Something that's been picking at my brains...
 

Well, just been thinking about this for a long time, never found out why, or if there is even an answers.

Why are flat headed (not the phillips..) screws so unpopular now?

Or maybe, were always unpopular?

I mean, they are so much easier to pull out, are almost impossible to strip, and just look so much cooler!

Maybe my family is a bit weird (regardless), but I remember quite a few years back, my dad used to use nothing but flatheads, but has since found and used more phillips screws?

Plus flat headed screwdrivers are multi-functional! They function both as a screwdriver.... (surprise, surprise), but make a pretty good leverage tool! (Tell that to my collection of bike flat tires..)

Anyways, is there a REAL reason they've become so much less... un-used?
Or is it just another "Honda vs. Toyota" or... "Intel vs. AMD" or... well, you get the point.

If you have ever used a cordless drill with a flat head tip to try to drive a screw in or out and could not get the bit perfectly perpendicular to the screw head you will see why flat head screws are not as popular...

You can drive a philips screw with the bit at an angle to the screw head.

Also, using a power driver the slot of the screw tends to "throw" the bit out at high speeds. Pain in the rear, I would be glad to never see a flat head screw again. Plus the tapered slot always wants to force the bit out under load and that breaks the bits and messes up the screws.

I've always used square-head bits when doing carpentry projects. I like them better than - or +

4 points of contact vs 2= superior product

I'd like to see torx hardware on r/c's

Kraken RC makes a titanium torx set for Baja's,figured you'd like to know cause of your conversion.

Nice heads up, thank you!:yes:

This. Don't know why they aren't used more. I guess phillips and flat heads are popular because 1 screwdriver can fit many sizes of screws but they are pretty week in comparison to what else is out there.

When I first got my slash I was so ticked off that it had all hex screws....and now I find it a huge pain my savage has phillips, LOL. Flat heads are terrible...I just imagine screw drivers being thrown off of screw heads. Pretty much everything is better than flat head and phillips if you have the right size bit, if you don't then you're screwed....(get it?! hahahahaha, I crack myself up)

Has nothing to do with RC but timber boats often use flat heads & align the head direction for an aesthetic that others screws just don't provide

http://www.woodenboatfittings.com.au...a/al-bow-s.jpg

The second screw down on the left side is not aligned... Shoddy work. Must be European made?


Kidding of course :-)

You've never owned an old school E-maxx. Nightmare hardware.

Flat heads are still around because they surly do something the others can't, but what? The tool is used more than the fastner. Opening paint cans, scratching lotto, picking doors, car key.... It's more of a mini pry-bar with a twist. Have you ever rounded out a hex head? I turn mine into a huge flat head with the cut-off wheel.

Leverage is the flat head's advantage IMO.

flatheads dont get packed with dirt like all other screws. I hate digging dirt out of all my screws, thats what i use my smallest hex driver for. On the other hand i dont miss stabbing my hand with a flathead screwdriver when it slips.

Flat heads would actually be pretty decent if the slot was captured on both ends. Would never have to worry about stripping, thats for sure.

Flathead screws
 

Flathead screw in general just do not have a very good mechanical look to them. Old fassioned technology that just does not work very well. Fumbling with a flathead screw driver is just too tedeous and frustrating. What Harold pointed out is the reason why things changed many years ago. No matter what direction you turn the screwdriver phillipsheads offer four points of contact giving you better pressure on driving the screw in or out. Where a flathead screw only give you pressure on two contact points as you try to drive it. Moving to allen heads was only natural because the tool kind of locks in place with a near perfect fit between the tool and the screw giving you six points of contact increasing pressure for driving the screw. Tourx screwheads offer an even more precise fitment reducing the ability to slip and strip, but not many people like using them. Allen head screws have a more mechanical look to them and offer a nice clean appearance that appeals to most. 90% of the slip and strips are caused by people using the worng tool or even a damaged tool with rounded edges. Right tool for the right job is always key to having a good experience with any fasteners.

I to love using square head screws on wood projects. They are very solid and rarely slip or strip, and the tool seems to lock in like a key in a lock. Very good choice for building wood projects.

Gotcha, makes sense.

What are these "square head screws"?

Square
 

Simple. Instead of using an allen type of slot in screw heads quality carpenters have been using square heads for many years now. I have never seen them used for anything other than carpentry, but they are a very solid choice for building. Much easier to deal with and give you a solid driving experience for locking in any project. Most cabinet makers use them for hidden attachments because they are easy to drive blind. The tool head slips in easily and dose not slip or strip.

umm, they're square:neutral:

http://i288.photobucket.com/albums/l...are_drive2.jpg

Your the man harold.
 

Funny. Your the man Harold. I should have thought of doing that when I posted. That should clear up any confusion for the square drive screw. What about showing the rest of them as well. Take us to school young man.

