Something a little bit different. Wera launched its handle shape in the 1960s, basing it on the contours of the human hand. And despite a few tweaks, it’s stayed basically the same ever since. Human hands, Wera says, haven’t changed in that time either. Slot-head screws have a single straight notch for the corresponding flat-head or slotted screwdriver. These screws are commonly used in cabinetry and furniture, as well as outlet covers and other basic household items that are screwed in place. Slat-head screws withstand much more torque than Phillips-head screws before the screwdriver slips, meaning they can tighten more than a Phillips-head screw. From smallest to largest, the most common sizes of slotted screwdrivers are 1/8-inch, 5/32-inch, 3/16-inch, 1/4-inch, 5/16-inch, and 3/8 inch. Tri-wing screwdrivers are costly and not easily available like other drivers. These drivers were previously manufactured for use in aerospace engineering, but now you can easily find them in home electronics. #14 Carpenter Screwdriver

Finally, testers assigned scores of 1 to 5 to the screwdriver sets for ease of use, performance, durability, features, and overall value. All scores were tabulated and the winners declared.The middle part between the blade and the handle is called the shank. On its lower part tip or blade is made. There’s also an eight-piece precision screwdriver set that includes four Torx drivers, perfect for taking laptops apart, and even a pair of offset screwdrivers, with a different bit at each end, for those really awkward spots. A halfway house between the Stanley Fat Max set and the cheaper ones, this set from Draper Tools offers a good range of different blades.

Your home and car emergency kits should include basic screwdrivers, and with this reasonably priced tool from LENOX, you hardly need any space to stash this 9-in-1 screwdriver. The comfortably padded handle serves as storage for the included bits, which include Phillips head, flat head, square head, and nut drivers. This is a no-frills tool, but it performed very well in our tests, turning screws without slipping or bending, prying open the lid of a paint can without much effort, and surviving the drop test without damage. It’s worth noting that metric bits have almost completely replaced Imperial-sized ones, but screws put in 50 years ago haven’t heard about this. Still, it’s possible to use a driver that’s slightly too small to loosen a screw, so it’s not worth worrying about having every possible size in your collection. A choice of the most common sizes, in both flathead and Phillips (cross-shaped) will do for most day-to-day jobs. Is it possible to build a toolkit without screwdrivers? We don’t think so. In the average home, you’ll find a vast array of different screws, all of which will – as sod’s law dictates – require the screwdriver which isn’t the one you’re holding in your hand. This is why it pays to invest in the best screwdriver set you can afford, so you’ll always have the right tool for any screw – be it Posidrive or Phillips, Torx or truss head. Our tester liked the compact size of the tool, and mentioned that it was perfect for an emergency kit, the tool box of someone who was just starting out life on their own, or for anyone who only needed basic tools for occasional maintenance or simple tasks around the house. At this reasonable price, you might want to keep a LENOX 9-in-1 in more than one spot around your home, garage, and car. Yes, the design of the screwdriver itself can make a big difference. Some are simple cylinders, while others are shaped for extra grip, with rubberised patterns for you to hold on to. Some have a nut moulded into the haft so you can turn them with a spanner. Others have a hole through the middle so you can insert another screwdriver for extra force.

Buy one of these screwdriver sets and you’ll be ready for DIY duties and beyond

The handle has a magnetic holder that helps keep the bit in place. We found this screwdriver set to be easy to use, and the ergonomic handle comfortable to grip. It easily handled all of our tests, but our product tester did comment that it was a bit difficult to get some of the bits out of the storage case. Still, if you handle a lot of projects that require hex keys, this is a great set.

A screwdriver is used for tightening or loosening the screw. A round rod with a flat end, having a handle at the other end, is called a screwdriver. The length of a screwdriver is measured, excluding the handle. The length of a screwdriver varies from 50 millimeters i.e., 2” to 18”. Before you buy the biggest set you can find, ask yourself what your priorities are – if you just want a set for occasional DIY, then you don’t need a 100-piece set with every possible head. Equally, if you need a set for specific technical jobs, in addition to everyday home DIY, then it pays to make sure you buy a set that covers every eventuality, and has a suitably wide range of head types and sizes.Everything about this set is sensibly designed, from the shot-blasted tips that reduce breakage, to the ergonomic shapes and smooth domed ends to the handles that allow them to spin easily. Colour-coded ends mean you’ll soon be able to identify the tool you want without having to peer at the tip. This is a specialised set of electrical screwdrivers, all fully insulated. You get two handles, and 17 inserts, all 154mm long, to go in them, plus a matching pair of pliers and insulation strippers. All the blades are extra-slim for working with sunken screws or those that are kept down by springs, and you get a selection of straight, Phillips, Pozidriv and Torx ends, none of them particularly big. While testing, we noted that the storage case is well organized, with each slot clearly labeled as to the size and type of bit, but that the case might be a bit flimsy. Still, we think this set is a very useful addition to the tool box of anyone who might ever need to work on electronics, tighten the screws on a pair of glasses, or fix a piece of jewelry. The set performed very well in all of our tests, and it's reasonably priced, to boot. As its name indicates these types of screwdrivers are used for tightening or loosening different types of screws. These are available in small as well as larger sizes. Flathead screwdrivers have a handle of wood or plastic fixed to them.

Here we’ll explain all the key technical features you need to consider and suggest some of our favourite screwdriver sets. Read on and you’ll find everything from screwdriver sets for the reluctant DIYer to the most proactive home improvement enthusiast. Ullman reached out to Deane Biermeier, a licensed contractor and carpenter, as well as member of The Spruce's Home Improvement Review Board, for further insights. The price for this set is high, and there are certainly cheaper insulated options available on the market, but Wiha is one of the highest quality manufacturers of professional screwdrivers. If you regularly work on any type of electrical system, it will be well worth the price, however.The most common types of screwdrivers on the market are flat-head and Phillips-head screwdrivers. If you have these two types of screwdrivers in your arsenal, you will be able to work with a majority of screw heads. If you’ve ever been to a hardware store, you’ve probably seen hundreds of screwdrivers in a variety of designs, sizes, and other characteristics. Actually, the type of screwdriver you use depends entirely on the type of recess or screw drive you use.