Tool review: Great Neck FC006 22 Piece Drivemaster Screwdriver Set

Key Features:

 +   Good selection of drivers
 +   Excellent grip

 -   Does not come with any storage for the drivers


A good set of screwdrivers is a staple of any home tool kit.  Some people prefer a whole set of individual drivers, while others would rather have a single driver (or several drivers) with a set of interchangeable bits.  If you fall into the first category, then a good set to consider is the Great Neck 22 piece Drivemaster screwdriver set (model FC006).

This set comes with 22 screwdrivers of many different types.  There are 8 slotted drivers, 7 Phillips drivers, 4 star (Torx) drivers, 2 square drivers, and one offset driver.  The offset driver has a slotted tip on one side and a Phillips tip on the other, and is good for working in tight places.

Except for the offset driver, which is all metal, each of the drivers has a rubberized handle that is molded to provide a good grip during use.  The handles are well-contoured so that your hand has a lot of purchase, and there is also a place for your thumb to rest and give you added grip.

The drivers are good quality, with steel plated shafts.  They don't have any coating to protect against rust, so over time the tips may start to rust, but the shafts are made of a strong enough metal that the tips shouldn't get chewed up unless they are very heavily used.

These drivers are not magnetic, which some people (myself included) may see as a downside.  The set does not come with any storage for the drivers -- no box or rack -- and the drivers don't have holes in the handles, so if you want to hang them you'll have to get a screwdriver rack.

This set includes a good variety of drivers for all sorts of jobs.  There are small drivers that are good for opening battery covers on toys or remote controls, and big drivers that are sturdy enough for large screws.  The tip size, blade length, and type for each driver (for example, "PH2X4") is printed on the rubber handle so you can find the driver you're looking for quickly.

The Great Neck 22 piece Drivemaster screwdriver set is a good value for the amount of drivers that you get, as long as you have somewhere to store them.  It would make a great starter kit for someone who doesn't already have a lot of tools.

(Originally published on Helium.com, March 2013)

Tool Review: Great Neck NRGN2 2-Piece Stubby Screwdriver Set

Key Features:
 +   Magnetic tips
 +   Very good grip
 -    Tips tend to chip with use


For most people, a stubby screwdriver isn't something you reach for very often.  But when you do reach for it, it's because you need it, so it's a good idea to always have one in your tool box.  For a pair of stubby drivers, there isn't a better value than the Great Neck 2 piece stubby screwdriver set (model #NRGN2).

This set of two drivers -- one slotted, one Phillips -- is sold in Big Lots stores for just $1.80.  That's a very low price for two stubby screwdrivers, and these drivers are better than average stubbies.

The biggest attraction these drivers have is their magnetic tips.  They might not always be able to hold on to very large screws, but the magnets are definitely strong enough for most screws.  The slotted driver holds screws better because of the tip's wider surface area.

The Phillips driver has a #2 tip, and the slotted driver has a 1/4" tip.  Both blades are about an inch and a half long, with a handle that's about two inches long.  The size for each driver is printed on the handle, so if you store them on a rack with other drivers, you can quickly tell which one you need.  Each handle is color-coded as well; the Phillips driver has a red and black handle and the slotted driver has a yellow and black handle.

The handles themselves are rubber and provide good grip.  They are contoured to provide purchase for your fingers, and they are big for easy gripping.  One problem with stubbies is often finding good purchase, because there's not a lot of room to get a grip, but these drivers handle that problem well.

The tips are solid, and are supposed to be rust resistant because they are chrome plated.  Resisting rust is nice, but the chrome finish tends to chip off as you use the drivers.  The tips are not soft metal like those on some screwdrivers; they're not the hardest tips in the world but they should last you a long time.  And if they do start to get chewed up, you can make use of Great Neck's limited lifetime warranty to get a new set.

You can't beat the price for this pair of stubby screwdrivers.  Even just as two extra drivers to throw in a drawer or a tool bag, this Great Neck set is an excellent value.

(Originally posted on Helium.com, March 2013)

Tool Review: Great Neck Essentials 21011 8-in-1 Precision Screwdriver

Key Features:
 +   Storage for all four bits
 +   Variety of bit sizes
 -    Not much grip on handle


Great Neck is a brand that you'll often find in Big Lots stores -- decent quality tools for a good price.  Essentials is a themed sub-brand that Great Neck uses to market tools aimed at women, which I did not know when I purchased the Great Neck Essentials 8-in-1 precision screwdriver (model 21011).

