Screwdrivers

Essential screwdrivers for DIY around the home.

A great all-rounder for a myriad of tasks around the home. A screwdriver is an essential tool that every household needs. Almost every piece of flatpack furniture requires a screwdriver to put together, not to mention screws being used in virtually every household appliance.

But there are many different types of screw and screw head and so, there are many different types of screwdriver. Although it may be tempting to get a flathead screwdriver and call it a day, using the same screwdriver on every screw, no matter the design of its head, leads to damage of the screwhead and screwdriver.

A Phillips Screwdriver is one of the most common screwdrivers and you’ve likely used many of them in your life. These cross-headed screwdrivers fit one of the most widely used types of screw in use today. The crosshead design increases the torque that the screwdriver can apply to the screw, meaning that screws are driven in faster.

Slotted Screwdrivers, otherwise known as flathead screwdrivers, are designed for flathead screws. Though many (including your humble writer) usually use a flathead screwdriver on pretty much any screw, they are specially designed for flathead screws only and work best on them.

Alongside Phillips Screwdrivers there are also Pozi Screwdrivers; these work in much the same way as Phillips style but are designed for use on Pozidriv screws. A Pozidriv screw differs from a normal crosshead one by usually being deeper and used in more heavy-duty applications. You can use a Phillips head Screwdriver on Pozidriv screws but there is the chance that the screwdriver will cam-out causing damage and wearing both screw and screwdriver.

There is a specialist type of screw, called a Torx Screw, you will find these used on bicycles, computers and hard disk drives. In order to properly use these screws, you will need a Torx Screwdriver. These screwdrivers have a 6-pointed star shaped end to deliver the maximum amount of torque to these screws which are often used in delicate electronics. The increased amount of torque is needed to unscrew the screws with the minimum of effort, using the handle as adequate leverage.

All of these screwdrivers have a wide amount of functionality, but needn’t all be bought separately, although that is obviously an option. If you wish to have a full set of screwdrivers to make sure you have every option needed at once, consider a Mixed Screwdrivers set. With a set of Mixed Screwdrivers, you’ll get several different types of screwdriver in one handy set.