Screwdrivers & Allen Keys

Screwdrivers & Allen Keys

Two things decide whether a driver works: the tip profile and the size. Slotted and flared tips fit a straight screw slot, Phillips and Pozidriv look similar but are not interchangeable and using the wrong one chews the head, and Torx star heads are now standard on appliances and flat-pack furniture. Precision sets in small sizes are for glasses, electronics and battery covers. Allen keys, also called hex keys, come as folding sets, 9 and 10 piece metric sets from 1.5mm to 10mm, and colour-coded sets that save hunting for the right size mid-assembly; a bit-holder version drives the same profiles from a screwdriver handle or a drill. Alongside the drivers sit the diagnostic and recovery items: phase testers in 140mm and 190mm that show whether a terminal is live, screw extractor sets for a head that has already stripped, and impact and nut driver sets for use with a power tool.

The range covers the trade names used across the tool department, including Faithfull for soft grip screwdrivers, Torx and security bit sets, hex key sets and impact nut drivers, Dargan for allen key sets, folding hex sets, precision sets, Torx impact drivers and phase testers, Stanley for metric allen keys, Hilka for screw extractors and Powermaster for phase testers. Related departments are Hand Tools, Socket Sets, Spanners, Drill Bits and Other Tools.