If you had a choice, barring budget and other realities, what head would you use?
Preferred screwhead type?
- Thread starterderekleffew
- Start date
Robertson all the way. Of course I assume we are talking scenic and construction jobs here.
The biggest downside with Robertson is that if you use the wrong size driver and strip it out, it's harder than a stripped phillips to remove. With the right driver, it is near impossible to strip, plus, the square head holds a screw, so you can pop on a screw and reach in a tight space and not have it fall off.
Both Robertson and Torx and great improvements on slotted and Phillips. However, where Phillips and slotted gain the advantage is that, for the rest of the world, you can fudge your way by with one or two slotted and phillips head drivers your whole life and turn almost anything you come across. With Robertson, Torx, Hex and all the rest, you need to proper sized driver if you want a shot at turning that screw. Maybe fine for tool junkies like me but not everyone seems to want a box full of drivers when one or two in the junk drawer has been fine.
The biggest downside with Robertson is that if you use the wrong size driver and strip it out, it's harder than a stripped phillips to remove. With the right driver, it is near impossible to strip, plus, the square head holds a screw, so you can pop on a screw and reach in a tight space and not have it fall off.
Both Robertson and Torx and great improvements on slotted and Phillips. However, where Phillips and slotted gain the advantage is that, for the rest of the world, you can fudge your way by with one or two slotted and phillips head drivers your whole life and turn almost anything you come across. With Robertson, Torx, Hex and all the rest, you need to proper sized driver if you want a shot at turning that screw. Maybe fine for tool junkies like me but not everyone seems to want a box full of drivers when one or two in the junk drawer has been fine.
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soundlight
Well-Known Member
I wish more people would use square/robertson. I put square drive screws in to equipment racks as often as possible, and find that they strip out the least.
thatactorguy
Active Member
Like avkid, I'm also used to Phillips and generally stick with them, but I love the Robertsons. In a pinch, a Phillips bit can be used to pull them out (slowly! lol), and both the Phillips and Robertsons are still easier to remove if a little paint gets in them; not so with the torx, in my experience...
Gotta say Robertson. Not just because is one of the slickest Canadian inventions ever (is my Canuk side showing?), but because it holds a screw like anything. Good design doesn't need additional 'magnetic drive guides.'
I will now go eat some back bacon with my beaver . . .
I will now go eat some back bacon with my beaver . . .
thatactorguy
Active Member
Coolness. Just the ribbed Phillips bits themselves make a huge difference not only in driving/removal, but holding as well...
Anyone know (or want to hazard a guess) why slotted is still made? Very old design, but it can't be for sentimental reasons
That is very interesting.
Be careful with those Phillips 2 screws. You have to have the correct bit. I had a box of 3" Philips 2's get mixed in with the regular's and my students stripped nearly every screw because the normal Philips head driver just couldn't deal with them.
Personally I would much rather just keep my shop simple. If everything would fit a #2 Phillips driver I would be a happy camper.
I took over a highschool program that was all Robertson and converted to Philips because the screws were so much more expensive and the students had a harder time learning how to drive them correctly. You would be surprised how easy it is to strip out a Robertson if you are 14 and have never used a screw gun before. I've had far more success teaching students to use phillips heads. Plus if they screw up the screws and the driver bits are a lot cheaper to replace.
Personally I would much rather just keep my shop simple. If everything would fit a #2 Phillips driver I would be a happy camper.
I took over a highschool program that was all Robertson and converted to Philips because the screws were so much more expensive and the students had a harder time learning how to drive them correctly. You would be surprised how easy it is to strip out a Robertson if you are 14 and have never used a screw gun before. I've had far more success teaching students to use phillips heads. Plus if they screw up the screws and the driver bits are a lot cheaper to replace.
Those Phillips II remind me of the Pozidrive. The biggest problem with Phillips is that by their nature they were DESIGNED to cam-out due to their initial use on automated machinery before finely tuned torq drivers were developed. From what I understand Pozidrive has greatly replaced Phillips in Europe. By anything from IKEA and there are almost assuredly going to be Pozidrive fasteners holding it together.
Also for the history lesson, the Robertson drive is older than the Phillips by nearly 30 years. However, Mr. Robertson was much more protective of his patent than Mr. Phillips. When approached by Henry Ford, who was looking for a screw to speed up the assembly process, Mr. Robertson refused to license his screw to Henry, having been screwed over (lol pun) on a previous licensing agreement. Mr. Phillips on the other hand didn't press his patent, and thus with widespread use, followed by several imitations on the marked, lost the patent it in the 40's, whereas Robertson remained patented till the 60's. Of course, by that point, Phillips had come to dominate. I think in the future, as has already begun to happen in the past few years, we will see Robertson becoming a lot more common here in America.
