Death to the philips head screw

[Red Squirrel]

I often have trouble drilling with even squares, Either I suck, or my bits suck. I need to try a different bit set some time and see if it goes better. I find whenever I need to drill something into wood I end up stripping the screw or have the bit "roll" inside the screw head.

If I need a very good job without stripping I usually predrill pilot holes, but I find that's very tedious especially if it's to put two piece of wood together as I then have to make sure I don't move it before I put in the screw or the holes will not align anymore. I also can't imagine making pilot holes for large projects like cabinets or a deck, etc.

 

[iGas]

The nice thing about phillips head screwdrivers is that one screwdriver fits multiple sized screws.

Wrong!

If that is the case then why do they make Philips #000, #00, #0, #1, #2, #3, and #4?

Most American design machines come with Philips or Hex screws, and it bother the hell out of me if it is Philips. Myself, and most guys that I work with would throw the damned Philips screws out and replace it with a compatible Hex or Robertson Screws.

 

[SandEagle]

Because everything needs high torque screws.


Screw YOU!

you hit the nail right on the head. what a tool.

 

[iGas]

I often have trouble drilling with even squares, Either I suck, or my bits suck. I need to try a different bit set some time and see if it goes better. I find whenever I need to drill something into wood I end up stripping the screw or have the bit "roll" inside the screw head.

If I need a very good job without stripping I usually predrill pilot holes, but I find that's very tedious especially if it's to put two piece of wood together as I then have to make sure I don't move it before I put in the screw or the holes will not align anymore. I also can't imagine making pilot holes for large projects like cabinets or a deck, etc.

The trouble is that you are too cheap to buy good carbide tip bits, that fit snug in the Robertson slot. While the cheap bits torque out of place, worn the tip, or twist off.

 

[iGas]

Screw that. Too much torgue and it strips the head.

Again you are using cheap bits.

Light pressure would slip the bit out of the socket once the screw is set. Longer/larger screws would twist/break off if you put too much torque on the screw with out predrill hole or lubricant.....before the tip strip.

 

[Gothgar]

Hex is better than any of this shit...

 

[StageLeft]

I personally can't stand flathead screws. I think it's because the vast majority of flathead screws have the notch going all the way through the head, and this is what allows the screw driver to slip out the sides and gouge something expensive, or something that bleeds.

Flathead are by far the worst, truly a terrible screw design.

No, Feralkid, you are wrong in this case. The Phillips head took lots of time to develop simply for that reason. It is designed to slip out at the proper amount of torque. If you want something with a higher torque, you are using the wrong screw. It isn't that the screw is bad, it is that you are using a good screw for the wrong purpose.

OK but they epicaly suck for that purpose as we all know that the harder one presses the more they can turn it before it slips out, so how hard are we supposed to press in? How can the screw even know whether it's in a soft pine or a hard oak wood?

Its easy. You just have to drill a pilot hole first.

I was thinking that. I have some 3.5" deck screws philips-type. I've built several beefy shelves and gone through many dozens of them. If a pilot hole is done first they can be screwed in fine. I've never stripped one.

I put in 4000 2.5" screws into my sub floor before the contractors came in to do the hardwood. I could not imagine doing 4000 pilots on top of the 4000 screws.

But it's fun!

 

[yh125d]

I wanna change my answer. The best are socket based screws with a magnetic socket (think metal roofing screws/screwgun)


I put up a 120x65 building with just me and one other guy screwing (pervs), and with anything else it would have been a huge pain

 

[IronWing]

Hammer and Screws, and if necessary, vice-grips>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>ALL

Fixed

 

[3chordcharlie]

Its easy. You just have to drill a pilot hole first.

*taps meter*

And yes, philips is fine for drywall, but the next time I have a drywall screw seat itself properly and then 'torque out' before breaking the paper, without using a drywall bit, I'll take a picture and start a thread about it.

Promise.

 

[Colt45]

philips is at least superior to plain old slotted, which a lot of american shit used way, way, way, past expiry date.


hex sockets pwn all. and if you need more torque, triple square is there for you.

 

[nonameo]

america just can't get anything right.

 

[Zebo]

You fail Philips acts like no other screw.

Auto adjust torque for dummies who strip out screws or break off and sheer screws

e.g. a manufacturer would use a #1 for light torque requirements #2 heavier and so on - once it 'slips' you're done tightening.

Try that with Allen or torx.

Not to mention you can get by with just one screwdriver for 99% of uses a #2... instead of owning a complete torx set.

 

[QueBert]

fuck torx I had a stupid car amp that used a weird size, none of my entire torx set fit in it properly. With a Phillips I can generally get by with either a big one or small one depending on the size of the screw simply by pressing really hard. In fact I only own 2 phillip bits for my driver. It might strip out the screw somewhat, but at least I'm able to screw or unscrew a screw I need to get to. With a Torx or Hex forget about it, if I don't have the exact one I'm SOL. I was working on somebodies iMac last month and was overjoyed to see it uses torx screws, really Apple? I had to go to the hardware store and buy a torx set, and I had to buy a SET because the fucking thing uses 2 difference size torx screws. Mind you the screws were basically the same length. Genius! If this was a PC I could have made my single Phillips get every screw out with little, if any hassle. As a PC technician I've never needed anything except my trusty Phillips for the 15 years I've been doing this. FUCK YOU APPLE for being different.


Phillips > all others, it's not even close.

 

[Zebo]

I sheared off a bolt inside on a $3300 rifle due to torx - Had to send it to manufacturer to get it out cost $200 and lost shooting it for two months and missed a competition. fuck those. Granted it was my fault for not using a torque wrench but that would not have happened with philips screw head- first slip, your done.

 

[dullard]

OK but they epicaly suck for that purpose as we all know that the harder one presses the more they can turn it before it slips out, so how hard are we supposed to press in? How can the screw even know whether it's in a soft pine or a hard oak wood?

1) If you are pressing hard, you are using the wrong screw.
2) The screw doesn't know, the person choosing the screw should know.