Screw drivers.....
- Thread starter Jak147
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Cheese
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Peter_C said:Cheese, this special Chopper screwdriver is for you because of your avatar. It was a very very limited run, never sold. Some people would call it a collectors edition. I threw it in my toolbox and put it to use. *shrugs* I don't hit mine with a hammer, nor use them as hammers. Well accept the Craftsman as that is what they are for
"The Chopper"...ya gotta love that lame marketing ploy. [tongue] Although I do remember some limited edition Harley Davidson tool boxes from Snap-on.
Just curious how well that 2nd screw driver with the elbow & ratchet works?
alkaline
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Jak147 said:
It seems from your follow up post that you've already got yourself a set, but I was surprised no-one suggested either the stainless Wera set (black and blue) or the electrical Wera set (red and yellow), or the chiseldriver set (black and yellow) to still have a Wera set but be able to be distinguished at a glance from your colleague's set.
I had a quick look at the other brands, and does anyone else do something like the laser etched tips from Wera?
S
six-point socket
Guest
Hi,
owning and having used almost everything that was discussed so far, I'd like to offer my opinion on this topic.
Personally I like the Snap-On Instinct handle with hex-bolster best, but the tips of their bits and screwdrivers not so much. I found some of them to be pretty rough/uneven and sometimes with a little nub leftover right on the tip which - depending on the screw - ruins the fit completely and you'll have a hard time trying not to slip out of the head while you turn the screw.
It's not every tip, not every bit, but every now and then I find a "bad apple". Actually the tips of their Instinct handled "non conductive composite" screwdriver series is much better. But that's a different story - and I don't think those would be the right choice for you.
[attachimg=1]
[attachimg=2]
This brings me to the ultimate opposite - PB Swiss. The tips of their bits and screwdrivers are, I will call it "machined" to excellence. Sharp and ultra tight fitting. I don't really like their handle, although their ratcheting bit driver's action is ultra smooth. So my personally preferred combination is a Snap-On's ratcheting bit driver (either small or large) with PB Swiss bits. I have used PB Swiss bits in cordless drivers - but only for soft screw-joints. I would not use them for hard screw-joints or with an impact driver.
[attachimg=3]
[attachimg=4]
Actually a lot of the Snap-On bits, basically everything that says "Made in CZ" are made by Wera - Most obvious if you take a look at the Snap-On diamond pop up bit-/screw-driver and the corresponding diamond bits.
This brings me to Wera and another important point: bit quality.
Especially Wera, but also Wiha and others I'm sure have different lines of bits that vary.
Besides the pretty important differences between hard/very hard bits for soft screw-joints like in wood (torque rises continuously) and rather tough than just hard bits for hard screw-joints like in metal (torque rises abruptly at the end) and then special bits for impact drivers there are also different qualities available. In my experience especially their bits labeled premium are best speaking of fit but they still aren't on a par with PB Swiss. Please keep in mind that this is complaining on a very high level by me - neither Snap-On, Wera, Wiha, Felo or so many other manufacturer's bits are per se bad - but once you know what can be had, you don't go back.
Now leaving bits and going back to screwdrivers, Wera has what they call "Lasertip" offered on their Kraftform 300 series Screwdrivers, the tips are pretty good and you'll notice the difference pretty well compared to screwdrivers with no "anti cam out" function. I have removed fasteners/screws with those that other screwdrivers wouldn't turn and slip right off. Definitely a good choice if the handle is for you. Also it's never bad to have the hex-bolster. "Machining" on those tips and fit is actually pretty good.
[attachimg=5]
Then there is Wiha - you could look into either "soft"-finish or "micro"-finish. "Soft-finish" being for dry applications, "micro-finish" for wet/oily applications. Again, not the biggest fan of their handle style but they get the job done, they have the hex bolster and their tips are good, too.
I'd suggest you try the different handles and find out what suits you best and what kind of tip quality you want - if those happen to be the same your colleague has - find a way to personalize them rather than buying something you're not 100% comfortable with just because they could get mixed up.
Kind regards,
Oliver
owning and having used almost everything that was discussed so far, I'd like to offer my opinion on this topic.
Personally I like the Snap-On Instinct handle with hex-bolster best, but the tips of their bits and screwdrivers not so much. I found some of them to be pretty rough/uneven and sometimes with a little nub leftover right on the tip which - depending on the screw - ruins the fit completely and you'll have a hard time trying not to slip out of the head while you turn the screw.
It's not every tip, not every bit, but every now and then I find a "bad apple". Actually the tips of their Instinct handled "non conductive composite" screwdriver series is much better. But that's a different story - and I don't think those would be the right choice for you.
[attachimg=1]
[attachimg=2]
This brings me to the ultimate opposite - PB Swiss. The tips of their bits and screwdrivers are, I will call it "machined" to excellence. Sharp and ultra tight fitting. I don't really like their handle, although their ratcheting bit driver's action is ultra smooth. So my personally preferred combination is a Snap-On's ratcheting bit driver (either small or large) with PB Swiss bits. I have used PB Swiss bits in cordless drivers - but only for soft screw-joints. I would not use them for hard screw-joints or with an impact driver.
