Good phillips driver bit

[notbob]

I've asked before and got no good answer. Doesn't ANYBODY make a good quality hardened phillips driver bit for power drivers for screwing phillips head deck, etc, screws? These pieces of crap they sell for $.75-1.00 ea on lumberyard checkout counters, where you grab a handfull like promo popcorn cuz they're cheap Chinese shit, and most ppl have settled for this absurd scenario. Why!?

I'd gladly pay $5-10 for a single bit that would last longer than a hundred screws before it's useless garbage and I gotta reach for new one like it was consumable sandpaper. Why do ppl pay hundreds for quality power tools then settle for 88 cent table bits!? It's insane!

nb

[Jim Elbrecht]

I buy the boxes of DeWalt's and have pretty good luck. But I'm moving to square drive from McFeely's and buying their bits. That and an impact driver makes a world of difference.

Jim

[notbob]

That pretty much says it all.

nb

[krw]

DeWalt "Impact-Ready" bits are pretty good and a lot cheaper than you propose! Of course, they work even better in an impact driver.

[Ed Pawlowski]

I use screws and drivers from McFeelys. Better quality than most local stores.

[Ned Flanders]

It only took you guys 100 years to catch on to the "Robertson" screw and driver (you guys call them square drive). I guess it will only be another 70 years or so before you move fully to the metric system. :-)

The Robertson Screw Driver was invented in 1908 and has been well used in Canada for decades.

[notbob]

Thnx, Ed

nb

[krw]

Um, Robertson screws have been used in the US "for decades", too. I started using them about thirty years ago. For anything other than hanging sheetrock, and such, I generally use either Robertson or Torx.

[The Henchman]

It only took you guys 100 years to catch on to the "Robertson" screw and driver (you guys call them square drive). I guess it will only be another 70 years or so before you move fully to the metric system. :-)

The Robertson Screw Driver was invented in 1908 and has been well used in Canada for decades.

-----------------

Robertson Screw driver was invented 10 miles down the road from me. They named a school after him and the Robertson Corporation is still around in Milton.

HOWEVER, the square head screw was indeed invented by a Yankee, 15 years before the Canuck version, in New York City. Robertson's screw worked because he figured out a good manufacturing process. The American screw head was a failure and that's why the Yanks used Phillips

[The Henchman]

I've asked before and got no good answer. Doesn't ANYBODY make a good quality hardened phillips driver bit for power drivers for screwing phillips head deck, etc, screws? These pieces of crap they sell for $.75-1.00 ea on lumberyard checkout counters, where you grab a handfull like promo popcorn cuz they're cheap Chinese shit, and most ppl have settled for this absurd scenario. Why!?

I'd gladly pay $5-10 for a single bit that would last longer than a hundred screws before it's useless garbage and I gotta reach for new one like it was consumable sandpaper. Why do ppl pay hundreds for quality power tools then settle for 88 cent table bits!? It's insane!

nb

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Lowes in Canada sell a great 55 pc TiN set from Bosch. Now Bosch own Vermont American so I imagine they are made by VA.

[WW]

on American brands. ww

[clare]

try "RacKies" from "Rack A Tiers" brand.

[krw]

I hope they make improvements. I wouldn't touch a VA product with a 10' pole. Pure junk. VA is sold here in the freight liquidation store, which is one step below HF.

[The Daring Dufas]

Most electrical panels and circuit breakers are using screws that will fit Robertson, Phillips and flat blade screw drivers. The combo screws make it easy to work on the stuff.

TDD

[krw]

...and that makes it too easy to strip the panel. DAMHIKT. :-(

[The Daring Dufas]

I have all the bits in one screwdriver that I carry in my pocket. I have a Megalok multi bit screwdriver made by Megapro. I bought from WW Grainger who for some reason quit stocking the Megalok even though they still sell the other Megapro screwdrivers. The drivers are made in USA and the best of the type I've ever owned. I carry all sorts of tools in my pockets, enough that I'm often called: Inspector Gadget. ^_^

TDD

[Steve B]

I have found that the shape has a lot to do with it. Upon close examination of bits, they range from very pointy, to mushroom looking, with the tip ground off, to other varieties. It all depends on the exact screw to be used. A good match between screw and head is a combination that is plain common sense.

I have used, and have found, slightly mushroom shaped head tips that have the pointy tip missing. This seems to allow for the bit to turn the screw without it having to be lined exactly up. I have also noticed, and used, tips that had small notches across the edges. These seemed to be made of a type of metal that lasted longer than the others. They seemed to grip better, too.

Anyone know any brand names of these?

Steve

[ChairMan]

In news: [e-mail], notbob spewed forth:

I;ve had good luck with Bosch bits

[Jim Yanik]

" [e-mail]" wrote in news: [e-mail]:

Do you REALLY believe Phillips was "designed" to camout? what gave you that idea?

[N8N]

[e-mail]:

I don't know whether it's really true or not, but that seems to be the accepted story.

From

Phillips Phillips drive tool and fastener sizes[3] Tool size Fastener size

0 0=961 1 2=964 2 5=969 3 10=9616 4 18=9624 Created by Henry F. Phillips, the Phillips screw drive was purposely designed to cam out when the screw stalled, to prevent the fastener damaging the work or the head, instead damaging the driver. This was caused by the relative difficulty in building torque limiting into the early drivers.

The American Screw Company was responsible for devising a means of manufacturing the screw, and successfully patented and licensed their method; other screw makers of the 1930s dismissed the Phillips concept because it calls for a relatively complex recessed socket shape in the head of the screw =97 as distinct from the simple milled slot of a slotted type screw.

There are five relatively common (and two rather uncommon) Phillips drive sizes that are different from the screw size; they are designated 000, 00, 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 (increasing in size).[3][5]