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Soft grip screwdrivers

akatsuki

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Sep 22, 2013
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OK - I know there are a million threads about screwdrivers, and invariably someone comes in and says get Williams for the hard handle and someone else goes PB Swiss (don't want to wait til next Labor Day).

Well, I like soft handles and am not working on cars that much to care about grease.

So.... I am eyeing a couple of options:

1. Felo Ergonic
2. Felo 500 series - I have no idea what the difference is
3. Vessel Megadora
4. Toptul Supergrip or another line?
 
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quadrcr87

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I have the Felo Ergonic and the Vessel Megadora. I can get a stronger grip on the Felo handles with their shape. The grip is also cushioned. The Vessel's grip is firm but does have a rubber texture. I prefer the Felo as an every day driver. But I like the Vessel tips more for working on Japanese motorcycles.
 

macgee

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Check out the Vessel #700 Super Grip screwdrivers, definitely a soft handle with gel in them.

At first I thought they were a little gimmicky but growing on me and work well, you still can apply a lot of torque with the Vessel soft grip but still work well when making small fine tuning adjustments. I prefer these grips to my PB Swiss soft grips but I have not used Megadora's yet. Tomorrow I will have Megadora's in my hands but the super cushion is definitely a soft squishy grip that you still apply lots of toque with. Try the #1 x75mm version to test out, they sell them cheap on amazon. That #1 tip fits so well on fasteners for that size, the best of any and fits better than PB Swiss on most of the fasteners I've tested on, although its close. Currently rebuilding several USA & overseas made linear slides with #0 & #1 fasteners and really happy with the Vessel.

The Vessel tips are super, super good and I have PB Swiss drivers (soft grip) as a complete set and switching to Vessel. I also have Felo 550 set that has a soft grip & full tang, its an excellent grip and also prefer them over the PB soft grip (not bad). The 500 is a hard older school grip, The Felo 550 and Vessel Super Cushion are similar gripping feel with the Vessel being softer and probably more like the Felo Ergonic.
 
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measuredtwice

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OK - I know there are a million threads about screwdrivers, and invariably someone comes in and says get Williams for the hard handle and someone else goes PB Swiss (don't want to wait til next Labor Day).

Well, I like soft handles and am not working on cars that much to care about grease.

So.... I am eyeing a couple of options:

1. Felo Ergonic
2. Felo 500 series - I have no idea what the difference is
3. Vessel Megadora
4. Toptul Supergrip or another line?

I think 1-3 are quality. Responding to "I have no idea what the difference is", the Ergonic is squishy and the 500 series is hard. There are photos showing a cross section of the Ergonic which will explain it.

Do you really need slotted? If you are American, slotted drivers from the USA will fit much better than German ones. The nicely machined Klein drivers, for example. PB Swiss and Vessel Japan are also good. I would avoid German drivers for American slotted fasteners. I've previously posted photo comparison demonstrating why. I can dig up the photo if you can't find it in a search. German Phillips drivers are good though.

If you don't really need slotted, then buying a Phillips/Slotted set is a waste. Just buy Phillips and Torx and a magnetic bit driver.
 

measuredtwice

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It's funny how there's so much focus on handles. The tip is the business end and is most important for the function.

Here's the photo comparing the fit of Klein, PB Swiss and a German (Wiha) slotted

Here's a comparison photo of PB Swiss, Klein and Wiha driving a common countersunk screw. The PB Swiss 6.5 mm fills the slot perfectly. The Klein 1/4" also is an excellent fit but the corners do stick out because of the shape of the countersunk screw. The Wiha 5.5 just wedges in at the very tip and doesn't fill the slot. The Wiha 6.5 (not shown) doesn't fit at all. All these screwdrivers are good screwdrivers but they don't all fit the same. Standard screw sizes have a range so having lots of choices is a good thing.

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Here's a cross section of the squishy ergonic handle. The yellow is hard plastic and the black is squishy rubber.
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akatsuki

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Sep 22, 2013
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Tomorrow I will have Megadora's in my hands but the super cushion is definitely a soft squishy grip. Try the #1 x75mm version to test out, they sell them cheap on amazon.

I would love to hear your opinion on the Megadora when you have a chance to use them. The Vessels seem to punch above their weight on quality.

Here's a cross section of the squishy ergonic handle. The yellow is hard plastic and the black is squishy rubber.]

I wish they were tang through. Your point on tips is well taken, it is sort of crazy there isn't a standard spec.
 

Ralf11

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Feb 29, 2016
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I like the new Snappy driver handles

I like other ones too, like PB Swiss (which have great tips BTW)

You just need to buy & try a few candidates and see which you like best - not just comfort, but clean-up too...
 

measuredtwice

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I would love to hear your opinion on the Megadora when you have a chance to use them. The Vessels seem to punch above their weight on quality.



I wish they were tang through. Your point on tips is well taken, it is sort of crazy there isn't a standard spec.

I also have the Megadora 900 and Impacta. They aren't squishy like the Felo. The 900 Phillips #2 has nice teeth that help remove tough screws.

Felo does have tang through with Ergonic handle. Look at Ergonic 450 series. It's new.
 
