Hey, Folks,

I just did a job that underscored the value of having quality tools:

I was replaciing a lot of tilt-up theater seats, a job which required using a 12†ball-detent bit-holder extension. I had to reach from above the seat-cushion level down through the crack to floor level, to the mounting holes.

I’d stick a 2†#14 sheet-metal screw on the driver, slip it down through the crack, and drive it home. With a flashlight in my teeth so that I could see what I was doing. No problem, although I drooled a lot with that flashlight in my mouth.

I came back for phase 2 having left my Apex bit holders on another job I was doing. I pulled out a spare DeWalt bit holder from Lowe’s, not giving it a second thought. But the DeWalt magnet couldn’t hold the screw! And I needed it to!

Granted, a 2†#14 is a lot of metal, equivalent to a 1/4†lag screw. But hey, the Apex could hold it firmly!

Phase 2 turned into a 2-man job, with one guy driving from above, and the second guy on his hands and knees in the next row back, reaching under to hold the screw on the bit.

As for the 1†insert bits themselves, I’ve been using Apex for over 30 years, ever since I bought an Apex hex-bit holder that had a Yankee shaft — $14 in the pre-cordless 70s!

The bits that I bought with that holder were noticeably sharper-edged and crisper than any other off-the-shelf bits I’ve bought before or since. Much better grab. And they last and last.

So that’s what I buy, although now I have to order them, since they are no longer available locally.

Until the last 5 years or so, I never had much occasion to use Torx bits. Now, since I’m using GRK screws a lot, especially their trimheads, I’ve ended up using GRK’s Torx bits.

I think Piffin said, in a recent post, that he likes GRK Torx bits, because they are stronger than most. I agree that they hold up well, too. And they’re especially handy since they’re color-coded for size. I’ve never bought Apex Torx bits to compare them to, though.

I’d like to see someone like Taunton’s John White figure out some comparative tests. Magnet power, measured in pounds of lift. Durability. What else, though?

And until someone does that testing, what about you?

What brand of bit holder have YOU found to be the best?

What brand of bit?

And why do we have to put up with all of the

that’s on the market?

OK, Guys and Gals, sound off!

AitchKay