My torx wrench broke twice

[talonturbo]

Correct me if I'm wrong but that is maybe due to the design of the thread and the body of the screw.

No, it's the drive pattern. The harder you turn a phillips, the more it wants to push/turn itself out of the head. A good portion of the required force is inward, just to keep the drive in the head.

A torx puts 100% of the movement/force into turning the threads, and nothing else. The work is done in a direction perpendicular to the bolt/screw movement, as was mentioned. A phillips is a combination of perpendicular and parallel.

 

[dennis75]

end the flaming already and just get along guys :grumpy:

here's some reading on the subject at hand: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torx

 

[mauiblue]

Another vote for Wiha bits and wrenches. I've not had any problems with them and they fit great.

 

[EDCeeker]

I've never ever stripped a good phillips or flathead screw.

I have. Both. Many times. (Most often my own fault.)

There's a phillips and a flathead screwdriver on every SAK or small keychain multitool,

Yes, and many drivers are not properly manufactured. Some SAK and multi-tools, for example, have polished screwdriver heads (so they look pretty?), thus making their surfaces less "grabby" and rounding their edges, insuring that, in a fastener that already requires insertion force for a tool to work, that even more is required.

but no one ever will carry a torx driver in his pocket.

I'd be careful with that "never"

Correct me if I'm wrong but that is maybe due to the design of the thread and the body of the screw.

No, that's due to the design of the Torx "interface," if you will.

The Philips driver fitting is almost designed to force the tool out of the screw as axial force is applied. It's easy to get the driver into the "slot," and easier to keep it there, until you start applying axial force. A good slotted screw and properly designed/manufactured hollow-ground driver, properly matched to the fastener, doesn't have that problem. The key word there is "good." Many fasteners, and even more drivers, aren't well-designed/-manufactured. But slotted screws have almost the opposite problem of a Philips: That of keeping the driver in place when axial force is removed.

Hex- and Torx-head fasteners have the advantage of a slotted fastener, w/o the aggravation of the tool being able to slip side-to-side. In fact: With either one, you can frequently release the tool completely (depending, of course) and it'll stay put.

 

[FlaMtnBkr]

Don't buy a set of torx screwdrivers. They will be thin and crap.

I bought hex-bodied torx bits for a 1/4 inch drive (screwdriver or small ratchet) and I can tell you, they will never break. They are only thin a short amount then flare to 1/4 inch. The screwdriver sets are thin about 3 inches to promote twisting or breaking.

That is what I have in craftsman brand. It took the screws out fine. But when tightening, two screws later and not much torque, the bit was ruined.

So much for the never break scenario...

Ryan

 

[EDCeeker]

end the flaming already and just get along guys :grumpy:

Er... "flaming?" Please show me the "flaming" in this thread?

 

[Cougar Allen]

 

[Redguy]

Sorry not into SAK's or multitools. Got a decently equipped garage that I'm in half my time. And you forgot T8

Maybe I should end up buying the CHAX Key Ring Multi-tool.

 

[Daniel Moore]

I sure wish that torx heads weren't as rounded or shallow. I find that the wrenches are well designed, and there are benefits to using torx, but the screw heads are just so delicate. It's also important to remember to never overtighten, and if you're worried about the screw loosening, use some of that semi-permanant (blue) loc-tite.