Better than impact driver

[jaberwok]

I was just wondering if regular old sockets will take the abuse of a hammer whack.

Mine did... just plain ole' craftsman... and if they had broken you can take them to any Sears and get new for free.... the only good thing about craftsman is the lifetime guarantee... I've gone through about 5 ratchets in 4 years...
just inherited a nice S&K set that my Dad had since he was 18 (42 years ago) and never had a problem with it.... i like the metal case over the plastic one my craftsman came in... I'm like a kid in a candy store when it comes to tools :shock:

Cheers

[neil young]

the reason these screws get striped in the first place is our north american phillips screws are differant than japanese ones.

http://www.stanleysupplyservices.com/product-group.aspx?id=7899

[Matchless]

As mentioned earlier in the thread a light air impact driver works without any effort. For allen key heads you can use a standard socket with an allen key bit. Buy one of those kits that contain a 100 various replaceable bits. They usually contain bits that fit your Philips screw exactly and are very cheap. These bits usually have hex shafts. Now get a 1/2" socket that fits the shaft and put the bit in deep, it must be stopped at the back from sliding into the socket. Or just weld it in. You can also use a smaller socket and adapter to fit your air gun.
No set you air impact driver to run less aggressive than usual and apply firmly to the screw and it will come out with no effort.

NEVER hit a screw in aluminium with a hammer, impact driver etc after it is partially loose as you will damage the threads for sure.

If you use a screwdriver in the normal way on tight Philips screws, use the longest handle you can get and make sure the tip is in like new condition. This eliminates slipping and stripping the head if you happen to move the handle slightly sideways while turning.

Thus if you have an air impact driver, make up a socket with the proper philips tips for it and get ordinary allen key sockets for the allen heads and you will never again be intimidated by a stuck screw!

[TheCafeKid]

Another little tip...Hex heads are great..but even they can strip...try using a torx bit that fits TIGHTLY inside...some of you might cringe.. but its a lil trick my grandpapy showed me..it will take some time to figure out which ones fit which hex heads, but it graps ALL of the corners twice...great for breaking a tough one loose...it may get stuck in the head of the bolt..but all you do is tighten it back just tight enough for it to let go and then go on with your allen head wrench.

[Pharkmeh]

The post is entitled, "better than an impact driver". Sometimes the vice-grip thing on a screw driver works for difficult philips screws, but I think saying that it better is a bit of an overstatement. Sometimes in my experience its a lot worse.

must agree - Ive shattered a couple screwdriver handles using the posted method....:shock:

then Im pretty impatient which makes meh a cr@p mechanic..... another 30 mins letting the CRC soak in mighta helped...