Torx often ends up being the worst of both worlds imo. It grabs too hard and you can easily overdrive it and strip the hole in some material. And you can also still easily strip the head if you don’t get the bit seated all the way. I think the Robertson combo head is the best all around, since you have a Robertson bit for high torque applications and a Phillips bit for low torque and slightly off axis work. And then the “ecx” bit for “I’m going to friction weld this terminal screw shut” applications.
Philips heads are designed to intentionally cam over and limit torque, if you’re using the correct screwdriver that is quite a lot of torque. They certainly have a usecase, but that isn’t anywhere near me. I only use torx.
What makes torx crap? Unlike hex, you can still screw them in if your screwdriver is at an angle, which can be really convenient if you’re working at odd angles.
Yeah but with torx I don’t need an extra bit to handle that, it’s just a built in feature of the bit. It also doesn’t answer why torx apparently sucks? “Hex can also do that if you have a special bit” doesn’t make torx any worse.
Well that’s great until you want more torque (with the long side of the handle) or you’re working in a space where only the short side fits in where the screw is, or you want to attach said bit to a drill. It’s pretty common for bit-sets to just have ordinary (straight) hex bits rather than the rounded ones.
Years ago when working in a boat shop at a “yachting center” aka “dudes with 20’ sailboats they’ve spent more effort repairing than their marriage” and I had a full wall of hardware.
An old school wooden hardware shelf.
My favorite thing ever in my whole life was being Willy wonka with fasteners and my rolly ladder
They do but you have to really work at it. I see them all the time as set screws on the fans in commercial ovens. Leave a set screw in an oven for years and that bastard will be so profoundly sized that you can round out even a hex screw.
Use better screws, don’t screw around.
Quit screwing around! You all screw around too much!
better screws are torx
Torx often ends up being the worst of both worlds imo. It grabs too hard and you can easily overdrive it and strip the hole in some material. And you can also still easily strip the head if you don’t get the bit seated all the way. I think the Robertson combo head is the best all around, since you have a Robertson bit for high torque applications and a Phillips bit for low torque and slightly off axis work. And then the “ecx” bit for “I’m going to friction weld this terminal screw shut” applications.
Material matters, if you use poorly made screws that’s when the head gets blunted.
Philips screws are intentionally made to strip though. Even the best material can’t fully offset bad design.
Philips heads are designed to intentionally cam over and limit torque, if you’re using the correct screwdriver that is quite a lot of torque. They certainly have a usecase, but that isn’t anywhere near me. I only use torx.
I read that was just an afterthought to explain away why they strip out so easily, instead of actually redesigning them
Nah, Robertson. Torx is designed to destroy bits.
Better screws are hex. Torx belongs in the bin alongside slotted screws.
What makes torx crap? Unlike hex, you can still screw them in if your screwdriver is at an angle, which can be really convenient if you’re working at odd angles.
Robertson head screws are the second most popular fastener people pay me money to remove for them after they screw it up. Torx is third.
They make hex keys with ball ends to handle that
Yeah but with torx I don’t need an extra bit to handle that, it’s just a built in feature of the bit. It also doesn’t answer why torx apparently sucks? “Hex can also do that if you have a special bit” doesn’t make torx any worse.
Why would it be a separate bit? Most people I know just have a set of these
Well that’s great until you want more torque (with the long side of the handle) or you’re working in a space where only the short side fits in where the screw is, or you want to attach said bit to a drill. It’s pretty common for bit-sets to just have ordinary (straight) hex bits rather than the rounded ones.
My guess is this is a situation where someone can never find the right size screwdriver
Unbrako and hex are great for bolts and machinescrews, on small headed woodscrews I’m a firm believer of the torx masterrace.
Agreed
I was going to say “don’t screw up”.
Don’t underestimate the efforts some people are willing to go to.
Or the right size screwdriver and apply force down onto the screw as you turn
Doesn’t matter. It’ll still slip and partly strip it. Maybe only 1/5, but people are not machines.
Have you been to a lot of hardware stores with different grades of every of the 257 different types and sizes and thicknesses they carry?
Years ago when working in a boat shop at a “yachting center” aka “dudes with 20’ sailboats they’ve spent more effort repairing than their marriage” and I had a full wall of hardware.
An old school wooden hardware shelf.
My favorite thing ever in my whole life was being Willy wonka with fasteners and my rolly ladder
I’ll get the torx universal wood and stone ones, thanks.
Hex screws are pretty good, I’ve never had one strip out
They do but you have to really work at it. I see them all the time as set screws on the fans in commercial ovens. Leave a set screw in an oven for years and that bastard will be so profoundly sized that you can round out even a hex screw.