Help me up my screwdriver game.

OK seriously, what makes a great screwdriver?  I am a fan of the ChannelLock set you can get for $20, so lets take them as an example.  First, the set has 8 drviers, not 28. Too many just makes clutter.  This design has 3 important elements for me: 

1. Tempered tips: Look for a tip that has been hardened in some way, as well as having a surface that grips.  This will extend the life of the driver because it will not round-off or bend.
    
2. High-torque handles: Look for triangular handles, or handles with deep facets that allow you to grip well even when wearing gloves. 
    
3. Full-length blades: The steel extends through the handle, ending in a metal cap. This allows the driver to be flipped over to tap something into place, like setting a screw into drywall. The ends can also be magnetized for picking up dropped screws. When the drivers get swapped out of active duty, they become nice chisels for doing bad things. 

There are a few things the ChannelLocks don't offer, so lets look at a set from Wiha.

This set adds an octagonal hex base that allows you to use a crescent wrench to add more torque to the driver.  This can also be done with square-shaft drivers like the classic Craftsman. This feature is found on a lot of cheap drivers, but without a strong tip, it is useless and will damage the driver. Lets take a look at some other features from Klein:

This set from Klein adds two stubby drivers, which are the only other sizes that I recommend when purchasing a set of drivers.  Great for tight spaces.  They also add insulated rubber handles, which help protect against accidental electrical shocks.  Full-shaft drivers are apt to deliver that shock straight to your wrist, so use caution.  If you are doing a lot of electrical work, get fully insulated screwdrivers. 

Rubber outer grips are a concern on cheap drivers.  The rubber can easily disconnect from the handle and just spin around, making the tool useless. The rubber can also hide the shaft inside the handle, and this is important.  The shaft has to have big, flat lugs inside of the handle for leverage and strength. If you can't see them, they are probably small and will soon tear out and the tool will be junk. Cheap Chinese knockoffs will have small stamped impressions that don't anchor the shaft to the handle well at all.  They are also often chrome-plated, which flakes off and makes the tool useless. Think about how the twisting force is being imparted to the screw and buy a model with a good shaft/lug design, like these:

Also, most things like brake rotors don't need a HUGE screwdriver to break loose, they need an impact driver.  So don't get a set with 12 sizes just to get that one big oner you want, buy the basic 2-4 sizes in each style, then grab a big one of each.  Add to that set an impact driver...

And then a set of fine screwdrivers for the smaller stuff. 

And if you need a prybar, use a prybar! 

In reply to pinchvalve :

Which reminds me, who makes a good impact driver? I have a small one that takes 1/4 bits that I use for small things, but I've had two big ones and have killed them both with escalating hammers. 

I am partial to Proto, but most industrial ones will hold up for years.  

Wiha are supposed to be very good.  I have a set of their small screwdrivers (like for electronic use) but haven't had a chance to use them yet.

People actually get rid of screwdrivers? What the hell, there's probably enough floating around this house to fill a flea market with garbage.

The only screw driver I specifically shop for is a beating screwdriver for blasting holes in the side of sheetmetal boxes for work, because sometimes the vary bit takes longer than a hammer and flathead. Needs to have some heft to it to work properly.

The HF version of what SVreX is showing are great for general house use (they can be found on free coupons sometimes). 4 screwdrivers in one but not good for prying / hammering.

If you have access to a welder, screwdrivers make good handles for custom weld up tools or handles you weld to other things.

If you have access to a grinder, screwdrivers make good starting points for custom ground tools (e.g. pics, angles prying devices, tire spoons)

In reply to mazdeuce - Seth :

Reminder if you have Japanese cars, have JIS screwdrivers with them. They look like phillips, but are superior in every way. I personally adore the japan made drivers from Vessel.

Personal contrarian opinion: Bits are for drills. Solid screwdrivers are infinitely more satisfying and useful 98% of the time. A security bit set is worth having around however, if at all handy with electronics. 

Reasonable opinion: JH Williams makes the same bit driver as my favorite snap-off for half the price. Storage in handle, great shape, tough. If vessel makes one, its likely even nicer, and reasonable. I haven't looked. 

As for the current ones, I agree with most here. Collect a few of the best and distribute them. Toss rounded ones, they are too cheap to risk rounding off fasteners. Flats still get used as much as i try to avoid em, keep some around. I dedicate one for 'incorrect' use. 

Edit, spellimg and typ9s.

Well crap. Took my sweet as time replying and everyone beat me to the JIS punch. The hive has apparently spoken! 

SVreX said:

I have gotten rid of virtually all my single use screwdrivers in favor of these:

 

No regrets!

They are cheap enough to be throw away, but good enough to last for a while.  I probably have 20 or more.

 I am not a fan of the ratcheting versions.  They are too heavy in my pocket.

