[HN Gopher] Our screwdriver took three years [video]
       ___________________________________________________________________
        
       Our screwdriver took three years [video]
        
       Author : zepolen
       Score  : 235 points
       Date   : 2022-09-01 07:54 UTC (15 hours ago)
        
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 (TXT) w3m dump (www.youtube.com)
        
       | causality0 wrote:
       | As someone who spends a good portion of his workday using
       | screwdrivers on industrial equipment and computers, I still don't
       | understand why you'd want a ratcheting one.
        
         | bin_bash wrote:
         | I agree, but for small fasteners the palm-saver cap in the
         | megapro screwdriver I have is great:
         | https://megaprotools.com/pages/the-megapro-advantage
         | 
         | It doesn't ratchet. It's basically just a bearing so you can
         | push down on the top and the rest of the screwdriver can move
         | freely--hard to explain I suppose.
        
         | SulphurSmell wrote:
         | I am with you. Been messing with tools my entire life...have
         | tried ratcheting screwdrivers of several kinds...Hard no. If I
         | do lots of screws, I use a drill or impact driver. Or, failing
         | that a nice 1/4 or 3/8 ratchet wrench with the appropriate
         | adaptor + bit.
        
         | pwg wrote:
         | I've had a Snap-On SSDMR4B0 [1] for at least 25 years now. The
         | usefulness of the ratchet is hard to describe, but easy to
         | recognize after using one for the purpose of driving/removing
         | screws. One big benefit, which only really reveals with longer
         | screws, is the ability to drive or remove much more quickly
         | than a non-ratchet type screwdriver. Also, the benefit is much
         | more recognizable driving screws with significant resistance
         | (i.e. wood screws into hard wood, or concrete screws into
         | concrete or cinder-block). You can keep pressure on the screw,
         | and just rotate the handle back and forth to drive in/remove
         | the screw, reducing the chance of stripping out the screw head
         | by releasing pressure to turn your hand or turn the
         | screwdriver.
         | 
         | If you have ever used a ratchet wrench for nuts or bolts vs. an
         | open-end or box wrench, the difference between the ratchet
         | screwdriver and a regular one is much the same as the
         | difference between using a ratchet wrench vs. an open-end/box
         | wrench to tighten/loosen a nut or bolt.
         | 
         | The ratchet in their screwdriver, from the video, has a ratchet
         | sound very similar to the Snap-On model I have.
         | 
         | [1] Current version: https://shop.snapon.com/product/Standard-
         | Handle/8-3-4%22-Rat...
        
           | sokoloff wrote:
           | I have the same one (different color) that I got as part of a
           | larger purchase of secondhand SnapOn tools. I probably
           | wouldn't have initially laid out $75 [or even $40] for it,
           | but after getting it as part of a package deal, I find it a
           | lot more useful than I thought.
           | 
           | It seems similar to the "why do precision screwdrivers have
           | that spinny part on the back?"
        
         | magicalhippo wrote:
         | I highly prefer a ratcheting screwdriver if I have to remove a
         | stubborn philips or pozidriv screw, especially if the screw is
         | not directly accessible or there's limited space for my hand.
         | 
         | This allows me to keep a good grip and the pressure on the
         | screw all the time, ensuring the screwdriver head doesn't slip
         | out of position.
         | 
         | I also find it faster to just twist the shaft of the
         | screwdriver once the screw is loose, something which I find
         | easier with a ratcheting screwdriver (many have a knurled
         | section on the shaft for this).
         | 
         | And a good ratcheting screwdriver allows you to lock the
         | mechanism, so you have the best of both worlds.
        
           | mrweasel wrote:
           | The locking mechanism is really where many cheap screwdrivers
           | fail. If it's to easy to hit, or doesn't lock cleanly in
           | place, it can be pretty annoying.
        
             | magicalhippo wrote:
             | Fair point, if the alternative is between a plain and a
             | cheap ratcheting screwdriver, I'd probably go with the
             | plain one. But I've bought a few "mid-range" ratcheting
             | screwdrivers and I've found them very useful.
        
             | geerlingguy wrote:
             | This is one thing I'm keen on testing. I bought a PB Swiss
             | driver to compare, and the ratchet on it is a huge
             | improvement over every other ratcheting driver I've used.
             | 
             | I never really liked ratcheting drivers but I might make an
             | exception for the PB Swiss (jury's out on the LTT driver).
             | It feels like a real screwdriver when you lock the ratchet.
        
             | denton-scratch wrote:
             | My ratchet driver is Stanley. It's about 15 years old, and
             | it has no faults, other than being too fat for some jobs;
             | the shaft has a sort of rolodex for bits built-in, and it
             | can get in the way. I don't think Stanley make this driver
             | any more (Stanley are not the toolmaker they used to be).
        
               | robocat wrote:
               | Black & Decker bought Stanley in 2010 to become Stanley
               | Black & Decker. They then started becoming an umbrella
               | company, buying many other existing brands such as
               | Craftsman and DeWalt.
               | 
               | It is hard to trust a "brand" any more. From 2017 there
               | is a great summary of brand ownership here: https://www.p
               | opularmechanics.com/technology/gear/a28359/mega...
               | 
               | The consolation of design and manufacturing has lead to
               | some quality problems for existing hand and power tool
               | brands.
        
         | rwmj wrote:
         | What's wrong with ratcheting screwdrivers? I don't use
         | screwdrivers every day, but my cheap[1] ratcheting screwdriver
         | seems to work fine.
         | 
         | [1] Literally free, I was given it at some conference.
        
         | mrweasel wrote:
         | I want, and have, both a ratcheting screwdriver and a "normal"
         | one. For screws that a hard to reach, I don't want to lift the
         | screwdriver between turns. There are certainly cases with
         | tricky screws where a normal screwdriver is much more
         | convenient. It really depends on what I'm doing.
        
         | GarrickDrgn wrote:
         | It really is a matter of convenience. Linus's work is obviously
         | mostly with computers and servers, where you often work in
         | tighter spaces; not having to reposition your whole hand
         | (and/or pull the screwdriver out of the screw and reposition it
         | because of a lack of space) is a nice convenience. Plus, most
         | computer screws are not really tightened very much, so you'll
         | be done with a few flicks of your wrist. He also explicitly
         | mentions he uses the ratchet by turning only the axle and
         | keeping the handle steady in his hand for a lot of the screws.
        
           | smcl wrote:
           | I'm not sure I understand the reposition-your-hand thing. If
           | you're turning the screwdriver you either continuously
           | manipulate it with your fingers or keep rotating your wrist
           | back and forth _regardless_ of whether you have a normal or
           | ratcheted one. Only difference being in the ratcheted one you
           | don 't have to release the grip on the screwdriver (and in
           | non-ratcheted you just have to not grip tightly). And if the
           | screws aren't tightened too much - like in a PC - then you'd
           | need a really light ratchet action for it to be of any use.
           | 
           | I guess it's just a personal preference thing rather than a
           | real _need_ of some sort, which IMO is fair enough
        
             | BrandoElFollito wrote:
             | I use a screwdriver when I have to (so I am a level 0
             | expert) but at some point you have to release your grip on
             | the screwdriver and therefore need a way to keep it engaged
             | in the screw (except if you reposition it at every 1/4 of
             | turn).
             | 
             | This can be annoying (it is always for me) and a mechanism
             | where you can arm the next 1/4 turn without disengaging the
             | screw is great
             | 
             | PS. when I say 1/4 of a turn, this is to to indicate the
             | torsion of the wrist. Could be more, could be less
        
             | brailsafe wrote:
             | Seems like it would be the same reason as any, keeping the
             | driver in place.
        
             | viraptor wrote:
             | > or keep rotating your wrist back and forth regardless of
             | whether you have a normal or ratcheted one
             | 
             | What goes away with the ratchet is the continuous
             | clench/unclench action. While I don't normally have any
             | other RSI-like issues, that movement just kills my wrist
             | after 1 or 2 screws. I've got a ratchet screwdriver with an
             | option to twist/bend it in the middle to get better
             | leverage and the difference is amazing.
        
             | TimMeade wrote:
             | Sometimes you can't see the screw in computer racks. If you
             | have to pull the screwdriver off even so slightly it might
             | be difficult to get back on the screw head. Ratcheting
             | negates this slight issue.
        
               | smcl wrote:
               | I've not encountered this, though maybe I've been lucky
               | enough to only need to handle screws that I can easily
               | keep a bit of pressure on while (idk the right term)
               | "resetting" my fingers/wrist to keep [un]screwing.
        
