RC10Talk - The Net's Largest Vintage R/C Community

After stripping screws with my cheap L shape hex wrench its about time a coughed up for a decent set. Just wanted to know what sizes I will need to cover as I have seen this set from Snap-on: http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?P65=&tool=hand&item_ID=89919&group_ID=24681&store=uk&dir=catalog

They include:

1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 1/16, 3/32, 7/64

Will these cover most 1/10th hex screw sizes (YZ10, RC10t, losi xx)?

I have seen and "EDS, http://www.apexmodels.com/gbu0-prodshow/ED110991.html" set but they come in metric OR imperial so i would have to buy bough sets which mkaes them more expensive than the Snap-on.

An thought or advice appreciated, Thanks

the snap on stuff is junk, the tips are good, but the drivers loosen in the plastic handle.

I'm a mechanic and own a lot of snap on stuff, and like the warranty, but the warranty does you no good when you have a tight screw (like if they are going into an aluminum part, probably fine if it's all plastic). I bought a few of the 1/16" off the truck and gave them back to my snap on guy the next week, no replacement, just refund them.


Personally, I really like cheap dynamite brand drivers, the tips aren't as hard as others, so they will give you a little warning before they break, and to buy a single replacement they are usually cheaper than the tip on a more expensive driver. Usually $3 and under priced individually. so for under $50 you can get complete nut and hex driver sets for both inch and metric sizes. I usually keep a couple extra 1/16" drivers, thats the most common associated size.

http://cgi.ebay.com/5-piece-STANDARD-HEX-DRIVER-TOOL-SET-Dynamite-/230549721740?pt=Radio_Control_Vehicles&hash=item35add5928c

Don't forget Harbor Freight if you have one nearby. There's one close to my work so I kill a lot of lunch hours there. They don't have the most hi-quality stuff, but they sure are cheap...
http://www.harborfreight.com/114-piece-drill-and-driver-set-94766.html

http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result?category=&q=hex+driver+set

PBR Allstar wrote:the snap on stuff is junk, the tips are good, but the drivers loosen in the plastic handle.

Thanks for the heads up on the snap on kit, gutted because I thought they were the nuts! (no pun intended). WIll probably go with a cheaper brand and just buy a couple of sets. I was hoping to get an alloy set, I know dealextreme in china do them: http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.11991 & http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.11992 Cant find the imperial though.

THEYTOOKMYTHUMB wrote:Don't forget Harbor Freight if you have one nearby. There's one close to my work so I kill a lot of lunch hours there. They don't have the most hi-quality stuff, but they sure are cheap...
http://www.harborfreight.com/114-piece-drill-and-driver-set-94766.html

Thanks for the help! I'm in the Uk so don't have that store here, plenty of similar ones though. I have similar sets to the one linked to, but I'm getting tired of changing bits all the time and I use them for my mountain bikes so I really want a set I can dedicate to the RC cars. Always nice to kill time in a hardware store

Will go to ebay for the imperial, will also check out tower hobbies.

Thanks again guys

fakiee wrote:Thanks for the help! I'm in the Uk so don't have that store here

It's just a short flight across the pond! Well worth the $5 you'll save! Guess I didn't notice that... I know what you mean. Don't buy the Du-Bro. I have a set and they are junk IMHO.

I know they aren't the cheapest but once I went from Dubro and the other cheap sets that keep showing up in 'lot' buys I ended up buying an Associated set . Paid way too much off of towerhobbies for them once I seen sets go for half of that on ebay. I've also had good luck with a set of Integy that I picked up off ebay rather cheaply($20 shipped with a case to keep them in). Only problem with the associated set is getting the old style to keep the bits tight in the handle. I've had 3 of the blue ones and all have had to have extra holes for extra set screws put into the handles. |
Todd

I use these for both my hex & nut drivers
They're pretty cheap, and haven't given me any grief since I've owned them. I think they are made by Dynamite, but I can't remember for sure.

I also like the Dynamite hex drivers...they are $2-4 at my LHS. I did splurge for an AE phillips screwdriver and one hex driver...beautiful quality and fit the screws perfectly.

Ebay UK had these:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Fastrax-Imperial-Hex-Driver-Set-/140491713322?pt=UK_ToysGames_RadioControlled_JN&hash=item20b5f56b2a

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/EDS-Racing-Metric-Hex-Driver-Set-1-5-2-0-2-5-3-0-/400181856597?pt=UK_ToysGames_RadioControlled_JN&hash=item5d2cb28955

Dynamite set:

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Dynamite-Metric-Hex-Driver-Set-DYN2819-/370462158157?pt=UK_ToysGames_RadioControlled_JN&hash=item564143ed4d

Hope it helps a bit

Also try some of the German R/C shops online, LRP, Graupner, Proxxon, and Conrad offer some nice sets that will not break or get worn out too soon.

I would stay away from anything that has a black tip.
Spend a little more and get the machined hard steel wrenches. They are drill stock machined to the proper hex size. they are more fragile but hold their shape and rarely ever strip out a hex head. If you really apply a ton of torque to the smaller sizes you can snap a tip off, I've done it once on the .050 driver when building cvd's. I also snapped a 1/16 tip off when dropping it several feet onto concrete(of course it had to land right on the tip!). I now keep a spare of the smallest sizes in my pit box.
I have gotten "stripped" set screws out using my good wrenches after someone rounded off a cheap driver in the screw.

I started out with a full set of the Ofna wrenches, but have replaced the tips with whatever the LHS has in stock. I particularly like the AE replacements as they are a little longer. Just watch out for diameter, as some of them are 2mm shaft, and some are 3mm.

When tearing down a car for rebuilding I will chuck the spare tips in a cordless drill. It makes for very quick tear downs.

I just purchased & received this 7-piece Metric kit from Wiha. The quality looks quite good, 4 of them fit every hex-head on my Optimas (both stock and RCScrewz hardware) nice and tight. The only one they didn't fit was the hex bolt for the AE shock spring collars (Standard size). Anyone else try these?

http://cgi.ebay.ca/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=390254955442&ssPageName=STRK:MEWNX:IT

I can't comment on the durability yet, but they're made in Germany--that's usually a good thing.

aconsola wrote:I would stay away from anything that has a black tip.

Interesting...if not black, what color should we look for? The Wiha drivers I bought have a sort of greyish color for the tips.

Coelacanth wrote:

aconsola wrote:I would stay away from anything that has a black tip.

Interesting...if not black, what color should we look for? The Wiha drivers I bought have a sort of greyish color for the tips.

I suppose that is a bit of an over-generalization. Most of the black tip tools I have used are softer steel, likely extruded stock, and tend to round over fairly easy.
The thing to look for is a machined tip, one that is precisely ground to spec from a hard steel. They fit tighter in the socket and are much less likely to strip.
Reviewing the links above there are some black anodized drivers that are machined.

I use the new Dynamite ones, They have a great comfortable handle and are very lite. I have other sets and only use these..

http://www.dynamiterc.com/Products/Default.aspx?ProdID=DYN3070

i have had these for about three years old stile resign handles i have a metric set also that takes alot of abuse on the air cooled cars i have .and never had a problem i have about 60 assorted snap on screwdrivers, hex, star, the trick is and i thought this being a vintage site you should know the old ones don't break the new snap on stuff makes harbor freight look good .


Paul