Which Vessel Striking Cap Screwdriver?

[Deker]

For those that have experience with both of the screwdrivers shown below, which do you prefer for removing stubborn screws?

Vessel 980 Impacta with cam-rotation mechanism.



Vessel 930 Demolition with hex bolster and teeth on the blades.

 

[old_smokey]

The tips are identical. One has an impact driver and the other is a standard through tang driver. So pretty different tools. The impacta does everything the red handled driver does, plus more. So in that sense it’s more versatile.

Also look at the vessel power grip version. It’s a through tang with striking cap, acetate handle and has a hex on the shank to add a wrench. I bought that style plus the impacta. Pretty much covers every situation that way


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[pizza]

if you like beating on ****, both are nice.

if you're beating on a stuck or damaged (worn) screw, the 980 is gonna be more productive. it's not as good as a real manual impact driver (and the best one of those is the koken attack driver), but it works pretty dece. it's not a gimmick.

the 930 feels real solid. it has the hex bolster and jawsfit (anti-camout). i'm into jawsfit. i almost never use the hex bolster, but the 930 is hefty. pretty solid feeling. it's my go-to everyday screwdriver right now mostly because of the jawsfit.

jawsfit:

since you specifically asked about stubborn screws, my answer is the 980. but for everyday screws, my answer is 930.

The tips are identical. One has an impact driver and the other is a standard through tang driver. So pretty different tools. The impacta does everything the red handled driver does, plus more. So in that sense it’s more versatile.

Also look at the vessel power grip version. It’s a through tang with striking cap, acetate handle and has a hex on the shank to add a wrench. I bought that style plus the impacta. Pretty much covers every situation that way

the tips aren't identical, and no bolster on the 980.

power grip looks nice if you don't want jawsfit but like acetate. never seen one in person.

 

[old_smokey]

if you like beating on ****, both are nice.

if you're beating on a stuck or damaged (worn) screw, the 980 is gonna be more productive. it's not as good as a real manual impact driver (and the best one of those is the koken attack driver), but it works pretty dece. it's not a gimmick.

the 930 feels real solid. it has the hex bolster and jawsfit (anti-camout). i'm into jawsfit. i almost never use the hex bolster, but the 930 is hefty. pretty solid feeling. it's my go-to everyday screwdriver right now mostly because of the jawsfit.

jawsfit:

since you specifically asked about stubborn screws, my answer is the 980. but for everyday screws, my answer is 930.



the tips aren't identical, and no bolster on the 980.

power grip looks nice if you don't want jawsfit but like acetate. never seen one in person.

Ah my mistake, I didn’t take a close look and totally missed the hex bolster. Oops!

The acetate ones are real nice




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[pizza]

^ nice!

 

[FreshlySnipes]

I got the ratchet version and love it.


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[dcummer]

since you specifically asked about stubborn screws, my answer is the 980. but for everyday screws, my answer is 930.

Pizza is right on the money. The 930 has a wonderful feel to it, nice heavy weight and balance. The 980 is great when you need the impact feature, but otherwise the 930 wins hands down. I bought a 930 in the #2x100 size to try out. The Jawsfit is great, and the fit is snug into a screw head (especially JIS).

Old_smokey's 4500 acetates look amazing, didn't know I needed them until now ...

 

[Skin]

Neither, buy an impact driver. Once the tip breaks, and they all will, those screwdrivers are junk.

 

[dcummer]

Neither, buy an impact driver. Once the tip breaks, and they all will, those screwdrivers are junk.

Replaceable tips certainly are a consideration, but a 980 will get into places an impact driver can't. There's an application for each of them, best to have both.

 

[pizza]

Replaceable tips certainly are a consideration, but a 980 will get into places an impact driver can't. There's an application for each of them, best to have both.

i was inclined to agree with Skin and was struggling to think of a great reason to have a 980, but you're right. i don't think there's anything else like the 980 for that.

just like dedicated screwdrivers are necessary to get into deep, narrow recessed screw holes. that type of application is why i eventually had to move past bit drivers. imagine a damaged screw in a recess!

but aside from that, manual impact driver's better imo.