           | Daub wrote:
           | > He also explicitly mentions he uses the ratchet by turning
           | only the axle and keeping the handle steady in his hand for a
           | lot of the screws.
           | 
           | This is shown in action at this point in the video:
           | 
           | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2K5Gqp1cEcM&t=606s
           | 
           | In many ways, this mimics the function of a jewelers
           | screwdriver:
           | 
           | https://www.victornet.com/milpixpics/1315_GEN-SPC-100.jpg
        
         | bombcar wrote:
         | Much of my use of ratcheting screwdrivers has been replaced by
         | power tool screwdrivers.
         | 
         | If you know how to juice it, you can do amazing things with a
         | bit driver, especially since you can put a _lot_ of force to
         | keep the bit set and still get it to turn.
        
       | linsomniac wrote:
       | Last year I got a very similar looking Channellock that
       | WireCutter recommended and I've really despised a few things
       | about it:
       | 
       | The bits are not retained by magnet, but by a bit-mounted sprung
       | ball bearing. If I don't push the bit in hard enough, it'll just
       | fall right out when I turn it over. It's like that comedy bit:
       | "What time is it?" when someone is holding a drink in their watch
       | hand.
       | 
       | This probably is what led to the #2 Phillips bit being lost the
       | first week I had it when my kids borrowed it to unscrew something
       | in the yard, but that first week was pretty glorious...
       | 
       | And the bits are surprisingly hard to find. Searches on Amazon
       | have turned up few if any replacements, and it doesn't seem like
       | Channellock has a replacement bit set.
       | 
       | Finally, the ratchet mechanism is surprisingly easy to flip while
       | using it, so most sessions I have with it I end up having to
       | reset the ratcheting one or more times in regular use.
       | 
       | Admittedly, Linus talks up how much they worked on getting it
       | just right, but I'd be reluctant to get another driver that used
       | the ball bearing bits. I'd go with something that has replacement
       | bits available, or uses the same bits that my power driver uses,
       | because I always keep bits for it around.
       | 
       | I hate flat screwdrivers with a passion, but that one AvE made
       | years ago is sure a thing of beauty:
       | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shnpPFQAugU
        
         | rowanG077 wrote:
         | I don't think they use ball bearing bits.
        
       | numlock86 wrote:
       | Linus Trust Tips pulling off another "Trust me, bro!"-warranty
       | here or did they do it properly this time?
        
       | TradingPlaces wrote:
       | This is why Apple spends so much time making new products and
       | puts such emphasis on secrecy. All the details matter.
        
       | abestic9 wrote:
       | Project Farm, a YouTube creator that faces various brands of
       | tools off against each other, has purchased an early (but
       | apparently production) release of one of these. In a recent
       | comment on one of his videos he's stated he aims to have a video
       | of ratcheting screwdrivers including this one out in a few days.
       | 
       | I'm optimistic given the attention to detail portrayed in this
       | video, and the fact that Linus displays a passion for quality
       | workmanship in his reviews of other products.
        
         | geerlingguy wrote:
         | Even without many third party reviews, they've sold through
         | 60,000 drivers (and counting) in less than two days. Seems like
         | plenty of people are already taking them for their word, or
         | just want to show support for the channel.
        
           | jccalhoun wrote:
           | They have been talking about the screwdriver for a long time.
           | I'm tempted to buy one because I have been following the
           | development but I'll wait for Project Farm to render a
           | verdict on it before I buy it.
        
           | marginalia_nu wrote:
           | LTT has a lot of goodwill. The brand is managed incredibly
           | well and feels consistently personal, honest and authentic.
           | 
           | Probably a lot of people that just want them to do well in
           | what they do. If you get a decent screwdriver out of it,
           | that's nice I guess.
        
             | simonebrunozzi wrote:
             | And this is not a bad thing.
        
             | graton wrote:
             | True. But they did hurt some of that goodwill with the
             | "Trust Me Bro Warranty" in regards to the $250 backpack
             | they sell.
             | 
             | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OdxVtAiYeL0
             | 
             | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsX3tUA-wJk
        
               | compsciphd wrote:
               | eh. the warranty that they have now issued is less than
               | what the level they want. so people still want to trust
               | them to "underpromise and over deliver" as they say. I'm
               | not convinced it really hurt them.
        
         | isatty wrote:
         | Project Farm makes amazing videos.
        
           | dimator wrote:
           | unrelated: the depth of the YouTube channel library is simply
           | staggering. it amazes me to uncover channels that i
           | absolutely would have subscribed to on day-0 if i had known
           | them.
           | 
           | at the same time, youtube is really bad at exposing you to
           | new _channels_ that you would enjoy. they bombard you with
           | similar _videos_ ( "here's 15 more toilet seat review videos
           | for you!") but they're not able to extrapolate channel tastes
           | for some reason. it's left largely up to the user to dig
           | around for collaterally-themed channels.
        
             | NCC1701DEngage wrote:
             | >at the same time, youtube is really bad at exposing you to
             | new channels that you would enjoy. they bombard you with
             | similar videos ("here's 15 more toilet seat review videos
             | for you!") but they're not able to extrapolate channel
             | tastes for some reason. it's left largely up to the user to
             | dig around for collaterally-themed channels.
             | 
             | This is exactly why I am working on a team to create
             | alternative YouTube recommendations. Our algorithm is
             | designed to surface smaller more obscure but relevant
             | channels.
             | 
             | Search a channel to get a list of channels making similar
             | content. Our recommendations for Project Farm include other
             | tool review channels like A Concord Carpenter / Toolboxbuzz
             | and Thrifty Tool Shed. Click through to A Concord
             | Carpenter's list of similar channels also reveals Tools &
             | Stuff. Thrifty Tool Shed is a great example of a very small
             | yet relevant channel that the algorithm surfaces (~15k
             | subscribers).
             | 
             | Our list of channels similar to Project Farm:
             | 
             | https://channelgalaxy.com/id%3DUC2rzsm1Qi6N1X-wuOg_p0Ng/
             | 
             | Of course there are dozens more channels on PF's list that
             | are about more general carpentry, metalsmithing, and home-
             | engineering projects. And you can use the search bar at the
             | top of the page to search any other channels you watch to
             | get their similar channels lists.
        
           | 51Cards wrote:
           | I do love his videos though I find them a little rapid fire
           | and after awhile I loose track of what is what. His testing
           | methodlogy is pretty thorough and practical but wish he could
           | change the presentation format a little. That said it is such
           | a firehose of details that I don't have any suggestions on
           | how he would do that. I just find it overwhelming to keep
           | track of each product through the test cycles. Maybe it just
           | needs a better summary at the end.
        
             | ars wrote:
             | I also love his videos, but I find them a bit long so I
             | play them at 2X speed.
             | 
             | He usually puts a graph at the end of each segment to help
             | you remember how each brand tested.
        
             | causi wrote:
             | Yes, if he showed summary spreadsheets at the end I
             | wouldn't have to watch the video with a pen and notepad and
             | my finger hovering over the pause button. I wish they would
             | update his wiki again.
        
               | sharedfrog wrote:
               | He's been doing that for a while now?
        
             | isatty wrote:
             | I guess I'm just one of those people that appreciate the no
             | nonsense rapid fire format. I don't have to watch his
             | videos at 1.5x :^)
        
         | jansan wrote:
         | There are "continous" ratchet screwdrivers out there. I just
         | purchased one out of curiosity, just to see how they work.
         | Reviews are very positive, and the same tool seems to be sold
         | unter multiple brand names like "Inbus Flow", "Stier ratchet
         | driver". Cannot find an English webpage, though:
         | 
         | https://www.contorion.de/p/stier-schraubendreher-mit-bit-mag...
        
       | what-imright wrote:
       | Three years to make a screwdriver. That says it all
        
         | ghosty141 wrote:
         | No it doesnt. Have you ever developed any product?
        
       | some_random wrote:
       | Absolutely killed by the way the ad has an ad at the beginning
        
         | CivBase wrote:
         | If that got you, you might like their April Fools video that is
         | nothing but ads.
         | 
         | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Slwai2Jhy_A
        
       | seqastian wrote:
       | Because it's the first time they made a tool and found out it's
       | hard as they went.
        
       | CarVac wrote:
       | There's a reason that ratchets _all_ have the control turn the
       | opposite way: so that if it rubs against something as you operate
       | it, it won 't reverse accidentally.
       | 
       | Linus broke the convention just because he wanted to... it's just
       | as bad as that awful "natural scrolling" that plagues laptops
       | these days.
        
         | luma wrote:
         | Also, you turn the handle in the desired direction of rotation
         | while holding the lock ring. LTT has decided that the ring is
         | what's important, not the handle you are turning.
         | 
         | I disagree but good on LTT for making something they want to
         | use. I'll stick with my Megapro.
        
         | jaimehrubiks wrote:
         | This makes a lot of sense.
        
         | caseyohara wrote:
         | Natural scrolling makes a lot of sense if you think of the
         | trackpad as a proxy for a touchscreen, it certainly feels more
         | natural to me. Not so much on a mouse wheel.
        
         | Scalene2 wrote:
         | They don't all follow that convention. There was one mentioned
         | in the video that doesn't.
        
