Yankee Screwdriver

[Athy]

Sadly they're American:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanley_Black_%26_Decker

 

Look who founded it...

Frederick Trent Stanley

S. Duncan Black

Alonzo G. Decker

Begorrah! I thought Black & Decker were British too!

[Dave_P]

Then you have clearly never used a good quality impact driver.

Then you have clearly never seen me going full tilt with a yankee screwdriver! I can easily outperform my £500 36v Boschhammer (which has other valuable uses, I may add). Maybe there's a dedicated driver for that sort of price which does well, but I'd still take a Yankee for £10 or so any day.

 

Safety note: don't twist the release ring while it's pointing at your face, if you value your eyesight.

[Timleech]

Then you have clearly never seen me going full tilt with a yankee screwdriver! I can easily outperform my £500 36v Boschhammer (which has other valuable uses, I may add). Maybe there's a dedicated driver for that sort of price which does well, but I'd still take a Yankee for £10 or so any day.

 

Safety note: don't twist the release ring while it's pointing at your face, if you value your eyesight.

 

Surely that is a hammer drill, an impact driver is something different. I reckon mine (Older version of this) would outperform a Yankee screwdriver any day of the week.

 

Tim

[Captain Fizz]

My money's on you Tim.

We need a competition, how many screws shall me say?

[RLWP]

Can I compete using my hammer?

 

Richard

[Dave_P]

 

Surely that is a hammer drill, an impact driver is something different. I reckon mine (Older version of this) would outperform a Yankee screwdriver any day of the week.

 

Tim

Lord, spare me from the pedants!

 

But if we must be pedantic - your link takes you to a driver which cost nearly £80 without batteries or charger.

 

My original comment was made in response to an earlier comment that people don't use yankee screwdrivers because they use electric screwdrivers instead. It stands to reason that any comparison between the two, ought to be between similarly priced products.

 

I'm sure there's a £1000 screwdriver out there which makes you a cup of tea when you're done, but that's hardly the point is it?

My money's on you Tim.

We need a competition, how many screws shall me say?

Bring it on. let's see how your £9.99 electric screwdriver fares....

Can I compete using my hammer?

 

Richard

Now, that WOULD be some competition! The 'tradesman's method'!

I found this http://www.xtools.co.uk/gmc-cordless-screwdriver-36v-dec002sd-920147.html?language=en&currency=GBP&gclid=CPP2u-renrwCFeXLtAodyGEAAg

 

still confident?

[Rod a mod from Tod]

Best thing for getting stubborn screws out imo is a screwdiver bit in a brace. Beat a yankee anyday. Not sure against an impact, never tried the two against each other to compare.

[alan_fincher]

I love my Yankees.

 

I have several acquired over the years, not all of them Stanleys - I'm sure one is Scandinavian made, but I can't recall by who exactly.

 

I use them regularly, in "pump" mode, in just "ratchet" mode, and sometimes locked off to just be a good quality driver for those really tough screws. I find the quality and longevity of the Stanley bits way beyond normal drivers, (including normal Stanley drivers).

 

I can't be doing with electric powered, which are never charged when I need them, and where because I don't use them regularly the batteries suffer from lack of maintenance.

 

Even around the home, with 230V freely to hand, if there are a lot of screws to be tackled, (I'm trying to choose my words carefully!), the Yankees are still my weapon of choice.

Even if its a clone, provided its a good clone, at this price is a bargain.

 

EDIT: I'll get in before the smart arses do. I'm aware that above I have both said I use them regularly, and that I don't use them regularly! What I mean is that whenever I'm dealing with a lot of screws, not just a few, I'll always choose a Yankee, but such occasions may be months apart, after which time the electric one would probably drive about 2.5 screws then tell me it needs charging!

Edited January 27, 2014 by alan_fincher

[Timleech]

Lord, spare me from the pedants!

 

But if we must be pedantic - your link takes you to a driver which cost nearly £80 without batteries or charger.

 

My original comment was made in response to an earlier comment that people don't use yankee screwdrivers because they use electric screwdrivers instead. It stands to reason that any comparison between the two, ought to be between similarly priced products.

 

I wasn't intending to be pedantic at all, just your £500 tool is not designed for driving screws!

I can't remember what I paid for mine, it was a 'boxed set' containing matching drill and impact driver, three batteries and a charger, it wasn't megabucks.

 

I don't entirely follow the 'similar priced tool' thing. Yes, you can make that comparison, but in my view a more valid one would be between what the tradesman of the day uses (impact driver), and the tradesman of yesterday (Yankee screwdriver). Note that the Yankee drivers from the same supplier, at their non-offer price, are nearer to 50 quid than 10.

 

Tim

[Ex- Member]

I use them regularly, in "pump" mode, in just "ratchet" mode, and sometimes locked off to just be a good quality driver for those really tough screws. I find the quality and longevity of the Stanley bits way beyond normal drivers, (including normal Stanley drivers).

 

 

Annoyingly I've mislaid my Stanley Yankee, lovely tool though, It was brilliant for hanging doors and getting the first screw in quickly and efficiently. I must seek it out. I have the smaller Stanley ratchet one as well, the first flat bladed screwdriver I go for in the tool box, was originally my dad's, must be well over 40 years old and outlasted all other screwdrivers.

[Guest]

my joiner sons laugh their socks off every time they see me using my 'yankee' screwdriver... and tell me that I'd be thrown off site as they are an 'elf an safety risk'

 

no batteries to run flat and no fiddling with 'torque settings' and the like and i don't need to carry another box with the charger and all the gubbins..

 

Yankee was the stanley 'name' IIRC,

Yes we were stopped using them at the electricity board unless the spring was removed.

