Axminster Woodspur Torx-headed screws?

[Eric The Viking]

Anybody use them and have an opinion on them?

I've been unable to find a replacement for the wonderful ones Paslode have discontinued (why, oh why ??? :-( ).

I'm making up an order for Axminster and am tempted to take a punt on the Woodspur ones, but I need to know if they're double- or single-start, as I can't use double-start for fixing flooring. Right now I seem to be accumulating boxes of screws I'd rather not use (because in various ways they're horrible*).

Someone made those screws for Paslode, but I can't find out where they came from -- or I'd buy them!**

Meanwhile, back at Axy's Woodspur ones, any experience to relate would be very helpful. It's for general carpentry tasks - fixing floorboards, making up plinth framework, fixing stuff on walls, etc.

Thanks,

E.


*The latest disappointment being "Torxfast" from Toolstation, which, moronically, have T25 heads on nominally M4.5 screws). The "premium" ones are bad, the decking ones even worse (because of the coating). T25 is far too big for the head on M4.5. there's barely room for the hole, so, incredibly, you actually get camming-out on the decking version (shallow head and slippery coating). The shank is also 3.25mm diameter (too wide, really) whereas the Paslodes were 3.15 for a nominal 4.5mm screw.

It's truly staggering how little testing there must be in product development for these things.

**The Paslode ones have "NKT" stamped on the head, but I'm not sure if this is a quality designation or a manufacturer. Google images haven't helped so far.

 

[Beau]

Spax used to make most sizes with a torx head. Not cheap but superb to use

 

[woodpig]

Spax are good but I prefer square drive screws these days when I can get them.

http://www.squarescrews.co.uk

These really are the only screws that will stay on the bit securely when placing awkward screws.
DON'T buy Makita square drive bits though - they don't fit!

 

[PUtcvNqa]

there's NKT fasteners in the wonderfully named MiddelFart
nkt-fasteners.dk

hard to see if they have distribution outside of Scandic countries though.

 

[MMUK]

I use the TorxFast screws from Toolstation. As good as Spax and much cheaper than pretty much anywhere else. Free delivery over a tenner too

 

[Beau]

I use the TorxFast screws from Toolstation. As good as Spax and much cheaper than pretty much anywhere else. Free delivery over a tenner too

Agree on the much cheaper but the threads are very shallow and are more likely to pull out than the Spax but happily use them for lighter duties.

 

[Eric The Viking]

I've got two boxes of Torxfast, and they're rubbish in comparison to those Paslode ones, which now seem to be Danish. I'll email NKT during the working week to see if they have a UK distributor. Their catalogue looks really good, although I can't make out much of the text.

 

[Droogs]

think these are the ones your after:
KVATRO® CLIMATE®-G3
Undersænket hoved
Universalskrue til både træ, plast, dybler osv.

Countersunk head
Universal screw for both wood, plastic, pegs etc.


at wil være en øl/that will be one beer tak

 

[Lord Kitchener]

I bought some Torx Spax screws from Axminster a few years ago by mistake, ticked the wrong box on the website.

Found some Torx bits and used them anyway.

Now I don't use anything else, though Axminster now do their own brand which seem a little thinner but still work extremely well.

There's a clear progression in screw design, the original slot head screws, then came Philips/Pozidriv making the previous ones obsolete, now it's Torx.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

My bil was a ship's carpenter in NZ and he told me that they (NZ in general) virtually exclusively use square drive. They consider them much superior to Torx.

 

[Lord Kitchener]

I prefer square drive too, and if I could actually get them in the sizes I need, that's what I would use. But I can't, so don't. The only square drive stuff I have is the 2 1/2" KregHD pocket screws. Normal Kreg pocket screws I use Torx because I don't have to keep swapping bits.

 

[woodpig]

I prefer square drive too, and if I could actually get them in the sizes I need, that's what I would use.

http://www.squarescrews.co.uk/product-c ... ws-screws/

Good service as well.

Torx are quite good but still in second place behind Square. If it wasn't for licensing issues I doubt Torx would ever have been used for wood screws.

 

[Eric The Viking]

I quite agree about Robertson (square drive) - truly outstandingly well thought out.

Like Kitchener, I pretty much only use them for pocket hole stuff. I would use nothing else, but there are practical considerations for general DIY - the "What the...???" reaction of builders, etc. being the big thing if something needs to be undone. I thought long and hard about using Torx for floorboards, but they are becoming very much more common these days.

Haven't had a moment to contact Denmark yet today, but it's lunchtime now, so...

E.

 

[Lord Kitchener]

I prefer square drive too, and if I could actually get them in the sizes I need, that's what I would use.

http://www.squarescrews.co.uk/product-c ... ws-screws/

Good service as well.

Torx are quite good but still in second place behind Square. If it wasn't for licensing issues I doubt Torx would ever have been used for wood screws.

Thanks for that will keep that link for the next order.

 

[woodpig]

I bought some coated decking screws and some stainless, both good quality.

 

[Droogs]

how'd you get on Erik?