Square Drive & Combo Drive Screws

Make your shop more efficient.

Having one driver bit for 80% of the screws used in a typical woodworking shop is a benefit. Your work will be done faster, with fewer mistakes and actual savings for large production and DYI shops.

How can different screws make my shop more efficient?

The Square Drive #2 driver bit works with #8 and #10 screws. This is the bulk of the screws sold and installed. Identifying the right bit for the screw by just sight is difficult with the other three popular head types (Philips, Torx & Square Drive) that come in many sizes. There are over 20 sizes of torx bits. Philips has four bits sizes. The square drive has four sizes, one of which is the most popular. The color-coded bits the entire industry has adopted McFeely’s developed 35 years ago. Our bits are matched to work with our screws. The fit when using Square or Combo Drive Screws is unmatched in the industry. Even a beginner knows right away if they have the right bit, and they quickly learn green bits for small screws, yellow for even smaller screws. The red bits are rarely ever changed. The Red Square Drive bit replaces three sizes of torx.

Combo Drive Screws

The screw is designed to work with Phillips and Square drive bits. The screw will stick to the bit, similar to Square Drive. Installing screws with a square drive inside a shop has the same efficiency benefits. In some applications, you want the homeowner to be able to adjust the screws. Many washer head screws have combo drives. It does not get covered up and can be tightened or removed later as needed. These screws should come from quality vendors with a long history of quality. The drive is not as strong as SQ Dr or Torx. Our combo screws are only available under 3 inches long.

Coated Screws

When choosing screws, it's important to consider the application. The first choice depends on whether it will be used indoors or outdoors. Coated screws are for use outdoors and are not essential for building Cabinets, Furniture, or Stairs. Stainless or coated screws are needed to prevent rust. The coating a Square drive screw prevent standard bits from working. Torx does not have this issue. The tapered drive on the Torx/star drive allows the bit to work even with the coating. The extensive range of sizes available for Torx/star drive screws may be due to the different coatings available in the market. Torx and Phillips recess screws have a tapered drive design that enables the bit to sink in until it fits. Drive screws have side walls. The coating will fit the recess and require an undersized driver bit. The side walls line up the screw and prevent them from being driven at an angle. The use of a Ball driver bit on square drive screws allows for driving screws at an angle, even when you are up to 25 degrees off-axis. However, this type of tip does not provide the same snug fit characteristic of Square Drive, but this is intentional.

Stainless Screws

The most expensive screws and the softest metal. There is no coating. These screws will cam out more often. Pilot holes are required. The Square Drive screw stays securely attached to the bit. Stainless screws are mostly paramagnetic. This means they do not work with magnetic bits. The lab testing of screws is designed for optimal performance. The different drive types perform about the same but cannot account for field use where screws are driven at an angle. In the field, stainless is used outside of the shop. Contractors like that drive at an angle. Square Drive installs straight and driving at an angle increases a bit of wear and cam out the recess. There are no combo-drive stainless screws we know of.

Dry Lube Screws

Steel screws coated with a specially formulated dry lubricant that does not interfere with dust collection systems. It is dry to the touch and reduces torque by reducing friction for easier driving. The brownish color blends in well with wood, won't bleed during staining, and is easy on your tools. Designed inside a shop to build cabinets, furniture, theaters, museums, closets, and stairs. They are not for outdoor use. Our production facilities have not changed in 45 years. The millions of clients, screws, and applications tell us tell us we are doing it right.

Torx drive

Torx™ and star drive screws are prevalent in larger applications like Lag screws or Timber framing. These coated screws are always packaged with the bit because there are so many bit sizes. They are used in the field, and the torx system is hard on bits. It is commonly used outdoors, where mistakes happen more. Contractors on a job site like driving at an angle that Torx provides. They are much more likely to disengage and scratch your job, but it is worth it to them. The bits you get with a box of torx screws will generally wear quickly. They are standard bits that can drive at an angle. We have installed lots of screws; they all cam-out at some point. The cammed-out Torx is the most difficult to remove. The bit is commonly the most expensive thing in the box of Torx screws. Throw away the Torx bit when finished with the box. They are not designed to last for more than one box of screws. Phillips was a vast improvement over the slotted system and was designed to "Cam Out" before the screw is over-torqued and snaps the head off. Torx™ and Star screws are also improvements over Phillips and Slotted drive. The newest automated machines use Torx because it does not jam up the feeding system. The adjustment to fit is about 15%, whereas Sq Dr and Phillips is 25%. A little flick of the wrist is a big deal to a machine.

The square drive system will stick to the bit; you will know if you have a matched screw-to-bit system. The majority of Square Drive screws manufactured are wood screws. When the one bit you need for the shop starts to wear out, use a fine grinding wheel to shorten the end, taking the edges back to square until replacements arrive.