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Comment by jammi | Hacker News Reader

The only real reason for Phillips screw heads were the old electromechanical industry robots that would rely on auto-centering and spring tension to pop the driver out of the screw against a switch at the set torque. Modern (since 1980s or so) industry robots are computer-driven and torque-sensing. Phillips (and Pozidriv) needs to die in favor of modern superior screw drive designs like Torx.

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Out of interest what is better about Torx?

With "normal" screws you can usually improvise something when you are without tools.

You can usually "improvise" with a torx using a flat head screwdriver - it it locks in place it will turn.

They don't strip, or at least it would take a tremendous amount of torque to strip them. My experience has been that the driver strips before the head does.

That stripping the driver before the screw is a feature. Heads come with every box of screws I buy, and getting out ruined screws is far harder than replacing the driver.

Usually the screw snaps in two at over-torquing before either the head or tool strips.

I've had that happen a few times. It's super annoying, but that what you get when not paying for the quality screws.

Happens with the better ones as well, it's just a matter of setting the torque limiter of your screwdriver/coordless drill to match the job. Sometimes takes a few mistakes, but it's safer to start with a low setting and adjust up until you have the right torque for the screw.

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