Hot or Not? The Maxi S5 Driver
By Sean O'Hara
The Maxi S5 claims to be the “only Phillips driver you’ll ever need.” Maxi promises it’ll drive fasteners normally requiring #0 to #3 Phillips bits without slipping or tearing up the fastener. Late-night-TV boasts aside, that sets of my BS alert.
Its tip features a slightly concave area at the extreme tip with thin wings to fit inside small #0 fasteners while widening closer to the top for larger Phillips sizes.
Hey — maybe it works fine. But we have our doubts as to the strength of the thin wings, and we wonder if it represents any significant cost savings. Wouldn’t it make more sense to own an entire set of cheap drivers with many sizes of both standard and Phillips for the same money? Is it worth $8? Let us know in comments.
The Maxi S5 [Redback Tools]
Street Pricing [Google Product Search]
June 29th, 2007 at 12:00 pm
not. they’re in denial that everyone should be using square drivers
June 29th, 2007 at 12:28 pm
Ditto - I vote NOT as well. .
I don’t know about you, but over time I end up wearing out my bits. (or losing them, but that’s another point entirely).
What happens when this one wears enough to be ineffective? You have to buy a new driver.
If it came in bit form at least - maybe.
The whole company has some pretty um.. questionable products. Like the SketchTape.. What’s up with that?
June 29th, 2007 at 1:28 pm
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000IBKQPK/
$4.79 @ amazon, not too bad.
June 29th, 2007 at 1:30 pm
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000IBJ764/
They also make a 1/4″ drive bit for a bit less @ $1.75. I’m adding it to my cart; it’ll make a nice filler to boost me over $25 for free shipping.
(TM guys - feel free to edit my links w/ a referral tag)
June 29th, 2007 at 4:41 pm
Your ideal driver should completely fill the recess of the screw head to better transfer the torque and avoid slippage. I would imagine using this screwdriver would be like always using the wrong size.
June 29th, 2007 at 9:49 pm
Not. It’s not Snap On, therefore it won’t turn a screw worth a shit.
hee hee hee
June 30th, 2007 at 4:42 am
The BS as far as I’m concerned is that it uses Phillips screws and it’s the screw that strips, not the driver. I never use anything other than Robertson’s wherever possible. So I vote NOT.
June 30th, 2007 at 6:29 am
Not. 1) the old credo “use the right tool for the job” applies here. And, 2) gimmick tools are a waste of money. The Gator Grip socket comes to mind. Stuff like this always winds up rusting at the bottom of the toolbox or on the table at your next garage sale for 50 cents. However cheap it might be, save your money. A decent set of screwdrivers are readily available and not all that expensive.
June 30th, 2007 at 6:49 am
I’m interested. The Phillips tip on the Swiss-Tech pocket tools is strangely capable — it fits #1, #2, and #3 screws at least as well as most regular drivers. It’s what I reach for when I’m worried about stripping a screw. I’ve said for a long time that if Swiss-Tech sold 1/4″ insert bits with this unique tip, I’d buy a pile of them. Now it looks like someone else had the same idea.
That being said, a properly sized screwdriver should be able to deliver more torque than any “universal” tool. Should. Perhaps most screwdrivers are just crap?
The standard Phillips tip has a lot of room for improvement, and not just this way: http://www.instructables.com/id/E49TNOEY9IEP286K44/
I’d definitely try one of these, and if it didn’t suck I’d probably keep it in the car toolkit.
August 2nd, 2007 at 5:20 pm
MaxiS5 works. Me and my whole motor cycle club own one. When we go riding in the bush we only have to take one phillips instead of a box. Why dont you tools by one instead of going on with BS. obiously not a site for tradies!
August 24th, 2007 at 5:37 am
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000IBKQPK/
$2 as part of today’s amazon friday sale.