Nutdrivers

The Wiha nut driver set

Roger

ROGER1 posted:

The Wiha nut driver set

Roger

Second this recommendation. They aren't cheap, but they are the best!

Do you purchase a metric set or a set in inches for our trains?

They are made in China,buy metric.

Mikey

I know a few nut drivers.....LOL

Loose nut behind the wheel? lol

mikey posted:

They are made in China,buy metric.

Mikey

Hot Water posted:

ROGER1 posted:

The Wiha nut driver set

Roger

Second this recommendation. They aren't cheap, but they are the best!

Second the second. Wiha

mikey posted:

They are made in China,buy metric.

Mikey

Not made in China. Wiha manufacturing locations.    Sold and distributed in China. Even they want good tools.

I purchased this set to have tool roll for my train tool box, but this is the same set.

So, far, there has been close enoughs to any metrics where I haven't rounded any heads.

I have both the metric and SAE set of Wiha drivers, and I added a couple to each set of in between sizes that aren't in the sets.  So far, they've fit everything I needed them to fit.

Moonman posted:

mikey posted:

They are made in China,buy metric.

Mikey

Not made in China. Wiha manufacturing locations.    Sold and distributed in China. Even they want good tools.

Although his wording was ambiguous I'm pretty sure Mikey was talking about the trains, not the Wiha nutdrivers.

Pete

My SAE nut drivers were made by Xcelite, set #PS-120. My metric nutdrivers were made by Wiha, as were my Pozidriv screw drivers.

If I was looking to buy a set of SAE nut drivers today, I'd probably purchase a Wiha set. The Xcelite set is fine, but they are expensive. Older sets came in a soft plastic case (shown below). Current sets come in a hard plastic case which seems fragile to me.

I have that Xcelite set in the soft case, but the Wiha drivers have much thinner walls and more graduated sizes for the SAE drivers.  I keep that Xcelite set in my traveling toolbox, but the bench has the Wiha drivers.

gunrunnerjohn posted:

I have both the metric and SAE set of Wiha drivers, and I added a couple to each set of in between sizes that aren't in the sets.  So far, they've fit everything I needed them to fit.

I'm assuming these are metric fasteners. Went to Wiha but can't sort it out. Could you narrow it down for me?

Thanks

Joe

I have that Xcelite set in the soft case, but the Wiha drivers have much thinner walls and more graduated sizes for the SAE drivers. 

LOL, you've given me an excuse to purchase another set of SAE drivers.

dobermann posted:

gunrunnerjohn posted:

I have both the metric and SAE set of Wiha drivers, and I added a couple to each set of in between sizes that aren't in the sets.  So far, they've fit everything I needed them to fit.

I'm assuming these are metric fasteners. Went to Wiha but can't sort it out. Could you narrow it down for me?

Thanks

Joe

I purchased only those METRIC sizes that I needed in the Wiha line of nut drivers.

From experience, I use a 5mm nut driver almost exclusively. The hex head screws holding the drive rods on my steam locomotives are all 5mm, and they need to be taken off every time the traction tires are replaced.

Otherwise, I find the common fasteners in trains are Phillips head screws.

I like the one's from Sears because they have rubber handles.

Bobby Ogage posted:

From experience, I use a 5mm nut driver almost exclusively. The hex head screws holding the drive rods on my steam locomotives are all 5mm, and they need to be taken off every time the traction tires are replaced.

Agreed. That is why I ONLY purchased three Wiha nut drivers, i.e. sizes 3.0, 5.0, and 5.5.

Otherwise, I find the common fasteners in trains are Phillips head screws.

Well, they may LOOK like "Phillips head", but probably more like JIS (Japan Industrial Standard), which is why I purchased a set of four small JIS screw drivers from Granger, for something like $12.95, some years ago.

Some WIHA is made in Viet Nam.  The good stuff is made in Germany.  Caveat emptor.

Wiha 26592 Nut Driver Set With Precision Handle, Metric, 7 Piece

Wiha 26591 Precision Inch Nut Driver Set, 8 Piece

Wihi here in all sizes,  If the Craftsman thick wall socket does not fit in tight quarters it was a waste of money.

Tom Tee posted:

Wihi here in all sizes,  If the Craftsman thick wall socket does not fit in tight quarters it was a waste of money.

don't be a hater TomTee, Im 6'7" and have big hands. I like the thick rubber handles and they are easy for me to hang onto.

Popi posted:

Tom Tee posted:

Wihi here in all sizes,  If the Craftsman thick wall socket does not fit in tight quarters it was a waste of money.

don't be a hater TomTee, Im 6'7" and have big hands. I like the thick rubber handles and they are easy for me to hang onto.

I'll bet he isn't referring to the "handles", but the wall thickness of the actual socket, i.e. nut driver" hex end. If the wall thickness is too big, then the hex end will not fit into the locomotives side rod counter bore and engage the hex he'd screw.

Don't know particular pricing, but tools intended for occasional and not "professional" (boy, there's a well-over-used word) or production work need not be the most expensive (which are usually the best...) so long as the dimensions are correct, mid-range is just fine - even low-end if you know what you need and its intended use. I have a set of nut drivers that are No-Brand Specials, and they drive locomotive nuts just fine (while the locomotive is driving me nuts). I use them a few times a year. 

gunrunnerjohn posted:

Wiha 26592 Nut Driver Set With Precision Handle, Metric, 7 Piece

Wiha 26591 Precision Inch Nut Driver Set, 8 Piece

Thanks John

POTRZBE posted:

Some WIHA is made in Viet Nam.  The good stuff is made in Germany.  Caveat emptor.

Not to get off the track here but I have some  non train related stuff made in Vietnam and i would say the quality is excellent.

You can do the same work with a 1/4" drive socket set.  Note the (2)  8 point sockets used for square nuts.

Mike CT posted:

You can do the same work with a 1/4" drive socket set.  Note the (2)  8 point sockets used for square nuts.

Can't wait to see how you remove those little hex head screws that hold the side rods on Lionel. MTH, and Sunset/3rd Rail steam locomotives, with THAT set!

Hot Water posted:

Mike CT posted:

You can do the same work with a 1/4" drive socket set.  Note the (2)  8 point sockets used for square nuts.

Can't wait to see how you remove those little hex head screws that hold the side rods on Lionel. MTH, and Sunset/3rd Rail steam locomotives, with THAT set!

I got a 3/4" drive set also.  More torque,  Hot.  

Many of the Weaver brass steam models had the small nut driver included in the box.  

D500 posted:

 I use them a few times a year. 

I use mine a few times a week, so I actually go for the better quality tool.

I confess, I buy seldom used tools at times at Harbor Freight, good enough, and I don't feel bad tossing them if they break.

I have made the mistake of buying "cheap" tools a few times.  Then you buy the good tools. 

Cheap set + Good set = more than the good set would be in the first place. 

This is not the case with all tools as I do own some Harbor Freight stuff.  But, I find that when it comes to small tools, you can't go cheap.  For example, try drilling out a small screw sometime.  Yuck!!!

The photo below shows how I've got my Wihas mounted just behind my work area (on a basement post). I can just reach out and grab them. Mostly SAE, but some metrics in the row behind. To the right is the rack of my precision screwdrivers (mostly Wiha, but includes some ACE models). I actually like the ACE ones better, but they don't have the broad selection of sizes. I've bent some Wihas, but that hasn't happened with the ACE ones. 

Roger

The set of Wiha nut-drivers I have assembled.

Ron