 

[ike]

I agree with everything pizza has said (including when he said ^nice!).

I have a p2 and p3 980 impacta. I got them mostly because I was on a Vessel shopping spree and I have very little self-control while online shopping for tools.

On screws that would take my manual impact one strike to loosen, the impacta takes like five strikes. They are cool, and totally worth buying. I also have the Vessel 930 megadoras. I do wish the set I bought came with the 100 length p2 instead of the 150 though. The 150 length is over 10" long.

 

[rlitman]

Neither, buy an impact driver. Once the tip breaks, and they all will, those screwdrivers are junk.

I've got both a 930 and 980 in P2. I wouldn't say either is junk. Yes, it is possible to break tips, and yes, I use an impact driver in more intense situations, but the 980 is harder to break than you think, because of the long shank. Plus the long shank makes it work in places most impact drivers cannot fit.

My 930 predates "jawsfit". I have a pair of 900 P1 drivers (the 900 is MUCH lighter weight than the 930) where one is jawsfit, and the other is not. I prefer the older version, and don't see how the jawsfit option helps anything.

As for the 930, if you want a screwdriver you can hammer into a pole and use as a climbing peg, this is it. This thing is the modern version of the "perfect handle", and is built like a tank. The 980 is nothing like that.

 

[Skin]

I didn't say the screwdrivers are junk. I said when it breaks it's junk as opposed to an impact driver with replaceable bits. You can just use 3" or 6" bits if you need the standoff distance.

There really is no need to buy such nice screwdrivers for a job that makes them consumable.

 

[M6erfan]

I like my 980 Impacta Vessels, they really are the only option sometime when one needs long reach. For everyday use they're not that great, heavily unbalanced. I'm not a huge fan of the 930 striking cap drivers either, I much prefer the Vessel 900 series drivers with the knurled shafts. As others have mentioned, the 980's are no replacement for a proper (good) hand impact driver, they just don't have quite the 'oomph' .

For me, if a screw needs beating I reach for the 980 Impacta or my Attack Driver set. For everything else (cross point), the 900 series.

Edit: BTW, my Impacta's (#2, #3) are over 10 years old and the tips are just fine.

 

[seber]

if you like beating on ****, both are nice.

if you're beating on a stuck or damaged (worn) screw, the 980 is gonna be more productive. it's not as good as a real manual impact driver (and the best one of those is the koken attack driver), but it works pretty dece. it's not a gimmick.

So what is it about the attack that makes it worth three or four times what a standard impact costs?

 

[old_smokey]

So what is it about the attack that makes it worth three or four times what a standard impact costs?

For me, I bought it because the long shank can access screws that a bulky impact can’t. I have a bunch of old Japanese motorcycles, many of which use JIS screws all over the engine cases. There are many spots where a regular impact would never fit.

If a typical impact does fit, I would definitely use that instead. This isn’t a “one is better than the other” situation. Different tools for different situations.


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[M6erfan]

For me, I bought it because the long shank can access screws that a bulky impact can’t. I have a bunch of old Japanese motorcycles, many of which use JIS screws all over the engine cases. There are many spots where a regular impact would never fit.

^^^ This man knows what he's talking about

 

[Deker]

Thank you all for your opinions. In the spirit of garage journal, I ended up ordering both!

However, while doing a little more looking I noticed that PB Swiss also makes a heavy duty steel capped version of their phillips. Can anybody who owns this one comment on how the tips hold up or grip compared to the Vessel 930?

 

[Wrench97]

I use the 980 Impacta for Honda and other rotor screws been close to 2 years now no complaints.

 

[pizza]

Thank you all for your opinions. In the spirit of garage journal, I ended up ordering both!

However, while doing a little more looking I noticed that PB Swiss also makes a heavy duty steel capped version of their phillips. Can anybody who owns this one comment on how the tips hold up or grip compared to the Vessel 930?

i don't have PBS heavy duty, but i have other PBS drivers with swiss grip handle. it looks and feels amazing. better than vessel megadora handle imo. i haven't used my swissgrip stuff in dirty environments, but people say they're annoying to clean. also, i only own their slotted drivers, so idk how their PH tips hold up. i've heard good things though.