           | JadoJodo wrote:
           | I think GP was saying that "all" ratchets (including the one
           | mentioned in the video) have it go one-way to avoid
           | accidentally toggling the direction if you rub it against
           | something (e.g., if you put it in a tight space and bump it
           | against the side as you turn it).
        
       | 3pm wrote:
       | Aside from Wera and Wiha, would be interesting if someone did a
       | comparison with a PB Swiss. More expensive and harder to get in
       | US, but should be very high quality: https://www.amazon.com/PB-
       | Swiss-Tools-8510R-30-Twister/dp/B0...
        
         | geerlingguy wrote:
         | I will be testing that driver specifically, just waiting for
         | the LTT driver to ship. Hopefully Project Farm has one on hand
         | too. The PB Swiss has the best ratchet feel by far, though it's
         | a little tight--that's one thing Linus was adamant about on
         | theirs, making it just loose enough that you can easily ratchet
         | the blade with your fingers to tighten without rotating the
         | entire driver.
        
         | immmmmm wrote:
         | yes swiss tools are amazing, at least the single function ones.
         | 
         | disclaimer: im swiss.
        
       | designcode wrote:
       | Imagine because they're first time product designers.
        
         | Havoc wrote:
         | They've been making merch for years, just perhaps nothing of
         | comparable mechanical complexity
        
           | shapefrog wrote:
           | tshirts / hoodies != custom designed mechanical item with
           | many moving parts.
        
             | DrudgeCorporate wrote:
             | Their engineer that they hired specifically for this task
             | had years of previous experience. It's stated in the video.
        
               | [deleted]
        
         | tpmx wrote:
         | This is one of those threads where you find the correct answer
         | at the bottom.
        
         | bigyikes wrote:
         | The primary employee responsible for the screwdriver seemed to
         | be a production engineer with 10 years experience. I'm also
         | aware of experienced product designers they employ. Linus
         | himself has product management experience, and probably employs
         | some PMs too.
        
           | tpmx wrote:
           | > The primary employee responsible for the screwdriver seemed
           | to be a production engineer with 10 years experience.
           | 
           | The first primary employee responsible for the screwdriver
           | was the affable but very young Alex ("I know SolidWorks"). I
           | like his car review videos!
           | 
           | Then towards the like the last third of the project lifecycle
           | they hired this guy with a decade of experience, but wasn't
           | it mostly in EE?
           | 
           | > Linus himself has product management experience
           | 
           | In a PC hardware reseller company. That's about making
           | decisions about what products to buy/stock, not about
           | designing/building something. Quite different. He's most
           | likely aware of the difference, but was still using that
           | phrasing in the video. _shrug_.
        
       | dt3ft wrote:
       | Looks rather bulky for a screwdriver. Kudos on launching, hope
       | they can at least make the cost that was sunk on the injection
       | molds.
        
         | chunkles wrote:
         | Out of curiosity, did you watch the video or just look at the
         | title image and make a call on the size? They actually spend a
         | portion of the video discussing the size and how it is smaller
         | than other ratcheting screwdrivers on the market specifically
         | to fit well in all hand sizes.
        
           | zibby8 wrote:
           | It's not just the ratchet that is bulky. It's the shaft that
           | is bulky as well, which is necessary to accommodate the bit
           | at the end. I inherited a screwdriver with this type of
           | shaft, and it just doesn't work for a lot of screws due to
           | clearance issues. As a result, I have a set of normal
           | screwdrivers, which makes the one with changeable bits
           | totally redundant for all but the most esoteric bits.
        
           | dt3ft wrote:
           | I did, both the video and the pictures on their website. It
           | is too bulky for my taste, sizably larger than what people
           | tend to use here in Europe. It must also be heavier, due to
           | it housing the metal inserts. But then again, I'm probably
           | not their target market. It's a niche product.
        
             | jaclaz wrote:
             | Yes, but I wonder _which_ niche.
             | 
             | The 1/4" socket and shaft is bulky (as well as the handle)
             | and the ratcheting is largely unneeded, a good set of
             | screwdrivers, unless there is a portability issue, is much
             | more practical in a workshop.
        
         | bombcar wrote:
         | The bulky part that worries me (and is why I don't use "bit
         | drivers" usually) is right at the tip - it gets wider within an
         | inch of the screw, which can be highly annoying.
         | 
         | I prefer the "longer bit" drivers that you can find (Milwaukee
         | 48-22-2131 for example) but the best drivers in my experience
         | are the screwdrivers with really long thin shanks.
        
         | KptMarchewa wrote:
         | They've now sold around 60k of them before even one reached
         | customer. They'll be fine.
        
           | kmeisthax wrote:
           | They had a pop-up shop in Vancouver about a week ago or so
           | where people could try them out in person and buy them. This
           | was right before online sales, and Linus did this
           | specifically so that he could...
           | 
           | - Have independent opinions of the product on the website
           | 
           | - Avoid "kickstarter syndrome" (since they have to have mass-
           | production ready before selling them this way)
        
           | bongobingo1 wrote:
           | Depends how it holds up and what their warranty program is
           | like.
        
             | compsciphd wrote:
             | "trust me bro" :)
        
       | cercatrova wrote:
       | Is there a written warranty? They faced a lot of criticism for
       | their backpack which didn't and the response from Linus was akin
       | to "just trust me bro," which, when called out on, they made a
       | t-shirt out of. Left me thinking that response was in very poor
       | taste, making fun of your own customers' hesitations.
        
         | bobsmooth wrote:
         | Linus' whole point about warranties is that they're only as
         | trustworthy as the manufacturer is.
        
           | mrguyorama wrote:
           | Except that's not even remotely true and he's wrong. The
           | whole point of a written warranty is that it carries the
           | force of the law behind it. I don't have to trust a business
           | to "make things right" to attempt to get satisfaction based
           | on a warranty.
           | 
           | His other point about "not wanting to leave a burden to his
           | family" is also bunk. If your business has a bus factor of 1,
           | that's on you, that's your fault, and you can fix that. Never
           | mind that most business laws work out to remove personal
           | liability from business liability.
           | 
           | He seemed to take it personally that people wanted written
           | assurance that their $250!!! backpack could be fixed, despite
           | the fact that he is on record, on the WAN show, talking about
           | how Linus Media Group and Linus Sebastian are different
           | entities with different priorities and often different
           | desires about what to do in a situation. Even Luke thought he
           | was going too far with his view and opinion on the matter.
           | 
           | Thankfully Linus seems like a reasonable person who is
           | willing to do the right thing even if he doesn't personally
           | agree with it, and they now offer a written warranty.
        
             | bobsmooth wrote:
             | If a company really wanted to, it could dissolve itself and
             | the owners disappear. Even if you wanted to force a company
             | to hold up its warranty you'd have to sue them, and who
             | would do that for a $250 backpack? That is what Linus was
             | trying to say.
        
               | mrguyorama wrote:
               | So what? I don't care what a business _could_ do to
               | _attempt_ to violate my warranty rights, I care that I
               | have my rights and can seek justice if they 've been
               | breached. Things are just sooooo much easier to deal with
               | when established warranty law is followed.
               | 
               | There is no valid argument for "I don't want my customers
               | to have warranty rights".
        
         | geerlingguy wrote:
         | Yes, on their product page it has a "LTT Screwdriver Limited
         | Lifetime Warranty" that you can click to expand and read.
        
       | kalleboo wrote:
       | It's pretty impressive how they've sold 60,000 $70 screwdrivers
       | in under 48 hours
        
         | BeefWellington wrote:
         | The power of branding at work.
        
         | jansan wrote:
         | Especially since you can buy a comparable product from Amazon
         | Basics for 14EUR
         | 
         | https://www.amazon.de/AmazonBasics-12-in-1-Magnetic-Ratchet-...
        
           | jgoewert wrote:
           | I could grab a handful of leaves of a tree and shove it in my
           | face hole for lunch. It would be cheaper, but I prefer a
           | salad made of lettuce.
        
         | jaclaz wrote:
         | I think it would be nice to put up an official (or unofficial)
         | registry for owners of this tool, they should put a serial
         | number on it, to be able to track them.
         | 
         | Besides the fact that IMHO a ratchet screwdriver (or more
         | generally 1/4" bits ones) seems like very ill suited for
         | working on computers (too bulky) usually screws on this kind of
         | equipment are rarely very tightened and almost never (unlike in
         | automotive/motorbike/industrial work) dirty/rusted/blocked, so
         | chances of ruining _any_ - if not el-cheapo,  "decent" - normal
         | ratchet screwdriver (or its bits) is near to 0.
         | 
         | But if Wurth sells(?) one for US$ 116.60:
         | 
         | https://www.wurthusa.com/Tools/Hand-Tools/Screwdrivers/Assor...
         | 
         | at around 70 bucks this one is a steal. /s
        
         | flopit wrote:
         | plus 23,000 $250 backpacks in the last few weeks
        
           | bigmattystyles wrote:
           | Is that expensive because it's a way to support the channel
           | or is it a really nice backpack?
        
