The most used (and misused) tool in the box.
This post could easily have been called an ode to the cross head screwdriver. I have deliberately called it cross head and not Phillips, even though most cross head screws are called Phillips, just as most vacuum cleaners are called Hoovers.
There are two distinct types of cross head screw, the Phillips and Pozidrive, at a glance they might look the same but they´re quite different (see the photos below). I will admit that some of the time you can get away with interchanging the two and there are no problems, but it will be that one time when you´re in a hurry, last thing in the afternoon when a ruined screwhead turns a 2 minute job into an ordeal.
The most common sizes range from number 1 to number 3, the most used by a huge margin is the number 2, known as PH2 (Phillips) and PZ2 (Pozidrive). Its worth mentioning, I can´t remember seeing many if any stainless steel PZ2 screws used on boats.
Spot the difference
Let´s keep this nautical, imagine the compass rose with the 4 cardinal points, N, E, S, W, well this is a Phillips screw or screwdriver, if in addition to these points you can also see 4 more finer points that would at NE, SE, SW and NW then it´s a Pozidrive. In the photos below you can see PH2 on the left and PZ2 on the right.
Why you should know this?
Well, going on the number of ruined screwheads I see, coupled with the number of cheap and rusty tools I find on boats, I think its quite important to know. This one tool gets used more than any other, you cannot imagine the number of notes, messages and emails that come into a service department with something along the lines of “this or that just needs tightening up”.
Camming out, “it slipped & stripped”
When a screwdriver slips off of a screwhead, its called camming out, this ranges from mildly annoying to completely ruining the screwhead and possibly damaging something, another reason why its important to get the right crosshead screwdriver.
This video shows up close the difference of PH2 & PZ2 driver bits and the consequences of using the wrong one
As this tool is the most used its worth spending a bit of coin on getting a decent screwdriver, for me two brands stand out, Wera from Germany and Bellota from Spain, why are they better? Better quality materials, better construction and crucially, a better formed point to grip the screwhead.
Something often overlooked, the shape of the handle, if you have repetitive strain injuries, damaged carpal tunnels or anything affecting your joints, the handles from these two brands are very comfortable and seem to minimize the amount of strain put on the wrists.
I hope you have enjoyed reading this post. Please feel free to follow me on social media.
Comments
Post a Comment