Need top screwdriver recommendations, both mini and regular
- Thread starter joelavely
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wildbill
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Forsters , sold by Brownells are about the best straight screwdrivers. Klein still makes good stuff here in USA but I like using my Craftsman interchangeable bit driver on most things because I can always pop in a fresh new bit for a precision job and there are many options on bit style and quality.
raystankewitz
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I do like my Snap-On screwdrivers for automotive and industrial applications but I prefer a gunsmith's set for precision work. A good straight blade tip should have no taper in thickness where it engages the screw head. That is the reason for most cam-outs on slotted screw heads. Likewise, good Phillips bits should be very sharp-shouldered and disposed of when they get worn. Trust me, when a Phillips even tries to think about camming out, it goes directly in the round filing cabinet.
BTW, I think the acquisition by Stanley/Black&Decker was the best thing for the Craftsman brand. They will be around long after the original parent company Sears is defunct.
BTW, I think the acquisition by Stanley/Black&Decker was the best thing for the Craftsman brand. They will be around long after the original parent company Sears is defunct.
Cagey
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raystankewitz said:
That's an interesting perspective I hadn't considered, and I think you're right. My concern is that Stanley/B&D will do what many large conglomerations do, and engineer from the boardroom. Product quality/integrity/innovation drops into the black hole all MBAs bring with them in their zeal to maximize productivity and profitablity, and Craftsman tools will become just another disposable bottom-of-the-barrel product those who don't know any better buy at Kmart/Target/Walmart/Ace.
Sovereign_13
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With everybody and their cousin (in terms of retailers) offering lifetime-warranty hand tools, I can't imagine Stanley/B&D won't maintain that with Craftsman. Stanley already has lifetime warranties on their hand tools - I imagine they'll bill Craftsman as a "premium" line of tools since it's a name already largely associated with quality. I'm curious how they'll prevent cross-shopping between Stanley tools and Craftsman, though. Maybe we'll just get rebranded Stanley tools under the Craftsman name. That's not the worst thing that could happen.
The big question in my mind will be who picks them up as a retailer - everybody sells Stanley tape measures, but the big box hardware stores give preferential treatment to their in-house lines for everything else. I think Wal-Mart is the main retailer of Stanley tools, but I could be wrong.
Maybe they can work out a deal with Ace. I can't see them going with Menard's, since Menard's is kind of considered to be like the Wal-Mart/CostCo of big-box hardware stores. That doesn't exactly scream "quality tools".
The big question in my mind will be who picks them up as a retailer - everybody sells Stanley tape measures, but the big box hardware stores give preferential treatment to their in-house lines for everything else. I think Wal-Mart is the main retailer of Stanley tools, but I could be wrong.
Maybe they can work out a deal with Ace. I can't see them going with Menard's, since Menard's is kind of considered to be like the Wal-Mart/CostCo of big-box hardware stores. That doesn't exactly scream "quality tools".
All of this tool talk is pretty entertaining. Stanley owns and manufactures MAC tools. They also used to produce Craftsman hand tools. This all happened back in the early 2000's. They had a plant in Dallas when I lived there. I'm not sure what the situation is now but Stanley obviously built decent stuff back then.
raystankewitz
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As far as I know, ACE is a retailer for Craftsman tools. Been available in my ACE hardware affiliate for years. Also, Orchard Supply, a west coast concern owned by K-Mart/Sears sells Craftsman.Sovereign_13 said:
