Klein just came out with two new demolition screwdrivers – a 7″ driver with 5/16″ slotted tip, and a shorter 4″ driver with 1/4″ tip*. Both drivers are designed for rough and tough use, and as such they should hold up to occasional prying and chiseling.
A metal strike cap and full-length shank transfers hammer blows directly to fasteners and work surfaces. Press materials also say that electricians can use the screwdriver to bang out knockouts and that utility linemen can hammer these screwdrivers into wood poles to hang tool bags off of.
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Both demo drivers are made in the USA. The 4″ and 7″ drivers, model numbers 602-4DD and 602-7DD, are priced at $15 and $20, respectively.
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*4″ driver has an overall length of 9″, the 7″ driver has an overall length of 12-3/8″.
One thing we don’t like about these drivers is how closely they resemble regular Klein screwdrivers. Some color or styling differentiation might make it easier for the demo drivers to stand out better.
Unless you’re in love with Klein’s cushion-grip screwdriver handles, Stanley and Dewalt’s demo drivers may be a better buy – they’re slightly cheaper and the 2pc set comes with a handy #2 Phillips driver. We picked up a made-in-England set a couple of years ago, before production was sent to Asia, and absolutely love them.
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LG
Hmmm…
I think Klein would be better-served by concentrating on improving the quality of their bread-and-butter line (which has slipped considerably) than on introducing a new category that others already do very well…
Lyle
These are made in USA? I am shocked, I thought outsourced all of their screwdriver line though. However as LG stated, instead of creating a new line, I think Klein should focus more on their current line of products (screwdrivers in this case).
I am wondering though this is product 100% USA made or is it only partially and the rest out sourced elsewhere?
Stuart
Klein’s product page says “made in USA.” There might be fine print, but none that I’m aware of.
Ryan
There is fine print with their tools bags, that I know, as the one I own isn’t 100% made here in USA. If there is fine print, I’d certainly would not be shocked.
Jason
They are MADE IN USA out of US material. They seem better made than the regular ones. Slightly longer handle and heavier. I only buy Klein stuff, even if their tapes and some accessories are made in China, they are still better than most other foreign made stuff.
Robert
Stanley has been selling a set of #2 phillips and 5/16 slotted demo drivers for some time now. They’ve been tested in multiple scenerios to be about as rugged as it gets. They can be found for around ten dollars at many retailers. If the Klein models are made in the USA, that’s an incentive to fork over the extra if the quality is at least comparable. I doubt however, that the Klein is any more durable than the Stanley.
There is also a new line of demo drivers sold under the DeWalt label. I’ve recently seen them at Home Depot. I believe that Home Depot has dropped the Stanley version for the DeWalt. They also appear super durable, and sell for about the same ten buck for the two driver set.
If your incentive is to buy American, which is certainly understandable, the Klein could be a good consideration. As someone else pointed out however, their quality has been diminishing. Regardless of that, I can all but guarantee that they’re no more durable than the drivers sold under the Stanley or DeWalt labels.
Robert
Scottthetec
My latest set (third) of standard Klein drivers is almost six years old, but I use them like a demo set at times. I did have a #2 philips break a few years ago and got it replaced. If these are in anyway tougher then the standard, I would certainly get some.
Electricguy
The German Manufacturer “Wera” as well as “Wiha” both make a superior demo driver in comparison to the Stanley versions. The “DeWalt” brand is simply a rebranded Stanley driver.
I’ve had 2 Wera demo drivers, and only had to buy a second because the first one got lost. The second one has been used and abused and still has a nice edged tip. The stanleys would be rounded within a few months.
SteveR
Stuart–I’m obviously a few years late in responding, but I just found this post. In the past, all screwdriver makers (and sellers) told us not to pound on screwdrivers with a hammer or use them as a makeshift chisel. They weren’t made durable enough (they weren’t hardened to a Rockwell standard for that purpose); you stood a good chance of dulling/breaking them, and you could possibly cause physical injury to yourself in the process.
Electricians and linemen know what a chisel is; don’t they carry one for the purposes you mentioned? If they are going to use it to remove knock-outs, wouldn’t they instead use their oldest, grungiest screwdriver for that purpose? And how far do you drive a screwdriver into a wooden utility pole to hang a toolbelt or bag? What size bag and poundage are these rated for? I’m not sure anyone in a position of authority in the safety field would say it was okay to hang a workbag on one of these. The screwdriver could release, dumping the contents of the bag on a co-worker below.
Some poles now are aluminum; other materials are used as well. Most of the linemen and DWP guys I’ve seen no longer climb poles (at least in cities); they use a cherry picker, which is much safer. Far less chance of falling (you tie yourself off with a safety harness), and the square cage has lots of room for tool storage. So if electricians and linemen aren’t in the market for these, who are they being pitched to?
Obviously, I don’t expect you to respond to this. I’m of the opinion they didn’t think everything through before introducing this line of “poundable screwdrivers”.
Ross
I have a set of the Dewalt screwdrivers that are very similar to this and I think they are actually very handy. Right or wrong, the reality is that people are going to use screwdrivers as makeshift chisels. I’m not saying that they are the tools I would use if I was reconstructing Mount Rushmore, but there are times when there is something small that doesn’t warrant going to get a chisel.
I’ve done quite a bit of wiring and can’t say that I ever used a chisel to remove a knockout. These are great for light-duty tasks like that.
That being said, I don’t like using them for electrical, especially inside an electric panel. In the event that you touch a hot wire/terminal, the cap will be energized as well.