I may be introducing the subject only to myself if this item is well-known. I encountered it in a reasonably concise Wirecutter article:
"Pros swear by Torx-head screws, an all-around better alternative to the formerly ubiquitous but flawed, finicky Phillips head... The cross-headed design of the Phillips screw is notoriously slippery and easy to damage. That’s why most of the rest of the world moved on from Phillips screws years ago, if they even adopted this miserable standard in the first place.This isn’t a problem with Torx because the star-shaped head provides much better grip and stability... And all that extra contact between the screw and the drill bit makes it much less likely that you’ll strip the head (or ruin your bit) even if you’re blasting your tools at full speed... [the embed shows a Torx compared to a Phillips with a stripped center]... there aren’t many credible technical or legal excuses to keep using Phillips screws. The patents on Torx (and other Phillips-beating standards, including square drive) expired decades ago, so anyone can manufacture the bits and screws...An impact driver looks like a stubby drill, but it sinks screws into wood and other materials at breathtaking speed. (Even basic power tool starter packs usually come with one now.) That tool’s efficiency is often wasted on wobbly, damage-prone Phillips screws, so it makes sense to pair an impact driver’s extra power with a snugger standard like Torx.
For those interested in greater detail, the Wikipedia entry has information on the Torx' history, physics, and subtypes.
One of the few advantages of Phillips is off camber driving, but that's not a huge one.
ReplyDelete?? Is this the aspect of Phillips you're referring to: "the tendency of Phillips drivers to cam out under excessive torque has been listed as a feature preventing damage to the screw-head or driver" [from the Wiki link]
DeleteI think they're talking about driving the screw without being square and inline with the screw itself. If you tried that with Torx screws, you wouldn't be able to fit your screwdriver into the slot. The Phillips tendency to cam out is not a feature inasmuch as the patents list them, although I'm sure it is a useful feature in many applications. Recently Tekton, a tool maker, addressed that and other myths concerning Phillips and Japanese standards: https://www.tekton.com/blog/jis-vs-phillips-screwdriver-tip-geometry-and-fastener-compatibility
DeleteBeen using them for over 20 years. I guess you've never built a deck.
ReplyDeleteWhat? Only millions and millions of decks have been built in the US using Phillips head screws over the last 20 years.
DeleteAnother great alternative to the phillips-head screw is the Robertson screw. Common in Canada but hard to find in the US.
ReplyDeleteI heard that Phillips heads were specifically designed for the automotive industry to "cam out" to prevent them from being put in too tightly. In other words, they are designed to slip.
ReplyDeleteI like the fact that Torx come in standard sizes (T20, T25, etc) and they transcend imperial vs metric.
My recollection is that the Torx screw was invented for use in robot car assembly. Seating the drive into the Torx is easier than a phillips head
ReplyDeleteTorx are the fasteners of choice for European vehicle manufacturers.
ReplyDeleteWhen I bought my first European car ( a VW Passat) in 1999, and later had to do an oil change on it, imagine my chagrin when I didn't have a tool to under the undertray screws.
These days, renovating Alfa Romeos and Saabs to keep me and my brain active, my tool box is replete with T40s and the rest.
Every single time I use the I strip the head of at least 5. I really don't like them.
ReplyDeleteFactors: Torque setting on driver, understanding the material being screwed into, quality of screws/bits and general skill/experience. Nothing inherently wrong with Phillips head screws, but as with all technologies, there are limitations. As with many subjects, it's a good idea to question the NYT. Especially a guy who's probably wearing loafers, assembling his daughters playhouse. A gadget guru, not a builder.
DeleteRe: "Factors:" - says it all. Those features that are supposed to make them "easier to use", makes for more difficulty. What was wrong with the slot headed screw?
DeleteHang one sheet of drywall with slotted screws and another with Phillips head screws. The "what's wrong" will be clear.
DeleteDrywall was nailed to the studs, not screwed. Equipment: sheetrock nails and a hammer.
DeleteScrewing drywall - equipment: drywall screws, drill, drill bit (correct size), extra drill bits (to replace the ones you wore out), power for the drill (electricity, or battery pack)...
Wait.... Maybe the ones I strip are star shapes.
ReplyDeleteI first encointered torx about 15 years ago from a friend who owns a construction company and is a woodworking hobbyist who built a beehive for me. At the time I didnt have a bit for them. I do now, but they still arent exactly ubiquitous... but I'll use them when I replace my deck in a year or two
ReplyDeleteThen there's Pozidriv which is also out of patent and kind of the evolutionary missing link (not literally) between the two. I'm a Pozidriv guy because there's at least some overlap between the two. eg using a Pozidriv screwdriver on a partially wrung Phillips screw can sometimes get it out, where the Phillips screwdriver will just make things worse.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.albanycountyfasteners.com/blog/what-is-pozidriv-is-it-different-from-phillips/#:~:text=Pozidriv%2C%20commonly%20spelled%20incorrectly%20as,when%20using%20the%20proper%20driver.
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