 

[pizza]

So what is it about the attack that makes it worth three or four times what a standard impact costs?

good question, but which tool specifically is the standard?

i think the $20 tekton or cman will get the job done fine, but i love the fit and finish on koken's. whichever driver you use, it's probably more important to use a correct bit of decent quality. like not a standard PH1 on a JIS2 fastener lol.

i've used a cheaper looking one in the past, and it worked fine. can't remember who made it.

the koken is the only one i own. maybe someone else can chime in about actual functional differences?

i just got a koken attack driver (impact driver). this thing exudes quality.
see the pic showing the striking face.

if a higher end impact driver exists, i'd like to see it.

the set i got is AG112A. it comes with the 4112G (rubber grip, 1/2" drive), a 1/2" square x 5/16" hex bit adapter, and four 5/16" bits. 3/8" and 3/4" drive versions exist too. they're probably all interchangeable for most common applications because you can just use adapters if needed. with that in mind, i went with the beefier 1/2" instead of 3/8", and 3/4" doesn't come in a rubber grip version.

the direction is reversible. i assume this is for left-hand-threaded fasteners.

the metal case it comes in is pretty nice. it has a hinged latch. i think other kits come in a slightly inferior case with a friction latch. just something to be aware of.

 

[sreeb]

For me, I bought it because the long shank can access screws that a bulky impact can’t. I have a bunch of old Japanese motorcycles, many of which use JIS screws all over the engine cases. There are many spots where a regular impact would never fit.

If a typical impact does fit, I would definitely use that instead. This isn’t a “one is better than the other” situation. Different tools for different situations.


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I have a Tekton 2915 impact bit set that includes bits with longer shanks. They have been a life saver a few times. I see Tekton's website now show them as not available though.

 

[richfinn]

I bought this set for £24.99 from ebay uk

 

[pizza]

I bought this set for £24.99 from ebay uk

hrm, something seems weird about that packaging.

first, look at that macro shot of the driver tip in the lower left corner right next to where it says JAWSFIT. it's not jawsfit, it's smooth!

also, you can see the grip style on the packaging is the old style. doesn't have the texture. the actual drivers in the package are also the old style.

https://www.vesseltools.com/images/pdf/megadora_new_old.pdf

but i think jawsfit was added when they did the redesign.

or was there an older version of jawsfit that had a rough texture instead of the grooves?

 

[mr.lemons]

'Patented JAWSFIT® tip has a chemical coating with hard metal grains to grip the surface of the screw preventing cam-out.'

From here.

https://www.onlyqualitytools.com/catalog/Vessel/905_ISZ.html

Only quality tools have been clearing these sets for a while so maybe older style.

 

[richfinn]

Yep, they are from "quality tools" in the UK

Tips are definately coated with something

 

[mr.lemons]

However, while doing a little more looking I noticed that PB Swiss also makes a heavy-duty steel capped version of their Phillips. Can anybody who owns this one comment on how the tips hold up or grip compared to the Vessel 930?

The main difference between PB and vessel is the weight and the balance. PB swiss feel similar to normal drivers. Vessel feel much heavier and the weight is all in the handle which makes them oddly off balanced. They could be more durable as a result though, I've only ever hit mine with my palm.

PB swiss handle is a little softer and rougher.


Dug out some old pics.

 

[Wrench97]

Nice prydrivers

I use slotted screw drivers so little any more for actual screws I think I have too many.

 

[Ton ton]

Nice prydrivers

I use slotted screw drivers so little any more for actual screws I think I have too many.

I wish I had that problem. I use western forge craftsman but these screwdrivers look pretty nice.

 

[Ralf11]

I agree with Mr. Lemon. And it applies to Phillips too. I bought all of them and tried them out.

PB Swiss is best AFAIK. I kept the Vessel Impacta ones, which are unique AFAIK.