Robertson vs Phillips

[Salem747]

Ok, What do we think. I know not many yankees know what a Robertson screw is, except for the guys who had to deal with every single crate I ever sent to the US.

What do we think. My big deal is how much better the Robertson hangs on to the driver on it's own before you have placed it against the work. It also takes a LOT of work to strip a Robertson if you have the right size.

I use a Dewalt 1/4" impact driver and I can run a Robertson deck screw RIGHT THROUGH a 4x4 until I run out of threads!

 

[Coach James]

I use square drive screws all the time. The metal in the Phillips I can buy here is so cheap, the heads strip out very easily.

Square drive=A+

Coach

 

[tonydanzah]

i gave up on all others once I started using torx head screws. I have yet to have one deform with my electric impact and I am always able to remove it even buried in a board cover in lacquer.

 

[MarcSeattle]

+1 Slotted and phillips screws should be banned.

 

[Mickey O]

We have all types of square drive screws over here (I like 'em), some are even phillips and square but I think we are headed toward more torx.

 

[moparmuscle88]

thats what you use to hang casing or trim in commercial buildings with metal studs

they dont strip and the square drive allows more grip for a smaller diameter head

 

[baubau]

i live in Ontario, i love using Robertson screws , especially any power work , overhead or where you have to have fine control of the screw....but rorx is just up there, its jus more expensive to manufacture, i guess...

BUT, i hateeee when people use Robertson screws on vehicles and cars...man, i just loathe when i have to disassembly a car and , voila, i run into a Robertson screw, then i gotta get up and find screwdriver or robertson screw ...

 

[Salem747]

I always figured the Torx would be a driver that would not have a long life. Even smaller angles than a Philips always made me think it would be weaker.

 

[mrshaun]

the kids swing set was 90 percent t40 torx. they help up better than the crappy phillips screws.
put together some new patio chairs for our bbq this weekend the stupid phillips screws were so weak that they stripped out with no force at all. I had to ream out the screw holes to make the screws go in easier. cheap china ****.

 

[tonydanzah]

The torx work awesome, I would have figured they would strip also. I am not carpenter, but in last 2 yrs I have probably driven 15lbs of various lengths from 3/4" to 3 1/2" and I cannot remember one stripping. Impressive considering my 1/4" impact driver is a low/high speed switch and the low speed died a year ago. If I even try a phillips in it the strip instantly.

 

[Hurricane_Whisperer]

I mail order them from Mcfeely's. Use them exclusively for wood working and construction. Phillips are horrible.

 

[mrshaun]

the tamper proof torx plus work well. they are a thicker 5 point instead of 6 point. not too many areas use the 5 point yet.

 

[tonydanzah]

These are the style I have been buying lately called powerpro, each box also comes with a long torx bit that is meant to be chucked directly into a 1/4" driver.

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[Salem747]

Hook up with Mr. Robertson, brah. Better than torx. We call the end of that screw a wood biter helps the screw get a good grab early. Robertson bit hangs onto a screw much better than a torx.

 

[tonydanzah]

I have used the square drive before and after i used up the box I tried these and stuck with them. To each his own. Also I the torx are better stocked at the hardware store right by me.

 

[jvitez]

Robertson vs Henry Ford. Two stubborn men. Ford won. At least 100 years later Robertson is starting to catch on south of the 49th.

 

[tonydanzah]

those look awesome.

 

[Ross]

Since they were designed for different purposes it is kind of hard to select one as as the best. Phillips head were designed to cam out... Robertson screws were not.

 

[speed bump]

Both have there applications and while Robertson are nice to drive I really really really hate them if you can't hit them dead on.

 

[jvitez]

Of all things, I got those from homedepot.ca, with a free shipping promo. They must have been clearing them out as they're not on their website now. I can't imagine trying to drive wood screws with a Phillips head. I'd like to try the Torx though.

 

[Merkava_4]

The problem with straight slot screws is not the straight slot, but rather the shallow depth of the slot. Not so with fillister head screws; they're DEEP.

 

[Salem747]

If Philips was designed to cam out how come so many Philips fasteners have been stripped out in their homes?