             | Dylan16807 wrote:
             | Mostly the latter.
             | 
             | Or at least, it has really high design goals and is
             | expensive to produce.
        
         | brailsafe wrote:
         | That's a lot of coin!
        
       | whoibrar wrote:
       | I wish more companies made videos like this.
        
         | Fnoord wrote:
         | I got passed the sponsor (had to laugh at the greed), got quite
         | bored, and lost my attention span at about 5 min in. Just give
         | me the information in a summary already instead of all the
         | blablabla around it. Its like this all too often with videos.
         | They don't get to the point, and refuse to provide a summary.
        
           | cercatrova wrote:
           | Use SponsorBlock, it skips ads and non useful content
           | automatically.
        
           | alias_neo wrote:
           | On the contrary, I loved this video going into the details of
           | the process.
           | 
           | I'm an engineer, and a huge nerd though, and I've always
           | hated ratcheting screwdrivers with a passion for the poor
           | quality.
           | 
           | I can't wait to try out one of these, if for nothing more
           | than to pay for the LTT entertainment/content I enjoy.
        
             | Fnoord wrote:
             | All I did was ask for a summary. Then those who want can go
             | into detail, and those who first want to read a summary
             | (which used to be quite normal when you read e.g. a news
             | article) only read that, or decide afterwards if they want
             | to read further.
             | 
             | Another commentator provided the summary [1], the feature
             | set is available in text supported by pictures at the
             | second half of this page (you can skip the first ~50% of
             | the page if you want to read the summary).
             | 
             | [1] https://www.lttstore.com/products/screwdriver
        
               | Dylan16807 wrote:
               | You didn't just ask for a summary. You strongly
               | criticized the video for not _also_ being a summary,
               | which is very much barking up the wrong tree.
        
               | 4ggr0 wrote:
               | This exact URL is also in the description of the video.
        
               | Fnoord wrote:
               | Hidden, rather, (in an advertising URL) and between all
               | the spam I'm not interested in and which I tend to not
               | read because of low signal to noise ratio.
               | 
               | They could've opted to not include all that spam for a
               | video where instead of someone else's they sell their own
               | product, but no.
               | 
               | The URL was also not marked as containing a summary, btw,
               | and it wasn't on top. Why not? Because they wanted you to
               | read their silly advertisement first.
        
           | [deleted]
        
           | ilogik wrote:
           | here you go: https://www.lttstore.com/products/screwdriver
           | 
           | it even has pictures!!!
        
       | omega3 wrote:
       | For the same price you could get a Wera screwdriver, small
       | screwdrivers and a bottle opener.
       | 
       | https://products.wera.de/en/kraftform_kompakt_kraftform_komp...
       | 
       | https://products.wera.de/en/screwdrivers_series_kraftform_mi...
       | 
       | https://products.wera.de/en/tools_for_bicycles_and_e-bikes_f...
        
         | rhinoceraptor wrote:
         | I have the Wera ratcheting driver, and I don't really like it
         | that much. The shaft is pretty wobbly from the handle, and
         | there's a ton of slop when you have it locked and not
         | ratcheting.
        
           | geerlingguy wrote:
           | Surprisingly even a $16 Doyle driver from Harbor Freight has
           | less slop in its ratcheting mechanism. Overall the Wera feels
           | very nice but its ratchet isn't great.
        
             | rhinoceraptor wrote:
             | I'm also wary of tools with any kind of rubber overmolded
             | handles. That rubber is going to break down after about 10
             | years, it will be sticky and you'll smell the butyric acid
             | vomit smell. I've remember seeing a video of a 15 year old
             | Wera driver with that issue.
        
               | serf wrote:
               | I own 20 year old overmolded Wera drivers that look a
               | million times better than hard plastic Snap-On
               | equivalents.
               | 
               | Not all over-molded things use rubbers that'll break down
               | quickly; and some don't even use rubber at all now that
               | there are performant urethanes and other choices in the
               | arena.
        
         | [deleted]
        
         | exhilaration wrote:
         | A cursory Google search suggests all of their manufacturing is
         | done in Germany, the Czech Republic, and Taiwan -- is that
         | right?
        
           | bombcar wrote:
           | That is correct. Wera are often considered "top tier" in the
           | screwdriver arena.
        
             | tomcam wrote:
             | I just like knowing that there's a screwdriver arena
        
         | greycol wrote:
         | Their bottle opener is great, I spent a while looking for a
         | decent one and ended up with it without knowing the wera brand
         | beforehand. I'm not joking when I say I've bough some of their
         | tools because the bottleopener was such good quality.
        
         | 2rsf wrote:
         | I can confirm, without knowing the name I bought one of their
         | sets and it was the first time I enjoyed using screwdrivers
         | without cursing
        
         | walrus01 wrote:
         | Or Wiha, which is also a very reputable German-manufactured
         | steel hand tool company. Similarly named to Wera but a
         | competitor.
         | 
         | https://www.google.com/search?client=firefox-b-d&q=wiha+scre...
         | 
         | they make some excellent torx, security torx, hex, precision
         | screwdriver sets. in addition to the larger stuff they make for
         | 600/1000V insulated electrical use.
        
           | kabes wrote:
           | And Wiha actually came out better than Wera in some project
           | farm tests. After I went all in on wera screwdrivers and
           | bits. Even though I rarely need them, it hurts.
        
           | nyanpasu64 wrote:
           | Personal story, I ordered
           | https://www.wihatools.com/products/precision-phillips-
           | screwd.... On the plus side, the Phillips screwdrivers are
           | hardened and almost impervious to camming out/slipping (but
           | can still strip on bad screws if you don't apply any
           | pressure), unlike my cheap Amazon screwdriver kit which
           | chewed up Phillips screws for a living. On the downside, the
           | PH0 screwdriver's endcap wasn't spinning freely (until I cut
           | a bigger gap and it spun freely but had increased plastic-on-
           | plastic friction when I pressed down on the screwdriver), and
           | I went through support to get a replacement PH0 screwdriver;
           | I'm not sure whether to feel better or worse about the
           | company. Shape-wise, the screwdrivers are _not_ suited for
           | applying large amounts of torque, but that 's not a design
           | defect but a result of being precision screwdrivers and the
           | shape chosen. Next time I might try a Wera screwdriver, or an
           | iFixit kit (https://www.ifixit.com/Store/Tools/Minnow-Driver-
           | Kit/IF145-4... is the cheapest multi-bit kit but not the most
           | popular one).
           | 
           | I wish electronics were built with Torx screws. Those are
           | practically impervious to stripping if fully inserted, even
           | with the cheapest steel possible (though cheap steel drivers
           | can probably still deform and strip). I've heard mixed things
           | about using JIS (looks like Phillips, isn't Phillips)
           | screwdrivers on Phillips screws, and good things about using
           | them in JIS screws.
        
             | walrus01 wrote:
             | are you quite sure you weren't trying to use a pozidriv bit
             | in philips screws/bolts, or vice versa?
        
         | dsego wrote:
         | Or something like this socket wrench set, the screwdriver
         | handle with a T-bar comes in handy.
         | 
         | https://www.proxxon.com/en/industrial/23080.php
        
         | TheCapn wrote:
         | This is pretty common in my experience? Market some relatively
         | common item to an out-group of individuals at stupid markup
         | based off brand recognition alone and reap the rewards. LTT
         | looks to be flexing his brand here on unsuspecting PC
         | enthusiasts where anyone with more experience in the electrical
         | trades knows where to get higher quality tools for
         | better/similar pricing.
         | 
         | I'll compare to my time in Paintball years ago. Any site
         | marketing woodsball gear to paintballers had nutty markups, but
         | if you went to any Army Surplus or Hunting outfitter you could
         | get a lot of similar gear for way cheaper at better quality
         | because it wasn't marketed specifically to a niche sport
         | relying on brand name alone.
         | 
         | It happens all over the place. Consumers not doing their due
         | diligence have only themselves to blame.
        
           | ptasci67 wrote:
           | I take the video with a grain of salt of course but just to
           | be fair here, the video spends the majority of its time
           | explaining in great detail why Linus did NOT just slap his
           | name on a megapro screwdriver. I actually found the minute
           | details of how they designed, prototyped, and stressed over
           | the screwdriver quite fascinating and while it may or may not
           | translate to quality... it at least is a weak signal to me
           | that someone considered every facet which I believe is
           | somewhat correlated with quality.
        
           | isitmadeofglass wrote:
           | > Market some relatively common item to an out-group of
           | individuals at stupid markup based off brand recognition
           | alone and reap the rewards.
           | 
           | Yes, but is that really so bad? I mean you can get cheaper
           | T-Shirts with better quality than the ones at the merch stand
           | at concerts. People don't buy them because they are under
           | some delusion that their great value for price. They buy them
           | to support the creators, and to be able to show and talk
           | about their support of the creator to others.
        