OK here is an allen head capscrew.
http://i440.photobucket.com/albums/q...NHEADSCREW.jpg

google images, for all your giving rawfuls crap needs:lol:

Torx head screws
 

Here is a look at some Torx head screws

http://i440.photobucket.com/albums/q...HEADSCREWS.jpg

Compare
 

The three images provided easily show why no one uses straight slot screws any longer. I would imagine that they will still be around for a long time to come, but I will not be using them on anything that I build simply because they are not worth the time put in to messing with them. Any one of these comparisons would work much better and have less chance of being damaged while driving them in or out of your work. The allen head is probably the most commonly used of the three, but I would think the other two would strip less and give you more use of torque holding power.

Yeah, we can machine better screw heads now. R/c guys in the 1700's had no way to drive screws at 10,000 rpm, let alone file a five point hole in a screw head.

Also In a pinch Home Depot only offers m4's in Phillips or Flat head:)

If I had a dollar for every time I stabbed my hands or fingers with a flat head screwdriver I would be a rich man. I hate the flat head screws. I like the flat head screwdrivers though. One of the most useful tools in the garage just useless as a screwdriver.

My favorite is hex screws. I refuse to own a RC that doesn't have hex hardware. My XTM Rail came with Philips hardware and that has all been changed now. All my ohter RCs have hex hardware as standard fittment.

I too cringe when I have to use flatheads or even Phillips.

A big thing I like about allens is that no pressure is needed to use them.
Although a decent fitting flathead shouldn't need much either.

I get why Phillips might be better than flatheads in some areas but I hate them just as much, they look tacky, need more pressure, can be easy to strip and just a general PITA.

Square or Torx would be nicer still I think, should be even harder to strip (even with low quality tools).

I spose for flatheads and Phillips, a lot of people will most likely have 2 or 3 drivers, and it's possible to use these 3 for almost all screws.
Compare that to allens where there are a lot more needed, and that's only for one measuring system.

I think somebody needs to invent triangle screws..
Just to complete the cycle. :lol:

I've never seen those square screws...ever.
They look...odd..

Generally speaking
 

generally speaking I have all Maxx type trucks in my collection, which use all 1.5mm, 2mm, 3mm & 4mm screws even with grub screws, and all of the hop-ups and mods I have done, so that being said I use four different sizes of allen tools and that is it. Sure I have a full set of metric, and sae racing allen tools, but rarely ever use most of them. Phillips strip much too easy and are just not worth the hassle. I would think that the Torx screw would be the best for our hobby, just because of the none issue with the strip factor. The only problem I have had with Torx is breaking the tools when using too much twisting force. I have yet to strip one. I noticed that even two or three of the deck screw suppliers are now using Torx heads for their higher grade screws.

Go for it. Triagle would work well I think.

The sqaure screws have been around since at least the 60's or 70's and are mainly used by professional cabinet makers. I see them in other areas nowa days as well, but they are not very popular just because people don't appreciate that square look on their creations. Like I stated prior even cabinet makers use them mostly for hidden connections under countertops and in places not normally seen by most people.

Honestly, I actually am starting to kinda like the look.
I'm just a bit odd.. :neutral:

I don't know, industrial aesthetics appeal to me..

Which is why I bought lots and lots and lots and lots of black allen cap head screws.
Use them on all my projects!

Square head screws are commonly known as Robertson's named after the guy who invented them in 1909 http://www.robertsonscrew.com/ For some reason everyone knows Mr. Phillip but Mr. Robertson is the square head guy. They have been used in Canada for quite some time.

Hi.Torx fill up with crap when run in the dirt :(

Hex will do the same thing, especially say running under the chassis of a 1/8 buggy. But I'd still much rather use hex or Torx than phillips or flathead. I keep a set of small pics to clean them out, or in a bind you can use a .050" or 1.5mm hex wrench.

Different??
 

And how is that any different than using an allen head screw?? You still have to dig out the gunk no matter what, but the Torx head still gives you a better none strip feel. Like I stated previously either way they are both great hardware for our R/C toys.

question: are torx as inexpensive as allen? and can you get them in the same hardness? or better yet,harder?

Hi.The holes in allen heads dont have the annoying tiny gaps like torks ,where the dirt collects,then collects moisture,then stops you being able to undo the screws.ALLEN all the way:lol:

Triangle's and some others, I like the ones that go one but don't come off, problem is they don't come off.

http://tamperproof.com/categories/tp...ird-power.html

I always have an Xacto knife in my tool kit and that does a great job cleaning out allen head screws on the bottoms of my chassis'

There's always a way to get them off. They make special tools for them.

Torx is definitely top dog in my book. Not used enough. I hate slotted and would be happy to never see another one, EVER.

Have a refastening project underway on a ferry at work. We use copper screws & they are normally slot head because they're the only ones available

This time however they came as square drive! much easier & much quicker

http://i703.photobucket.com/albums/w...h_7e516e14.jpg http://i703.photobucket.com/albums/w...h_8dd916e3.jpg http://i703.photobucket.com/albums/w...h_84f5cc4d.jpg