what makes a good screwdriver...

For the first topic, I think I should collect some ideas on the difference between a good and a bad screwdriver.  Both are easy to get, and there is room in the world for all the screwdrivers- but I will try to define what I look for before a purchase.

1.  What is the purpose of the tool (aside from turning screws)

2.  Where will the tool be used (aside from "my hand")

3.  How often will you use the tool

4.  What does your budget look like

Number One:  This is the big one- what do you plan to do with the screwdriver once you have it in your eager little hands?  Are you looking to buy a screwdriver for general-purpose home repair?  Gunsmithing?  Automotive work?  Fiddling inside your computer (or climbing up a high-tension power line)?  Does your income depend on this tool?  Has your bunk-mate been giving you problems and you need to make a quick shank?  Need one to pry open old paint cans, or maybe just like to use them as handy pointers?

If you are looking to get a set of general-purpose, around the house tools, that you plan on using a few times a week or month, but still want a quality tool that will hopefully outlast you- you are in luck, there are lots of options for you.  Thoughts on tools in this category are where most of my energy gets directed. 

If you make money with tools, and have done so for any amount of time, you will already have some pretty good screwdrivers.  I own plenty of cheap, Harbor-Freight, Chinese made drivers- and they serve their role.  But at work, I have the best tools I can find.  And I have been searching for a looong time.  This blog is an attempt to cover the pros and cons of the many different screwdrivers out there so you don't need to spend 25 years buying up everything in sight just to figure out the ONE you like best.

Specialty drivers:  If you are a watchmaker/jeweler/gunsmithy/ electronics hobbiest/DIY person who is looking for information on the wee-tiny stuff I hope to be able to help out with some information, too.  I buy micro-screwdrivers like potato chips.  I have lots and lots of opinions on these babies, too.

Qualities that make a good driver:

I will start with the plain, wrist-powered driver with a fixed blade.  No ratcheting, power, adjustable stuff just yet, but I can assure you my love for the ratcheting drivers is boundless.

1.  Comfortable handle:  This one gets more important the more you use a screwdriver.  If using at work, and you need to loose/tighten hundreds of bolts a day, then handle shape and material become your paramount concern.  If you plan on tightening up a few doorknobs and cabinet hinges a month then the handle comfort is not all that critical.  A good handle will allow you to apply lots of turning power (torque) to a fastener without tearing your hand apart or requiring a death grip and loss of finger circulation.

2.  Handle material:  Again, intended use comes in to play and the composition of the handle has a lot to do with it's comfort, but the stuff that makes up a handle affects other things, too.  If you plan on doing any work on a car or industrial equipment then the driver will get dirty and greasy and sweaty and nasty.  So you need a handle that wipes clean easily, will not get slippery when wet and oily, and will not break down and disintegrate when covered in gasoline, transmission fluid, windex, whatever.  Soft grips are comfortable, but some are hard to clean (some are not) and some are just plain delicate.  If you plan on using a hammer on the big end of the driver (shame on you!), and everyone does eventually, make sure the handle can bear it.  A lot of drivers have things like tip shape/size printed on the end- I find these are the first things to disappear after a hammer blow or a good cleaning. 

3.  Tip shape:  This one seems obvious:  use a screwdriver that matches the screw you intend to turn.  Every company has their own philosophy on what makes the best tips.  Some flat ground drivers have parallel tip faces, some are tapered; some phillips tips have ridges to help keep the tip in the slot, some drivers have a coarse finish (vapor deposited, usually) on the tip to help with grippiness.  IKEA stuff uses Pozidrive screws.  ONLY Pozidrive screws- you will be amazed how much easier it is to assemble their furniture with the correct screwdriver.

4.  Blade material/length:  Sometimes you need a long handle to reach into tight spaces, sometimes a shorter one to work inside confined areas (tightening a drawer knob from inside the drawer, say).  The material, usually some form of steel, is the big factor determining strength.  Every company uses their own magic mix- money generally buys you better steel.  If you are working around big magnets (BIG magnets!) you probably don't want a steel tool in your hand. It will hurt, trust me on that one.  You can get screwdrivers in brass and titanium and other metals, too.  This is where things start to get REALLY pricy.  

5.  Misc:  Weight- if you need to travel with your tools, jumping on and off airplanes and carrying them through airports all day long then this becomes an important factor.  Blade diameter- the smaller the blade, the faster you can spin it in your fingers, any time you have a lot of screws, or longer screws to insert/remove this becomes very important (especially with machine screws).  Things like knurling on the blade help with this spinning too.  Torque helpers, like hex shaped shanks (or sections) that allow you to use a wrench on the driver, holes in the handle for cheater bars, and other ingenious designs, allow one to really, really crank down on a bolt.  Lots of high-end drivers have these, I have very rarely found a real world use for them- if you need to apply that much torque the screw will usually break, or you are not using the tool for it's intended purpose.

That's it for now.  I will get into tip shapes next- maybe brands as well- and let you know what works for me.