I'd like to get a set of tiny torx screwdriver bits...T9 and smaller for disassembling tiny electronic gizmos.
I'm looking for a value-priced set. I already have 10 lifetimes supply of larger bits, so the large sets aren't attractive.
The flutes on tiny torx bits aren't very big. My experience with the bright silver colored bits get rounded off almost immediately. The darker colored bits seem to last longer.
The internet is full of sets with almost zero actual data upon which to base a decision.
Google suggests that terms like S2 and CR-V don't mean much. Seems that the tempering has more to do with durability than the material.
So, any recommendations for a small set of tiny torx bits that actually hold up under use?
wiss+torx&psc=1 Is one option. Made in Switzerland
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M ade in USA
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A lso Made in USA
Put another way - if we want to keep having access to quality tools, we nee d to purchase quality tools so that the manufacturers of quality tools rema in in business. Sure, the Swiss example is a bit extreme, but were I workin g on critical equipment where lives were at stake, that is likely the direc tion I would take.
For everyday or occasional use, I would go with the other options (of many) of US-origin. Why? I want my neighbor to keep his/her job. If I run to Chi na for this sort of stuff, my neighbor is without a job. Pretty much covers it.
Sadly and all to often, there are no other options but Pacific-Rim sourced items. But, far worse than that, is when there are such options, usually qu ite reasonably priced, and they are ignored. For the record, very nearly an y tool available from China via Harbor Freight is available from the USA vi a any number of sources. Your neighbor will thank you.
Who is Husky and where did they come from? In the beginning, they were the OEM for Sears Craftsman Tools. Then Sears found someone that would do a cheaper job. Husky partnered with Home Depot. If you want quality Craftsman tools, you can buy them at Home Depot now, instead of the crap they're selling at Sears.
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"I am a river to my people."
Jeff-1.0
WA6FWi
http:foxsmercantile.com
One of the many screw-ups Sears management has pulled over the years. Sears was once far greater than Amazon. Hell, they even sold houses by mail. Now they're on their way out.
Is what you say true regarding Husky manufacturing for Sears? Are you implying that Husky is a made in america brand? (Home Depot is my second home so to speak...IIRC almost every husky thing I looked at was made in China.) I *really* try to buy made in USA but it is usually hard to find. So, ppl have been grousing about this state of affairs for 20+ years and very little has changed, possibly getting worse in some areas. I'll stop here at the risk of taking this thread far far OT. J
In my never humble opinion, those are not very good. The previous version of those Husky Torx drivers were wonderful. I have several sets and found them to be a very good fit and quite rugged. The new and improved model is garbage, with a sloppy fit. Fast photo: The upper driver is the older better model. The lower drive is the current version which I detest. Notice the sides of the Torx bits. The old version has sides that are parallel, while the new version is tapered, producing a smaller point of contact, and a sloppy fit.
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Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558
80% of Husky tools are made off-shore, primarily in China, but some in Taiw an and Singapore (same difference, but not Communist - not that China is an y form of communism. I expect that in a few years, that 80% will increase t o very nearly every...
It is quite hard to purchase US tools OTC these days, but I have had good l uck at electrical and plumbing supply houses - those that cater directly to the trade, that is. And, of course, there is Amazon as well as a few good "made in -insert-country-here- tool on-line tool purveyors.
And for everything you purchase that is made "here", your neighbor will tha nk you!
The new tips (bits) are worse. How much worse, I don't know but can measure the error if necessary. Suffice to say that it's a loose fit.
Torx in any form holds up well because of the large contact area perpendicular to the direction of force provided by the Torx pattern. Anything that reduces the contact area, such as a tapered side profile and a loose fit, it going to reduce its strength. It would be helpful if you disclose if you are stripping the bit or the mating screw? You might be dealing with a poor fit, bad metalurgy, or excessive force (torque).
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Jeff Liebermann jeffl@cruzio.com
150 Felker St #D http://www.LearnByDestroying.com
Santa Cruz CA 95060 http://802.11junk.com
Skype: JeffLiebermann AE6KS 831-336-2558
Husky long long long time ago used to be a independent tool manufacturer in the United States, their primary customer was Sears. They were never by an y means top of the line but were not crap either. Eventually as conglomerat es began to buy out the small brands Husky found it's way into the home dep ot.
doesn't work out they are like a 8 dollar loss or just return them
g.
hbor's job and well-being are meaningless to you.
ahh.
Purchasing from harbor freight is a solution if you have a) limited funding b) one time use of a tool c) diy'er d) sensible
It is not a solution if a) you are manufacturer b) rely heavily on your too ls to make your living ...
A benefit of the cheap store is that if it breaks you can probably replace it that day. If one of my SK tools breaks guess what? I have to mail it to SK. If my snap on tool breaks guess what? Have to wait or find a tool truck .
Here's another benefit to the cheap store. Something as simple as a hydraul ic jack need not cost $400. Here's another fact. I buy Ingersoll Rand tools and they are made in China. This made in China thing is nothing really new to the united states, but this is the first time we have relied this much on foreign product. I am all for buying American made tools but they're sim ply over price and there are not many manufacturers left. I bought a 50' 10 gauge extension cord American made... Cost me $90 bucks! The cable is grea t the ends are crap. Just because it's made in USA does not mean quality. M y hammers are all Estwing those were worth the money, but they were reasona bly priced!
