A screwdriver is the most common hand tool found in any toolbox or household. Their primary purpose is to tighten or loosen screws. There are many head types and sizes to choose from depending on the application. RS offer a huge range of the most popular brands such as; Bahco, CooperTools, Facom, Wera, Knipex, Wiha, Weller, Stanley and RS PRO with large stock quantities.
Whether you are a DIY enthusiast or a tradesperson it is very important to have the right screwdriver to avoid damaging screw heads and driver tips alike. View our screwdrivers guide which illustrates a wide range of screwdriver options to help you select the model that best suits you and your work.
Before choosing a screwdriver or Screwdriver Set it's important to consider your application, comfort, and design before making a considered purchase.
Handle: Generally shaped to prevent rolling on flat surfaces and can also be ergonomic to improve comfort. Most commonly, handles are made of a composite of hard plastic such as cellulose acetate or thermoplastic rubber to improve grip. Some screwdriver handles are VDE approved meaning they are insulated for safe working around potentially live circuits.
Shaft: Made of strong steel to ensure that bending or twisting deformation does not occur when applying force. The shafts are round or have a hexagonal shape for more torque transfer. Some screwdrivers will have bare metal shafts while others will also boast a VDE approved insulated coating to ensure you can work as safe as possible.
Tips: An important part of a screwdriver, the driver's tip makes contact with the screw head and delivers the rotating force (torque). There is a huge choice of tips and further variations with different sizes.
Material: Screwdrivers, driver shafts and their tips can be made of a range of materials suitable to wide range of applications, depending on the environment you are working in and any specific working needs you may have. Some materials include;
Some of the most common screwdriver tip types include Pozidriv (PZ), Phillips (PH) and Flathead (also known as a standard), Torx (T or TX) along with a wide variety of specialist tip types for applications such as security screws.
VDE approval ensures that tools like screwdrivers are safe to use when working with electricity. A VDE-approved tool means that it has passed a series of rigorous tests ensuring the quality, safety, construction, and ergonomics have been met. VDE qualification ensures that a product is tested to 10,000V ensuring total safe working when working on potentially live equipment up to 1000V.
ESD Anti-Static screwdrivers are made for use on sensitive electronic components by allowing controlled dissipation of static build-up. Electrostatic discharge (ESD) is the release of static electricity when two elements encounter each other.