I found this driver at Ollie's Bargain Outlet for $1.99, much cheaper than its regular retail price.  For $1.99 it was a good deal, but I wouldn't have paid much more for it.

The 21011 precision screwdriver is a small plastic driver that comes with four double-ended precision bits, for a grand total of eight bit sizes -- four slotted sizes (1/16", 5/64", 3/32", and 1/8") and four Phillips sizes (#000 #00, #0, and #1).  The bits seem to be decent quality.  They don't fit very snugly into the driver -- snug enough to work but not so snug that you don't worry they'll fall out.

The driver is easy to use.  Changing the bits is not a hassle.  The bits are marked with their sizes.  There is some grip on the handle, not as much as I'd like but more than some other precision drivers I've used.

The driver is hollow on the top end, allowing for internal bit storage.  It's a nice feature, so you never have to worry about losing the extra bits.  This screwdriver looks and acts just like a knock-off of Husky's precision screwdriver, which sells at Home Depot for about $6.  The only big difference between the two is that on Husky's driver, the bit storage compartment is attached internally, so it doesn't fall out.  On the Essentials screwdriver, the bit holder is supposed to be attached to the cap but it detaches easily, so when you pull the cap out, you still have to turn the driver upside down and shake out the bit holder.

One of the slotted bits chipped when I was using it, rendering that bit useless. It held up under light use for a little while, but the first time I really used it with force, the bit broke.

It's a decent screwdriver to stick in a kitchen drawer in case of emergency, but I would not rely on it at all.  The colors are a little gaudy -- definitely not meant for the inside of a tool bag -- but the driver functions okay.  I wouldn't recommend paying more than a couple of bucks for it.  If you're going to pay $7.99, which is what it's currently listed on Amazon.com for, you might as well get the Husky version instead (though as of this review, that driver is overpriced on Amazon as well).

Great Neck tool reviews

Screwdrivers:
- Great Neck Essentials 21011 8-in-1 Precision Screwdriver
- Great Neck FC006 22 Piece Drivemaster Screwdriver Set
- Great Neck NRGN2 2-Piece Stubby Screwdriver Set

Socket Sets:
- Great Neck PSO40H 40-piece ratchet and socket set

Tool Review: Great Neck PSO40H 40-piece ratchet and socket set

Key Features:
 +   Good variety of sockets
 +   Two drive sizes
 -    Spin disc is not very functional


If you walk into a Home Depot, AutoZone, or other hardware store or auto parts store, you can often find a ratchet and socket set for under $10.  If you walk into a Big Lots, the set you'll probably see is the Great Neck PSO40H 40-piece ratchet and socket set, listed for $5.

This set includes one ratchet with 3/8" drive, an adapter for 1/4" drive, a 3" extension bar, and a whole bunch of sockets, for both 3/8" drive and 1/4" drive.  One kind of neat tool that it also comes with is a plastic spin disc -- a small plastic circle with a 3/8" square cut out so you can use it to turn bolts and screws in tight places.  The spin disc is cool in theory, but is very cheaply-made, doesn't fit the sockets well, doesn't give much grip, and won't hold up to high-torque use.  This spin disc is a very cheap alternative to a thumbwheel ratchet.

The ratchet itself is usable but not especially well-made.  It's good to have as an extra ratchet.  There is some grip on the handle, more than you might expect.  It functions as it should, is reversible, and works for both loosening and tightening.  It holds up under a decent amount of force.  It does not look like it was machined very carefully -- the bottom is uneven and something inside wobbles.

The sockets are about what you would expect, nothing spectacular but not too bad either.  There is a good variety, with both SAE and metric sockets included in the set.  Most of the sockets are 1/4" drive sockets.

The set comes in a plastic carrying case that is more useful than cases some other socket sets come in.  Everything fits well in its place, and the case has a handle for easy carrying.

The PSO40H ratchet and socket set is not a high-quality tool set, but for $5 it's not a bad buy.  You get the 3/8" to 1/4" drive adapter, which is always nice to have, and the 3" extension bar, which could come in handy a lot.  Those two pieces alone, purchased separately, would probably cost close to $5 by themselves.

As a bargain, this set is worth around $5.  But if you're shopping for a primary ratchet and socket set, or one that you'll use often, I would spend a little more money and get a nicer set.

This set is currently listed at $9.97 on Amazon.com-- slightly over-priced compared to other sets you could get at that price.  I would not recommend spending more than $5 or $6 on this socket set.  But if you do decide to buy it on Amazon, it is eligible for free shipping.