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macgee

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I think the tip and the grip are both very important. Finding a good grip that you want to use every day is pretty important regardless of the tip, companies with the same good tip can offer a crazy wide selection of different handles, so definitely a worthwhile question and personal preference. As an example, I am for sure not a fan of the vessel composite wood hard handle, others love them. People with arthritis, really like the vessel ball groups as an example and I like them.

The top three you have listed all have very good tips.

If you want to see a comparison and handle shape and scale of the three grips from companies you mentioned, here's a comparison pic below of a Phillips #1 of the three. The vessel grip looks big in the picture but in reality it is not and size wise feels good in the hand, the 75mm long shaft is a good length for that grip/

I agree with others to sample one driver of a handle that you’re interested in before buying a set. The screwdriver set is probably the number one most used tool in your shop, so it’s worthwhile to invest in finding the right grip that you like to use. On the ones I'm not liking, I've been giving the drivers as gifts to friends and clients to try.

I’m pretty much now only using European hollow ground slotted tips for all my fasteners including on American imperial sizes using PB Swiss or Felo Long shaft bits using them with a modified Vessel bit ball grip handle with a set screw that locks the bit in with zero play/slop, they’ve been working very well on Starrett slotted fasteners and other expensive american made machines. Hollow ground slotted tips usually come in two different thicknesses. Felo has a full selection of tip sizes to choose from and not expensive and key to having the right size. It also gives you a hex bolster and cheap to replace if worn. I’m getting away from the slotted wedge shaped drivers, they're hard on fasteners.
Sorry, I have digressed and veered well away from the subject of soft handles. Good luck and hope this info is useful. I'll update after tomorrow when I sample the Megadora's

EDIT:

FYI: The PB Swiss soft grips have been a pain to clean, they easily show black grease marks that are really hard to get out as noted by many others. Yesterday I went full monty on the set, using Goof Off Gel adhesive remover and then putting them in a ultrasonic cleaner, it worked well (as seen in pic) but can still see some grease stain marks in the pores on my larger drivers and not sure how often I can get away doing that but they do look much cleaner. Probably wont do it again.
 

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designer485

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All screwdrivers shown are #2 Phillips.

Out of all my screwdrivers, I tend to grab the Felo Ergonics first. They just feel great in the hand. Next would be the PB Swiss.

If I am working on something dirty, the black Williams hard handles go to to work.

The other soft handles that are great include:

Irazola - Now branded under Williams (can be found at toolsdelivered).
Wiha Soft Grip - Not quite as soft as the others, but they have great grip.
Wera Kraftform Comfort - Great budget friendly option.
PB Swiss - I just got these, but the finish / grip is superb.
Snap-On Original soft grip - As these are no longer available, I don't really put them in the running. The tri-lobe shape provides a ton of grip / torque and are excellent.

Bottom line, if you enjoy a cushion grip screwdriver, the Felo Eegonic is hard to beat.
 
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javyLSU

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Jan 2, 2019
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New Haven, CT
I tried the Felo Ergonics last year, and the grips were a bit too squishy for my taste - I wound up going with a Snap-on Instinct set. The Snap-ons were exactly what I was looking for in terms of having just the right amount of give to be comfortable but not "squishy."
 

rider

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Mar 18, 2010
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The Felo Ergonics are crazily comfortable and conformant to your hand. I have a large selection of screwdrivers from Craftsman to Klein to Wiha, Snap-On, etc., but it seems these days I pick up the Felos more often than not.
 
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akatsuki

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Sep 22, 2013
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I bought the Felo Ergonics - they are soft, but I think they just don't feel balanced - maybe because they aren't full tang?

May try some Tektons, the one driver I have I like the feel of.

Or just go crazy on PB Swiss or Nepros.
 

macgee

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I bought the Felo Ergonics - they are soft, but I think they just don't feel balanced - maybe because they aren't full tang?

May try some Tektons, the one driver I have I like the feel of.

Or just go crazy on PB Swiss or Nepros.

Bummer, I have the full tang 550 Felo's; they're nice but I find I'm really liking the 700 Vessel soft grip more as my daily user. I think they also offer a full tang version with the 700 soft grip; it's called the Vessel 730 but only available from Japan.

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Hands down a much better PH tip than any American version Phillips driver.

You may want to try the Vessel 700 PH #2 driver first to see how you like the grip, you can buy them individually on Amazon very reasonably and see how you like it before investing in a full tang set? I did this with a bunch of different drivers and then gave away the ones I didn't like like as gifts to friends.

https://www.amazon.com/VESSEL-CUSHION-Screwdriver-No-700-700P2100/dp/B087JCBNCS/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=vessel+700+screwdriver&qid=1615340307&sr=8-3



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akatsuki

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Sep 22, 2013
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OK - I figured out what I really dislike about the Felos - why the hell would the handle get smaller as the tip gets smaller? My hands don't shrink...

I am eyeing the Vessel Megadora Tang Thru set.

But then I just start thinking - well, that is pretty close to PB Swiss pricing, and that gets close to Nepros pricing.

Ridiculous I know.
 
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