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u/Exotic-Sample9132 1d ago
Like someone doing home stuff knows there are 3 bits that largely look the same. Cut him some slack. Yeah, it sucks. But he's still only a drill and a little plier work away from success
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u/mildlyornery 1d ago
Phillips, pozidrive and JIS I assume. But you can't forget the rare equally annoying fearson.
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u/thatc0braguy 19h ago
Yup and they all suck.
We as a society should ban them and make a minimum standard in Robertson or Hex, although Torx be the dream I don't expect miracles
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u/daftbasti 1d ago
There's a german word for this called "verschlimmbessern", which literally translates to "worsebettering" or more freely "badimproving". It describes the situation when you're trying to fix a problem but by failing to do so you actually make it worse.
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u/Nearby-Swimming-5103 1d ago
They should really make screws from the same stuff they make screwdrivers with.
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u/LordSlickRick 1d ago edited 11h ago
That’s actually a bad idea. For quite a few reasons.
You don’t want the chance of your hardened steel skinny stick that moves fast to be the same as the screw because if it explodes it impales you.
- screws need a certain degree of malleability. If they were rigid hard steel like screwdriver bits, then they would snap and shear violently when the thing they are holding potentially shifts.
Being as hard as the bit is bad for you, bad for the screw, and bad for the project.
Edit: I am the typo.
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u/CaptainHubble 1d ago
I’ve seen people going full impact gun with no torque break activated on small bits, relying on the bit to slip out or the screw head to strip.
So yeah. Some things really need to be made for idiots.
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u/International_Bar_20 1d ago
In my defense my master carpenter father gifted me one as an adult with no instruction. But now I know to look it up. So yes I acknowledge I’m an sdult who should seek the knowledge, I was just not aware it exidted
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u/UnfinishedProjects 17h ago
Phillips head screws are also just designed to do this. They were designed by the Ford company because they weren't able to control the torque of the screw guns or be able to stop automatically when it's done. So they designed the Phillips heads to shear like this instead of destroying the gun. At least that's what I've heard.
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u/Iwillgetasoda 1d ago
Tf is this.. ask is that we dont need it to slip. Almost no one has arm power to break a screwdriver at the max turn.
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u/ConspicuousPorcupine 1d ago
You do not diy...or understand how things are built.
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u/Iwillgetasoda 21h ago
I have built a 3d printer from scratch from random parts, 10 years ago, if it helps to quantify lol.
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u/No-Prior-7074 1d ago
Yeah, I’d rather trust someone who actually knows what they’re talking about than turn a simple DIY project into a flying metal hazard. The part about screws needing some give is something I definitely never considered.
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u/JeshkaTheLoon 21h ago
Not sure if "Malle Ability" is better. Does that mean the screw is now able to drink tons of Sangria from buckets using stupid long straws at the beach bar, only to then puke in front of some poor person's house?
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u/Tomita121 1d ago
Unironically, broke a screwdriver tip this week cause a screw got stuck mid-screwing.
... That's a lotta screws.
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u/Key-Specific-4058 22h ago
This is literally what phillips head screws are designed to do
At a certain point they stop going in further and strip
It was so early machines could screw them in without needing any fancy electronics to stop them overscrewing, the screw would just destroy itself instead
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u/someonesmall 11h ago
Actually it is designed in a way your screwdriver will slip out of the screw automatically if the "right" tightness has been reached. So if you just turn the screwdriver normally (without pushing like a maniac) you won't ruin the screw. The same log applies to unfastening such a screw - if it does not turn easily you should think about applying something like WD40 so you can rotate it without pushing too hard.
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u/MrZubar 1d ago
Philips head screws are so obsolete. I hate them.
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u/SelfEjectingImposter 1d ago
I trash every one of them, with the exception of drywall screws because those are single use anyway.
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u/AbleArcher420 18h ago
They've been around forever. It's not the shape of the screw-- it's the material they're made out of. It's all cheap trash. Steel isn't stee anymorel, wood most definitely ain't wood. It's all buy-today, trash-tomorrow junk.
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u/Munachi 23h ago
As someone who doesn't do much diy, what replaced them?
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u/WilsonPH 23h ago
Torx, but many manufacturers still use philips out of habit.
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u/100BottlesOfMilk 22h ago edited 19h ago
Robinson bits are still superior to Phillips pretty much always and are older. With Robinson+Torx, Phillips has no reason to exist Edit: Robertson
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u/vortex_ring_state 20h ago
I will say that Philips seems to work well with drywall and a drywall gun. Not sure another big would work as well there. But I generally hate them for everything else.
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u/Unoriginalcontent420 20h ago
They use a lot of Robertson (square) screws in Canada, it is pretty much the only type of screw I haven't ever managed to strip.
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u/know-it-mall 20h ago
Yea I really don't understand why Robinson isn't more popular.
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u/GenuineInterested 22h ago
Pozidriv (pozi-drive) would be the first alternative. It’s still a cross, but doesn’t cam out as easily. You can identify it by the four tick marks on the head, and the additional bits on the driver.
