scr(ul)ew [new even worse version]

Torx is definitely the best, it holds the screwdriver the best and a torx screwdriver also works to remove other screws with stripped heads

Me too

It’s a good one but I read in the voice of “I like turtles”.

May i recommend: torx plus

Reliable, color-coded, and Canadian!

What kind of maniac has one of those in his pockets at all times?

They're the best in my opinion. They hold on the tip of the screwdriver, they're real hard to distort, and they're Canadian. 

Is Robertson the same as square head? It looks like Robertson has a slight taper?

Pocket hole screws are typically square and I find them inferior to torx.

Phillips usually strip when using a pozidrive screw driver on them. Very common mistake because people think they are the sams, but easy to avoid once you know it.

Also, the fit has to be tight. If it’s loose, the screw driver is too small.

Philips is designed to allow the screwdriver to slip out so you don't over-torque the screw. If you're stripping them, you're probably using too much torque. But, it might not be your fault, because a lot of people use Philips screws when they shouldn't, and use too much torque when screwing them in.

As for slotted, those just suck. I guess one benefit is that you can use an over-sized head on small screws. But, slotted is really the wrong choice almost every time.

Yes, screw Philips, all Philips heads should be turned into Torx heads. And slotted heads can go straight into the bin.

My only issue with hex is that the angles between the sides are too flat and easy to round off, especially if the screw is small or cheaply made (soft steel or aluminium). Speaking from experience, if the screw head is 3mm across or smaller, Torx or JIS (which is still better than Phillips) are more reliable.

Hex could have been great, but along came the Americans with their units, and since hex was in mm, then they had to make their own hex in fractions of inches. I'm involved in archery, where you meet both without warning. Almost as annoying as having ISO, UNC and UNF threads.

The only reason Robertson isn't everywhere is that it was patented and Robertson refused to license it, insisting that his company would be the only one to manufacture it.

Because of that, Henry Ford used those screws on the Canadian-made Model T cars, but not on the American made ones. The patent didn't expire until 1964, so many other screw types that weren't patented became popular in the mean time. But, the patent has now been expired for 60 years, so I think it's ok to just call it "square" now.

Your mum is built to strip

Square and Robertson are 2 different types. The Robertson screws have a slight taper to the socket you can see if you look. Square drive screws are NOT tapered.

There are also 2 different types of common cross slotted screws. One is Philips that is actually meant to be a 'one and done' install. It was meant to cam out to prevent over torquing when assembling something back in the day. Don't blame the screwhead for your poor choice in application or you cheaping out on the driver to install them because you bought some crappy dollar store driver.

And then there the VERY similar looking JIS, (Japanese Industrial Standard) screws that require their own special driver. If you get Philips and JIS screws mixed up, you WILL have a very bad day....

My favorite flavor is the hex socket head screws. A nearly complete set of wrenches will fit in you pocket. Either fold up or ball end L style.

Yeah flat heads are terrible. They are always the reason if I get injured by my screwdriver.

Firstly, theres no geometry preventing the bit from slipping out. Secondly, greatly exacerbating the first, you need to press hard to prevent the bit from camming out, which increases the risk of it slipping out.

Both problems combined causes the bit to slip out with very high force. If you happen to be holding the workpiece, you can injure yourself real bad.

I fucking hate flatheads.

Those just taste like boot leather

Every screw eventually becomes a slot screw if it pisses you off enough

I'd argue that Robertson is actually superior to Torx, since the "vanes" of the Torx head are more prone to stripping than the solid right angles.

My 100yo house has many. I have come to think of them as quaint.

TBF Henry Ford was a literal Nazi and I probably wouldn't want to license anything to him either.

I miss Amp.

Red Bull was owned by a harcore Nazi until his very end, and his inheritors apparently also really suck…

It wasn't designed to strip when overtorqued. It's a myth with no evidence. The original patent says nothing about it (I've read the whole patent), and later patents list it as post-hoc justification for a design fault.

I have never seen this. I love it! It’s so simple! Why are these not everywhere?!

Yeah, but unfortunately it has to protrude from the surface because the bit grabs the outside, which means you can also grab it with pliers. Not the best feature for a "security" fastener.

Designed as? No, it was a happy accident. The original patent mentioned nothing about it, and then when they realized they could make that claim the patent was updated.

Fuck phillip head everything.

Square bit as the go-to general purpose bit is the correct opinion. Every time I have to pull my square bit off to put a Philips on I am just disappointed.

There is absolutely nothing anti-tamper about this screw either. Seriously. It’s just an annoying inconvenience and will be replaced with a standard screw with the same thread by the first mechanics to see it.

I suspect that’s the real reason BMW is pulling this. They want to pull a warrantee void if seal is broken end run around magnussum-moss and will need to be slapped around again.

Screw BMW.

Screw BMW.

This article I came across convincingly disputes the idea that JIS is meaningfully different from other cross head standards. I do not have access to the standards myself to corroborate.

That’s the point of Philips. They’re for assembly line manufacturing designed to torque out when they’re tight. They’re awful.

The problem with JIS is that most people don’t have a JIS driver.

What's jis look like

Philips apparently got adopted because it strips so easily. Back in the day, torque limiters didn't work well and camming out was considered preferable to applying too much torque

Treat yourself to some good drivers from Vessel and you are living the high life. Or don't and strip every screw you look at on old Japanese motorcycles.

I won't fight you brother, I will join you, torx is the best screw, doesn't strip, Philips is literally built to slip under pressure

I love torx, but posidrive, triangle, and even spanner all hold a special place.

Half of those screws are Robertson if you're in a pinch.

If a screw is totally stripped it’s nice to use a Dremel to just cut a slot and then be able to extract the screw.

The thing with slotted screws is that the screw itself is awful, but a flathead screwdriver in and of itself is such a useful tool you're always gonna have one, so the screw kinda hangs around.

A narrow flat blade, like 3/16 or 5/32 will go between the lobes and center piece and allow the screw to be backed out. Done it with loads of HP SAS that insist on T10 security screws.

Username checks not out. Maybe some day they'll make a booby-shaped screwhead for you (see picture below for reference).

easiest to strip -> easiest to nibble on

Genuinely curious as I had absolutely no clue hexagon even existed, what is the use case for them? And for the combo slotted/Phillips?

I'm pretty sure most comments ignored the fact that the first two screws are classified as “tasty screws” rather than “good screws,” as I only saw a handful of comments mentioning the taste of the screws.

To add to this, the Phillips screw was designed to be self centering for use with motorized screw drivers on assembly lines, with an added benefit of easy cam out that prevented over tightening by said screw drivers. All that is kinda obsolete now and actually disadvantageous, so Phillips is probably the most entrenched and enduring corporate propaganda screw.

How did people tighten or loosen the screw between 1932 and 1933?

Both amazing, and it sucks that so many people in history bring about incredible ideas and creations and end up getting nothing for it in the end. At least Phillips got his name stuck to it, I suppose. My wife still insists on asking for the star screwdriver, and I correct her every time. "It's Phillips!" You know what they say, you never truly die until people stop remembering you. Live on.

Also, while I understand its history being a simple to make design, the slot can die as far as I care. I HATE it, and whenever I find it in older places doing repairs I swear up and down. The worse is the slot that is a very shallow cut. Like, how am I supposed to put any torque on this without it slipping????

I hate it because it strips, if you look at it funny... any other reasons I should hate it?

Correction: they're a disaster if you use them with a Philips driver. Try a Robertson next time.

Pica pica pica-chew