Amazon has
Vessel Ball Grip Ratchet Interchangeable Screwdriver (2200MBH120) on sale for
$23.76.
Shipping is free w/ Prime or on $35+ orders.
Thanks to community member
GimmeYoTots for finding this deal.
Features:- Tip interchangeable ratchet screwdriver
- Interchangeable with 1/4" Hex shank bits
- Powerful Rare-Earth magnet with SUS holder head keeps strong magnet force forward
- Functionally enhanced BALL GRIP with 36-teeth gear ratchet for smooth driving by simple repeated finger or wrist movement
- Using as a stubby ratchet by popping off the blade and inserting 1/4" Hex shank bits
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If you're looking for a driver that interfaces better with certain problematic cross point screw heads, I've actually had the best luck with extremely cheap Chinese drivers. The ones that tend to get thrown in as an accessory with products from Ali Express etc are like gold to me, and are my go to when working on most electronics and other small consumer items these days. The sort of shallow/blunt points tend to fit the screw heads perfectly. My guess is that these are the closest to what is used at most factories where these sort of items are produced.
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I have several ratcheting screw drivers (Snap On, LTT, Work Pro, etc), but none that are stubby... so I'll buy one!
Although I do wish it was JIS. I know others here have said JIS is a myth at this point. I have a set of Vessel smaller "precision" drivers (0000/000/00/0) and they haven't stripped any of my Shimano reel screws, whereas various other precision screw drivers have.
https://www.amazon.com/Hozan-JIS-4-JIS-Screwdriver-3rd/dp/B00A7WAHTU/ref=sr_1_2?crid=240MKQ315G7LM&k... [amazon.com]
Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2022
These drivers are great! I have used them for about 2 weeks now in two old Japanese bikes, one Honda, and one Kawasaki. They fit and hold the screw like a torx bit. Why do they even make Philips drivers? The JIS is so superior. I would not have know if I hadn't tried it. See the picture below of a screw holding the screwdriver on its side. The set is smaller than it looks. The biggest driver is at best a medium sized driver. But other than that they are awesome. Just thought I was getting a big, medium and a small.
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You have to buy old/used stuff to get the JIS bits/screws.
Probably a good idea if you're working on old stuff though.
But with screws on currently produced products from many manufacturers in China, those drivers tend to struggle. My suspicion is that many of these areas used Japanese tools in the past and derived fasteners and drivers that are JIS-ish, but seem to have become their own non-standard standard. For those products, getting a driver from the same area has been a solution for me, where I can comfortably remove and replace even soft metal screws that would be torn to pieces by poorly fitting whia/vessel bits.
So not directly related to the driver in this deal, just information for other people who may have come across Vessel and JIS for similar reasons, and might be thinking of purchasing one with that in mind.
Edit: some images of my PH1 size drivers to illustrate what I mean, and remind myself that I'm not crazy. The freebie Chinese driver on the left has a flatter, closer to a hard 90 degree angle tip compared to the Wiha on the right (which matches the Vessel in this deal in my experience): https://imgur.com/a/twbYPsC
https://www.amazon.com/Hozan-JIS-4-JIS-Screwdriver-3rd/dp/B00A7WAHTU/ref=sr_1_2?crid=240MKQ315G7LM&k... [amazon.com]
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https://bike.bikegremli
"we have not found a true JIS screwdriver for sale anywhere"
JIS standard screws did exist in the past, specifically from Japanese-made products. That said, here's my critique on that article you linked. While it was a longer, detailed article, what I did not see the author mention is that he actually took the Hozan set and use it on old JIS screws to see if there was any perceptible difference from a modern Wiha or Wera (high standard European) Phillips driver. I didn't see the author do the type of testing (even a small portion of it) that you'd see on a Project Farm review, for ex.
The article does mention that the Hozan (likely made by Vessel) drivers did have a narrower shaft and that could have an effect... but, again, I didn's see the author mention any real world tests. So, I have to wonder, are these Hozan drivers truly being falsely advertised as JIS drivers, or, is there really some truth that they work well on older JIS screws. The anecdotal reviews I saw on Amazon did seem to suggest they worked great on older JIS screws... real JIS screws. I do agree that many people, incorrectly, call screws in a modern-day Honda, Toyota, Nissan "JIS" Phillips screws... but there are older, classic motorcycles and (cars?) that used screws made to the JIS standard.
Do you agree or no?
JIS standard screws did exist in the past, specifically from Japanese-made products. That said, here's my critique on that article you linked. While it was a longer, detailed article, what I did not see the author mention is that he actually took the Hozan set and use it on old JIS screws to see if there was any perceptible difference from a modern Wiha or Wera (high standard European) Phillips driver. I didn't see the author do the type of testing (even a small portion of it) that you'd see on a Project Farm review, for ex.
The article does mention that the Hozan (likely made by Vessel) drivers did have a narrower shaft and that could have an effect... but, again, I didn's see the author mention any real world tests. So, I have to wonder, are these Hozan drivers truly being falsely advertised as JIS drivers, or, is there really some truth that they work well on older JIS screws. The anecdotal reviews I saw on Amazon did seem to suggest they worked great on older JIS screws... real JIS screws. I do agree that many people, incorrectly, call screws in a modern-day Honda, Toyota, Nissan "JIS" Phillips screws... but there are older, classic motorcycles and (cars?) that used screws made to the JIS standard.
Do you agree or no?
For me and my uses, this conclusion sums it up well enough:
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For me and my uses, this conclusion sums it up well enough:
The above said, I agree... high qualify Vessel/Wera/Wiha etc, are probably all you need, anyway. I do recall that Project Farm tested Phillips drivers and the Wera Phillips laser cut ends/bits were found to be the best (at least in standard Phillips screws).
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