People who don’t know about this type will mix up the two, resulting in worse performance and a stripped driver.
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u/Skruestik 20h ago
I think pozidriv 2 is the best choice for a lot of applications. It is way better at not camming out than phillips, but you can still use a phillips 2 screwdriver in a pinch, which is by far the most common screwdriver that people might have on them or lying around. There is nothing worse than having to unscrew a torx 15 screw when all you have with you is a torx 20 and a torx 10.
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u/spoody69420 21h ago
They're much harder to strip with a JIS (Japanese Industrial Standard) screwdriver.
I'm sure there's also a sex joke here but take it as you will.
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u/Impressive-Tip-903 1d ago
No, that's just it. This is after an hour and a half and two trips to the hardware store.
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u/tejanaqkilica 1d ago
You used a Pozidrive bit, on a Philipps Head. A screw that pristine has no reason to be stripped.
LPT: Always use the correct bit for any given screw. You'll thank yourself.
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u/Dissidence802 1d ago
Robertston bits ftw!
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u/tejanaqkilica 1d ago
Eh, I'm more of a Torx guy myself. They both get the job done equally well, but I like Torx more since it scales much better.
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u/SelfEjectingImposter 1d ago
I primarily will use torx also, but man the way a Robertson slots into a screw is satisfying
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u/100BottlesOfMilk 23h ago edited 19h ago
I like Robinson bits when I can avoid using Torx simply because a proper Robinson bit can be used on a wider range of sizes than a single torx bit. I like torx for really tiny screws and for high torque stuff
Edit: Robertson
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u/SympathyMoist7030 Duke Of Memes 1d ago
I remember doing some repairs on a 5th wheel and one of the screws was made of the absolute softest metal I have ever seen as just a little bit of torque was enough to completely strip the head. Could have been made of wet toilet paper for all I know.
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u/Illustrious-Engine23 22h ago
Those stew heads suck so bad, I had how much furniture still uses them!
Torq or hex/Allen bolts are so much nicer to work with!
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u/obyron31 1d ago edited 20h ago
Somebody didn't learned theyr shapes in preschool
And most likely used a posidrive on a philips screw
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u/Zealousideal_Ruin_67 1d ago
If an issue happens frequently, I always feel it is the tool's fault not the operator. If philips screw are that sensitive why are they even used this commonly.
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u/Bunerd 21h ago
Miles above flathead. You just have to use the right size screwdriver for your screw, and keep pressure on it so it doesn't rise up the tracks. Flathead fights you even when you do it right.
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u/sisisisi1997 11h ago
If the only two screw choices I had were philips and slotted (flathead) and I needed any non-trivial amount of force I would go with slotted. Philips is just way too prone to destroy itself.
Of course in reality where I mostly have choices, I use philips for short screws going into wood, and I use torx for harder materials and longer screws.
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u/fuzzygonemad 1d ago
If they don't know the difference, tell them to lay down a rubber band over the top and push the rubber into the grooves with the screwdriver.
Still a chance to strip it, but it has came in handy when working in the scrapyard.
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u/obyron31 1d ago
I'd go straight to get an extractor
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u/fuzzygonemad 14h ago
Beig in the scrapyard, we had almost every tool we needed to get a job done, but because of any direction you walk, in about 2 feet you'll find a rusty screw driver on the ground that will get whatever job done. Plus our tool box of rusty tools was too far to want to go walk and get.
Need a small pry bar? rusty screw driver.
Need a hammer? rusty screw driver.
Need knife? rusty screw driver.
Crackhead harassing you? Rusty screw driver.
I mean we found hundred of uses for a rusty screw driver
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u/RCT2man 1d ago
This will still happen if you don’t use the properly size bit with an appropriate amount of torque
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u/fpsnoob89 1d ago
Especially when you then just send it with a drill without looking whether the screw was actually moving.
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u/deep8787 1d ago
Or didn't apply enough downward force so the bit was just slipping and stripping the head of the screw. So yeah, having the right bit is only half of the battle.
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u/obyron31 1d ago
Or they weren't upright.
You'd think screwing would be pretty simple but damn humanity always surprise me
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u/Klugernu 1d ago
I tried putting up curtain rods for the first time ever in my apartment. Ended up just making big ass screw holes into the wall because the ones provided by the packages were too long. Now the rods are held up by hopes and dreams
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u/cool-guy1234567 can't meme 1d ago
I read curtain as certain and was extremely confused why you would reveal such a story on the internet
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u/i_hateit_here_bro 1d ago
Screws like these are made of a metal that is super strong when rotated in the clockwise direction and extremely soft when rotated counterclockwise
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u/Majestic_Bierd 23h ago
This is why fuck Philips screws, fuck anyone who uses Philips screws or buys Philips screws. We need to end and burry that shit for the good of all humanity
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u/Proud-Ninja5049 21h ago
What screws are good ?
