Why do we still make "Flathead" screws ??

[tyler811]

Round FTW /thread

 

[walrus]

Phillips screws were developed so that unskilled wokers wouldn't overtorque screws.

 

[Pepsi90919]

Originally posted by: 13Gigatons
I hate philips and wish square drive screws or high torque screws had become standard.

come to canada

 

[imported_Imp]

Originally posted by: 91TTZ

Originally posted by: Imp
I hate phillips, they strip too easily and you really have to push hard on them. Only good way I have of screwing those in is putting it flat and putting a lot of my weight onto them. The pisser is that 90% and more of the screws I encounter are phillips. Bah, who am I kidding, I haven't seen a single non-phillips in years (mainly furniture/computer stuff). On that note, I like Robertson a bit more, but way too hard to 'find' the head if you aren't looking directly at the screw. I like those hex screws, but never see them used. Death to phillips screws...

The reason you are having trouble with them is because half of the screws that you think are phillips aren't really phillips. You're using the wrong type of bit for that screw.

Replace the Robertson with 'flathead'.

So how many variations of 'phillips' are there exactly?

Psh. Should clarify, not all of them take that much force. Most go right in, but the driver still slips before you can no longer turn it anymore. The 'jam the driver in' you should ignore, only necessary for pre-stripped screws (courtesy of me).

 

[Kaido]

I wish there was just one standard screw head for everything. When you reached age 10, the government issued you a toolkit to deal with every machine on the planet.

sigh

 

[50cent1228]

flats are easier

 

[BillyBatson]

like someone said before, flathead seems to have better torque, philips slips out if not enough pressure is applied.
i wish everythign would use those star screw drivers. They have the best of both worlds, the tip is flat so it sits nicely without popping out, and has many ridges that help to hold hte driver on place and provies good torgue

 

[91TTZ]

Originally posted by: Imp

So how many variations of 'phillips' are there exactly?

Psh. Should clarify, not all of them take that much force. Most go right in, but the driver still slips before you can no longer turn it anymore. The 'jam the driver in' you should ignore, only necessary for pre-stripped screws (courtesy of me).

A lot of the "phillips" screws that you see on electronics are actually JIS (Japan Industrial Standard).

Also, phillips screws strip like that by design. It's for use on aircraft to prevent overtightening.

 

[spidey07]

I think there are about 8 different sizes of phillips.

1,2,3, 0, 00, 000 and maybe some more.

 

[RossGr]

Originally posted by: herbiehancock

Originally posted by: gsethi
Discuss.

I would, but I think using the proper terminology would really help.

When you refer to "flathead" screws, are you really meaning to say slotted screws? The two are completely different as there are flathead screws that are screwed in by philips screwdrivers and flathead screws that are screwed in by slot-type, or flat BLADE, screwdrivers.

Here are some definitions of types of screws:

Head Shape

* Pan Head: Standard screw head profile with average diameter and average height.
* Button Head: Similar to a pan head but with a curved top.
* Round Head: More pronounced head than a button head.
* Flat Head: Flat top with a tapered underside that is intended to be driven into a countersunk hole.
* Oval Head: Tapered underside like a flat-head, but with an oval top.
* Truss Head: These are large-diameter heads with a low profile.
* Fillister Head: Thick profile with a slightly rounded top.


Driving Methods

* Slotted: Slotted screw heads are perhaps the oldest and most common variety; a linear slot in the head accepts a standard (flat) screwdriver.
* Phillips: The phillips head is an improvement to the slotted screw; cross-shaped grooves accept a phillips-head screwdriver. These heads provide a larger mating surface between the screw and the screwdriver which minimizes wear and helps prevent slipping.
* Hex: These heads do not have any grooves or slots at all; the entire head is hexagonally shaped and they are tightened with a wrench. Since the size of the heads varies, a wrench set or an adjustable wrench is required for driving hex screws.
* Square: (also know as Robertson drive). These heads have a square indentation to minimize slipping; they also require a special driver for tightening and loosening.
* One Way: One-way heads are a variation on the slotted screw. They can be tightened with a standard screwdriver, but are tamper-resistant because they require special tools for removal.
* Torx: Torx heads have 6-pointed recessions to provide even more surface area for driving. They require the less-common torx screwdrivers and therefore can be considered tamper-resistant.


I only bring this up because if you walk into a hardware store and ask for a flathead screw, you are going to get this:

A flathead screw.

It'll be used to do this......countersink.


It'll most likely be a wood screw and be used to countersink into the wood.

It will most likely have a slotted-drive top, but there is no such thing as a flathead screwdriver.....it's a slotted screwdriver.

Just trying to save you some embarrassment from your ignorance of the subject you feel so deeply about.

I quoted this just so everyone has a second chance to read it.

Comparing a Flathead screw to a Phillips drive is like comparing Fords to Diesel engines. In other words there is no possible comparison. Phillips Drive Flathead screws are very common can be bought in any hardware store.

It is my understanding that the Phillips Drive was designed when automated screw driving tools developed. They needed something that would "cam out" of the screw. So Phillips drive was DESINGED to slip.
edit:
A bit of Phillips history

 

[potato28]

Torx, Square, or Hex FTW!

 

[chr6]

go robertson square!

 

[OVerLoRDI]

I absolutely hate phillips heads. They are fine for bigger things like, what we use in our computers but anything smaller than that... they are absolutely horrible to deal with. I would prefer Flathead over phillips any day.

In reality we should all use Robertsons or Torx. Basically the issue is that with philips you have to apply a significant down force while turning it otherwise it will slip out.

Edit: Interestingly enough from wikipedia it says that phillips heads were designed to slip out to avoid over tightening. So basically they were designed for use with power tools. IMO they should be kept for the use with power tools and not used on small things like laptops and such where they are so shallow that you can barely turn them without slipping out.

 

[Staples]

They are more idiot proof. You can't strip them like a philips just by not having a screwdriver that fits. Other then that and being easier to clean paint out of them, I like philips a lot more.