           | kaladin-jasnah wrote:
           | Another example: I feel like DACs have the same problem where
           | companies like Schiit market their products to Hi-fi
           | enthusiasts when you can get an audio interface with similar
           | performance for a much lower price.
        
           | defterGoose wrote:
           | These types of products generally fall under the header of
           | "lifestyle brands", and IME are experiencing a big boom right
           | now due to the advent of "influencers".
        
         | Kye wrote:
         | There's a reason this is sold right next to t-shirts and mouse
         | pads. This is to support a channel and get something useful in
         | return, not for people who are looking for the best value. LTT
         | does at least put a lot of thought into the stuff they sell.
         | It's not just white-label mystery meat from the cheapest
         | manufacturer in Shenzhen's industrial district. I learned a lot
         | more than I ever thought I wanted to know about Pantone from
         | their video on the Pantone towers they bought for the
         | designers.
        
         | _HMCB_ wrote:
         | Can you buy their stuff in the USA? Looks amazing.
        
           | MisterTea wrote:
           | https://www.automationdirect.com/adc/shopping/catalog/tools_.
           | ..
        
           | 3pm wrote:
           | https://www.kctool.com/
        
             | lostapathy wrote:
             | KC Tool are great people - I highly recommend them.
        
           | colechristensen wrote:
           | You can buy things from other countries and have it shipped
           | here. But yes, Amazon has Wera products.
        
             | soperj wrote:
             | Maybe, could be a chinese knock off brand posing as Wera,
             | you'll never know until it's shipped.
             | 
             | edit: looks like Wera tools specifically are sold by a
             | bunch of different people on Amazon, NEMobile, and
             | BCFasteners are a couple that I've seen, so really no idea
             | what you're getting.
        
               | colechristensen wrote:
               | Eh, Amazon was just an easy example.
               | 
               | Grainger stocks Wera in the US
               | 
               | https://www.grainger.com/category/tools?brandName=WERA&fi
               | lte...
        
               | soperj wrote:
               | Added bonus being that Grainger doesn't track you all
               | around the internet.
        
           | selectodude wrote:
           | Support our friends at Klein. They also make exceptional
           | screwdrivers.
        
             | mauvehaus wrote:
             | They're also available almost everywhere. Your local
             | electrical supply almost certainly sells them and Home
             | Depot has them in the electrical aisle.
             | 
             | Bonus: they sell cabinet tip screwdrivers in the common
             | slotted and Philips sizes.
             | 
             | Edited to add: Snap-On also makes good screwdrivers, and
             | your friendly local garage can probably tell you when the
             | Snap-On truck comes by </edit>
             | 
             | If you need quality slotted screwdrivers for slotted screws
             | with both the width and thickness of the blade specified,
             | you'll likely need to find your local gun and ammunition
             | store (and they'll likely be a special order even there).
             | 
             | Gunsmiths and sewing machine repair people are just about
             | the last people on the planet who care about the blade
             | fitting the slot well in both directions for a wide variety
             | of screw head sizes.
        
               | convolvatron wrote:
               | with very little practice you can easily shape a
               | screwdriver tip with a hand file
               | 
               | edit: its also helpful to do a quick-n-dirty case
               | hardening if you have a gas stove or other way to get it
               | dull red
        
               | serf wrote:
               | >If you need quality slotted screwdrivers for slotted
               | screws with both the width and thickness of the blade
               | specified, you'll likely need to find your local gun and
               | ammunition store (and they'll likely be a special order
               | even there).
               | 
               | or any marine shop. slotted fasteners abound across the
               | seven seas.
        
             | rkagerer wrote:
             | Yeah after reading some of the Wera reviews on Amazon.ca I
             | think I'll stick with my Klein.
        
             | Wistar wrote:
             | My top pick.
        
           | omega3 wrote:
           | If you're in USA I'd just buy something local made. I've not
           | used it personally but I've heard good opinions:
           | https://www.amazon.com/Williams-WRS-1-Magnetic-Ratcheting-
           | Sc...
        
         | hollywood_court wrote:
         | Wera makes quality stuff. I keep a small set of Wera drivers
         | and sockets in each of my vehicles. And I keep one of their
         | multi drivers upstairs in my office and one downstairs in the
         | kitchen. They get used weekly.
        
           | snapplebobapple wrote:
           | I love wera too, their tool check plus stuff is so portable
           | and so versatile. I keep a set in each of my vehicles and a
           | set in the house (that solves 99% of my tool needs, I break
           | out my big tool box maybe once a year at home now that I have
           | this).
        
       | PaulKeeble wrote:
       | The vast majority of the 2 year delay seems to be fraud by their
       | Chinese manufacturer. They were given exact specifications but
       | they didn't build the parts to it to avoid competition with their
       | own production.
       | 
       | They had a bunch of design iterations issues along the way but
       | the bulk of it was fraud.
        
         | dom96 wrote:
         | > Chinese manufacturer
         | 
         | Isn't it Taiwanese?
        
           | blackoil wrote:
        
             | philliphaydon wrote:
             | No.
        
           | PaulKeeble wrote:
           | I believe it is now I don't think they mention it in this
           | video but have done so on the WAN show, the original
           | manufacturer in 2020 however was Chinese, they had to change
           | due to the fraud and lost $130000 in the process.
        
             | KptMarchewa wrote:
             | Video claims it's the other way around. Taiwanese
             | manufacturer screwed them, they changed to Chinese.
        
               | philliphaydon wrote:
               | The Taiwanese company was bought out by another company
               | who is focusing on their own products. The original
               | company had megapro as a long time customer which is why
               | LTT used them initially.
               | 
               | Originally company isn't the issue. The new company is
               | who screwed over LTT. But we don't know who the new
               | company is.
        
               | Dylan16807 wrote:
               | Well unless it was a hostile takeover or something, I
               | think the original company shares the blame for not
               | taking care of their customers.
        
               | philliphaydon wrote:
               | Don't know unless we know who manufactures them, then we
               | can find out. But according to Linus, a company which
               | makes tools bought them out to manufacture their own
               | tools. So it /sounds/ like a hostile takeover.
        
             | tabokie wrote:
             | No it isnt. It's literally mentioned in the video.
             | (https://youtu.be/2K5Gqp1cEcM?t=1009)
             | 
             | > we changed to a different factory in China potentially
             | losing our $130000 deposit in the process.
        
               | TakeBlaster16 wrote:
               | Yep. And 15:25 is when he said the first factory was in
               | Taiwan.
               | 
               | EDIT: Also a bonus mention at 27:35
        
         | Maursault wrote:
        
           | dtx1 wrote:
           | > I would not doubt that, but you're ignoring personality
           | disorder (and/or drug abuse, impossible to say) and fiscal
           | irresponsibility, which each obviously contributed
           | significantly.
           | 
           | who are you refering to? Linus?
        
             | Maursault wrote:
        
           | ChuckNorris89 wrote:
           | _> you're ignoring personality disorder (and/or drug abuse,
           | impossible to say)_
           | 
           | Huh? Does Linus suffer from that?
        
             | Maursault wrote:
        
               | hbn wrote:
               | Your comments read like something written by one with
               | mania more than anything I've ever observed from Linus
        
               | mrguyorama wrote:
               | Dude puts on an excited demeanor so he can get 10% more
               | views in his videos and these assholes out here claiming
               | he has issues. Geeze. How dare you enjoy yourself on the
               | internet.
        
               | Maursault wrote:
        
             | Scalene2 wrote:
             | No, but iirc he is pretty open out add or adhd (I forget
             | which). It seems well managed.
        
               | Maursault wrote:
               | > It seems well managed.
               | 
               | I agree entirely. I think my point had been lost, which
               | was merely speculation on what else beyond fraud would
               | delay release of a screwdriver for 3 years.
        
               | t-writescode wrote:
               | Your "point" was a direct attack on a person with
               | absolutely no evidence. You essentially argued that Linus
               | spent all that time and money on "blackjack and hookers"
               | and that's what took 3 years.
        
       | systems_glitch wrote:
       | Here to flog my personal favorite "insert bits and ratcheting"
       | option:
       | 
       | https://chapmanmfg.com/products/5573-deluxe-standard-metric-...
       | 
       | Same money (slightly less), made in USA, the kind of quality tool
       | you find in the locked part of the old plant maintenance tech
       | that everyone else asks for help.
        
       | zxcvgm wrote:
       | Not an apples-to-apples comparison, but I just wanted to see the
       | price positioning for this screwdriver. It goes for $69.99 [0]
       | and Megapro ratcheting screwdrivers (which they mentioned in
       | their video) goes from ~$50 to $59.99, depending on what bits it
       | comes with.
       | 
       | [0] https://www.lttstore.com/products/screwdriver
       | 
       | [1] https://megaprotools.com/collections/ratcheting-drivers
        
         | bin_bash wrote:
         | For some reason Megapro charges significantly more when
         | ordering directly and last I looked I wasn't able to find them
         | on Amazon.
         | 
         | I was able to find the same screwdrivers for almost 50% less at
         | the local Altex (Texas electronics store). Looks like this
         | ratcheting one is 42.95:
         | https://altex.com/collections/screwdrivers/products/megapro-...
        
