Help me up my screwdriver game.

These are my screwdrivers. All of them that I can find anyway. 

It's a combination of Craftsman that I got in highschool, Harbor Freight that I got in a big box of stuff, random ones that I don't know the origin of, and a few that I have bought. Most of the phillips (including all of the #2 I think) are rounded. I think every flat blade has been asked to do very bad things and shows it. All of them, aside from two multi bit ones that I keep in the house, are dirty enough that Mrs. Deuce won't touch them. 

My gut response upon seeing them all laid out is to throw away everything with a fixed blade, but I think I'll miss the flat blades for very bad things even though I finally got a set of actual pry bars from Harbor Freight. 

I love my Klein power bit handle with the #2 blade, but don't like it as much with the magnetic bit holder. I'm contemplating getting a full set of 3-6 inch phillips and flat blades for that handle, throwing everything else in a box and seeing how it goes. 

I've got a bit of Christmas money here, help me out. 

No recommendations on new ones, but for the old ones I do have a thought. 

1. Clean them up. 

2. Place them everywhere. Like in your desk drawer. In the bathroom vanity. Under the kitchen sink. In every tool bag or storage thing you own. 

3. If you don't want them loose, grab a block of scrap wood and drill a few holes in it. Perfect screwdriver holder and easy to fasten to cabinet doors, or to walls in the utility room, or glue to a magnet, etc. 

Reasoning - you always need a screwdriver, but it's easy to let small stuff go unfixed because you don't have one handy. Get one handy. 

My above post assumes you put your new nice set of screwdrivers in your garage. Because duh. 

Other good places for screwdrivers:

at the entrance to your attic, vehicle glove box, next to furnace and water heater, in the same place as you keep random screws and bolts, in your coat closet, in your bedroom closet, you get the idea. 

I was going to recommend Snap-On ratcheting screwdrivers, as I've found mine to be incredibly indestructible and pleasant to use. I just looked up going prices (mine's a fancy "Dale Earnhardt edition"), and apparently it's a collector's item now. Guess I can't abuse that one as a hammer anymore...

In reply to Robbie :

I'm a big fan of the 10 hammers method of tool dispersal and went all over the house and buildings to collect these. #2 Phillips is $0.88 at WalMart (I checked this morning) and slightly better ones are $1.69 at Harbor Freight. That makes me want to throw away my old ones more, not less. 

For the actual garage set I would take a look at Bahco screwdrivers. I recently bought a small set online and they were nice enough that I am motivated to take care of them and not use as stabby or prying tools. 

A co-worker let me borrow one from his box and after that use I had to have set.  They look kinda goofy but the amount of torque and downward force you can put into them at once makes it worth it.  Good tips and from his set had some years on it and was still going strong.

A decade ago I bought a screwdriver set that came in a molded case. That case is the only reason I haven't lost a single one. The case just sits open in my toolbox, but I can see exactly if one is missing and hunt it down. All my other screwdrivers are in a drawer in my toolbox, but the ones in the case are always there when I need them. No idea what brand it was, probably a Home Depot holiday set.

I have acquired the habit (that I absolutely hate) of buying cheap screwdrivers and throwing them out after a few uses. And by buying I mean I get the free ones at HF when I go buy something else. 

They are all junk. and yet here I am swimming in them. 

Throw out your junk ones. But do not buy any more junk ones. Please, do not be like me. 

Robbie said:

I have acquired the habit (that I absolutely hate) of buying cheap screwdrivers and throwing them out after a few uses. And by buying I mean I get the free ones at HF when I go buy something else. 

They are all junk. and yet here I am swimming in them. 

Throw out your junk ones. But do not buy any more junk ones. Please, do not be like me. 

 

I have one particular junk screwdriver that came with something that had "assembly required" and included a screwdriver and one of those worthless wrenches. It has become my favorite screwdriver for some reason. Always the one I reach for when I need one about that size. I keep expecting it to twist, but it hasn't yet. Go figure.

I also have some of the free 6-piece screwdrivers in my tool bag that gets taken with me to the in-laws or to rescue someone (BIL) when the car has died or other similar conundrum. I should just buy a set of cheap HF tools to leave at the inlaws.

In reply to mtn :

excellent! I too have a screwdriver from a BMW e36 tool box that has a plastic handle and either a flat blade or phillips tip. It really refuses to die. One of my favorites. It however lives in my plumbing tools/supplies box so it mostly only gets used for plumbing-related stuff now. 

In reply to mtn :

I did that a few years ago and it made life much easier. 

Spend a lot of money on a set of screwdrivers and you'll be damn sure to keep track of them.  

...at least that's the theory... 

JIS. Japanese Industrial Standard. Ever wonder why your #2 Phillips screwdriver keeps caming out on Japanese screws?  Because they aren't Phillips. Phillips were developed for use on soft aluminum airframes and are designed to cam out of the socket it too much torque is applied. 

Not so with JIS. It's almost a nessesity if you own a UJM motorcycle. Ever wonder why every screw is completely mangled?

+1 on JIS for Japanese stuff.

