Craftsman 41296

The Craftsman 41296 Phillips Screwdriver has an 8-inch long shaft and an almost 4-inch long clear and blue acrylic handle. The acrylic handle top has a rounded head that fits smoothly in your palm and prevents chafing. The handle is easy to grip with no sharp edges to hurt even my hands when you are pressing down hard to remove a screw that has a stripped head or very tight threads. This screwdriver just weighs a third of a pound. Light enough to work with but heavy enough to not tire your arm out from the pressure you have to apply.

The Number 2 Phillips tip fits the most common used Phillips screws, normally your number 8, 10 or 12 screw head size. These are screws that are under 1/4” diameter. The larger ¼-20’s tend to need a Number 3 Phillips head and the tiny 4-40s and 2-56s tend to use Number 1 Phillips heads. With a screw, the first number refers to the screw size and the second number refers to the number of threads.

In the building of vehicles for space, most screws and bolts are of the Allen type for the vehicle itself, but for the platforms and dollies that the vehicles are supported by, there are still needs for Phillips and Slotted screwdrivers.

Phillips-head screws are preferable to slotted-head screws because the screwdriver self-centers in a Phillips cross configuration instead of the possibility of the screwdriver sliding out –which is often the case- with the slotted-head screws. The biggest advantage the slotted head screws have is that they do not “strip-out” like Phillips head screws that have been abused. I usually see the slot heads on the tinier screws; most of the mid-range screws use the Phillips head.

My Experience

Because of Electro-static discharge concerns (magnetic bits in the battery-operated screwdrivers are not a good thing near delicate electronics) most of our work has to be done manually. We use the 6-sided Apex tips in ratchets for the final torquing, but up to that point it’s pure manpower. I love the feel of this smooth acrylic handle in the palm of my hand. The cheaper Craftsman (& others) screwdrivers can cause a blister fast if we do major work with them, but these have the grooved handle edges smoothed out so there’s no reddening or blistering in your palm after heavy usage.

The extra long length comes in very handy because when you’re working in lifts and ladders, we’re only allowed to get so close to the vehicle, and must safely reach the rest of the way. Sometimes we have to reach the inside from the outside while maintaining the safety zone. The almost 12 inches makes an easy reach when we are working at awkward angles and reaches.

My Recommendation

For the professional mechanical-type person, I recommend the Sears Craftsman 41296 8” blade screwdriver. At $5.49 it is affordable to almost every handyman or woman.




Recommended: Yes