Screws

[gazza]

dom said:

In fact Spax are now so popular that my local B&Q has stopped selling them

Yes Dom that is true, but did you take advantage of the clearance prices, all big boxes £1.88 per box
(I needed a big trolley)
Cheers,
Gazza.

[dom]

[dantovey]

Can I throw another name into the mix; Winzer Wurth.

I've just started using them since they opened a trade counter in Bradford and although a bit pricey, the quality is second to none. I particularly like their 'Assy' screws - they are self piloting even into hardwood and have a star-shaped drive which is pretty well indestructable.

I believe thay are opening trade counters around the country soon.

Dan

[pj]

Dom,
Local suppliers mostly stock cheap screws but one has now started to stock Screw-Tite as well. He says local kitchen fitters have moved to them and love them. They are very similar to carcass screws with a non threaded part at the top and a coarse single thread but with a different point. Are they stronger for having the non threaded part, I don't know. I agree with you that Spax and Reisser are the best choice, but Spax/Reisser would be a round trip of an hour. I will probably buy Spax from Axminster on the next order but for now I'll try one box of the Screw-tite to get me out of a hole and keep my fingers crossed. I am presuming they are of similar quality to the Spax/Reisser ones as they are in the same price bracket.
I appreciate all the advice/views.

Philip

[dom]

Cheers PJ let us know what they're like

[dexteria]

Toolstation have them on sale:

www.toolstation.com/shop/Fixings/TwinthreadScrews/d90/sd850

[johnjin]

Well just a little bit off topic but as it still concerns screws
Why is it that you can't buy screws that are 35 m/m long except in only one diameter 4m/m. I suppose there must be a reason for this but I can't think of it. So over to you knowledgeable people to put me out of my misery

John

[johnjin]

You awkward sod
I've never even heard of them.

John

[johnjin]

Thanks a lot Senior
I will have a look for them.

Best wishes

John

[modernist]

I use turbo gold from Screwfix and have never had one break. Maybe I'm not putting them in tight enough but they are twice the price of the junk. I find they drill in well and are good at resisting splitting.

[andy king]

Just go back from the Interbuild show at the NEC. I was talking to the guys on the Concept Distribution stand and they have a new range of screws going into the builders merchants (Jewson are stocking now I believe)
They use a new (to me anyway) head design called KTX Drive. (Scrit might know different though! )
Here's a pic of the head design.

It has it's own special driver bit design, and comes with one in each box, but it will also take a standard pozi, a Philips, and a square drive. With the exception of the Philips, (because I couldn't find one...) the screw will grip firmly in any driver point so you can use them without magnetic holders.
The quality is equal to a Spax, and has same design concepts of them and other top end ones, fast cut points, etc.
I fired a couple of 125mm long ones straight into oak with their impact driver pulling the heads right under (VERY, VERY good, 10.8v, far more powerful than the Bosch equivelent)
This isn't an advert for them, but they are certainly worth considering against the other top end ones from what I can see.
More info on the screws and tools here:
www.conceptdistribution.co.uk

Andy

[jfc]

Not made in Germany are they ? ;D

[andy king]

jfc said:

Not made in Germany are they ? ;D

Yeah, I thought the looked a bit like an Iron Cross when I first saw them! ;D
Certainly top notch jobbies though!

[pj]

Just a bit of an update.
I used Screw-tite 4x30 at the weekend and this is what i found-
They start very easy, probably the easiest I used, and drive in well but split oak slightly with the head if it was not countersunk.
I feel they did not grip as tight as the Spax 4x40 that I was also using because of the twin thread bit on the start. When I removed A couple of them the hole left was bigger than that of the Spax.
All in all not a bad experience, I didn't break any but if I Spax or Reisser are on available I will leave Screw-tite on the shelf.
Mind you they are way better quality than the black carcass screws I was replacing

Philip

[Scrit]

andrewking said:

I fired a couple of 125mm long ones straight into oak with their impact driver pulling the heads right under (VERY, VERY good, 10.8v, far more powerful than the Bosch equivelent)

Andy

Any idea how much the driver weighs on it's own without the collated screw nose piece? 2.2kg is hellishly heavy (over extended periods) compared with 1.7kg for Makita's Li-ion impact driver - or are they showing another driver (i.e. not the one on their site)

Scrit

[andy king]

Hi Scrit,

Different beastie. This is the one:


Weighs about 1.4kg with the battery, designed to give Bosch a run for their money.
Guy on the stand said that it's the same company making for the big boys deciding to cut out the middle man and launch their own.
Looks good enough quality, alloy gears, variable speed, two batts, a set of drills and driver points plus spare brushes.
No indication of battery Ah, but Bosch are only packing 1.3s so not a huge difference if these are only 1.0Ah. Sanyo cells are used as well apparently, so reasonably top end.
About £130 I think he said. (might be plus VAT)

Andy

[mel]

quality ....
not quantity
especially with todays "high torque" impact drivers

[Scrit]

Hi Andy

Thanks for that. I've had a play with a Bosch 10.8 volt Li-ion impact driver that one of the guys has just brought back from the 'states and was well impressed by the amount of punch it packs in such a small package. 5 x 120 (metric) screws into solid oak with a 3mm x 40mm pilot without too many problems, just struggled a bit on the last 10mm or so (my 12 volt Makita NiCad will do these screws but complains a lot!).

Strewth, yet another thing for the wish list.......

Scrit

[andy king]

Hi Scrit,

Yep, i've looked at the Bosch one recently, a very nice tool. It does lack that final bit of welly on long screws though, especially without piloting.
This Durofix one will drive a 125mm screw straight into oak, full depth without a pilot! (Their own 'Concept' screw, but impressive nonetheless!)

Andy

[colincott]

Scrit

If you are thinking of getting the LXT Makita

You could get an impact driver body on Ebay for about £70

I have a 14v Makita one and its great ;D

[dirtydeeds]

18v makita li-ion makita impact driver, 6x150s no pilot hole

12v hitachi impact, 6x150s no pilot hole, just not as many as the makita