screwdriver sets, verses individual screwdrivers?

[AbiggerGarage]

What are your most used screwdrivers?  Do you grab them from a large toolbox that has a full set, or are you using the same #2, etc. from a portable toolbox that you frequent?

Trying to figure out what to do for my niece, now, as I debated if I should buy her the Tekton USA made HJE set, or something smaller like I use in my portable toolbox (or just even start with individual garage sale sizes, and let her choose her handles from all my sets when I am gone)

There are many handle and styles I have liked/been happy with. Started with inherited (more like garage sales one here and there), bought the Craftsman standard ones (home repair), bought the Williams for the auto repair toolbox.  Then the Felo/Bondhus wooden handle ones that have been good for light impact duty (stuck screw on side of road), and then the Tekton when I was fixing stuff at the house I was living (now own), and not knowing if I was going to end up with (the house tools had been estated/given away).

[j.a.f.e.]

I tend to buy individual drivers because IMO most sets have a lot of unneeded fillers. Most of the time it's Phillips #2 also one two sizes of flat I use in the shop. At my hobby bench I tend to use a lot of small drivers. 

My all time favorite handle is snap on Instinct hard hard handle. I have small hands and they work well for me. Harbor freight knocked them off but they are the soft handles with rubber overmold. I really dislike rubber overmolds. I also really like the Wera Kraftform.

[wilbilt]

I think I will be leaning toward individual drivers. I Have bought sets in the past, in fact I still have most of the Craftsman set I bought when I was about 18 years old (no, they don't stink!).

I recently got reamed on a "S*K USA" set that ended up being Chinesium.

I prefer to use dedicated drivers to multi-bit driver sets because I don't like to fiddle around with changing bits or looking for them when they fall out or get stuck. Dedicated drivers also have a better "feel".

I vehemently dislike the rubber overmold handles. They absorb dirt and grease and eventually turn into goo.

My 2 cents.

[j.a.f.e.]

,snip.

I vehemently dislike the rubber overmold handles. They absorb dirt and grease and eventually turn into goo.

My 2 cents.

I like the way you think.

[bmwrd0]

I prefer wood handled drivers, I just like how they feel better. I bought sets of Wilde and Grace years ago, and still like them, although I do need to replace a few.

Almost forgot. When I was doing inspections for the PUC, I had a set of Klein. Yes, over*molded, but that was a fairly clean environment, and I did like them a lot. 

[Hickory n Steel]

See this thread, especially post #12.
https://garagehangout.net/index.php?topic=176.0
I really like the tekton hard handles ( I love HJE, but the best deal is directly from Tekton ) , but I have a bunch of driver sets that I really like and none are perfect as a whole so not too long ago I decided to put my favorite Go-to drivers together for main use with the others still on hand when needed.

I would if you can buy or at least handle a regular #2 and a if necessary a #1 & a stubby #2 from each set / brand that you're interested in maybe , that will give you a good idea of how the handles on an entire set would feel.

[AbiggerGarage]

See this thread, especially post #12.
https://garagehangout.net/index.php?topic=176.0
I really like the tekton hard handles ( I love HJE, but the best deal is directly from Tekton ) , but I have a bunch of driver sets that I really like and none are perfect as a whole so not too long ago I decided to put my favorite Go-to drivers together for main use with the others still on hand when needed.

I would if you can buy or at least handle a regular #2 and a if necessary a #1 & a stubby #2 from each set / brand that you're interested in maybe , that will give you a good idea of how the handles on an entire set would feel.

I tried Tekton's site, but they don't appear to sell the red handle ones (all I see for sale are the black handle ones).
Both HJE and Amazon carry some of the Tekton's in sets and individually, but I haven't seen the stubbies available either place, or Tekton's site.  If I had found that, I would have considered the #1-3, individual Tekton, along with their stubbies, and probably just used one of my many, loose (say from her great grandfather), flat head screwdrivers.

On an aside note, that way she will know what a flat head screwdriver is.

In 2020, a snap ring came off the oven door bracket and hit in such a way to keep it from shutting (Friday night in a restaurant).  Six kids went off after I said I quickly need a flat blade screwdriver, and they were all standing at the toolbox, googling what is flat blade screwdriver.  (took me less time to get it myself and remove and shut the oven door)

One of these "kids", wanted to become a machinist (of course didn't happen).

[Hickory n Steel]

I bought mine directly from them, including individuals when I needed to replace one and when they changed / updated the shanks on their stubbies.

If you search for the hard handle screwdrivers you can find a few products, but apparently they decided to discontinue them for some asinine reason.
Currently the options that pop up can be ordered and the prices are very low, but they can't be returned and stock is likely very low.
https://www.tekton.com/search?page=1&keywords=Hard+handle+screwdriver

They also have many of them in the Tekton outlet.
https://www.tekton.com/outlet

[Hickory n Steel]

I did some searching online and apparently Tekton discontinued the hard handles because they are going to start outsourcing them to a German manufacturer.
I'm guessing they will do the same with the other ones once the German made drivers start coming in.

Speculation is WITTE for the OEM since WITTE does do a lot of contract production, if that's the case I am not too happy unless they'll be sourcing hard handle drivers.
WITTE was making Matco drivers at one time, I don't like multicomponent hand tool grips and I handled a MATCO at a yard sale a while back and didn't like it.


If it is WITTE and they source these I'll have to check a set out.
https://www.wittetools.com/en/products/screwdrivers/pro/pro-nature


But if so and they source something typical of WITTE like these I'll be disappointed.

https://www.wittetools.com/en/products/screwdrivers/maxx/maxx

[TexasT]

While I do have a snap on and several craftsman sets, my go to is Klein. I never bought a set but have several to many variations  and use the Phillips and flat ones. I also have a black hard handle Snap-On that I would say is one of my favorite screwdrivers. I also have a powrcraft flat head that was my dads that I will pickup now and then for use.

A set can work if you use most of them but I'd do a few that you know she will use and she can fill in from there.

[AbiggerGarage]

Well it sucks that they discontinued, because I have special ordered stuff, through HJE before.  Found what I needed in the closeout section and through their Amazon store (wanted to print a bunch of socket holders, but since chemo reaction/lack of energy, cheaper to buy then await printing), I've added them to my Amazon cart.  (DRV42002 four piece set, standard #2, 1/4" flat blade and two stubbies)
This should get her started and when I pass she can have my full set, or choose one of the other handles if she prefers.  (personal preference is just that, and she is currently using a bit driver)
I expect I may need to print more wrench holders, but found some I am happy enough with to get started, and then use my old wire spring trick I learned on GJ around 20 years ago.

Picked up some magnetic bars from HF for the back of the drawer to align my impact sockets to.  Still want to make metal socket holders (they were useful for grab and go), just unsure of time/pain restrictions.  May use them on old bed frame material in L configuration for impact sockets.  Picked up those fancy wheel sleeved sockets.  Bought some (think Astro), years ago via damaged freight store for $10 and left them with the shop.  Don't know if I am going to put in toolbox, or make as part of my go/flat tire, impact bag.