Also, when buying your Phillips bits (or any really) please don't cheap out and go for the cheapest bits on the shelf. The cheap bits strip faster, which lead to more stripped screws, OR if you are diligent about swapping out stripped bits, a usage of more bits. In the long term you are loosing money by buying cheap bits. Myself, and of course showing my DeWalt bias here, like their contractor sized bit packs. To each their own I guess.
Also for the history lesson, the Robertson drive is older than the Phillips by nearly 30 years. However, Mr. Robertson was much more protective of his patent than Mr. Phillips. When approached by Henry Ford, who was looking for a screw to speed up the assembly process, Mr. Robertson refused to license his screw to Henry, having been screwed over (lol pun) on a previous licensing agreement. Mr. Phillips on the other hand didn't press his patent, and thus with widespread use, followed by several imitations on the marked, lost the patent it in the 40's, whereas Robertson remained patented till the 60's. Of course, by that point, Phillips had come to dominate. I think in the future, as has already begun to happen in the past few years, we will see Robertson becoming a lot more common here in America.
Also, when buying your Phillips bits (or any really) please don't cheap out and go for the cheapest bits on the shelf. The cheap bits strip faster, which lead to more stripped screws, OR if you are diligent about swapping out stripped bits, a usage of more bits. In the long term you are loosing money by buying cheap bits. Myself, and of course showing my DeWalt bias here, like their contractor sized bit packs. To each their own I guess.
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Erwin
Member
The fact that there are answers other than Roberston in the poll shows that the majority of the user base here at CB is American.
I can't for the life of me figure out why flat/slot screw heads are even being made still!?
Phillips is ok, but still, I can't think of a single advantage over roberston.
Roberston all the way!
I can't for the life of me figure out why flat/slot screw heads are even being made still!?
Phillips is ok, but still, I can't think of a single advantage over roberston.
Roberston all the way!
Why use Phillips:
-I have to go to a specialty fastener store to find a full selection of Robertson screws. (Home Depot and Lowes carry some but not all sizes and not in a large quantity to make them reasonably priced).
-Robertsons will cost me 2-3 times the price of Phillips head screws when I finally do find the ones I want.
-A Robertson bit costs about $3 each. I can get 25 Phillips bits for $10.
In the end it's just a screw. (Sorry, couldn't resist that.) Once it's in place, it holds the same be it Robertson, Slot, or Phillips. The advantages of the Robertson head for driving the screw simply do not justify the extra expense and time of acquiring them for many of us.
Are Robertson's easily available and priced the same as Phillips up there in Canuck Land? If that was the case I'm sure many of us down here in 'Merica would switch.
Dionysus
Well-Known Member
Defiantly have to go with Robinson... They are a million times better, especially when using a cordless screw gun.
And yes Robinson screws and drivers are much cheaper in Canada than in the states. Good thing I live in Canada... Really in Canada the only stuff that has slotted or Phillips screws comes from out of the country, mostly from the US.
I ALWAYS have at least my Robinson Green and Red drivers handy, at any time. And have Yellow and Black in my truck and toolboxes at all times as well.
The heads practically only strip if you are stupid with them, and if they do strip you can usually still manage to work them out and replace them.
I swear by Robinson, especially when working 'live'. Nothing sucks more than dropping a Phillips screw onto a live electrical contact... BOOM.
And yes Robinson screws and drivers are much cheaper in Canada than in the states. Good thing I live in Canada... Really in Canada the only stuff that has slotted or Phillips screws comes from out of the country, mostly from the US.
I ALWAYS have at least my Robinson Green and Red drivers handy, at any time. And have Yellow and Black in my truck and toolboxes at all times as well.
The heads practically only strip if you are stupid with them, and if they do strip you can usually still manage to work them out and replace them.
I swear by Robinson, especially when working 'live'. Nothing sucks more than dropping a Phillips screw onto a live electrical contact... BOOM.
thatactorguy
Active Member
Erwin
Member
Oh yes! It didn't even occur to me that they would be more expensive south of the border. Bits here are 0.25 each and screws are available in 5K and 10K boxes at any building centre (er Center
)If any of you Americans want some quality screws (insert joke here) I'd be glad to ship some to you!
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