which is better? which is less stripping? which gets more torq.?
- posted
3 years ago
lox vs. star head screw
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- posted
3 years ago
IMNSHO, Philips are the best looking, and the best in a cabinet shop. The reason I say best in a cabinet shop is because everyone has an array of Philips head screwdrivers handy, all multi-knives have a Philips head screw driver, and when a screw needs tightened or removed in the real world, about everyone has a Philips screw driver handy, about no one has a lox, Robertson or even torx driver handy. In addition, a quality Philips screwdriver like that in my Swiss Army knife, will fit an amazing variety of size screws, from large to tiny.
Having said all that, my favorite screw is a torx. They look almost as good as a Philips, but don't slip, and with quality screws and bits will stick in the driver to an extent, which I like. Main, or only downsides are you need the exact correct size driver that no one has handily available out side the shop to tighten or remove at a later date.
For me then, Lox never use, Torx, love but prefer Philips on cabinet work and places where occasional OUT OF SHOP tightening or removal might be needed. Torx I prefer mainly outside in building decks, sheds etc,anywhere the qualities mentioned of Philips is not important.
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- posted
3 years ago
I vote for the star. Incidental incident: I bought a small covered trailer That needed some new weather-stripping. The screws looked like a star drive but had 8 points. I called the company that made it and they said they could sell me a driver to fit, that a regular square drive driver would fit fine. And it did.
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- posted
3 years ago
With a good bit probably neither.
BUT which do you see more often in stores? I have personally never seen a LOX.
Plain square drive was superior to Phillips years ago but the quality of a lot of square drive have gone down hill. I have a stock of thousands of square drive. If I were to change styles it would be the Torx. It has been around for a very long time and is easily found in stores.
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- posted
3 years ago
Alas, it fits them poorly. I've got Pozidrive, and a variety of Philips (sizes all different shaped) and even Reed and Prince (Frearson) drivers (but no JIS set). The Philips are best supported by suppliers, but the best crosspoint for fine woodwork is... Frearson. Try a bronze screw and Frearson tip screwdriver some day; it has a firm fit and feels like one solid handle-to-tip item when you drive the screw in.
I say bronze screw, because Frearson is used by boatbuilders for the fancy brightwork.
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- posted
3 years ago
When "we" discovered GRX screws in the mid-90s, Circle Saw in Houston was the only place that we knew of who stocked them. Fell in love with them, often used them in places where we couldn't get a framing nailer. I couldn't count how many I've used in the last 14 or
15 years but I doubt I've ever busted the head off one but a couple of times. Like Leon says, nowadays you can find them everywhere, and in a variety of sizes and lengths.Dave in So Tex
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- posted
3 years ago
FWIW GM started using the Torx screws/bolts in the mid 70's. I'm sure they were around before that. LOL. It finally got to the WW industry. Too, Ford was looking for a better screw than the straight head design waaaaaay back when. Philips won out over Robertson.
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- posted
3 years ago
About 15 years ago I had to replace the power window regulator in my wife's Jeep Grand Cherokee. I first researched the issue on YouTube. To remove the door panel, a bunch of standard Phillips screws. The Arm rest had two screws, one visible Phillips, and one Torx 25 buried 2 1/2" in a small hole in the arm rest. Anyone would have figured that screw would be a Phillips, like all the rest. Fortunately, the guy on Youtube warned that screw was not a Phillips but a torx 25. I swear they did it so only the dealer would know, and guys like me would be fumbling around.
Anyway, Jeep wanted $400 to replace the actuator. I got it on Amazon for <$100 and it took about 30 minutes the first time, 15 minutes when the other side broke. BTW, both times it was a 15 cent plastic part that broke, but you had to buy the whole goddammed actuator, motor and all.
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- posted
3 years ago
Honda Odyssey power sliding doors. Notorious for snapping the cable. Basic aircraft type cables with a couple of crimped on connectors. One cable to pull the door open, one to pull it closed.
The ends of the cables at the motor are attached in such a manner that they can not be removed. The entire motor assembly has to be replaced. $350 for the part, dealers want >$800 for the job. (You have to take half the interior apart to get to the motor and jack the door up to keep it from falling off the vehicle.)
It took me most of a Saturday to do it, but I saved the $500. Replaced a very worn roller while I was in there. That's a $50 part and almost $200 in dealer labor if done separately.