           | bombcar wrote:
           | Many manufacturers don't like direct sales, and if they offer
           | them they're basically offering "warranty stock" for sale.
           | 
           | They much prefer selling to distribution.
        
         | master_crab wrote:
         | Megapro is also made in "North America" (I assume Canada but
         | would love to hear from someone in the know). So you'd be
         | supporting the "local" American economy, if that matters to
         | you.
        
           | cjrp wrote:
           | Or Mexico?
        
             | master_crab wrote:
             | Would be great if it's Mexico too. A healthy economy in any
             | of the three N.A. nations is good for all of them.
             | Neighbors have an outsize influence on each other.
        
             | kube-system wrote:
             | Probably not Greenland.
        
           | kllrnohj wrote:
           | In the video they claim Megapro is 20 minutes away from LTT's
           | offices - so that'd be Canada, yeah. Unless that's just a
           | satellite office for Megapro instead of the headquarters.
        
         | Curzel wrote:
         | It's not cheap but it does not seem to be too bad of a value...
         | 
         | YouTuber's merch is generally meant to be a way of supporting a
         | show you like, so once you factor that in, I'm happy with the
         | price
        
         | shapefrog wrote:
         | "The ratchet is based on Megapro's long-standing & reliable
         | design, but has been significantly modified to suit our needs.
         | We reversed the ratchet direction (right for clockwise, left
         | for anti-clockwise), adjusted the spring for lighter back-force
         | which allows you to ratchet-drive even very small screws, and
         | optimized for smoothness and quiet function. It's rated for
         | operation of up to 220 inch-pounds of force."
         | 
         | optimized for an extra $10.00
        
           | qbasic_forever wrote:
           | Why in the world do small screws need nearly 20 ft-lbs of
           | force? That's a level where I'd be breaking out a much larger
           | torque wrench. I'd be shocked if the kind of small machine
           | screws in a PC can even withstand that force.
        
             | rocqua wrote:
             | They don't. The screwdriver isn't meant for that.
             | 
             | Point is "adjusted the spring for lighter back-force" would
             | normally mean the max torque you can use is reduced
             | (because the spring slips). They state the max torque you
             | can use to indicate the effect of the trade-off.
             | 
             | The fact that you think that the max torque is still way
             | more than is needed, is probably why they advertise this.
             | The fact that max torque is way higher than needed means
             | they did not trade off too much max torque to reduce the
             | back-force.
        
             | Pxtl wrote:
             | Because if somebody uses their $50 screwdriver to
             | disassemble office furniture they don't want it to break.
        
             | bombcar wrote:
             | "Instantaneous breaking force" or whatever it is can get
             | pretty high, especially if the screw has been there for
             | awhile, or there's any oxidation, etc.
             | 
             | Starting with the right driver (with a perfect tip that
             | fits snugly) will reduce the chance of camout and can help
             | remove them, but even then it can be a tricky situation at
             | times.
             | 
             | I personally find that having a really _long_ screw driver
             | helps - I can get more torque without slipping.
        
             | throwaway0a5e wrote:
             | High torques on small fasteners are common in electrical
             | and hydraulic applications. But yeah, zero reason for huge
             | amounts of torque in a computer case.
        
               | rowanG077 wrote:
               | High torque on the mounting screws of some CPU coolers
               | can significantly help thermal performance.
        
           | throw0101c wrote:
           | > _optimized for an extra $10.00_
           | 
           | Megapro may have larger economies of scale and therefore
           | lower costs, or Megapro may have already paid off / amortized
           | the cost of development and so felt its margins were already
           | without having that included in the price anymore.
        
             | brianwawok wrote:
             | That's not how a business sets prices. It charges as much
             | as consumers are willing to pay.
        
               | t-writescode wrote:
               | Tell that to Arizona Iced Tea. Not all companies are
               | garbage.
               | 
               | Friendly reminder that LTT sells *all* of its desk pads
               | and water bottles for the same price, no matter the size.
        
               | V__ wrote:
               | If more people are willing to buy the product for a lower
               | price and due to better economies of scale / amortized
               | cost of development the margins also improve then of
               | course they may lower the price.
        
         | Fnoord wrote:
         | I got an iFixit Mako set for less than 60 or 70 USD on a Black
         | Friday sale a couple of years ago. Should I get this
         | screwdriver instead, or is the Mako set suffice? AFAICT the
         | Mako set is better bang for the buck, but I don't know the pros
         | and cons of this LTT screwdriver.
        
           | oliwarner wrote:
           | You can't really get it instead, you already have the other.
           | Does it do what you want at a quality point you require? Is
           | that worth selling at a heavy loss (eBay suggests PS30 for a
           | quick sale)? Are they even comparable products? The Mako
           | looks like an  1/8 " driver for small and odd security bits.
           | 
           | A smooth low-backlash ratchet is the USP. Conscious decisions
           | about materials. I can't speak to your requirements.
        
             | Fnoord wrote:
             | _Other_ people can buy the iFixit Mako [1] set instead of
             | this screwdriver though. Perhaps not for the same price I
             | did (I got the Pro Tech Toolkit on sale instead which
             | contained the Mako set). It also includes Torx which the
             | LTT one lacks.
             | 
             | I ended up buying the LTT one to reduce clutter with a
             | bunch of my current 'normal' screwdrivers, but the end
             | price was about 110 EUR with tax and S&H. Which is rather
             | expensive if you ask me.
             | 
             | [1] https://www.ifixit.com/Store/Tools/Pro-Tech-
             | Toolkit/IF145-30...
        
         | brailsafe wrote:
         | kind of a shame that even though they're based in Canada, if I
         | were to buy one from either company I'd have to pay USD to get
         | it shipped 1 hour away in the same metro area. $10 USD for
         | local shipping apparently
        
           | Curzel wrote:
           | They did explain their reasoning behind this during WAN a few
           | weeks ago.
           | 
           | In short, they are trying to make shipping price more fair
           | for the average customer (including those oversea, or in
           | remote regions) by making shipping a bit more expensive where
           | it is cheaper.
           | 
           | Charging people nearby a bit extra allows them to offset some
           | of those costs.
           | 
           | They provided a few examples of backpacks shipping to remote
           | regions in Canada (I forgot the name, sorry) custom upwards
           | of hundreds of dollars, but they capped shipping price to
           | 50/60$ for every customer.
           | 
           | Very happy to hear that (I live in Europe), but obviously
           | you're probably not a fan of the idea as much as I am hahaha
        
             | ChuckNorris89 wrote:
             | I also live in Europe and I'd love to buy their merch but
             | the shipping and customs costs add up immensely so there's
             | no way I'm buying anything from them.
        
               | Curzel wrote:
               | Yeah, but if backpacks ever become available without
               | backorder I might make a single big order next year, who
               | knows!
        
           | dghlsakjg wrote:
           | That actually sounds in line with what Canada Post would
           | charge.
           | 
           | I had to ship a laptop from me on Vancouver Island to my
           | employer in Vancouver and it cost ~$50.
           | 
           | Shipping in the states is cheap. Shipping in Canada, even
           | very short distances, is not.
        
             | 20kleagues wrote:
             | Use netparcel. It has changed how I view shipping locally
             | within the country and I do it more often now.
        
         | lytfyre wrote:
         | That's understating the difference - Megapro sell for
         | significantly less than that in practice - pricing here in
         | Canada is in the 30 CAD$ range from tool stores, depending on
         | bit selection. The LTT driver is 3-4x the price once shipping
         | and currency conversion is factored in.
         | 
         | [0] https://www.kmstools.com/megapro-ratcheting-multi-bit-
         | screwd...
        
       | jbarberu wrote:
       | I always reach for the non-ratcheting screwdriver when working on
       | electronics. I find the ratcheting mechanism on all drivers I've
       | used to have too much resistance and just start screwing the
       | screw back in rendering it useless and bulky. A bit drive with an
       | end cap that rotates seems to work best for me.
       | 
       | For automotive it's a different story, but then I'd use a ratchet
       | wrench anyway, and fixed screwdrivers in the engine bay as the
       | bits like to fall off in the worst places.
        
         | tootie wrote:
         | Idk what you call it but ones with a back knob that spins
         | freely so you can press with your palm to hold it in place are
         | my favorite for tiny screws. I definitely prefer ratchet for
         | bigger stuff.
        
           | rocqua wrote:
           | Those are called jeweller's screwdrivers.
        
         | afiori wrote:
         | They claim to have and extremely low resistance ratchet.
        