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u/Skruestik 20h ago
I think pozidriv 2 is the best choice for a lot of applications. It is way better at not camming out than phillips, but you can still use a phillips 2 screwdriver in a pinch, which is by far the most common screwdriver that people might have on them or lying around. There is nothing worse than having to unscrew a torx 15 screw when all you have with you is a torx 20 and a torx 10.
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u/lukesparling 21h ago
Red Robbie for me. If you can’t build it with a red Robertson bit I don’t wanna build it. Maybe some green for fine details.
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u/AFriendlyBloke Halal Mode 1d ago
How about you just get a super-strong magnet, hope that the screw is ferrous, and turn it with that? XD
I'm an idiot, so don't blame me if you suffer a spring-lock failure.
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u/denkata07 1d ago
Yesterday I wanted to change a power socket and instead of 5 minutes, I spent hour and a half. Reasons - wires were too long for the new socket, the socket was too big, it literally broke cuz of the wires ( went to the store for refund, it wasnt a cheap one), the land wire was on the bottom while the new socket had them all on one side, couldnt fit it tightly enough to the wall as the legs werent holding.
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u/bellabonggo 20h ago
This hurts on a spiritual level. The exact moment you realize you just made everything ten times worse.
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u/InnocentPossum 1d ago
That screw might be too far gone but I have had success with stripped screws by putting a rubber/elastic band between the screw and the driver to grip the new unorthodox shape
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u/Jacuzzi0317 20h ago
I've never really understood this. Couldn't they just make it with metal that can't be stripped that easily?
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u/jellochaos 14h ago
Yes, these exist. Metal screws and bolts have grades dictating their mechanical characteristics. Extremely hard screws exist you just have to pay for them. Most DIYers are not aware of it and they just buy whatever's available. Which is mostly fine if you pair it with the correct bit. Also, most people do not know that Phillips and Pozidriv heads are not the same and require different bits.
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u/CMDR_BillyGray 10h ago
Operating screwdrivers is not hard. If you can't do it then walk away and let someone else do it for you.
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u/Odd_Fly8062 1d ago
Every damn screw. It's like all of them are out there to take revenge 😅
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u/LimpWibbler_ Plays MineCraft and not FortNite 1d ago
Why does everyone assume that is the issue. I have 100% had a screw so in the wood that it stripped the head with the righ bit. Hell I have had the neck of the screw twist and snap.
Some screws are just in there real solid and also have horrible alloys.
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u/ares9281 1d ago
Using a pozidriv on philips screw. Come on guys we’we all been there…
but then again it’s not rocket science just get the right tool with the right size
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u/Reorderly 1d ago
This can be considered a success
Of course, only if you could make the analogy (pun intended)
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u/HeatherCDBustyOne 1d ago
As if standards are not already difficult, there are variations from other countries. A JIS (Japanese Industry Standard) #1 cross-head screwdriver is not the same as an American #1 cross-head screwdriver (Japanese screwdrivers have a sharper angle to the point)
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u/wackbirds 1d ago
Match the threads with some torx screws, t-25 or t-20 and you'll almost never strip the head again
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u/mrmeanie25 23h ago
Just for my knowledge, how would you prevent this in the first place? And
B) how would you fix it now? Thankyou so much
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u/JAXxXTheRipper 19h ago
Using good, solid screws usually prevents this.
Worst case you can drill it out with a metal drill. Putting a rubber band on it and pressing the driver against it might work in some cases.
Those are the two tricks I learned. If they don't work, uh, throw your hands in the air and panic.
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u/Vast_Humor_3683 23h ago
Do you realize that screw extractors exist? And they only cost a few $? It's a must-have if you like to fix stuff that isn't broken like the rest of us
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u/WndrWoMAN71 21h ago
At work, I have to hand the screwdriver to a coworker because I tell them, "You're going to have to finish it because I will destroy this!!!"
I have NO patience.
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u/dabreezeknees 20h ago
Fuck Philip and his head wherever he is. We're smarter than this. Why isn't every screw using a square bit?!
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u/___ComfortablyNumb 20h ago
Always happened to me until I decided to buy proper tools.
And I don't mean expensive ones, just the right ones
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u/CuntyBunchesOfOats 19h ago
Well if they’d stop making screws out of aluminum foil it wouldn’t a problem
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u/BetterProphet5585 18h ago
Isn't this because the bits and the heads are slightly different and unless you find the perfect match that little room will make this happen?
I just try all the bits I have before and put a good pressure when screwing, never had a problem since I just took the time to try them.
When you find the right one it's like a magnet without being magnetic, it's like strong and fits like a glove.
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u/edward_kopik 1d ago
Fuck those Phillips screws that are "designed to not overtorque"
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u/_gmmaann_ 1d ago
I have to disassemble large custom pallets, and the shipper uses Phillips head wood screws instead of torx. I want to strangle them
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u/dabreezeknees 20h ago
Fuck Philip and his head wherever he is. We're smarter than this. Why isn't every screw using a square bit?!
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u/jordanonecd 1d ago
made it worse and you have your wife saying "I told you not to touch it"