That Ford thing is crazy. Makes sense though, Ford was like today's Wal-Mart. "Don't want to party with me? Well, I will make you suffer"!

 

[garfunkle24]

The problem with straight slot screws is not the straight slot, but rather the shallow depth of the slot. Not so with fillister head screws; they're DEEP.

Still doesn't help you keep your driver centered in there.

 

[Merkava_4]

Still doesn't help you keep your driver centered in there.

Usually the screwdriver blade will be slightly wider than the slot on that style head, so therefore it doesn't matter so much.

 

[Salem747]

My opinion is that the Robertson KILLS. So, 'tever! Cool Beans!!!

 

[DiStOrTiOn]

I first used robinsons a few years ago doing some woodworking, they're absolutely awesome, but harder to come by near me, since the smaller hardware stores all went under. Though, if you can't hit it dead on, they do become bothersome. as for slotted, I've come to appreciate them recently on bicycle v-brake spring adjusters. much better than using a philips on that cheap **** metal the chinese use.

 

[cheap bastard]

I choose Robertson drive screws for most of my wood projects. I don't want them to cam out, the bits therefore last longer. Torx are nice, but the local selection isn't very deep.

 

[arkangel06]

Robertsons great but I think hex and torx are better.

 

[Mickey O]

The Kreg pocket hole system uses square drive screws.

 

[lilredex]

More fuel.........

http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=40484

 

[jvitez]

A bit more history, and business lesson too.

http://www.mysteriesofcanada.com/Ontario/robertson_screws.htm

http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.com/index.cfm?PgNm=ArchivedFeatures&Params=A219

 

[1969]

Robertson screws are FAR superior to phillips head screws. But, I am guilty of using some phillips deck and drywall because I can get them in bulk for half the price.

 

[StingRay]

For drywall I can't imagine Phillips being replaced. The cam out part is integral to the operation. Other than that Robertson all the way. Up here it's been Roberson as long as I can remeber. Torx are not my favorite type of fasteners in any application.

 

[Boiler]

Wouldn't setting a clutch be equal to or better than cam-out on drywall? I'd prefer not to leave sharp points on my screw heads personally.

 

[wbrian63]

Clutch settings are worthless unless the substrate and the sheathing are of consistent density. Drywall can be considered consistent, and drywall over metal studs would be a consistent density substrate/sheathing combination.

However, drywall over wood studs (of any species) is at best a hit-or-miss proposition. Get the clutch set just right for one screw, and I'll bet within a few more attempts, you'll find a spot where the clutch doesn't disengage and you overdrive the screw (lower density wood beneath), or the clutch engages too soon and you can't seat the screw (higher density wood beneath.) Of the two, the 2nd problem is more irksome than the first. One can always stop the driver when the screw seats. If the clutch is engaging too soon, there's no choice but to adjust the clutch to get the screw to set.

Even steel studs are no guarantee - if the screw is trying to penetrate a double layer of steel, as at an intersection, or if there happens to be solid blocking in the studs for cabinet hanging or other structural requirements - trouble looms.

McFeeley's is now offering Robertson drywall screws. They even state that really Phillips are better in this application, but people are asking for Robertson drywall screws, so they're delivering.

Personally, for me, it's Robertson all the way, except when I'm hanging drywall, then it's back to Phillips. I've completely given up on the screws available from my local big-box store. I recently tossed a really old box of #10x1.5" phillips-headed screws. Even when driven into a properly piloted hole (and I have the kind of pilot drills that are tapered to match the profile of the screw), about 2 in 5 would strip before seating fully. This is when using a quality new phillips screwdriver of the right size. No way I would have even tried to use my impact driver. One box of 50 screws - happily thrown into the waste bin...

I have found that the experience of using Robertson screws is enhanced by making sure to use a good quality bit, and change it when it starts to wear down. However, that statement holds true no matter what your preference is for bit type.

Torx are the domain of the automobile. I've run into them on occasion in wood working - always pisses me off. Of course, if I ran into a Robertson screw while working on a car, I'd probably be ticked then, too.