Torx is the only head that needs to exist. The rest can go fuck a rusty chainsaw.
this post was submitted on 28 Jun 2023
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Square is really good too.
Phillips and flat head bits fit in a variety of sizes of screw heads. We seem to have chosen convenience over performance.
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This is the way. Also I'm new to Lemmy so forever will this be how I start my experience here.
Torx is hands down better in every way than flathead and Phillips.
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phillips worst screw self stripping garbage
That is actually a feature of this design. They were the answer to in-line screwdrivers who had no precise stopping torque: cam-out before the thread is damaged.
I know it's an intentional feature, but it's a bad feature. Camming out damages the head of the screw. This exchanges repairability for manufacturing simplicity. Additionally, the sloped shape makes it possible to use slightly oversized or undersized drivers, further increasing the chance of camming out and damaging the screwhead.
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Anyone who willfully uses a slotted screw on a new project in the presence of even somewhat reasonable alternatives should have a lifetime ban on designing any items for anyone.
Also, use Robertsons, gink.
it’s single valid use: somewhere that you may not have tools but might require an impromptu fix… preferably paired with a much larger screw than technically required so you can use things like coins as a driver
Yeah, like mounting plates for cameras…. Um, I think that’s the only place I’ve appreciated a slot screw
Sewing machine too! Always using scissors to open that slot screw to change the needle
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The torx are the most resistant, the rest can also cease to exist.
Situation: There are 20 screw standards.
John Corporate: "20 standards... I know, I'll create a new type of screw that will be unique to my corporate overlords and prevent users from repairing their own devices!"
Situation: There are 21 screw standards.
Relevant xkcd:
To be fair, UTF-8 did win the character encoding wars. Kudos to the Unicode designers I guess.
Wish Windows knew that
My favorite is hex, self centering and doesn't strip easily
Torx are the better hex as they apply torque to six planes, not six lines. It's right-out impossible to strip a torx.
The disadvantage is that it's harder to machine but that really doesn't matter for cast screws. Tools are also cheaper that's why IKEA etc. use them.
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I strongly dislike how many times I've stripped a Phillips and used a die grinder to force it to become a flat. Torx is fine.
I used to restore "barn bikes", most of them were Japanese. It took me a while to figure out the difference between Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) and Phillips screws. Of course over the years, a lot of the fasteners had already been cammed out by previous owners using a Phillips screwdriver in a JIS screw. I had to resort to the die grinder method far more than I'd have preferred.
Canadian here. I'm offended the Robertson (square) has been shamed like this.
Robertson head gang represent. It's just so good.
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Square is called a Robertson and is the standard for construction in Canada. None of that bullshit Phillips trash.
Not only the standard screw but a very effective head shape. The head is both self centring and can hold on the screw securely and without the use of magnets.
I will die defending Robertson screw as a top contender. The rest of the world must learn our superior Canadian ways, by force if necessary.
It's 100% superior to anything else I've used. If you use a good quality screw driver or bit, they'll NEVER strip, even using an impact driver.
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I hate phillips. It seems like their only purpose for existing is to strip out so that you can never remove them.
Personally, any time I have a project, I always opt for torx (star). The screwdriver bits for them are not tapered so they don't push themselves back out of the screw-head (unlike phillips), so they tend to stay in place and grip much better. It's a lot harder to screw up a torx screw or bit than a phillips one.
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Hex screws are sick tho. Great when there isnt much space to tighten regular screws.
I like pluses and squares. Minuses need to be removed from existence
Minus is great because you can use a butter knife on a pinch to unscrew/screw it
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Robertson, hex and torx should be on that list, the rest of that shit can stay in the scrap bin of designs
Square drive on personal projects, forever and always. Maybe I'm buying the wrong torx, Phillips, and flat screws, but they strip out way too often. I've never had issues with square drive screws no matter where or how I use them
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6-lobe is life. I got a box of them for a set of stairs I had to rebuild, and the sheer ease of use makes me never want to go back.
Square is my favorite but never used in industrial maintenance much. The square combos are on new electrical devices for construction though. I use mostly Phillips/slotted. A few security torx. Lots of hex heads, and all the small electrical terminals are slotted.
Americans will do anything the hardest way possible, huh lol
Robbie superiority.
We stan Phillips/slot
Phillips/slot: the pansexual of screwheads
Sadly, some of the more exotic ones have been used to dissuade third-party repair. Some repair shops have been on a mission to replace iPhone screws with more common standards to facilitate general access.
Oh god as a vintage camera collector spanner screws are the bane of my existence
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Anything that is compatible with slotted or phillips is fine.
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