Popular Woodworking 2000-04 № 114, страница 57
Endurance Test P"'"" --------HI, I Four-Way Screwdrivers For a long time we've been advocates of four- (and five-) way screwdrivers. These economical tools provide four interchangeable screw tips, and the empty bit holder often works as a nut driver. All this for about $5, and the tool fits in your pocket. However, we decided some testing beyond the normal daily wear-and-tear was necessary to qualify these tools as truly remarkable. We ordered some four-way screwdrivers from the Four-One Group (a leading supplier to U.S. hardware stores) and put them through the most rigorous tests we could think of. Here are the results: Toughness Test We wanted to see how tough the entire tool was - the handle as well as the screw tips and metal holder. So we had Cincinnati Milacron (which builds machines to make atom bombs) construct a "toughness tester" that uses the same principle as a steam-driven pile driver. We chucked a screwdriver into the tester and repeatedly rammed the screwdriver into graphite-impregnated polycarbonate with a Rockwell hardness of 62. The test proved dramatically that this really isn't a good way to test a screwdriver. Tip Wear To test the durability of the screw tip, we drove 1,000 2"-long Phillips-head deck screws and 1,000 slotted sheet metal screws into 4 white oak and discovered that the tips got buggered after a while, not to mention the enormous stress and strain on our tool tester (poor Chris). Our conclusion: While the four-way screwdriver is good for occasional use, we recommend you use a corded, or a good cordless drill/driver when you have this many screws. Before the ABOUT OUR ENDURANCE TESTS When a new tool hits the market we do our best to tell you what the benefits and pitfalls are with that tool.While this is good information, we know that the question you really want answered is,"How long will the tool last?" That's what this column is for.We regularly pick a tool we've used in our shop for at least a year that has stood up to our regular use.We make sure the tools we've tested here are virtually unchanged from the versions in the store today. So when you see a tool written up in here, it has been through the Popular Woodworking Endurance Test. —DavidThiel, senior editor After the F t'4* Ml Temperature Extremes A screwdriver has to perform without flaw under extreme weather conditions - such as the heat of a summer noonday sun (we do have sub-Saharan readers). So we subjected a couple four-ways to the intense heat of our "Extreme Weather Simulator" (OK, it was an oven set on "broil"). We're not sure how they performed after this test because the handles melted. Metallurgical Test Next we took one of our test tools, cut the screw tip in half longitudinally and examined it under an electron microscope. We discovered a twisted double-helix pattern, which led us to the conclusion that the screw- results four-way screwdrivers NICE FEATURES • Cheap • Versatile • Handy RECOMMENDED MODIFICATIONS • None, except for maybe finding a way to add a bottle opener to the handle drivers were actually alive, or that we had been drinking. After this we decided against any more testing. Conclusion After our series of exhaustive and expensive tests, we knew way too much about four-way screwdrivers. To sum up, we've determined that they are affordable and tend to provide quality performance under normal conditions. But because the tools couldn't stand up to our rigorous and unbiased test, we just had to fail them. So much for the Four-One Group. PW tests tests 12 Popular Woodworking April 2000 |