As far as taking jobs away. That happened decades ago and it is difficult t o redeem because well would you work for the wage that a Chinese man receiv es? When the Mexicans started demanding the wages of American workers is wh en the manufacturing started to leave Mexico and move to overseas as well. I'm an engineer I do not take jobs from people. I have no control over legi slation which imposes regulation on businesses in both the financial and en vironmental aspects. I am not the reason why small family owned tool compan ies went out of business or sold out 40+ years ago. I still try to buy Amer ican tools, but I'm not going to go high and low to find every tool America n made and if I did I can tell you the amount of tools I have I would never be able to afford them to all be made in USA. I was discouraged when I bou ght a Milwaukee right angle drill and it says made in prc when the display model said made in usa. My delta table saw is made in china. Well only the unisaws were made in usa and not all, they were also made in Brazil.
Whatever we used to make others can make. There is no reason for other coun tries to buy from us now days. Maybe during the 40's but not now. They have all of our intellectual property and we have supplied them with the machin es and known how to make everything.
Condemning harbor freight or the china stores and Chinese are not going to solve any issues. Our current generation is not interested in making tools or anything actually for that matter. Most just want to sit on their behind and play on their stupid phones. Then they want to google all the answers in college...
There is no simple single solution to the financial problems in this countr y. A good place to start would be at home. Don't buy $1000 cell phone, don' t buy 5 dollar coffee matter fact just drink water. Exercise and eat health y to lower your health care costs and increase your condition of living. Do n't buy new cars every few years. Fix your own shit. Stop throwing out and re-purpose, re-use. Use cold water not hot. Ride a bicycle if it's local en ough and weather permits. Etc. Lowering costs at home helps free up money. If only the fat cats in government can do this but that's an entirely diffe rent argument.
I can say I do all of those things. I have 3 cars, 1987 benz diesel, 03 saa b, 95 dodge. Why old cars? Because they all work and serve a purpose and fo r as long as I can repair it I will drive it. I'm not for this throw away c rap. It took enormous energy to make the 3 vehicles and it takes allot of e nergy to recycle them, so might as well reuse them. When they can no longer be repaired then they will have to be crushed and sent to the smelter. But this throw away culture, atleast on new cars, is because of insurance. The y don't want to pay for any type of repair that may be structural because o f liability. They also figure the price to repair vs. replace. Despite the fact the waste is the cause of our energy crisis which we have been hearing about for what oh the late 60's.
Peter you bring up a more complex issue than can be solved by simply buying american. No matter how you slice it a foreigner is involved somewhere. Am ericans are their own worst enemy and most do not even know it. Instead the y are focused on that social media crap, bashing the president agree with h im or not, and overall just worry about stupid shit rather than learning an d working.
If not harbor freight they I would look into SK tools. I do not know if the y make precision torx bits. Snap on probably makes some. I don't know of an yone in particular that is american and makes a good set in the upper range .
I misunderstood. Thought you were discussing the handle and how it didn't hold the bits well.
If you're not using an impact driver, there ain't no such thing as excessive torque. You apply enough torque to loosen the screw. Anything less is useless. If the bit rounds off or breaks before the screw turns, it's not an acceptable tool. If it damages the screw in the process, you've got problems well in excess of a $2 screwdriver bit.
Since I don't have any of the tiny bits, my experience is with T7 to T10. I found the shiny bits round off very easily. The dull grey or black bits hold up better.
I have shattered bits with the impact driver, but that's not the issue when taking apart a phone.
Yeah, the Pittsburgh Pro 34-pc is my go-to set, as well. You want to FEEL the fit and seating of the tip, so most 1/4" hex handles don't suit this purpose: that HF set has a tightenable chuck on the handle, and 4.0mm hex tips, so it isn't ideal: the shank is short, so the diameter of the chuck needs clearance less than 2cm from the screw head. The Pittsburgh chuck has weak holding of the tip, but there's fixes for that.
Ideally, you want a couple of inches of shank behind each tip; some Craftsman screwdrivers are good in this way, but I haven't tried 'em (and won't, unless there's a sale) ... see pix on Amazon
Greetings Mike, I use tiny Torx drivers a lot. Pretty much every day. I have found the the WIHA brand drivers to be the best. The best fit in the fasteners and the best durability. By far. I am sure there are other brands just as good. I don't know which though. Probably none any appreciably better though. And boatloads of cheap crap that's way worse. Eric
I have quite a few German made tools myself and I cannot even recall one ba d experience. Heyco, Stahlwille, Bosch, etc you name it all darn good. They usually wear out rather than break. I have a new SK ratchet paid 70 bucks and it broke a week after I bought it... My craftsman still works. Thing is the old school craftsman was usually made be Western Forge a subsidiary of Ideal industries which now owns the SK name. Allot of craftsman tools were made by SK, Proto, there's a couple others but they aren't coming to me.
Anyways. Peter seems to forget that Americans would rather buy American and be employed. But when it comes to over priced tool vs. Food on table... Be sides the economy is more complex than the average home owner would know. A business owner particularly one in manufacturing knows the struggle.
I really don't have too many made in China tools break. I've either been lu cky or I know how to pick my tools. I know how to pick my tools.
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