What Are The Benefits Of Long Screwdrivers?

If there’s one tool every home, vehicle, office building or workshop must have, it’s a trusty screwdriver. Screwdrivers are easy to use and effective, whether you’re putting furniture together or taking a car engine apart. The only problem with general screwdrivers is that it can often be hard to reach the screws themselves, or a lot of hard work to get them tight enough. This is where long screwdrivers come in.

What is a long screwdriver?

Screwdrivers are generally all made the same way. They have a metal shaft called a “shank,” which is usually made of steel but can also be made of a vanadium or chrome alloy. And the blade has a handle on one end and a point on the other – that point could either be:

• Flat top: the most common tip, it has a flat tip with a single slot that fits into a slotted screw head.
• Phillips: the tip looks like a cross, and because it is angled, you can fit it deeper into the screw than with other types of tips. 
• Torx tip: commonly used by automotive engineers – it looks like a star with six rounded ends. 
• Hex: has six straight sides and the tip is the shape of a hexagon. The hex tip screwdriver is used to tighten bolts instead of screws, such as the Allen key.
• Pozidriv: has two shapes that look like crosses stacked on top of each other and is used to tighten screws in situations where a lot of force is needed.

Long screwdrivers are just like your normal screwdrivers, but they have a longer shank, and sometimes a longer handle as well. 

The benefits of long screwdrivers

So, what are the benefits of long screwdrivers and does size really matter? It depends on what you’re using them for. 

Generally, long screwdrivers will fit the entire palm of your hand (compared to shorter ones that only fit your fingers), which allows you to give them a bit more strength and makes them easier to turn. Long screwdrivers are also ideal for getting to fasteners that are harder to reach or in a tight space, such as those under the hood of your car.

Do long screwdrivers work better? 

It depends on the type of material and the size. The strength of different kinds of steel will vary. Your hand may be able to apply more torque to a larger handle, but the length of the shaft without a grip has no major effect on how much torque you can apply to the bit end.

When deciding whether you want a long or short screwdriver, you should consider the following:

• The type of point
• The size of the point
• The handle size
• The length of the shank
• The grip (you might want padded for extended use)

Essentially, long screwdrivers are better to use if you’re trying to get to screws that are in harder to reach places. And that’s exactly what many builders and mechanics do use them for. While they’re not an essential part of your tool kit, they can certainly come in handy and are well worth the investment. 

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