Post by paulchapman on Feb 13, 2008 8:27:36 GMT
You can call me old fashioned (it's OK, I've been called worse ;D ) but I like my Yankee spiral ratchet screwdrivers. You will see from this picture that I have rather a lot of Yankees
But as Alf would say, I'm not a collector, I just have a large selection from which to choose ;D
The oldest is the one with no colour on the handle. I bought that 37 years ago and it's still working OK.
However, with the wide range of different screw heads available nowadays, you really need an adaptor to use hexagonal bits that are available for powered drill/drivers. These are the ones I have and a few notes about their availability (which, unfortunately, is not good in the UK)
My oldest adaptor is a genuine Stanley
It is beautifully made and holds all types of bits, large and small, very well. The only problem with it is that the bits are gripped by a spring steel insert that works so well that it's difficult to pull out the short bits - which is why I have included a pair of pliers in the picture. I usually need those to pull the bits out. For that reason I don't use it much unless the job doesn't involve changing the bits. Stanley no longer make this adaptor.
The Trend Snappy adaptor is nicely made and works well. The bits are held mechanically via the groove at the end of all Snappy style bits. However, the adaptor is also a bit of a disappointment
It's only made in one size to fit the largest Yankee, so you still need other makes of adaptor to use with the smaller screwdrivers. It only takes the longer bits with a groove in them (shown at the top of the picture). The shorter bits need the adaptor shown at the bottom of the picture. However, with that fitted the screwdriver get rather long, which could be a problem in some situations
Also the Snappy adaptor is rather large in diameter, which can be a problem when fitting screws in narrow places. Other Snappy adaptors made to fit drill/drivers are narrower and far more elegant, so I don't know why they went for such a fat one for the Yankee.
The CK adaptors are very nice. They are simple and elegant and the bits are held by a magnet. They take all types of bit, short or long
The only slight fault is that the magnet that holds the bit in place is not very strong and Posidrive bits can sometimes be left in the head of the screw when you remove the screwdriver. Unfortunately CK stopped importing them so they are no longer available in the UK. However, they are available via Dieter Schmid in Germany www.fine-tools.com/schr2.htm scroll down to the bottom of the page.
Lee Valley in Canada have recently introduced a range of Yankee adaptors which are excellent
They are elegant and well made. They are magnetic but the bits are held mechanically so they overcome the problems with the CK adaptors. Of all the adaptors I have, I think the Lee Valley ones are the best - slightly better than the CKs and significantly better than the Snappy and my old Stanley.
The Lee Valley adaptors are currently not available in the UK but can be obtained from Lee Valley in Canada www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=3&p=57809&cat=1,43411,43417&ap=1
Cheers
Paul
But as Alf would say, I'm not a collector, I just have a large selection from which to choose ;D
The oldest is the one with no colour on the handle. I bought that 37 years ago and it's still working OK.
However, with the wide range of different screw heads available nowadays, you really need an adaptor to use hexagonal bits that are available for powered drill/drivers. These are the ones I have and a few notes about their availability (which, unfortunately, is not good in the UK)
My oldest adaptor is a genuine Stanley
It is beautifully made and holds all types of bits, large and small, very well. The only problem with it is that the bits are gripped by a spring steel insert that works so well that it's difficult to pull out the short bits - which is why I have included a pair of pliers in the picture. I usually need those to pull the bits out. For that reason I don't use it much unless the job doesn't involve changing the bits. Stanley no longer make this adaptor.
The Trend Snappy adaptor is nicely made and works well. The bits are held mechanically via the groove at the end of all Snappy style bits. However, the adaptor is also a bit of a disappointment
It's only made in one size to fit the largest Yankee, so you still need other makes of adaptor to use with the smaller screwdrivers. It only takes the longer bits with a groove in them (shown at the top of the picture). The shorter bits need the adaptor shown at the bottom of the picture. However, with that fitted the screwdriver get rather long, which could be a problem in some situations
Also the Snappy adaptor is rather large in diameter, which can be a problem when fitting screws in narrow places. Other Snappy adaptors made to fit drill/drivers are narrower and far more elegant, so I don't know why they went for such a fat one for the Yankee.
The CK adaptors are very nice. They are simple and elegant and the bits are held by a magnet. They take all types of bit, short or long
The only slight fault is that the magnet that holds the bit in place is not very strong and Posidrive bits can sometimes be left in the head of the screw when you remove the screwdriver. Unfortunately CK stopped importing them so they are no longer available in the UK. However, they are available via Dieter Schmid in Germany www.fine-tools.com/schr2.htm scroll down to the bottom of the page.
Lee Valley in Canada have recently introduced a range of Yankee adaptors which are excellent
They are elegant and well made. They are magnetic but the bits are held mechanically so they overcome the problems with the CK adaptors. Of all the adaptors I have, I think the Lee Valley ones are the best - slightly better than the CKs and significantly better than the Snappy and my old Stanley.
The Lee Valley adaptors are currently not available in the UK but can be obtained from Lee Valley in Canada www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=3&p=57809&cat=1,43411,43417&ap=1
Cheers
Paul
