Finally caught myself after 2 years of stripping the same screw type wrong

I was installing a motion detector in a warehouse over on Elm Street last Tuesday and kept stripping these tiny Phillips screws on the cover plate, getting so frustrated. Then the homeowner's son, maybe 12 years old, watched me for a minute and said 'mister you're using the wrong size bit, that one's too small.' I swapped to a #2 from a #1 and it worked perfect first try. Anybody else had a basic tool habit that just flew under your radar forever?

2 comments

2 Comments

miles79827d ago

Hold on though... a #1 bit is smaller than a #2, so the kid was right that you needed a bigger one. But if you were stripping them with the #1, that usually means the bit is too loose and caming out... so maybe you actually needed a #0 or even a square drive if those are old Phillips heads.

ryan_sanchez26d ago

2mm vs 3mm hex keys in bike repairs, same exact thing. People grab the 2mm, strip the screw head, then yell at the hex key like it betrayed them. I see it at work too with those little star bits on medical equipment - everyone grabs the smaller one first because it looks right, but the next size up actually fits tighter and transfers the torque better. Your brain just wants to pick the small thing that matches the hole but that's not how these fasteners work. Once you mess up a few expensive screws you learn to check the fit before you really lean into it.