Did you guys see LBPete's thread: "The Joy of a Japanese Screwdriver"

Blue Shadow

Waiting for Vintage Gear from this century
@LBPete's thread: http://www.audiokarma.org/forums/index.php?threads/the-joy-of-a-japanese-screwdriver.848453/

There are so many that did not know that the JIS standard crosspoint screw head and driver are very different from the US Philips system, I thought it necessary to bring the info out in public instead of hidden in the Sansui Forum.

Have a look to see why your screwdrivers basically suck when working on some of the Japanese gear. Good info you can use to get the right screwdrivers for your workbench.
 
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Yep everyone should have a full set of Philips bits. You can tell you have the right one because it "bites" into the head.
 
I've been repairing printers for almost 40 years.
Started with SAE, shifted to metric, then some TORX, now special JIS screwdrivers. There is a difference.
Gotta have the right tool for the job. If all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.
 
Yep everyone should have a full set of Philips bits. You can tell you have the right one because it "bites" into the head.
These are JIS bits NOT philips. Philips are designed to cam out on proper installation torque, the JIS bits are designed to operate a removable connecting device the screw.

I guess you were using the generic Philips term to indicate any crosspoint tools. There are a few different ones.
If all you have is a hammer, every problem looks like a nail.
The hammer is the installation device. The removal tool is the screwdriver.
 
This is why I always save any decent quality vintage screwdrivers I come across, never know what odd sized stuff you might encounter.
 
Since you've brought this up here...

https://www.vesseltools.com/industrial-bits/bit-sets

I ordered a couple sets consisting of one A-16621 and one A-16479 - this will give you one P0, two each P1 and P2, and one P3. Unfortunately they don't seem to sell a four piece set P0 through P3. I use these with a Snap-On ratcheting bit holder. If I worked on more Japanese cars or motorcycles, I would probably also invest in the impact bits for my hand impact driver. I haven't yet found a need for dedicated screwdrivers, but you know, now that I've said that...
 
I haven't yet found a need for dedicated screwdrivers, but you know, now that I've said that...

There are times when a stubborn screw will come out much more easily with the proper tool and there won't be damage to the fastener and it can be reused instead of slotted with a Dremel to allow use of a straight blade screwdriver or having to replace the screw.
 
There are times when a stubborn screw will come out much more easily with the proper tool and there won't be damage to the fastener and it can be reused instead of slotted with a Dremel to allow use of a straight blade screwdriver or having to replace the screw.

What I meant was, I have not yet run across a situation where I've had a JIS screw head in a recessed hole where a JIS P2 screwdriver would fit but the bitholder would not.

When I was putting together my tool kit, consolidating the most tool power in the smallest space was goal #1 as at the time I was moving my tools back and forth between my place and my friend's shop, and I was attempting to put together a kit that would a) fit in the back of my Jeep and be able to be lifted/moved by one person if necessary and b) allow me to do the majority of jobs on a wide variety of motor vehicles without having to borrow any tools other than specialty tools that I knew were at the shop.
 
For whatever reason Vessel designates their bits as P0 through P3, but they are most definitely JIS. In fact they call them "Phillips" on the page where they are sold individually, although then in the picture there is a JIS logo. Not that this issue wasn't confusing enough.
Thanks for clearing that up. I didn't look carefully for the logo and the site did cause the confusion. Now I see it.
 
It is a bit of a mess. I bought Vessel on the recommendation of the guys over at The Garage Journal maybe 3-4 years ago and have not had cause to regret it yet. If anything they've held up better than the Williams USA screwdrivers that I bought around the same time. And they are most definitely JIS. I think I went with PB Swiss for Pozidriv bits. I don't remember why, perhaps Snap-On doesn't sell Pozis in 1/4" size?
 
Something I just thought of-how well do JIS bits fit Phillips screws? Is it a mutual incompatibility or a one way affair?
 
Something I just thought of-how well do JIS bits fit Phillips screws? Is it a mutual incompatibility or a one way affair?

JIS bit on a Phillips screw actually grabs harder than a Phillips bit, believe it or not.

If I had to choose between having only one or the other I would take JIS all day every day. In retrospect I should probably take the Snap-On Phillips bits (even though they are the good "ACR" ones) out of the handle of my bit driver and put the JIS ones in there, and the Philips bits in the little bit holder case that floats around in the bottom of my tool bag.
 
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