Wera screwdrivers, your opinion

[TheGrooveking]

I was looking at a few Wira screwdrivers and was wondering if any of you guys have had any problems or issues with them?

TheGrooveking

 

[american lockpicker]

Good question, I've been wondering that too. I'm looking at buying a #2 Phillips.

 

[MrMark]

I have around 8 Wera drivers. I like them a lot. I like their bits even better.

I personally find the Wera handles too small. They seem sized for small hands, but they are definitely very ergonomic. The blades are strong and the tips are quite good, about as good as the Snap-on's. They do deform under moderate use although nowhere near as readily as the Kleins or Craftsman. I chewed up a #2 phillips a little faster than I thought it should and I sent it back. They sent me a new one right away. They are not as strong as the German made Heavy Duty or Extra Heavy Duty Wiha, which are the best for me in terms of durability. I like the Instinct handles the best, but the Wiha tips the best.

 

[the spyder]

I have been regularly using my 2 month old Wera Chisel drivers and have been very very happy with them. They fit my hand well, the tips are wonderful, and the abuse they can take is surprising to say the least.

 

[FNFS2000]

I'm a long time super happy user, I put down my WIHAs for WERA.

 

[Jononon]

Their standard screwdrivers are excellent. Nothing to choose between them and main-line Wiha*, in my experience a little ahead of Snap-on in both tip strength and handle durability.

I'm very unimpressed with the micro 'drivers. They combine a relatively bulky handle with a thin and brittle blade, the worst of both worlds for precision work. I narrowly avoided taking out the rear element of a lens thanks to one snapping where the shank meets the body.

*unfortunately that's a significant caveat. Wihatools.com has been allowed to market tools as Wiha which are not part of their European catalogue

 

[Thedroid]

I really like the handle, but I don't think the tips are as durable as snap ons. My number 2 drivers.

 

[Stuey]

I like Wiha and Wera, but at the end of the day if I had to choose one over the other, I'd choose Wiha. They both make very comfortable high quality drivers - you cannot go wrong with either.

 

[billymade]

I have both Wera and Wiha; all of mine are "precision screwdrivers" for really small screws.... I have the standard handles for the Wiha and Wera Kraftform Micro screwdrivers. IMHO, you cannot grip a screwdriver any better then the handles on these Wera's and it really helps on stubborn screws on small things like laptop internals or hard drive screws! I have yet to break any of my Weras but I did break the corner off of a very small standard Wiha regular screwdriver, which they replaced free under warranty when I sent it into them in the mail. Wiha now has the new "Pico" series which is more ergonomic; I haven't tried them but would compete with the excellent ergonomics of the Wera! I cannot recommend Wera more.... excellent! The key difference with German made precision screwdrivers seems to be the machining on the tips which truly fit tiny screws, so you can actually get them out and the steel is very durable and holds up to use! This sounds very basic but after trying many different offshore and "USA" precision screwdrivers... the German stuff just works, the quality is there and the addition of excellent ergonomics makes them a pleasure to use!

Kraftform Micro screwdrivers (I have these):
http://www-us.wera.de/catalog_us.html?L=1&file=/en-US/screwdrivers_kraftform_micro_series.html

Wiha Pico Soft Grip Precision Screwdriver Sets (new style worth considoring):
http://www.wihatools.com/200seri/266_Pico_Sets.htm

Wiha Standard Precision Screwdrivers (I have these):
http://www.wihatools.com/pro_Precision.htm

 

[sporkedtospec]

This past fall I picked up some phillips and flat drivers from Wiha (soft finish and micro finish), PB Swiss (swiss grip), and Williams (the hard handles). I have big hands and have always been picky about handles, so I decided to try them all out in different sizes/lengths to complete a set.

I made an effort to use all the drivers for any screw I came across, so I'd usually end up doing a task three times to see which one worked best.
After a few months of use, the Wiha soft finish drivers are my go to. The handles fit best in my hand, and the tips grip and wear well. The micro finish is nice, but it's a bit smaller in diameter at the handle's widest point and the soft finish are more comfortable. The PB Swiss grip slightly better, but the handles are a bit smaller and harder for me to spin quickly in one hand. The Williams phillips tips don't fit the screw head as well as the Wiha, and the four flat sides on the handle is awkward to spin in one hand.

I'm a fan of Wiha. Very good quality at a good price.

 

[48548]

For precision screwdrivers I like the wiha I have but for everyday I would go with wera. I do like the wera bits, which are as good as any apex I have had. Also I like to use their bits in their nice bit holders, where are top notch and better than any other I have ever used.

 

[Jononon]

Wiha now has the new "Pico" series which is more ergonomic; I haven't tried them but would compete with the excellent ergonomics of the Wera!

It's funny, you approve of that innovation, I see it as introducing the same problem with the handles as the Weras! I'm sure it depends what you're working on, for me that bulge on the handle is a pita when trying to access a screw hidden deep inside an camera.

 

[billymade]

Jononon, the reason I got the Wera Kraftform Micro was very small torx screws on computers and laptops... laptops in particular seem to have threadlocker on them to keep everything together and not loosen under the stress they go through when used, abused out in the world. I have a very hard time getting screwdrivers that fit the torx head and then being able to grip them good enough to break the thread locker... the Wera's were able to do this for me! I'm all for improved ergonomics but not every handle fits everyone's hand or works in every situation.

 

[Jononon]

Jononon, the reason I got the Wera Kraftform Micro was very small torx screws on computers and laptops... laptops in particular seem to have threadlocker on them to keep everything together and not loosen under the stress they go through when used, abused out in the world.

That makes a lot of sense Horses for courses, as with all tools.

I'm a little puzzled that they'll take the torque to do a fairly heavy duty job, when I broke mine so easily. I wonder if a heat treating issue slipped through or maybe I'm just ham-fisted

 

[48548]

I have a set of toptul mini torx and they work great, and I have never broke one and they were pretty cheap in a plastic case... They are like precision screwdrivers and the end of the handle does spin as well.