3 ms·

> Even flat head is better than those pieces of junk. I would argue that flat head is the worst. They are not designed to be used with power tools.

• vertexFarm 8y ago
  Phillips isn't properly designed for power or hand tools. If it strips with a screwdriver, it's definitely going to strip with a drill. I've rarely seen power-driven Phillips screws that didn't have some sign of stripping, even using torque limiters and even on things fresh from the factory. At least flat head takes uneven torque from hand tools well. It also allows improvised tools to be used in the field. If I'm working on say an off-road vehicle like a dirt bike, I'm going to tend to use just one size of hex bolt (usually 10mm) and flat heads for the screws.
  • devy 8y ago
    I am not arguing for Philips. But flat head has 2 less contact surfaces so definitely even more easily to cam-out.
    • zrobotics 8y ago
      Nope, you are confused about the meaning of cam-out. Flat head is actually significantly less likely to cam out than pretty much any screw fastener type besides inverted hex (allen). Cam out is when the torque applied acts to ramp the driver out of the fastener. The problem with flat head is that drivers do not self center, making them poor choices for power tools. There's a reason flat head screws are still used extensively in firearms manufacture, and it definitely isn't a manufacturing convenience. Carefully driving a flathead screw is much less likely to damage the finish of the fastener, provided the correct driver is used.
      • devy 8y ago
        Ah-ha, I might have mixed up with the screw "stripping" with cam-out but repeatedly cam-out is definitely the main reason to create a stripped screw. Evidently, the cam-out nature of the Philips screw is by design[1] to enable torque-limited application to prevent over-tightening, so it's a feature not a defect! [1]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cam_out https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cam_out