So yesterday my granddaughter asked me to fix a toy she got in a Happy Meal. So I sez, "Sure, grandpa can fix anything". Oh Yeah? Try again, grandpa. I look down in the screw holes and it has triangular screw heads. This is a friggin free Happy Meal toy mind you. Why does it need exotic security screws and why do we need another type of screw head anyway. I thought I had every security bit I would ever need but no. Now I have to worry about finding another type of screwdriver. Not for this toy but I bet they will start showing up on other items I run into.
Triangular Screw Head?
- Thread starter fasteddie
- Start date
equitiesguy
Banned
It's possible Zelda was fired and went into the fastener manufacturing business.
ScottsGT
Well-known member
Not a security screw. Just one that speeds up manufacturing on an assembly line. Probably holds onto the bit easier than a phillips/torx/square head.
A real Grandpa would take her back to McD's and get her a new one....just sayin'......
A real Grandpa would take her back to McD's and get her a new one....just sayin'......
https://www.aliexpress.com/item/F85...NXwdFI9B1KcdoZNKVphoCzHsQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
I bought a set of these to take apart a battery charger
I bought a set of these to take apart a battery charger
RoundedNut
Well-known member
They're common in consumer oriented security bit sets. It's a better drive design than Philips and slot.
rlitman
Well-known member
Yeah, in this case it sort of is. McDonalds worries about kids taking their happy meal toys apart and creating choking hazards, so they stopped using ordinary screws to avoid lawsuits.
cmandp
Well-known member
A slotted screw driver of the right width works. They are on self tapping into plastic anyway, so relatively low torque.
2manytools
Well-known member
A hex driver should work too, but if it doesn't sit perfect would probably just spin.
Never thought McDonalds would be in the same field with Apple & Nintendo, with their respective pentalobe (5 winged torx) or tri-wing (philips minus a wing) screws.
Never thought McDonalds would be in the same field with Apple & Nintendo, with their respective pentalobe (5 winged torx) or tri-wing (philips minus a wing) screws.
It's funny, when I was a kid, a phillips screw was rarely encountered. We called it a star screw and always dismayed to run across one because my father only had one phillips screwdriver and it was pretty well rounded off. I never knew my father to buy a new tool, he had a lot of tools but all acquired before I was born and no power tools. Now I have all his old tools plus the hundreds I have bought but no triangle screwdriver.
engineer2
Well-known member
I was scrapping some electronics and ran into tri-lobed phillips screws. A small flat blade screwdriver worked, but not very well.
wvrailroader
Well-known member
^This.
I made one out of a cheapy rounded off phillips driver to be able to fix a Happy Meal toy once. Worked great and saved a driver that otherwise would have went in the trash.
4xdog
Well-known member
There are lots of variations on these kinds of things, many cheaper than this first one I was able to find. I inherited several sets from my EE brother. Useful to have in the "small drivers" drawer.
https://www.amazon.com/Precision-Electronic-Screwdriver-Bit-Set/dp/B0045NK7EW
https://www.amazon.com/Precision-Electronic-Screwdriver-Bit-Set/dp/B0045NK7EW
Bubba Fett
Well-known member
This does work. Just use one that's snug.
Otherwise, get a security bit set. I like the ifixit set. They seem to be reasonably good quality, and company stands behind their product.
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Mr. T
Well-known member
Thanks for all the tips. I really didn't put much effort into it, just sitting at the kitchen table with the leatherman in my pocket. Tomorrow I'll bring the toy down to the workshop and get serious with it. I'll probably weld a hex head bolt on the screw and wrench it off with a breaker bar. Ain't no happy meal toy gonna get the best of grampa.
I remember those days. Phillips screws were usually found in "made in Japan" toys which were the cheap ****. Most stuff was still made in the USA and used slotted screws.
Obviously your McDonalds distributes some heavy duty toys.
I bought this set https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004IUEHYS/?tag=atomicindus08-20
for exactly this purpose. Worked well, cheap enough.
nmantas
Well-known member
I looked through my two sets of security bits and don't have those. I do have two toddlers so I ordered a set for $2 on ebay. Another garagejournal inspired purchase.
https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-5-Pcs-...s-S2-Steel-1-4-Hex-Shank-50mm-ZH/263900878591
https://www.ebay.com/itm/New-5-Pcs-...s-S2-Steel-1-4-Hex-Shank-50mm-ZH/263900878591
I bought also for $2.00 on eBay. More or less. From Hong Kong, I believe. Worth having, I've used them twice. Beats possibly butchering a screw from using the wrong fitting tool.