[attachimg=3]
[attachimg=4]
Actually a lot of the Snap-On bits, basically everything that says "Made in CZ" are made by Wera - Most obvious if you take a look at the Snap-On diamond pop up bit-/screw-driver and the corresponding diamond bits.
This brings me to Wera and another important point: bit quality.
Especially Wera, but also Wiha and others I'm sure have different lines of bits that vary.
Besides the pretty important differences between hard/very hard bits for soft screw-joints like in wood (torque rises continuously) and rather tough than just hard bits for hard screw-joints like in metal (torque rises abruptly at the end) and then special bits for impact drivers there are also different qualities available. In my experience especially their bits labeled premium are best speaking of fit but they still aren't on a par with PB Swiss. Please keep in mind that this is complaining on a very high level by me - neither Snap-On, Wera, Wiha, Felo or so many other manufacturer's bits are per se bad - but once you know what can be had, you don't go back.
Now leaving bits and going back to screwdrivers, Wera has what they call "Lasertip" offered on their Kraftform 300 series Screwdrivers, the tips are pretty good and you'll notice the difference pretty well compared to screwdrivers with no "anti cam out" function. I have removed fasteners/screws with those that other screwdrivers wouldn't turn and slip right off. Definitely a good choice if the handle is for you. Also it's never bad to have the hex-bolster. "Machining" on those tips and fit is actually pretty good.
[attachimg=5]
Then there is Wiha - you could look into either "soft"-finish or "micro"-finish. "Soft-finish" being for dry applications, "micro-finish" for wet/oily applications. Again, not the biggest fan of their handle style but they get the job done, they have the hex bolster and their tips are good, too.
I'd suggest you try the different handles and find out what suits you best and what kind of tip quality you want - if those happen to be the same your colleague has - find a way to personalize them rather than buying something you're not 100% comfortable with just because they could get mixed up.
Kind regards,
Oliver
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notenoughcash
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i find that wera are generaly the best bet. i use those quick change VDE ones. work a treat. but yeah, mark em, as they are 10 an penny
jonnyrocket
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Oliver!!!!
So glad to see you post again! And as always, such a great summary and great information!! Glad to see you again!
So glad to see you post again! And as always, such a great summary and great information!! Glad to see you again!
jonnyrocket
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Oliver,
Does PBswiss have multiple lines of bits? If so, what are the ones you prefer?
Does PBswiss have multiple lines of bits? If so, what are the ones you prefer?
jonnyrocket
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- Jan 8, 2018
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[doh] [doh]
I saw the dates on the previous posts and for some reason didn’t check the date on his. I hate when my excitement gets the better of me!
In that case, those of you that are familiar with PB Swiss, are their screwdrivers the same quality as the Precision bits? Or are those two different lines?
EDIT: cleaned up my typos that I didn’t previously catch.
I saw the dates on the previous posts and for some reason didn’t check the date on his. I hate when my excitement gets the better of me!
In that case, those of you that are familiar with PB Swiss, are their screwdrivers the same quality as the Precision bits? Or are those two different lines?
EDIT: cleaned up my typos that I didn’t previously catch.
Peter Kelly
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There was a Project Farm review of screwdrivers pretty recently:
Whia, Wera, PB Swiss, Craftsman and Milwaukee came out on top.
Whia, Wera, PB Swiss, Craftsman and Milwaukee came out on top.
Crazyraceguy
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Old thread, but ok.
Agreed, the Snap-on ratcheting handle was the best I ever had/felt for that type of thing. I didn't use it for everything, preferring to have a "proper" tool, rather than a magnetic tipped one, most of the time. That takes space though, which I why I kept the Snap-On one in one of my install bags. It was a hold-over favorite of my truck mechanic days, had it for 30plus years, until it got killed in the fire.
Virtually none of my woodworking tools are old, save for the Makita reciprocating saw from the set. It happened to be at home the day of the fire.
Agreed, the Snap-on ratcheting handle was the best I ever had/felt for that type of thing. I didn't use it for everything, preferring to have a "proper" tool, rather than a magnetic tipped one, most of the time. That takes space though, which I why I kept the Snap-On one in one of my install bags. It was a hold-over favorite of my truck mechanic days, had it for 30plus years, until it got killed in the fire.
Virtually none of my woodworking tools are old, save for the Makita reciprocating saw from the set. It happened to be at home the day of the fire.
demographic said:
I have a stubby black SnapOn ratcheting too and it is amazing. I also have a full-sized SnapOn ratcheting driver with bits in handle. Go to Ebay and find the previous model ones without the overmolded polyurethane. The simple hard plastic are easy to handle, easy to clean, and the ratchets work like no other.
Crazyraceguy
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fraz said:
Agreed, I had the full sized one, before the fire killed it. It was a holdover from my mechanic days. I had it for more than 25 years. The balance and feel were like no other. The reverse-drag was very minimal. It was great, well worth the price. I probably paid half of what it would cost today though? No idea what that would be
