Comments on: A Better Hook Driver?

By: Nick Carter

Nick Carter — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 17:04:58 +0000

You can use a regular socket to drive most eye hooks, you might need a set of square drive reducers to get your cordless drill to drive it, but a speeder works just as well. Choose a socket that slips over the eye hook with the edges of the eye hook in the opposing corners of the hex, if that makes sense.

By: Hank

Hank — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 03:36:50 +0000

Fred, Joe and Kurt are right. Mine is somewhere under the ruble because it just would not take the drill-driver. Crappola.

By: Kurt Greiner

Kurt Greiner — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 02:09:29 +0000

This is one of those tools that seems like a good idea when you buy it, then languishes in the toolbox. A properly sized pilot hole, and a pair of pliers (for L shaped hooks) or a screwdriver to spin in eyehooks, and the job is done in two shakes of a lamb’s tail.

By: Fred

Fred — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 02:04:45 +0000

Re Ned.Ludd

Yeah, before there were cordless drill/drivers the Bit Brace and it automotive cousin the speeder with 4 or 8 point sockets were the tools of choice for torquing in big screws and square-head lags respectively. They still work great for torquing them out.

Now where’s my set of Yankee screwdrivers?

By: ned.ludd

ned.ludd — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 01:24:40 +0000

This seems like it would work better in an old school brace than a power tool. Gobs of torque (a 12″ swing brace will twist the heads off many fasteners) and just the right RPM for coarsely threaded screws.

By: some_other_dave

some_other_dave — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 23:46:49 +0000

I just use an open hook, chucked into my cordless drill/driver. Hook that through the other hook (most useful for closed loops or eyebolts) and you can spin it in or out pretty easily. It might not work as well going into very hard materials, but for soft materials or (particularly!) threaded holes, it works well.

I generally use it for my spare tire hold-down in the street/race car.

By: Joe

Joe — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 19:55:39 +0000

I bought one of these at least 10 years ago. It’s buried in the shop somewhere now, but I remember it being not quite as good as I’d hoped it would be. The channel is a little too shallow, so it was sometimes tough to get a good amount of torque transferred to the eye hook.

By: Fred

Fred — Wed, 26 Mar 2008 19:28:14 +0000

I agree it does look better than the Screw Up.

I bought one in 2000 - so its been around for some time.
Mine was nicely made by Wolfcraft in Germany.
I’ve used it a few times around the house - but never took it out on a job - I recall that there was a bit of eccentricity that made it not great in a powered driver. Its now gathering dust somewhere in the shop.