       | tuetuopay wrote:
       | I still don't get why they, as a tech channel with a tech
       | audience, chose the default bit set to include Robertson instead
       | of Torx. It'll be no surprise this driver will be used mainly in
       | an electronics context, where torx is commonplace and robertson
       | hardly seen, even more so outside of north America.
        
         | jonatron wrote:
         | It's a Canadian thing.
        
           | BeefWellington wrote:
           | While true, I've never seen it on a piece of tech.
           | 
           | If this is meant to be a general around-the-house screwdriver
           | set, then the price point is way off. If this is meant to be
           | more of a tech-focused set, missing Torx seems really dumb.
        
             | mrweasel wrote:
             | For most tech related tasks they could get rid of the flat-
             | head bits and replace those with the Torxs. If they really
             | wanted to keep the Robertson bits.
        
               | BeefWellington wrote:
               | I don't agree because I've seen plenty of consumer-grade
               | tech that uses flat-head screws. It's becoming less
               | common but as one example I have a couple of external
               | USB-nVME enclosures that came with flat-head screws to
               | open the external casing. Inside it's Philips.
        
         | jccalhoun wrote:
         | I think they would be kicked out of Canada if they didn't. :-P
        
         | bagels wrote:
         | It is my understanding that Robertson drive is very common in
         | Canada, where Linus is located.
        
           | hbn wrote:
           | I live in Canada and that's news to me
           | 
           | I feel like most of the stuff I'd be using a screwdriver on
           | came from the US, or Japan, or somewhere else. Especially
           | electronics
           | 
           | I don't know if I buy that, LTT has never targeted a Canadian
           | audience. If anything they try to make you forget they're
           | Canadian. They only ever say US prices for things, which
           | makes sense since that audience is way bigger. So I don't
           | know why they'd target a screwdriver to Canadians.
        
             | goosedragons wrote:
             | It's mainly used in construction/industrial stuff here. The
             | bookshelves in my office are screwed to the wall using
             | Robertson for example.
             | 
             | I guess maybe they wanted a more general screwdriver? They
             | don't seem to have the smallest bits either like you might
             | want for general electronic repair or weird bits like the
             | tri-wing or gamebit.
        
             | Scalene2 wrote:
             | They regularly reference them being Canadian, and sometimes
             | do state Canadian prices.
        
         | SayMyName wrote:
        
           | pikminguy wrote:
           | No they didn't. Watch the video.
        
           | leesalminen wrote:
           | The linked video goes into painstaking detail to explain how
           | this isn't simply a white labeled product. Do you have any
           | evidence to support your claim that they're lying?
        
         | mewse-hn wrote:
         | Robertson is really common for network closet / telco
         | demarcation points in Canada
        
         | brailsafe wrote:
         | Ideally if I spent 1 billion dollars on a screwdriver, I'd want
         | it to be useful for general use as well
        
         | jsmith45 wrote:
         | I have heard that many of those screws that appear to have both
         | a long slot and Philips style plus shape, are actually designed
         | to also accept Robertson, and that in so doing using a Philips
         | driver on those screws has a much greater chance of damaging
         | the screwhead. These are often seen on things like outlets and
         | light switches.
         | 
         | (Note, many but not all are designed to accept a Philips
         | driver, with a visible cross that slightly extends past the 45
         | degree angled robertson opening, plus having some visible
         | slopes to the edges rather than near 90 degree edges that a
         | screw deigned for only slotted or Robertson would be expected
         | to have. But there are some that are strictly flat and
         | Robertson only).
         | 
         | For those particular screws the best bit is allegedly the ECX
         | bit, which is basically a Robertson Flathead combo bit, and the
         | second best bit to use is the appropriate sized Robertson bit,
         | with Flathead next, and Philips being best avoided.
         | 
         | This makes including a Robertson driver actually not too
         | unreasonable. I in the US have plenty of switches and outlets
         | could be driven with it.
        
       | CraigJPerry wrote:
       | There's a cheap plastic handle design fairly common on old
       | screwdrivers and i've seen it as a wooden handle on chisels too.
       | I didn't know it's name until recently - the "London Pattern
       | Handle". These are peak handle design IMO.
       | 
       | It lets you hold it in a few different ways, with your fingertips
       | for work where you need to accurately feel what the tip is doing.
       | With the palm of your hand when you need to apply lots of torque.
       | It doesn't roll when you set it down. You can smack the end of it
       | when you need to shock a slightly rusty or reluctant screw.
       | 
       | It's ironic because i think these are the cheapest design and i
       | suspect most companies invent their own design precisely because
       | this design is fairly evocative of old cheap mass produced hard
       | plastic handles.
       | 
       | They just feel so good in your hand though. It's the perfect
       | handle design.
        
         | dkarl wrote:
         | It's hard to image improving on that handle design. It's even
         | good with the hard, slick plastic handles of my old cheap
         | Craftsman screwdrivers. I hate handles where I have to figure
         | out and copy how the designer expected me to grip it. I have no
         | idea how my hand grips my Craftsman screwdrivers, and I don't
         | care. The handle has a bunch of ridges, our hands have a bunch
         | of bumps and ridges, just grab at any angle or grip you want,
         | and the bumps and ridges find a way to catch on each other. The
         | one aspect that could be improved is that the older ones I have
         | are from the 1970s and probably wouldn't work well for people
         | with larger hands.
        
         | wlesieutre wrote:
         | For the visual people, here's a london pattern handle:
         | https://www.benchcrafted.com/londonpatternhandle
         | 
         | You can find the same shape in mass produced modern tools with
         | plastic handles: https://www.sears.com/craftsman-5-pc-slotted-
         | screwdriver-set...
        
         | bluesquared wrote:
         | They also allow you to use a wrench/pliers to apply more
         | torque/holding.
        
           | denton-scratch wrote:
           | That's what the hex section of the shaft, just south of the
           | handle, is for.
        
       | 1970-01-01 wrote:
       | And it has a terrible warranty.                    THE LIMITED
       | LIFETIME WARRANTY DOES NOT COVER:               Bits, as they are
       | considered a consumable item;          Tools which have been
       | subject to abuse, misuse, negligence, or improper storage;
       | Tools which have been used improperly e.g. using the screwdriver
       | as a pry bar or hammer;          Tools which have been altered in
       | any way;          Normal wear and tear (including the breakdown
       | of materials over time);          Cosmetic damage (including
       | scratches or changes in the finish of the plastic handle);
       | Products purchased from unauthorized dealers
       | 
       | Buy Craftsman. Craftsman's Full Lifetime Warranty states anyone
       | can take the screwdriver to the hardware store and take home a
       | new one.
       | 
       | https://www.craftsman.com/support/warranty
       | 
       | https://imgur.com/gallery/VUjZm
        
         | bobsmooth wrote:
         | Or you can just buy a quality tool and not waste your time.
        
           | rozab wrote:
           | The point of lifetime warranties is it incentivizes the
           | company to make something that will last forever.
           | 
           | https://youtu.be/syii9DKnb2M
        
             | bobsmooth wrote:
             | You must not be familiar with Crasftman tools.
        
             | toss1 wrote:
             | Except it doesn't.
             | 
             | An engineer I worked with used primarily Matco & also Snap-
             | On & a few otehrs. He specifically said about Craftsman:
             | "Sure, they have a lifetime warranty that you can go swap
             | one at any store -- that doesn't help you when you are out
             | in the field and the thing breaks and you need it NOW. More
             | than worth it to buy one that doesn't break."
             | 
             | I picked up that approach and can strongly recommend it.
             | I've also bought a lot of Matco tools on eBay with very
             | good results. They just work without problems and last
             | effectively forever. (The one thing that hasn't lasted
             | effectively forever was Snap-On air-powered dual orbit
             | sanders, they only lasted a 8 years or so...)
        
             | ubercore wrote:
             | I feel like the practice is that they bank on not enough
             | people using it, then either take it away entirely if too
             | many people do, or stop individuals they feel are abusing
             | it (in the US, anyway)
        
           | animex wrote:
           | I've never had to replace a craftsman tool during normal home
           | use... 20+ years.
        
             | bobsmooth wrote:
             | In a single summer I went through half a dozen 10mm sockets
             | and one 10mm wrench. Luckily I was working inside a
             | Canadian Tire so I could swap out during a break.
        
             | mrguyorama wrote:
             | Are your tools from before or after Sears cashed in on the
             | brand value?
        
         | Melatonic wrote:
         | Craftsmen is not all that great anymore. Much better USA brands
         | that are made here.
        
       | SeanLuke wrote:
       | A screwdriver that fits _custom bits_. In an industry that has
       | standardized bit design. This seems set up for failure. I
       | understand the reason they did it. It 's not a good reason.
        
         | whermans wrote:
         | Shorter bits, but with an industry-standard diameter. You can
         | use third-party bits.
        
         | pmarreck wrote:
         | You must have not watched the whole thing. There's a "ninja
         | star" (they call it) which when turned allows it to store
         | (fewer) standard bits.
        
