Your favourite Screw Drive Style

[avanderhoorn]

Hey All

Since the Festool drill bit sets are't currently available, I'm trying to put together a set myself.

When doing this, I was looking at Screw Driver Styles and got to thinking about which style is "best". Obviously if I have something that has a fixed type of screw, I don't have a choice and getting Phillips bits is a necessity.

But for projects I'm building, I'm wondering if I should be considering something other than just reaching for phillips screws.

Cheers
Anthony

 

[Frank Pellow]

Robertson screws (often called Square Drive in the USA) all the way!  They are MUCH MUCH better than Philips.

Here is a link that tells you something about them: http://robertsonscrew.com/history.html

 

[waho6o9]

Torx.  Zero cam out.

yeah buddy

[attachimg=1]

 

[Frank Pellow]

Torx.  Zero cam out.

yeah buddy

[attachimg=1]

Torx are OK.  They are certainly better than Philips!  But, as someone quite experienced with all three, my vote still goes to Robertson.

 

[Cheese]

Either GRK or Spax.

GRK use Torx drivers and as waho609 pointed out, there is no cam-out with them. They're sold at lumber speciality stores but come in a limited number of sizes and styles. Because their target market is the professional builder, they're usually only sold in larger quantities. They do manufacture a number of them in stainless steel.

Spax use a philips/robertson driver on their small sized ones, and while there is some cam-out, it is a lot less than the traditional philips head driver. They are sold at the big box stores and come in numerous styles, sizes and large/small quantities. I'm not aware if they manufacture any in stainless steel.

The picture that waho609 provided above, is some of the various GRK screws that are available.

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[orm8426]

I'm more concerned with getting the correct size, material and thread properties correct. For me drive type doesn't make any difference provided I use a quality bit to drive them along with an appropriately sized drill/impact driver. Using my makita 10.8v or 18v driver dependent on the size of the screw along with a quality bit like Wera I am as happy using phillips/pozidrive as I am torx or square drive.

 

[ear3]

I use Torx-head SPAX myself, though if I'm doing flooring I go with square drive.  There's also Pozidriv, though I haven't used these much, if at all.

 

[sae]

Torx!

I burned through all my Kreg screws as quickly as possible and got some Screw Products Torx headed pocketscrews and hid the Robertson bits.

 

[sancho57]

Robertson, As I haven't used the torx yet

 

[Neal W]

I'm in favor of the square drive.  The Spax look interesting. I'll have to see if I can find some of those.

Anything but the old standard slotted screws though. 

 

[semenza]

  I like the torx better than square. I have used both a lot.  I don't get cam out with either but I find that the driver will stick in the head of square often enough to be really annoying. Couple that with being able to get a truly complete line of sizes and types from a single brand in torx (in the US) and I switched over to them completely.

Seth

 

[WelshWood]

Haven't used robertson as of yet, but Hex head as pointed out previously are brilliant.

Then again, with a good quality PZ2 bit and screws, I haven't had too much of a problem  [wink]

~WW

 

[elfick]

I prefer Torx, but robertson and hex are fine also. Even Pozi isn't bad. Basically anything except slotted (which are still ok for decorative uses) or phillips.

 

[Stephen B]

[size=14pt]
This is a case where NAIAustralia applies, well generally anyway. Although there are some specialists, most hardware chains down here only stock Phillips.  [eek] There are some treated pine screws available in square, and at work we stock some excellent stainless steel Torx decking screws. The latter are imported from Germany.

For me [owner builder and DIY], the Torx are the best in use for mechanical screwing. The Phillips the worst. Sometimes square will either jump out or, as Seith finds, stick.  Phillips are good when using a hand screwdriver after pre-drill. Slots I always hand screw after pre-drill.

 

[Cheese]

[size=14pt]
This is a case where NAIAustralia applies, well generally anyway. Although there are some specialists, most hardware chains down here only stock Phillips.  [eek] There are some treated pine screws available in square, and at work we stock some excellent stainless steel Torx decking screws. The latter are imported from Germany.

For me [owner builder and DIY], the Torx are the best in use for mechanical screwing. The Phillips the worst. Sometimes the square will also jump out.  Phillips are very good when using a hand screwdriver. Slots I always hand screw after pre-drill.

The stainless Torx from Germany are probably GRK. That's where they started manufacturing and then they branched out to manufacturing in different countries.
Same thing with Spax, they started in Germany. A lot of their screws look very similar to each other. Especially the lag screw variety with the integral washer.

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[Sparktrician]

I'm going with Torx by a wide margin.  While I like the Robertson drive, the only place I use it is in my Kreg setup.  When the current stock of screws is exhausted, they will be replaced with Torx. 

 

[leer]

I'm partial to square drive.  And I think PoziDriv should be outlawed, because I never can tell them from Phillips ...  [big grin]

Out of curiosity, I checked Wikipedia on screw types ... Good grief, it's insane how many screw types there are! So I'll add to my desired ban:  Frearson (Reed and Prince), yet another "Phillips" type of profile. I think my first set of Craftsman screwdrivers 40+ years ago included a Reed and Prince.

 

[semenza]

I'm partial to square drive.  And I think PoziDriv should be outlawed, because I never can tell them from Phillips ...  [big grin]

Out of curiosity, I checked Wikipedia on screw types ... Good grief, it's insane how many screw types there are! So I'll add to my desired ban:  Frearson (Reed and Prince), yet another "Phillips" type of profile. I think my first set of Craftsman screwdrivers 40+ years ago included a Reed and Prince.

Frearson ..... interesting. That could explain some of the poor fitting , Philips driver bits I have come across. Very steep angle that makes it so the bit doesn't seat well in the Philips recess. No matter anymore since I switched to torx.

Seth

 

[BPCFinishing]

All GRK screws!!  Torx has lowered my stress levels!!

 

[JeromeM]

I'm partial to square drive.  And I think PoziDriv should be outlawed, because I never can tell them from Phillips ...  [big grin]

They are actually quite easy to tell apart if you look at the head. Phillips are a plain square, PoziDriv have ticks in the inside corners
[attachthumb=1]

I just got a thousand torx with my new CSX and when the thousands of PoziDriv that I have from an auction years ago are finished, they are the only ones I'll buy if I can get them.