If you have one around the house, you (or your kids) might be a little fascinated by it as a symbol of a bygone era. In its day, the Yankee driver probably was of great appeal to DIYers and craftsman tired of wrists that ached from manually driving screws. The problem is that the tool never worked very well. Or rather, it worked only under the most optimal conditions. The screw has to fit perfectly into the hole, and there can be no resistance at all-zero friction. The slightest angle when driving the screw will cause the drive bit to jump out of the slot. In reality, the Yankee driver is only practical when driving or removing screws in metal. Wood-especially hardwoods-render the Yankee driver virtually useless. And although in theory a drill bit can be chucked into the tool, using it to actually boring a hole is a laughable exercise in futility. The Yankee driver began its slide into obsolescence about the time that people realized the screwdriver bits could be chucked into power drills, and as cordless drills came into their own, the Yankee driver began to gather serious rust. If you have a Yankee driver, it's time to move along with the times: Get a nice lithium ion 18V cordless drill. #Channellock drill review driverĪnd leave the Yankee driver to your grandson to play with.ĭIYers seeking a very cheap and easy way to locate studs are often drawn to the cheap magnetic stud finder, purported to sense metal screws or nails inside the wall. This small tool that costs only a few dollars has a magnetic rod inside a plastic view window that is supposed to jump to attention as it crosses over a steel nail or screw in the wall. As the argument goes, if you find the nails or screws holding the drywall, you have then found the stud. In reality, this tool works well in one situation only-on plaster walls where the construction used wooden lathe nailed to the studs.

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