         | compsciphd wrote:
         | no, it fits standard bits, the length of the bits is smaller so
         | it can hold more in its internal carry. there's a difference.
        
         | philliphaydon wrote:
         | It fits standard bits. The bit loader holds standard long bits,
         | just 6 instead of 12...
         | 
         | People are clearly commenting without actually watching the
         | video.
        
           | SeanLuke wrote:
           | I watched it but missed this somehow.
        
       | andrew_ wrote:
       | Perfectly balanced, until you lose a bit.
        
       | SadWebDeveloper wrote:
       | Seems like the juicero for screwdrivers... over-engineered tool
       | that without the "LTT" branding could probably sink in the
       | stores.
       | 
       | Personally i like my tools rugged, kinda like Klein does it
       | because "on the job" i tend to thrown them away either on purpose
       | or by accident, this tool looks fragile, if little margins stuck
       | the ratchet mechanism i can not wait what is going to happen when
       | it suddenly falls from the 2nd floor while installing an Access
       | Point or Security Camera.
        
         | tmh88j wrote:
         | > Seems like the juicero for screwdrivers... over-engineered
         | tool that without the "LTT" branding could probably sink in the
         | stores.
         | 
         | I haven't used one so I don't know how durable they are, but I
         | got the opposite impression. The juicero served no purpose. If
         | you don't need a multi-purpose screwdriver that's one thing,
         | but it does have plenty of use-cases and there are a lot of
         | competitors which they showed so they are in demand to some
         | extent. I'd say their attempt is more akin to Snap-on with how
         | much energy they seemed to focus on ergonomics and UX,
         | especially the ratcheting mechanism.
        
           | hotcoffeebear wrote:
           | Plus, it's probably for computer builders and stuff (like
           | ikea things or similar). I don't think those meant for heavy
           | duty or home building.
        
             | jgoewert wrote:
             | Should watch the video they did just before this one where
             | they did a live popup shop and had people trying to torque
             | the hell out of this and it stands up.
             | 
             | Or even during this exact video where he says that if you
             | hit the max torque that this screwdriver can survive, you
             | better have seen that your steel pc case now has a hole in
             | it where the screw used to be.
        
           | throwaway0a5e wrote:
           | >I'd say their attempt is more akin to Snap-on with how much
           | energy they seemed to focus on ergonomics and UX, especially
           | the ratcheting mechanism.
           | 
           | Snap On builds "fine" tools and sells them for premium prices
           | because their brand has a lot of mind share among the
           | customers. Kitchenaid does the same thing.
           | 
           | These people don't a long established brand to power their
           | money printer so they instead turn to marketing. If you want
           | to market an expensive screwdriver to the kind of people who
           | buy them hyping up the manufacturing process is a great way
           | to go about it.
        
             | xenadu02 wrote:
             | Snap On is selling more than just a brand:
             | 
             | 1. They will outfit your new shop on a payment plan (or at
             | least they did at one time), allowing a new mechanic to get
             | started with a full set of tools for not much money.
             | 
             | 2. Their reps come to you with a big truck loaded with
             | common replacement tools and calibration machines. How many
             | people ever read the fine print that says their torque
             | wrench requires calibration every six months, let alone
             | bother to do so?
             | 
             | Kitchenaid stand mixers are selling the fact that they're a
             | classic heavily built design not cheap thin plastic and
             | they're still built in the USA.
             | 
             | Not everyone wants to buy the cheapest $5 widget available
             | and I'm glad the market is able to serve different types of
             | customers. Obviously that can be taken to an extreme (the
             | entire audiophile market for example) but finding product-
             | market fit and serving a specific set of customers
             | shouldn't be demeaned as just "branding".
        
             | tmh88j wrote:
             | They worked with Megapro to develop it, a reputable brand.
             | I haven't used it, but denying potential quality solely
             | because they don't have brand recognition in that space is
             | an unconvincing argument.
        
             | Theodores wrote:
             | My first job as a cycle mechanic was great because we had
             | Snap On for everything and the Snap On van would pop by
             | regularly to keep us with everything needed.
             | 
             | We actually sold fancy bike tools including Park, which is
             | the allegedly professional brand in cycling.
             | 
             | I enjoyed the flex of being able to work extremely fast
             | with those extremely shiny tools. Hence, for irrational
             | reasons I see Snap On as a premium brand to not be
             | questioned, even if all evidence is contrary.
             | 
             | Intel is like that for me, I have heard AMD are better but
             | I cling onto this notion that Intel are always better for
             | floating point and, even though I have no evidence of that,
             | my mind is made up. I will take that Intel CPU and I don't
             | care if it is slower, takes twice the electricity and costs
             | more.
             | 
             | With Snap On I do not know how well their business was able
             | to pivot to the web where you can get whatever tool you
             | want from the jungle store, next day. The Snap On van
             | brought excellence to our door with every specialist tool
             | you could wish for. Price didn't matter because you would
             | need to drive hours to find a stockist of lesser brands.
             | 
             | My personal favourite screwdriver to 'flex' is my Silicon
             | Graphics screwdriver. We have bonded and I am not going to
             | upgrade to some YouTuber's screwdriver.
        
         | kllrnohj wrote:
         | > Seems like the juicero for screwdrivers... over-engineered
         | tool that without the "LTT" branding could probably sink in the
         | stores.
         | 
         | Megapro (LTT's partner on this) has been selling this type of
         | ratcheting driver w/ bit storage in the handle for 25 years and
         | is pretty well reviewed. How did you manage to make the leap to
         | Juicero & only "saved by LTT logo" nonsense from such a well
         | established, long-running product?
        
           | TheCapn wrote:
           | So what advantages does the $69.99 LTT driver have over the
           | $48.99, $54.99, or $59.99 ratcheting drivers sold by Magapro
           | themeslves? I think that's more to what OP is getting at.
           | 
           | Going to a store knowing the LTT driver is a rebranded
           | Magapro, why would any consumer want to pay the markup
           | besides the brand name?
           | 
           | For me, the LTT driver's only notable differences are not
           | valuable additions to justify the cost. I think that's where
           | the Juicero comparison enters: they've added unnecessary
           | engineering to a tool that doesn't require it, then marked up
           | the price for something most people will never require.
        
             | rowanG077 wrote:
             | I mean the video is literally RIGHT THERE explaining in
             | great detail why it's better then the megapro and why they
             | didn't just slap an LTT logo on an existing screw driver.
        
             | kllrnohj wrote:
             | > Going to a store knowing the LTT driver is a rebranded
             | Magapro, why would any consumer want to pay the markup
             | besides the brand name?
             | 
             | It's not a rebranded Megapro, as the video goes into great
             | details to elaborate on. But even if you just _look_ at
             | them, it 's obviously not a white label rebrand. Which you
             | (and OP) is obviously aware of by then also slamming it for
             | having "unnecessary engineering". It can't both be a label
             | rebrand _and_ have unnecessary engineering - those are
             | mutually exclusive, completely opposite ends of the
             | spectrum complaints.
             | 
             | Whether or not the differences are worth $10 is a different
             | question, and altogether extremely different in both scope
             | & tone to the juicero comparison.
             | 
             | > they've added unnecessary engineering to a tool that
             | doesn't require it
             | 
             | What unnecessary engineering?
        
             | kcb wrote:
             | These questions and more would be answered if you watched
             | the video.
        
         | marcosdumay wrote:
         | Looks to me like a run-of-the-mill multipurpose screwdriver,
         | with a perfectly ordinary development effort behind.
         | 
         | I don't think this would break if you drop it from a person's
         | height, but it may break if you drop from the 2nd floor. Just
         | like any similar one.
         | 
         | I guess the lesson here is that you don't want a multipurpose
         | screwdriver if you will work on the top of a ladder. It will
         | just bring you extra problems. (Although I do use mine a lot
         | that way, usually because it's already around. It does bring
         | extra problems.)
        
         | causi wrote:
         | The half-height bits also make it very hard to curate the
         | selection for your specific use cases without buying directly
         | from LTT.
        
           | sacredSaint wrote:
           | They do support full size bits. Though you will be only able
           | to store 6 full size bits instead of 12 small bits. https://c
           | dn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0522/2980/0129/files/Addit...
        
           | O_H_E wrote:
           | Just for people who didn't watch the video. They could only
           | fit 12 bits in that they determined to be "optimal size"
           | handle by making them half-size. But they disliked the idea
           | of locking people into their bits, and changed the design so
           | that a little rotation can adapt the storage area to 6
           | standard-sized bits.
           | 
           | Here is a link to the relevant section
           | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2K5Gqp1cEcM&t=819s
        
           | ghosty141 wrote:
           | Did you all not watch the video before complaining? He
           | specifically mentioned this, its designed so yoi can also
           | have normal bits in the bitset
        
         | rspeele wrote:
         | > juicero for screwdrivers
         | 
         | You have to buy a proprietary packet of orange juice and vodka?
        
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