JIS screwdrivers

[rbiemer]

Over the years that I've been here at RFf, there has been some discussion about sourcing JIS screwdrivers for those seemingly Phillips head screw on our old cameras.

They are not super tough to find but I have another place to get them:
the Ifixit tool kits. I bought an Ifixit Pro Tech kit for about $60.
I have been doing some upgrading of my laptop and am going to be building a desktop pc soon so I decided to get some dedicated tools.
I'm pretty happy with the kit and included in it are four different JIS bits:
J000, J00, J0, and J1.

If all you need are the JIS bits or drivers, Moody Tools is probably a better option but if you also want the other small bits--phillips, slotted, torx, etc--this kit is worth the $60, I think. Ifixit also have kits that are just the bits and a handle for $25-ish if you don't need the electronic repair stuff.

Rob

 

[retinax]

My impression from my set of four JIS screwdrivers is that, unlike Philips, the angles at the tips are the same for all sizes, just the very point is cut off for the larger ones. That means that the exact size of the screwdriver seems to be less critical than with Philips. I can't feel much difference in how well they grip the screws, although the sizes shouldn't be too far off of course. What I mean to say is that in hindsight, I think two sizes are enough for the casual camera tinkerer, make those good quality (this is not a statement about the kit you mention, I don't know it, but it reminded me).

 

[rbiemer]

My impression from my set of four JIS screwdrivers is that, unlike Philips, the angles at the tips are the same for all sizes, just the very point is cut off for the larger ones. That means that the exact size of the screwdriver seems to be less critical than with Philips. I can't feel much difference in how well they grip the screws, although the sizes shouldn't be too far off of course. What I mean to say is that in hindsight, I think two sizes are enough for the casual camera tinkerer, make those good quality (this is not a statement about the kit you mention, I don't know it, but it reminded me).

Makes sense to me. I think you're probably correct about two sizes being enough for most of us. A serious repair person likely will be looking at dedicated drivers anyway.
Quality of this kit seems good, so far. Better than the other generic "precision driver" kits I have--which are generic/unbranded.
"Crosspoint" drivers/blades are still the biggest PITA to find, I think.
Rob

 

[aizan]

I recommend this $13 set made by Vessel. It covers the basics and is very good quality.

https://www.amazon.com/VESSEL-precision-screwdriver-set-TD-56/dp/B000CED236