Tekton 92518 6-Blade Screwdriver Clip

The Tekton 6-blade screwdriver clip (model 92518) is a small tool that combines six different screwdrivers into one portable gadget. It sounds good in theory, but the tool itself is poorly made and awkwardly designed.

The tool consists of a plastic orange case and six pivoting screwdrivers, similar to a fold-out hex key set. There are three slotted blades and three Phillips blades. The screwdrivers themselves are bare metal and seem sturdy enough, but they are not easy to use.

Each driver pivots out for use, but the drivers do not lay parallel next to each other. When you try to pivot out one driver, it sometimes gets caught on another driver and you have to swing that second driver out of the way first. This happens with both the flathead and Phillips drivers. As a byproduct of the drivers not laying straight, the metal pivot end of one of the slotted drivers scrapes against the plastic every time you swing out the driver, resulting in plastic shavings getting stuck to the metal or falling out.

The tension on the drivers is adjustable with a Phillips screwdriver, so you can make it as loose or tight as you want, but the tension screws back themselves out quickly. If you tighten the tension one morning, the tool might be loose and floppy by mid-afternoon.

The backstop for the drivers is placed very far back, so in order for a blade to somewhat lock into place for use, it has to be angled so far back that using the driver to turn a screw more than half a turn is completely impractical. If you only swing the blade out 180 degrees, so it extends straight from the tool, it will fold in on itself the first time you try to apply any pressure to it. You could hold the blade in addition to the plastic case as you try to turn it, but since the blade is bare uncoated metal it isn't comfortable to grip and it doesn't provide any sort of traction for your fingers.

This tool doesn't come with any sort of pouch or case - not even a clip or hole to attach it to something. If you carry it in your pocket, be sure to tighten the tension screws often; otherwise, they will loosen and the blades could swing open inside your pocket.

The Tekton 92518 6-blade screwdriver clip only sells for a couple of bucks or so ($1.77 at StanyMart.com, $2.22 at DiamondTool.net) but it's not worth even half that.  This tool should be passed by, even on a bargain shelf, and it will not leave you with a good impression of the Tekton brand if you try to use it.  I give this tool 0.5 out of 5 stars, and it only gets that half a star because I finally found a decent use for it -- as a block to prop open the side chute of my lawn mower.

(Originally published in slightly different form on Helium.com, March 2013)