Don't get rid of the old ones, though.  I have a small drawer in my toolbox labeled 'Beater Screwdrivers'.  Now I never abuse the good screwdrivers as I reach for the beat ones when I'm not actually addressing a screw.  They can also be modified (grind, weld, whatever) for specific uses with no compunction.

Screwdrivers are easy.

No rot-gut use some decent Vodka.

Not too much Fresh Orange Juice.

I usually make them 40-60 depending on how thick the OJ is.

Don't drink too many, too much sugar.

I like long screwdrivers it is easier to keep it square to the screw.

I used to use the ones sold on tool trucks because they would replace the blades after I abused them.

Craftsman still are good, I have quite a few of them

I recently got a pair from my local Ace Hardware, Enderes brand, nice handle and great material and prep in the blade. These are as good as any tool truck drivers.

I don't want to sound like a judgemental jerk but, That is an atomically crappy set of screwdrivers you have there. 

Screwdrivers are wear items. Everyone wants to believe they last forever but they simply don't.

In my opinion you buy a high quality set that you will get a few years to perhaps a decade out of at a price you will be ok paying, or you pay a lot for Snap-on and have the shafts replaced for free.

There is simply no way I could do my job with replaceable tip screwdrivers.

I might suggest Wera Kraftform or Williams 100P-8MD as a great set to start.  The Wera set is comfortable and when new the laser tips are amazing.

My own professional set is a mix of Snap-on, Mac, Facom and the Williams set . 

When I started in auto restoration I had what I thought was a good set of those clear handled craftsman. One day while cursing all the stripped screw heads on a car my coworker handed me his Snap-on and I was able to remove almost every screw I previously chewed the heads out of. It really is a revelation to suddenly have the correct tool for a job.

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.

How does Posi-drive fit into this whole JIS/Phillips thing? 

Another +1 for picking up some JIS screwdrivers.  I still use Phillips for tightening things most of time, but the JIS   screwdrivers get used when removing screws, especially when working on older stuff.

I’m kind of like you in having a variety of brands of screwdrivers, including ones of indeterminate origin.  One of my favorites is a cheap one that was in a project car I bought years ago.  

Jumper K Balls (Trent) said:

I don't want to sound like a judgemental jerk but, That is an atomically crappy set of screwdrivers you have there. 

 

Screwdrivers are wear items. Everyone wants to believe they last forever but they simply don't.

In my opinion you buy a high quality set that you will get a few years to perhaps a decade out of at a price you will be ok paying, or you pay a lot for Snap-on and have the shafts replaced for free.

There is simply no way I could do my job with replaceable tip screwdrivers.

 

I might suggest Wera Kraftform or Williams 100P-8MD as a great set to start.  The Wera set is comfortable and when new the laser tips are amazing.

My own professional set is a mix of Snap-on, Mac, Facom and the Williams set . 

When I started in auto restoration I had what I thought was a good set of those clear handled craftsman. One day while cursing all the stripped screw heads on a car my coworker handed me his Snap-on and I was able to remove almost every screw I previously chewed the heads out of. It really is a revelation to suddenly have the correct tool for a job.

This whole post. All of it. With the exception that I think I can do everything with replaceable bits aside from #2 which is the size that I reach for 95% of the time with any modern car/household good. I could buy the best damn #2 fixed blade screwdriver in the world and it's only about $25. So maybe throw all the crap in a bin, fill out the bits, and get one very good #2? Except maybe that #2 should be a JIS? 

Take each screwdriver into your hand and think about it.  Does it spark joy in you?  Does it make you feel like you are holding a puppy? If not, thank the screwdriver for its service and place it gently into a bin to be donated.  If you find that you do not have enough left, go to the store and spend time with some new screwdrivers.  Take time to talk to them and to hold them, and find a set that sparks joy in you. 

In reply to pinchvalve :

In all honesty, that's how I end up with $500 in screwdriver and a very grumpy spouse. I feel that way about the "very nice tools" that I do own, but I can't fill my life with them as a hobby mechanic. 

Give away all of them and buy:

1x SnapOn #1 Phillips 

1x SnapOn #2 Phillips

2x generic JIS 

1x SnapOn 1/8" flathead

1x SnapOn 1/4" flathead.

That'll cost about $100 and you'll ruin 1/4 the number of screws you used to.

I picked up one of these:

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

At my local HomeDepot and I have to say its been my handiest general household screwdriver.

For serious work, better quality drivers are available and should be used.  Especially if you've got specific types to manage (JIS, etc.)

Generally though, the screws I've dealt with in the automotive world have been mostly interior screws or electrical connector screws that aren't that tight to begin with or if they are corroded badly, can be broken, drilled or cut off and tossed in the trash.

The vast majority of my flat bladed screw drivers are used as prybars for hoses and the like.  Hose clamps are removed with 1/4" drive ratchets or they are spring clamps and there are pliers for those.

For driving screws into material, there are good 1/4"drive bits available for the types of screws you use.

For fine electronic work however I have a decent set of fine drivers in both short and long and they've saved my butt a few times.