I still have a couple specialty screwdrivers- stubby, long shank, a couple of beaters, etc.  But I rarely use them any more.

 

Quoted for truth. I have dozens of theses scattered all over the shop, truck and house. If I have to hunt for one for more than a minute, I stop by the Ace and buy another handful to scatter around. 

As a bonus, the tips chuck up in a drill nicely when needed.

I just stumbled across this Vessel P2 with impact function when searching for JIS and I've got to say I'm intrigued. 

If you like the ones with interchangeable bits, these are pretty cool. 

http://autoloaderscrewdriver.com/classic.html

All the bits are in the handle and you just extend it and rotate to the one you want, then when you collapse the handle it loads that bit. 

mazdeuce - Seth said:

Which reminds me, who makes a good impact driver?

The red ones are the best. The orange and safety green ones are made in the same factory though. 

SVreX said:

I have gotten rid of virtually all my single use screwdrivers in favor of these:

 

No regrets!

They are cheap enough to be throw away, but good enough to last for a while.  I probably have 20 or more.

 I am not a fan of the ratcheting versions.  They are too heavy in my pocket.

I still have a couple specialty screwdrivers- stubby, long shank, a couple of beaters, etc.  But I rarely use them any more.

 

I hates these screwdrivers!

Too short, too heavy, poor balance, the tips are never quite right.  BZZZZT

In reply to EvanB :

I have something similar to that I got at tractor supply off the clearance rack.



Lowes sells something like it. You just swap cartridges instead of changing the bits around to get the one you need so there's less chance of losing the stupid bits.

mazdeuce - Seth said:

I just stumbled across this Vessel P2 with impact function when searching for JIS and I've got to say I'm intrigued. 

That thing looks awesome. 

Robbie said:

mazdeuce - Seth said:

I just stumbled across this Vessel P2 with impact function when searching for JIS and I've got to say I'm intrigued. 

That thing looks awesome. 

I have one of those sitting right next to me at my desk. They do work well. It's nice to have the impact incase you need it and don't want to go hunting for the impact driver. 

EvanB said:

Robbie said:

mazdeuce - Seth said:

I just stumbled across this Vessel P2 with impact function when searching for JIS and I've got to say I'm intrigued. 

That thing looks awesome. 

I have one of those sitting right next to me at my desk. They do work well. It's nice to have the impact incase you need it and don't want to go hunting for the impact driver. 

I’ve got the same one.  It’s awesome.  Haven’t had to use the impact driver yet, though.

Grizz said:

In reply to EvanB :

I have something similar to that I got at tractor supply off the clearance rack.



Lowes sells something like it. You just swap cartridges instead of changing the bits around to get the one you need so there's less chance of losing the stupid bits.

See my post on page 1: I bought something similar a while back, interchangeable cartridges of bits, pull the handle back to rotate the cartridge to the bit desired.

https://www.amazon.com/Tool-125-1010-Switch-Multi-Bit-Screwdriver/dp/B000BDH9M8/ref=cm_cr_arp_d_product_top?ie=UTF8

http://toolmonger.com/2007/08/17/fullers-pistol-inspired-screwdriver/

In reply to mazdeuce - Seth :

I don’t know if they’re any good, but this was on the cover of a Speedway Motors catalog for $29. There was also a $20-off coupon on the cover. However, I’m swimming in screwdrivers(and random cheap tools) so I didn’t investigate any further. 

I ordered that Vessel, a Wera with a frickin lazer tip, and some bit organizing stuff. I'm going to fill in my bits with HF stuff, organize it all, and throw the old screwdrivers in a box and see what ones I need to pull out over the next year. Still up for suggestions though. 

I like my Matco screwdrivers but also have large variety of cheap and junk ones I use as pry bars. I keep a few of the bit style with multiple bits. The best investment I ever made was an impact driver for removing tight screws. It saved a bunch of broken and bent screwdrivers 

I kinda like the Kobalt tools from Lowe's. Pretty cheap for the quality you get. 

This is $30. The ratcheting set is even cheaper.

Snap-On 5 pc hard handle set.

/thread. 

Pro tip ... Add a splash of apple juice to your screwdrivers. It tones down the acidic bite of the orange juice. 

At work I’ve found the Klein screwdrivers to be the best, second would be Wiha- that’s compared to Stanley, Proto, etc.

They (the Klein’s) are very durable and wear the slowest.  The only shortcoming I’ve noticed with one of them out of many I’ve had is the black rubber over-grip can come loose on the yellow plastic handle and slide up and down a tad.  I’ve never had one tear or fall off though.

The multi-tip drivers are handy, but they don’t hold up well to heavy use.  The “sleeves” the bits fit into will split if you push them too hard.  But that comes down to knowing what the tool can do and using it as such.

Just my $.02 :-)