Drivers/

 

[Hootbro]

Please tell me you are NOT using an impact driver on aircraft?

http://www.intonic1.com/images/Impact Drivers/

Hate to break it to you, but they are probably not even using that driver but a setup with a 3x pneumatic gun behind it.

Try opening up a wide body jet wing panels with 4-5 layers of paint and primer over the screw and pooled into the cam slots of a screw and multiply by x1000, an impact driver will make short work of it. Not an authorized method but one that is often overlooked to get the job done.

 

[DARKSCOPE001]

i have an impact driver but it all depends on what im trying to do with it. by impact driver tho i ment the battery powered ones. but i had an actual "impact driver" that you strike with a hammer. both have there place it just depends on what your trying to do. I work with some guys that swear by screw knockers but i havent tried one yet.


Thanks

 

[rlitman]

Yes, I was talking about the battery powered impact driver too.

I'm not really a fan of the hammer powered ones, and on an aircraft, where engineering and weight tolerances make the difference between yay I got the bolt loose, and oh **** it broke, much closer, I don't think I'd be using one.
I guess it has its places, for those who really know what they're doing.

I've found that if the battery impact driver munged the screw head up, it was either because it just wasn't meant to be, or because the driver head was probably too worn to still be in service.

 

[Akfrostbyte]

Thanks guys. Yea the airplanes i work on use mostly mortorq screws and they are made out of some kind of titanium alloy. and it seems like if they get stuck from corrosion or whatever and you or someone else lets the bit slip even once. your done. you gota drill the head out. and they arent easy to drill either.

I recently bought a snap on TMS4EK speeder wrench with the big plastic knob on the end and use an apex addapter to put a driver bit into so i can really jam on the screws but there are places where you cant always use these. and i prefer to use a ratcheting screwdriver for some tasks instead of blasting them all in with my screw gun.

Thanks

What kind of aircraft are you working on Darkscope?

 

[GirlnAgarage]

Grab one of each. As much as I think the fixed pistol grips are ugly they do great for a lot of work and torque. I've got a regular ratcheting sd but I can see the value in a pistol grip after using an adjustable driver when building my bench and shelves. Look on ebay and keep and eye on classifieds and you see the pistol grips pop up now and again.

 

[lwlobo]

You might want to check out the Wera pistol grip ratcheting screwdriver. Wera and Snap On own this category, IMO.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003GDIR76/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Great price from Amazon, too.

 

[franzdom]

How about this one, it really looks like a steal. I can't believe it has been available for so long:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Snap-On-Pis...ls&hash=item4aba5e2537&vxp=mtr#ht_1991wt_1240

 

[thruthefence]

"Hate to break it to you, but they are probably not even using that driver but a setup with a 3x pneumatic gun behind it. "

Like this one?:

No need to break it to me, I've been working part 25 aircraft for forty years. I just couldn't fathom someone using one of those hammer type inpact tools like I kinked to, on an aircraft.

 

[DARKSCOPE001]

What kind of aircraft are you working on Darkscope?

Emberaer mostly 170 and 190 series