Using torx drive screws instead of phillips

[Battson]

OMG - just realised what a Torque Screw is....! We call those a Star Drive in my circles.

I HATE those things!! hahahaha.. I have to deal with them on certain brands of firearm. The tools seem to be a weak link as well as the screws.

Give me an Allen (Hex) screw any day.

[Zzz]

*Torx, not "torque."

Curious why you hate it? Can you really deny the positive engagement of a properly fit tool? Yes, my Burris Xtreme scope rings use them and I think they're great, much harder to slip than an Allen as long as you use the right size tip.

[Battson]

Well - bad experiences with the tools, in short. Breaking things. I have never seen or heard of an Allen key slipping, and I've never bent or broken an Allen key. Same positive engagement for both.

The fiddly little head on the Star Drive are more prone to bending / breaking for any given screw size. They have a smaller sectional area, and have more delicate features, which means they aren't as strong. The tool's extra complexity mean they are hard to make cheaply, so good tools are expensive to replace, when they do bend / break. They are also hard to find over here. I've had that happen with my Burris Zee rings, for instance. The tool they came with broke in minutes, took me an age to find a decent set over here. Which later broke (I wasn't forcing it either!).

I find a hex drive (or even square drive) are dead simple, it's easy to make high quality tools at very low cost, and they are highly effective in terms of doing their job. So it provides 95% the same benefits as a Torx or Torx plus, just much simpler, which is the hallmark of good engineering. Also why they are so popular internationally I guess. I note the Torx design seems to be a newer US brand?

Sorry - I'm really not trying to dump on your idea of using Torx here Z. Just my personal experience with the tool isn't real good.

[Zzz]

I dunno, man. I've had the tops off my Burris rings probably 5-6 time using their stupid little L tool and never so much as put a mark in the coating. I finally started using a T-15 socket with my 1/4" ratchet, which is nice because I can use my 1/4" torque wrench to sinch them down to the required 20 in-lbs or whatever it is.

Odd how we all have different experiences/takeaways.