There is hardly any equipment in our house that doesn’t have a screw on it. This tells the importance of screwdrivers in our daily life. In fact, every job you’ll do around the house will require some kind of screwdriver. This being said, you probably own several screwdrivers already. Most of the screwdrivers may look quite similar but they have their specialized uses.
Different Types of Screwdrivers
There are different types of screwdrivers available. The design and function of these screwdrivers are very simple but because of the varieties, you may find it difficult to choose the right screwdriver for your work. We’ve looked at several different kinds to help you select the right one.
Flathead Screwdriver
Flathead screwdriver has a single-bladed head at the end of a shank and a handle. This is a basic screwdriver but make sure you size it right or else you could strip the head of your screw.
Phillips Head Screwdriver
Phillips head screwdriver is also known as the crosshead screwdriver. With its X-shape blade, it provides better traction when tightening or loosening the screw. They were originally designed for use with power tools but you can use them on electronics.
Allen Screwdriver
Many people call these Allen wrenches but they are actually a screwdriver. Their most common use is with furniture kits, but you can also find them with bicycles, too. The broad holes and thick drivers allow you to maximize the volume of force you can apply with just a little elbow grease.
Jewelry Screwdrivers
Jewelry screwdrivers have wide-range of applications in the home. The most common uses of these screwdrivers are repairing glasses. Though, you can use these drivers on simple electronics to break down those components. Many use them for repairing watches.
Multipurpose Screwdriver
The name suggests the use of these types of screwdrivers. There is a shank with a hexagonal hole at the end of this screwdriver. You can fit either a double-sided bit with drivers on both sides and a variety of drivers depending on the intended use of the set. These types of screwdrivers are very popular among homeowners because of their versatility and economy of space.
Ratchet Drivers
Most of the people blend ratchets with nut drivers, but they also work with screws. Actually, most good versatile screwdrivers integrate with some ratcheting capability within the shank. Lots of ratchet sets include heads capable of holding screw bits, which is why we give them their own entry.
Corded Power Driver
Corded power screwdrivers are the most powerful screwdrivers. Their main purpose was to drive in screws for projects that require a lot of muscle like building frames. But you can also use them in your house. There range is limited but you can solve this problem with extension cords.
Cordless Power Driver
Cordless power driver allows its user to use a multitude of attachments from screwdriver bits to drill bits. It is a very popular and elementary tool in most home inventories. It has a battery for elbow grease so it will go easy on a user’s wrists. Cordless power driver comes with long-lasting lithium-ion batteries.
Cordless Screwdriver
A cordless screwdriver is a basic screwdriver with a battery connected to a drive shaft that turns. This type of driver can accommodate hexagonal fitting for flathead and Phillips head bits. A cordless screwdriver is portable and they come with charging plugs right in the body. They are best for lightweight works as they don’t offer much power.
Impact Driver
Impact drivers are suitable for heavy works where your work requires that you drill long fasteners into the hardwood. Nowadays most of the impact driver comes with versatility feature means you can also do the basic screwdriver work with them.
Torx
These six-pointed stars are found most commonly in laptops, cell phones, cars, and bicycles. The difference is that the ones for cars and bikes are much bigger than the ones for electronics.
Tri-Point
Tri-Point screwdriver is also known as 3-prong or Y-tip drivers. It has a tip with three blades set at 120-degree angles, making a Y shape. The most common uses of this screwdriver are in the electronic industry. Tri-point screws can only be worked with tri-point drivers.
Electrical Screwdrivers
Electrical screwdrivers come with an extra shield to protect the user from receiving a nasty shock. You’ll pay for the added protection. But if you work around any live circuits, it’s more like buying an extra layer of life insurance.
Torque Screwdriver
A torque screwdriver is well known for its application on cars. But you can use it on anything that has pressure requirements. These screwdrivers can do highly specialized applications including everything from military repair to aircraft.
Hexagonal Driver
A hexagonal driver is kind of the reverse of the Allen driver. A hexagonal driver has hexagonal heads on the top of the screw. You can use it to fasten metal together with metal via nuts and bolts. You may find some wood screws with these heads.
Triangle Driver
Many people aren’t aware of the triangle head screwdriver. This type of screwdriver is generally used in common household items like vacuum cleaners, camping stoves, and golf clubs. If you don’t have a triangle driver on your disposal then you might have to buy it when you need one.
Gunsmith Drivers
Gunsmith drivers are specifically designed to apply maximum twisting to a small turning surface. These screwdrivers are built from very hard materials so that you can maximize turning power without cracking screw heads.
Stubby Screwdriver
Stubby screwdrivers designed to let you get at screws in hard-to-reach places. The stubby screwdriver comes in all head shapes and sizes. It won’t let you apply a lot of power, so it’s got limited efficiency for screwing things in.
Pozidriv Screwdriver
The Pozidriv screwdriver is characterized by four shallow lines radiating from the center. The tip of this driver is smaller and franker than Phillips screwdriver and contains ribs among the blades. The increased contact with the screw head means you can apply more turning force without the danger of the driver slipping out.
Robertson Screwdriver
Robertson Screwdriver is also known as square head drivers. They are the least commonly used screwdrivers. Robertson drivers have a recessed square socket. Since there is no tip, it is highly unlikely that the Robertson screwdriver falls out of the recess. That means very high turning force can be applied with the Robertson Screwdriver.
Bottom Line
Finally, the type of screwdriver you will need depends on the application or work you are doing. Different screw head types work better in different circumstances. So the best practice is to have a few different types of screwdrivers around for a different purpose.
