Tool Review: Husky 74500 7-Piece Nut Driver Set

Key Features:
 +   Color coded
 +   Recessed shafts
 -    Smallest driver does not fit well in case


If you do a lot of work with nuts, bolts or hex screws, a good nut driver set is a must-have. For a wide variety of different sizes, a socket set and driver work great, but a standard nut driver set can be cheaper, especially if you only need a handful of sizes.  For SAE bolts, nuts, and hex screws, the Husky 7-piece nut driver set (model #74500) is a good choice.

This set includes seven nut drivers of different sizes: 3/16", 1/4", 5/16", 11/32", 3/8", 7/16", and 1/2". This range is a good mix of sizes, and these drivers are useful for everything from license plate bolts to lawn mower air filter covers to backyard swing sets. Part of the handle on each driver is a different color, so if there is a size you use more often than others you can quickly tell which one it is at a glance.  The drivers are sturdy, and the handles provide a good grip.

These drivers are neither magnetic nor ratcheting, and they probably won't appeal to anyone who only wants top-of-the-line, fancy, or hi-tech tools. But this is a good nut driver set that won't break the bank (depending on where you buy it) and will last for a long time.

The driver set comes with a plastic case that also doubles as a rack that you can use to hang your drivers from a peg board or hook. The case is decent, and can lock to prevent the drivers from falling out when they are hanging or being transported, but the smallest driver doesn't fit perfectly in its slot and might sometimes work its way loose (though not out of the case completely).

This set is a good nut driver set to keep in the garage or basement, but if you are looking for nut drivers to take on the road, you'll probably want to go with a more compact socket set.  Seven individual drivers take up a lot more space than one driver and many bits.  When space isn't an issue, however, this set is convenient because you don't have to switch bits before using the drivers for different applications.

Each handle is clearly marked with its size, in addition to the color coding.  The driver shafts are recessed -- a nice feature that allows you to turn nuts farther down on the bolt than many other nut drivers.  This nut driver set is a good basic set to have.  It gets a solid 3.5 out of 5 stars for its usefulness and functionality. Husky also makes a similar 7-piece metric nut driver set (model 74510 instead of 74500).  Both sets are currently sold for $15.97 on the Home Depot website.

(Originally published on Helium.com, January 2013)