why are there flat head screw drivers and philip head screw drivers? i mean is this really nessesary?

Question

i was workin on something in my hosue today and saw i needed a screwdriver and went to go get one from the toolbox without thinking if it was a philis head or flat head that i needed, i got the wrong one and had to go back and get the other one and that got me to thinking....

is there really any point in making screws have a flat head or a philips head other than to make us have to buy two different screw drivers instead of one?

i mean i dont think the difference of a flat head or philips head is going to determine how strong the screw holds, it just doesnt make sense why they made two different ones.

someone please tell me why they did this

Answer 1

Slotted screws are considered by many to be more attractive if they are exposed. The head can be at a lower profile than a Phillips without countersinking. The first screws invented were slotted.

Answer 2

Several things to try or do, one of which revolves around how much of the screw is sticking out...I've stripped a few screws in my day, and have helped others with their stripped screws. IF the screw is sticking out a half-inch or so, you can take an electric (or battery-driven) drill and open the jaws of the chuck wide enough to slip down over the screw, then tighten the chuck's jaws firmly around the screw head; then put the drill in reverse and s-l-o-w-l-y squeeze the trigger to back-out the screw. Another choice is an E-Z Out: it's a 2-step process...1st step is to drill a hole into the screw head appropriate for the size of the screw AND of the EZ Out (EZ Outs usually come in a set with 3 or 4 different sizes), then insert the EZ OUT bit into the drill, put the drill into 'reverse' and slowly squeeze the trigger...the EZ OUT has 'reverse threads' on it that bite into the screw head and its shank. The bigger the screw, the easier this process is. And, as others have said, try using a ViseGrip pliers to lock onto the screw head and twist the screw out. If the table is wood, and the screw is in all the way, you'll have to dig around the screw head, scooping out enough wood to allow the ViseGrips to get a good hold of the screw. There's also yet-another extraction tool available: it looks just like a Phillips screwdriver, but it's points are a little different: it's hardened 'tool-steel' and you take a hammer and gently pound the head of it into where the recess was on your stuck screw; its steel is hard enough to cut into the screw's head so that you can back the screw out. It's kind of a specialty item, maybe not available at all stores...try a WoodWorker-type store or go on-line if you can't find it anywhere else. When all is said and done, this is why you drill a 'pilot hole' into wood before you start putting in the screws. Good Luck.

Answer 3

Doesn't have anything to do with strength of the screw but with the ease of turning them. It's relatively very difficult to turn in a screw with a flat blade power screwdriver compared to a phillips head because the driver easily slips off the screw head. You'll find many different heads for screws (torx, allen, square) and most all have to do with power-driving them. They didn't do that just to make you go back and forth to the tool box.

Answer 4

And you didn't ask about square and torx drives?

Seriously, have you ever tried to pry anything open with a phillips screwdriver, and have you tried to use a powerdriver on a slotted screw?

DK

Answer 5

probably to make more money on screwdriver sales. however i often find a philips head to hold better on the screwdriver maybe i'm weird or maybe i just wasn't meant for home repairs.

Answer 6

difficult task. check out with a search engine. this can help!