Good quality but cheap and cheerful Screwdriver set?

[wau5]

Oh where do I start. I had bought a nice kit of 18 different screwdrivers from Lidl I think just over a year ago,
how many I have now, I think like 2 or 3. Where do I loose them.. I honestly don't even know..

maybe anyone has bought a nice set recently and can recommend something that is cheap but still good quality for a set of like 15-20 all kind of different ones?
( that comes with a nice box or an organizer which you can screw to a wall).
I just need them for general househould stuff, fixing stuff, opening things, working on car- basically all the places where use of electric driver is not recommended.
I don't even know the budget.. I guess as less as possible for a stuff that is still of decent quality because I know very well that sooner or later they will grow legs..

 

[Completely Baffled]

O

something that is cheap but still good quality for a set of like 15-20 all kind of different ones?
(

The problem is you don't get good quality tools that are cheap, you only get poor quality tools that are cheap. I suggest you buy 1 good quality driver each month and to be fair you maybe need 4 or 5 for DIY.

 

[crystal ball]

Cheap and quality do not go together

 

[Seafarer1966]

Screwfix tools are usually pretty good.

They have a no quibble money back guarantee as well so if you find that a set of screwdrivers from them is no good you can get your money back no problem.

http://www.screwfix.com/c/tools/scr...sp=managedredirect-_-handtools-_-screwdrivers

 

[Ihavenojob]

a nice kit of 18 different screwdrivers from Lidl

If they are the "Powerfix" branded ones with red & black handles, I have some & can say, for the money they are good. Just wait, they usually have them in a few times a year. Some known brands only exist in name alone so are probably no better or worse than each other. Just avoid Rolson or Silverline. If you want quality, I'm afraid it costs.
https://www.machinemart.co.uk/categories/?search=facom+screwdriver&p=1
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Spear-Jac...936254?hash=item3609b2a3be:g:9-wAAOSwYIxX41KA

 

[JohnD]

It's not a perfect rule, but I say, for drivers and spanners, look for "chrome vanadium" on the packaging and stamped on every tool, and then look to see how nicely ground the tips are. You sometimes see chro-mo (chrome molybdenum alloy steel) which is sometimes said to be better, and I have an idea is non-magnetic.

The chains often get (needlessly big) sets in around Christmas.

Sometimes the big brand names are overpriced for what they are. Wickes were selling an own-brand last year that was better quality than the Stanley set (also Stanley, being American, often has Philips instead of Pozi).

Might have been this budget set
http://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-General-Purpose-Screwdriver-Set-14-Piece/p/200402

 

[cjard]

(also Stanley, being American, often has Philips instead of Pozi).

Might have been this budget set
http://www.wickes.co.uk/Wickes-General-Purpose-Screwdriver-Set-14-Piece/p/200402

Though Phillips and Pozi are both American, and it's not really a case of "one or the other" - they both have their applications; phillips in contexts where it's a good thing if the screwdriver slips out of the screw when to much twisting force is applied, and pozi when high levels of twisting force are required to be transmitted to the screw

Everyone who wishes to use screws with a + shape on the head should own a selection of Philips AND pozi tipped screwdrivers, know the difference and use them appropriately.

I despair of cheap screwdriver sets that only present one or the other, and I'm definitely disappointed that the wiha VDE set I bought recently was pozi when the electrical screws it generally gets used with, are phillips. Poor do!

 

[Belle427]

This is a nice set for the money and its very good quality. Don't be concerned about Halfords advanced tool range as its very good.
Im pretty fussy with tools and I have a lot of Halfords stuff.
http://www.halfords.com/workshop-tools/tools/tool-kits/halfords-advanced-screwdriver-bit-set

 

[Brigade77]

This is a nice set for the money and its very good quality. Don't be concerned about Halfords advanced tool range as its very good.
Im pretty fussy with tools and I have a lot of Halfords stuff.
http://www.halfords.com/workshop-tools/tools/tool-kits/halfords-advanced-screwdriver-bit-set

I got a smaller 8 piece set of those free with a gallon of oil from Halfrauds a few years ago & I honestly didn't want it.

They're actually quite good & have stood up well to lots of abuse.

 

[Bodged]

If you want quality, I'm afraid it costs.

I agree. Buy cheap, buy twice.

PB Swiss gets my vote for quality - especially their slotted screwdrivers, because of their parallel tips and flawless build quality.

Parallel-tip screwdrivers engage better and with less chance of damage. Regular screwdrivers with tapered tips usually engage at the top of the screw slot, where the tips are thicker, which can deform or damage the slot. Since parallel-tip screwdrivers instead have straight sides, the turning force is better distributed across the entire screw head’s slot.

 

[^woody^]

What exactly can go wrong with a screwdriver that is used properly?

Even the cheap generic ones in the supermarket are all chrome vanadium and screw and unscrew screws, and the handles stay on.

I've had cheap drivers for years and they still work. What am I doing wrong? I'd never pay the outrageous prices just for a name stamped on the handle for your mates to see.

 

[Seafarer1966]

The original poster was on about a cheap but reasonable quality set of screwdrivers. PB Swiss are great quality tools granted but don't come into this category. If you are a professional tradesperson yes go out and spend a lot of money on superb quality kit like the aforementioned brand or Facom, Snap On etc.
If you're just after screwdrivers to turn the odd screw occasionally there's no need to shell out the equivalent of Chile's GDP and buy a set of drivers that were hand made by Balinese virgins and blessed by the Pope.

Good point Woody. It's not like the construction of screwdrivers is rocket science. If they are made of decent metal and the handles stay on surely that's the point.

 

[Bodged]

I agree.

However, to answer Woody's question: I've found that high-quality screwdrivers can make a world of difference when it comes to a partially stripped a head or badly rusted screw. Companies like PB Swiss put a lot of extra R&D into getting their bits to fit much better into screw heads, so there's less cam-out. They also tend to have a comfier grip and feel more balanced. I notice the difference, but YMMV.

Also, I find that PB Swiss slotted screwdrivers can be easier to use. They tend not to slip as much as other slotted screwdrivers and rarely chew up the heads of screws made from soft metal like brass. YMMV.

there's no need to shell out the equivalent of Chile's GDP

True. PB Swiss screwdrivers start at £3.

I wouldn't buy 15-20 of them! But I've never regretted buying a couple of PB slotted drivers to supplement cheaper PZ and PH screwdrivers.

 

[Seafarer1966]

I remember watching my grandad sharpening his screwdrivers on a bench grinder. No wonder he knackered up every screw he laid his hands on.

 

[Mattatooi]

Not screwdrivers but I picked up a nice little screwdriver bit set in Lidl for £8.99 last week - bargain.

Very good quality for the price!