Oh my, Im looking forward to getting some of those. Never thought I would be so excited about not stripping out screws. I bet their next approved tool kit is going to come with a drill bit
I ordered some Torx TR bits to upgrade my Mac Mini, and now I've been noticing those screws everywhere too. I'm tempted to just start carrying a screwdriver around...
IKEA sells (or used to at least) a battery powered screwdriver/drill with all of the common bits for ikea furniture, including the hex ones. It’s pretty good quality for the price, even has an adjustable clutch for not stripping screws.
What great timing, I was just looking up screw drivers this morning! I now know what to curse camout when I try and remove a over tightened screw. Looking for a good tool though makes me realize why my dad would get so angry when one was misplaced they aren't cheap. http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?item_ID=645237&group... I'll probably end up getting a ratcheting driver and the interchangeable bits.
For most tech related tasks they could get rid of the flat-head bits and replace those with the Torxs. If they really wanted to keep the Robertson bits.
Three things specifically (though one is a two-parter)
1. Nanch micro screwdriver / bit kit. I had one previous and I rather liked it but I gifted it to my brother who was just starting out with DIY maker stuff, so I replaced my old magnetic kit with one that has the bits lock into place with a collar. I love the quality on it and I'm glad I'll probably never need to buy another one again.
2. Lutron Caseta switches for my house. I haven't replaced the lot, but I've replaced the most commonly used ones and it's so nice being able to stagger to bed after a movie and just tell siri to turn all the lights off in the house.
3. The last is a two parter; dewalt makes a little cordless screwdriver (not really a drill). That has a ton of utility, but what I like best is that I can combine it with a cordless drill "cleaning attachment" kit that you can get off amazon (or probably other places). Put the two together and you can save so much time and effort scouring things - you still have to manually do some nooks and crannies, but you can get the vast bulk of it out of the way and let technology work for you. A regular drill would work, but it goes too fast and flings shit everywhere, while the screwdriver has a much lower RPM. This combo is just my favorite.
BTW, one of the most useful tools I've found for working on arbitrary modern electronics (after a basic set of ordinary screwdrivers and jewelers' drivers, a needlenose pliers, and some kind of spudger) is a $10-$20 set of as many different security screw bits as you can get. IME, it pays for itself the first time you need one of the bits, and I wish I'd bought a bigger set the first time.
A bit like saying if you know you won’t have a hammer, you’ll instead bring a drill, a screwdriver, and screws. But sometimes it’s nice to be able to nail things together.
some screw types are fun. I like allen which is pretty positive engagement, and can even take ball-headed drivers. Torx is pretty positive too. I don't like slotted that much (driver doesn't self-center and tends to slide out the side). In the middle is phillips (and/or pozidrive / jis). Easy to center and use, but frequently strips out if the driver is at an angle or too little downforce is applied.
It's also fun to find the perfect tool for the job. I'm surprised nobody makes a "mechanics tool set" that is completely based on 1/4" hex driver bits with positive engagement. Organized to do all kinds of screws, plus sockets to do nuts and bolts.
Yeah I don’t remember the last time I used a screw driver. Electric screw driver for tiny stuff (one of my fav tools of the last decade+) and a small impact driver for bigger screws.
They are now de rigeur in construction applications in the US - use a motor on a Phillips head, and no matter how careful you are, you'll strip your bit sooner or later. Square bits are way more durable, and don't destroy the screws as easily.
> Also, I don't understand why hex bits for drills are not a thing
Huh? In my experience everything that describes itself as electric screwdriver comes with hex bits in its bit set. IKEA's own drill (Fixa [1]) has a somewhat limited bit set, but also includes two (presumably the two you need to assemble IKEA products).
I'd understand if drills without torque limiter would leave them out, after all the bits are already pretty close to round. But then again, why would those come with bits at all?
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