For the first time I am using stainless steel screws for an outdoor project. I bought a couple of boxes of Turbo Ultra stainless screws. But I am having problems in that the prodrive head strips very easily and strips to a beautifully smoothed hole! This happens even when screwing into soft fencing posts. There doesn't seem to be a prodrive bit in the Screwfix catalogue; Prodrive is stated to be Pozidrive compatible. I have just noticed that in the Screwfix catalogue there is a little note on the Turbo Ultra page stating that a pilot hole will usually be required. This note does not appear beside the Quick Silver or Gold Screws. Are stainless screws usually so soft; softer than other screws? thanks Davy
I find that the turbo ultra's,if you don't drill a pilot hole,will shear the heads off rather than strip them. Are you using good quality PZ2 bits ?
Stainless steel is softer than standard. You are better of using the gold screws,much harder and coated. The last stainless ones I tried using ended up in a skip.
If you are using the right sized bit, the heads will shear off, if not it will strip out the heads .... ... seriously, they are great, the thinner ones, but the thicker ones, depending on the substrate, need a pilot hole... cheers
I've had a right rant about these in the past, but now quite like them. You just have to be a bit patient and have a bit of touch with the buzz gun....don't just try to blast them in. The only REALLY annoying thing is they are not magnetic. Get a decent driver bit too, Bosch or DeWalt
Thanks guys for the replies. Yes I am using high quality Pozidrive 2 bits for my 5mm screws so am puzzled as to why the Pozidrive recess strips out when most others find that the head breaks off first. No one seems to think I need Prodrive bits. So will take the advice given; drill a pilot hole and grease the screws. Slightly off topic, but I read somewhere that when the pozidrive recess was designed for power tool driving it was given a deliberate weakness. A more positive recess like a square hole could have been designed but then that could be over torqued and damage done. Pozidrive was designed so that the bit would slip out before any damage was done by over tightening. Seems irrevelant now that drivers are fitted with adjustable torque limiting clutches. Maybe we should be moving to more positive recesses? many thanks, Davie
Mornin D FastenMaster range: - deckscrews They cost a bundle but do include 2 square drive bits no cam-out and they drive in half the time of a normal screw. Try them and you will never use anthing else outside again. You can get em from Lawsons and Buttles. ZZ
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