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Does someone know why:

1 Slotted screws are still being manufactured?

2 Phillips screws have tapered slots?

As far as I am concerned slotted screws are obsolete. Screwdrivers slip out of them and they bugger up easy plus they are not as strong as phillips screws.

The slots in phillips screws are tapered and so are the phillips screwdrivers. Why aren't all the screws and screwdrivers positive drive. With straight up and down slots so your screwdriver does not slip out? There must be a reason but I can't for the life of me think of one.

Reply to
pete
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They are cheaper. Generally 20-30% cheaper.

Chuck a phillips driver bit in a drill and drive 10 screws as fast as you can. OK now put a spline or Robertson square driver in and see how long it takes you to drive 10 spline head screws. You also can't drive at any other angle than perpendicular to the screw head.

There are actually two types of phillips head: type I and type II. Type II seems to allow a little more torque at the expense of speed of insertion and operating angle.

If you want fast assemblies: phillips head. If you want tight assemblies: socket head. If you're cheap: slotted head.

Don Kansas City

Reply to
Don A. Gilmore

And what about TORX (hexalobular) drive in this order?

Greatings from Germany Joerg

Reply to
Joerg Eisentraeger

Dear Joerg Eisentraeger:

If you want to piss off the customer, then use Torx. If you want to really make service difficult, use one of the many Torx variants.

Torx is a big improvement in *assembly*, but is still much like socket head screws.

David A. Smith

Reply to
N:dlzc D:aol T:com (dlzc)

...If you want something gimmicky and expensive that no end-user ever has a tool for: Torx head.

Don Kansas City

Reply to
Don A. Gilmore

"pete" wrote in news:1106145719.894045.240500 @z14g2000cwz.googlegroups.com:

I'm sure there is *some* reason for #1 As for #2, manufacturing is why. A taper in the slot makes for a nice draft angle on the punch, which makes life MUCH easier on the manufacturer.

Reply to
Anthony

Philips has one more big advantage, that will become apparent if you ever have to work on a dirt bike that's actually been used in the dirt.

-Mike-

Reply to
Mike Halloran

One very good reason for using a slotted screw is the situation where you need a screw that can be removed with a coin in an emergency. Phillips and the others just will not cut it for this case.

Reply to
Dr. Sam

If I am allowed to digress a bit, I really can't understand why a small common consumer product like the UK 13-A 3-pin plug would have both slotted and Philips screws. This means anybody reconnecting the plug would need to use two types of screwdrivers.

(Strictly speaking one would need three screwdrivers: one small slotted, one big slotted and one Philips). .

John

Reply to
John C

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