We always called them "Barry Bucknell" screwdrivers after the infamous DIY guy on the telly some years ago.

[J R ALSOP]

Bought on in 1979 to fit boat out, never used it since, in tool box in shed along with hand saws, marking scriber and all sorts of odds and ends, you could not give them away today, they will all go in the coffin with me in case i want to get out.

[Ray T]

I have a "Yankee" which was owned by my Grandfather who was a Master Carpenter,

 

It is 19" long including bit.

 

Stamped on it:

 

YANKEE

North Bros Mfg 00

PHIL PA U S A

PAT APP 16 95-NOV2 97

SEP5 99 -OCT9 00

MAY1 06-NOV3 08

MAY4 15

DF.7 11 R3

 

Sorry North Brothers pre date both Stanley and B & D.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_Brothers_Manufacturing_Company

 

My Grand father lived 1877 - 1972

 

It is still very much in use today.

 

If folks have hand tools they no longer require, this charity will gladly take them off your hands.

 

http://www.tfsr.org/how_you_can_help/donate_some_tools/tools_we_need/

 

http://www.tfsr.org/uk/uk_groups/map/

Edited January 27, 2014 by Ray T

[Rod a mod from Tod]

I love my Yankees.

 

I have several acquired over the years, not all of them Stanleys - I'm sure one is Scandinavian made, but I can't recall by who exactly.

 

I use them regularly, in "pump" mode, in just "ratchet" mode, and sometimes locked off to just be a good quality driver for those really tough screws. I find the quality and longevity of the Stanley bits way beyond normal drivers, (including normal Stanley drivers).

 

I can't be doing with electric powered, which are never charged when I need them, and where because I don't use them regularly the batteries suffer from lack of maintenance.

 

Even around the home, with 230V freely to hand, if there are a lot of screws to be tackled, (I'm trying to choose my words carefully!), the Yankees are still my weapon of choice.

 

Even if its a clone, provided its a good clone, at this price is a bargain.

 

EDIT: I'll get in before the smart arses do. I'm aware that above I have both said I use them regularly, and that I don't use them regularly! What I mean is that whenever I'm dealing with a lot of screws, not just a few, I'll always choose a Yankee, but such occasions may be months apart, after which time the electric one would probably drive about 2.5 screws then tell me it needs charging!

 

Am i to take it that you are quite an admirer of the yankee type screwdriver then?

[Jerra]

Cor, call you Hawkeye! If it's red it probably is Chinese, then.

Why? My Dad had a Yankee in the early/mid 50s definitely wasn't Chinese and it was red (still is).

[PhilR]

 

I like the way they would slip out of a screw and career across a varnished surface, gouging it in an attractive, random pattern

 

Richard

 

In those days most screws had slotted heads . I would have thought they might be a bit safer with modern cross heads?

[the grinch]

Stanley was the brand name of the yankee screwdriver I used, and was glad to put it aside when the cordless ones came on the market. The times I blooded my hands using the thing I couldn't count, but some of the guys I worked with found them invaluable and never got any problems. Must be me then!

no I couldn't get on with either! mine was a Stanley as well, no idea where it went certainly never wore it out!!

[bizzard]

You can slip a bit of rubber tube over a flat blade or indeed a cross head to grasp the screw by its head to prevent the blade slipping off, until its almost driven home anyway.

[Dave_P]

 

I wasn't intending to be pedantic at all, just your £500 tool is not designed for driving screws!

I can't remember what I paid for mine, it was a 'boxed set' containing matching drill and impact driver, three batteries and a charger, it wasn't megabucks.

 

I don't entirely follow the 'similar priced tool' thing. Yes, you can make that comparison, but in my view a more valid one would be between what the tradesman of the day uses (impact driver), and the tradesman of yesterday (Yankee screwdriver). Note that the Yankee drivers from the same supplier, at their non-offer price, are nearer to 50 quid than 10.

 

Tim

Sorry, I think I must have been in a mischeivous mood yesterday! Having said that, I used a yankee as a tradesman on a daily basis for a company I left only six years ago. It was part of our standard kit.

 

You carry on with your driver, and I'll carry on with my yankee. I suppose I'm often a bit suspicious of electrical gadgets replacing tried and tested mechanical tools. I reckon my yankee will still be going strong when I'm pushing up daisies. I'm not so sure about any cordless drills.

 

And as an added bonus, keep it by your bed on your boat and it could come in handy in case of a break-in! (I keep a C&H handspike next to my bed...)

[RLWP]

You keep a long round thing with a big red knob on the end next to your bed?

 

Richard

[Dave_P]

You keep a long round thing with a big red knob on the end next to your bed?

 

Richard

No, I keep a long, squared off wooden thing. You make a good case for changing though! ;-)

[WotEver]

Begorrah! I thought Black & Decker were British too!

 

Black and Decker made the world's first cordless drill for NASA for Neil Armstrong to dig up moon rocks with. (And Sony gave the crew a Walkman, but that's a whole other story.)

 

Tony

[Peter Reed]

My Great Uncle Albert made a Huge fortune from breeding rats and selling there droppings to Stanley and B&D, to make ratchet screwdrivers, spanners etc.

[WotEver]

Judging by how long some of my ratchet stuff has lasted it would appear that's exactly what they were made from...

[fudd]

My first one in '71 had a maroon wooden handle. That got stolen. Then my last one which I bought in '92 had a plastic handle, still maroon. I do remember that the original one was very smooth. I think the shaft had a kind of brass colouring where it had worn. I could be wrong though.

Also, I have a couple of the drill bits somewhere if anyone wants them. (If I can find them, that is).

Edited January 29, 2014 by fudd