Wera Kraftform insulated screwdrivers.

[Kracin]

i purchased a set of the wera kraftform plus series 100 VDE for electrical work at work. and then after only 3-4 uses on them, the laser etching (the signature of their "plus" line). has already seemed to wear off... now, it may just be that the fasteners that were used in the cabinet were too hard for them??? and that the screwdrivers are meant for softer metals used inside the cabinets generally for better continuity, so don't know what i'm looking at yet with it.

has anyone else purchased a set of plus (laser etched tip) Weras and had a similar experience? i wanted to get a set of their regular komfort with the laser tips for tougher screws like stainless and such, but wasn't sure if getting a laser tip was worth it now after seeing what happened to these.

i'll snag a pic at work today to give a better idea of what im talking about. but didnt expect this from wera. i have literally beat my other wera's to no end, 2 years of continual use as a chisel/prybar/screwdriver/line up tool, and whatever else you can imagine, and they held up great (minus the occasional tip re-grind, but that is normal with anything, even chisels)



edit :

The quality of the blades exceeds current standards with regard to hardness and torque strength.

this is their claim on the website for the specific drivers.

http://www-us.wera.de/catalog_us.ht...ewdrivers_kraftform_plus__series_100_vde.html

they did do great, and even the smallest of the drivers has next to no shaft twist or tip distortion after testing the strength of it a little. but i emailed wera also just to see what their opinion is on it.

 

[MrMark]

I have the vde and didn't realize they are lasertips. I've not used them much and mine are old stock made in Germany. I'll have a look at the tips later. Wiha and Witte probably have better tips but I love Wera screwdrivers and end up going back to them no matter what else I try because of the handle. It just feels right.

I do use the regular lasertip and have found that they do NOT hold up very well. They grip like no other when new but are easily damaged. Many have posted similar here.

 

[cheechi]

There is a store here that sells Wera, not the VDE but the same driver without the insulation. While I was looking at it, testing it with screws in the store, it seemed to scratch the laser 'grip' on the bit end after less than the equivalent of a full 1" screw being driven.

I went with Wiha for mine; they still look & feel new.

 

[N.I.]

It's a gimmick.

However, they are still good screwdrivers for the price.

 

[Kracin]

It's a gimmick.

However, they are still good screwdrivers for the price.

i've noticed that it seems like a gimmick. although i can see them being very useful if you were using them on things that didn't require a ton of torque, ie, purely electrical connections and such.

they do actually grip screws better, but i have a feeling their R&D didn't put them through their paces before releasing them. they are a very good screwdriver no matter what, and i'll definitely be keeping them either way as a good insulated set, although i was definitely considering getting the insulated removable bit set for 10 bucks more.... very tempting to be able to have the assortment of quality drivers with very little space being taken up.

 

[Kracin]

for anyone who is interested.

tested a few others and they would be fine if all you did was use them on screws holding wires to a buss or something inside of an electrical cabinet, but don't attempt to use them on harder screws that may be holding some things anchored in a cabinet.

for me, i went ahead and returned them and picked up the set with removable blades for less money. and then used the spare to pay for a complete set of chiseldrivers, as i've always loved the chiseldrivers i do have, and never had an issue with quality on them, they last forever during rough use.




for anyone who is interested, a before and after. brand new vs one days use on not too many screws.

 

[Kracin]

I'll have a look at the tips later. Wiha and Witte probably have better tips

this is just the laser etch part that was getting flattened out, never had an issue with the tip itself losing shape for the last couple weeks.

they are obviously made lighter and a little softer than something like the more durable chiseldrivers, which i have put long wrenches on and never bend or damaged.


purely electrical use only

 

[Holt]

Kracin are you in the USA. If so where did you find Wera locally at. I love my Wera Drivers, I have **** load of . Yes the lasertips do where down fairly quick but the shape of the tip stays perfect. I have both Lasertips and Chiseldrivers and they are both holding up fine after years of use daily.

 

[Kracin]

Kracin are you in the USA. If so where did you find Wera locally at. I love my Wera Drivers, I have **** load of . Yes the lasertips do where down fairly quick but the shape of the tip stays perfect. I have both Lasertips and Chiseldrivers and they are both holding up fine after years of use daily.

none locally in nebraska (bellevue/omaha, where i live). not that i've seen, i buy amazon.

yeah i noticed that the tips were fine but the laser etch had worn down quick, but i wasn't going to pay an extra 20 bucks for that set of drivers if the laser tips i paid an extra 20 for were going to be done already. i'll stick to a more compact set for insulated, and roll with a full set of chiseldrivers for the tougher work.

not too many people around here know about weras, and i didn't really appreciate them until i was using them without thick gloves on (foundry work). so far i've turned a few people to the dark side of wera drivers, but i mostly see wiha users as well which are equally as good, i just prefer the feel of the wera handle.

 

[cheechi]

where did you find Wera locally at

Woodcraft. I think Grainger has some but not a whole lot in stock.

 

[Holt]

none locally in nebraska (bellevue/omaha, where i live). not that i've seen, i buy amazon.

yeah i noticed that the tips were fine but the laser etch had worn down quick, but i wasn't going to pay an extra 20 bucks for that set of drivers if the laser tips i paid an extra 20 for were going to be done already. i'll stick to a more compact set for insulated, and roll with a full set of chiseldrivers for the tougher work.

not too many people around here know about weras, and i didn't really appreciate them until i was using them without thick gloves on (foundry work). so far i've turned a few people to the dark side of wera drivers, but i mostly see wiha users as well which are equally as good, i just prefer the feel of the wera handle.

Ha, thats to funny I didn't even notice you where in Omaha. Same here... well I live in Bellevue. I've never seen someone else around here with wera and everyone I show them to thinks they are cheap. I had a lot of customers compliment my NWS though. I have never someone using Wiha but did find one at the SOLS in downtown that I picked up for $3. Good thing about using these drivers is you know whole stole them from you as no one else uses them.
I only been able to buy them on Amazon or through members here. Grainger doesn't even carry any of them but they have a catalog setting right next to the door when you walk in. Its about 30% markup compared to amazon thought.