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In this video of "Breaking Bad", beginning at 0:21, Mike uses what looks like a Phillips screwdriver, but presses the tool to turn the screw. I always wanted one of these; what's the name of this type of tool?

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Marceloawq
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    That's a "yankee". https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yankee_screwdriver – Hot Licks Jul 26 '21 at 17:30
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    @HotLicks other countries, other names: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Spiral-Ratchet-Screwdriver-300mm-Silverline-716610-/324148098654?var=0&mkevt=1&mkcid=1&mkrid=710-53481-19255-0&campid=5338268676&toolid=10044&customid=EAIaIQobChMIloXp2pyB8gIVkL7tCh3wMAahEAQYDSABEgJs3vD_BwE – Solar Mike Jul 26 '21 at 17:43
  • I'm sorry but that seems like nothing more than a novelty. The limited number of times that the screw driver would prove itself useful are so small that it would be an inconvenience to have it in your tool bag because you'll find yourself preferring a regular screwdriver for 95% of the situations. Driving a screw into anything other than a pre-drilled hole looks like a surefire way to slip and hurt yourself or the material. – MonkeyZeus Jul 26 '21 at 18:05
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    @MonkeyZeus While I don't have one of these myself, I can see the use in many cases. You're right that it would be nearly useless for screwing in wood screws the first time. But for existing wood screws, for machine screws (into existing holes, of course), as a nutdriver, etc. it could work quite well. – manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact Jul 26 '21 at 18:10
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    @manassehkatz-Moving2Codidact I'm sure it works fine when all the stars align but given the amount of clearance you need to use it effectively I see it as a "solution in search of a problem" compared to modern tools. – MonkeyZeus Jul 26 '21 at 18:24
  • Aside from "really cool trick in the movies", I see two good uses. I'll add to my answer. – manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact Jul 26 '21 at 18:25
  • @MonkeyZeus many years ago, when I worked in a car assembly plant, pump screwdrivers were used a lot. They are very fast and portable (good for interior work such as grab handles, visors). However, prone to the shaft getting bent. Often the tool of choice even though air powered screwdrivers were available. Grab handles, when I did them was mallet and bradawl to make the starter holes, then pump to affix the grab handle. – MikeT Jul 27 '21 at 06:50
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    Elwood Blues also uses one in "Blues Brothers": https://youtu.be/5AZQox85JLI?t=147 – jwh20 Jul 27 '21 at 11:49
  • @MonkeyZeus I have one (a Stanley Yankee) with much longer travel than that, and have had a short one as shown. They're useful in many situations. If you've drilled a clearance hole in a board it can drive a screw into a plank underneath (though a pilot hole would often be a good idea). e.g when I boarded my loft floor I used a combination drill bit in my battery drill + Yankee driver for the screws. They're really useful in assembling some flatpack furniture/kitchen cabinets, where you'd be constantly flipping between low and high torque settings on an electric driver – Chris H Jul 27 '21 at 12:12
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    @MonkeyZeus These type of hand tools (both screwdrivers and drills) are certainly not a "novelty" if you are working at a small scale (e.g. watch making). Try drilling a hole in a sheet of brass with a power drill and a size 80 drill bit (0.34mm diameter, a bit less than 1/64 inch) and you will soon find out why. – alephzero Jul 27 '21 at 17:00
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    If you get one, just know that if you hold it wrong you can slice the crap out of your palm and fingers. – B. Goddard Jul 27 '21 at 18:33
  • @B.Goddard not only that, for the uninitiated they can suddenly extend, sometimes directly into one's face. Ideally they should be stored "relaxed" and extended, not compressed. Though that risks bending the shaft. – Criggie Jul 28 '21 at 03:29
  • @SolarMike "Yankee" is Stanley's brand name for them including in the UK. The Silverline you link looks like a direct copy, complete with the proprietary bit attachment. Making an adaptor to take 1/4" hex bits is quite easy with hand tools (start with a long magnetic bit holder) – Chris H Jul 28 '21 at 08:38
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    @manassehkatz-Moving2Codidact I used one about 200 years ago when installing floorboards. It was great for that, as the long handle and rapid action reduced the need for bending over etc. Of course now, with power tools, I doubt I'd seek one out. – Cylindric Jul 28 '21 at 09:35
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    @Criggie with a weak magnetic bit adaptor they can even launch bits, though not very fast – Chris H Jul 28 '21 at 15:21

2 Answers2

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Also known as a spiral ratchet screwdriver.

An old design, used by professionals and amazingly still available.

One advantage is it has no batteries to go flat and no waiting for it to charge!!

Solar Mike
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That is a push pull ratchet screwdriver. It has a spiral shaft mechanism that turns the push/pull into rotary motion.

This would be a relatively bad choice for any new holes (e.g., screw into wood where there is no existing hole), because it could easily slip. But I see two good uses for it (besides the "really cool movie use", of course):

  • Arthritis or similar problems - Turning a screwdriver can be hard on the fingers and the wrist. Pushing is much easier. For some people, this could make the difference between doing the job themselves pain-free or doing in a very painful way or having to get help from someone else. Power tools are a common way around this type of problem, but they have additional costs and those tools are often much heavier, which can exacerbate the same type of physical problems.

  • Tight spaces - There are places (the movie clip is not one of those) where you have limited room to work and a screwdriver like this will help get the job done without repeatedly scraping your knuckles/pinching your fingers/etc.

manassehkatz-Moving 2 Codidact
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  • Every wooden boat building video I watch uses one - they pre-drill holes anyway... I.e. The art of boat building - https://youtu.be/pjrt5UJZ7WY?t=998 – Alexei Levenkov Jul 27 '21 at 05:27
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    With the right screw into softwood it will start a hole, but I wouldn't make a habit of it – Chris H Jul 27 '21 at 12:13
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    Starting new holes just takes two hands and a bit of practice. Using the mechanism for screwdrivers is relatively new, it was originally for drills, and many models still come with drill bits, which can make starting new screw holes pretty trivial. I still use mine for electrical faceplates ( like in the video ) where they're as fast as battery-operated and never go flat, or occasionally for carpentry work where running a cord or charging a battery isn't worth the hassle. As you can see, they're pretty quick once you get the hang of it. – Perkins Jul 27 '21 at 14:48
  • @Perkins ideally they use slightly different drill bits to those commonly sold, but I had a set of 1/4" hex pilot drills that worked nicely in my Yankee via a home-made adaptor (until some tools were stolen). Some designs make starting screws easier than others, giving you a nice rotating collar to hold with your off hand – Chris H Jul 28 '21 at 08:41
  • You don't have to use it in that mode though. You can lock the ratchet, set it forward or backwards and just use a twisting motion which should just be as good as a solid screwdriver – Rodney Jul 28 '21 at 11:33
  • @Rodney and in that mode mine is my best quality driver Mine in fact will do spiral ratchet, normal ratchet, or fully locked, so it's even good for adjusting screws to the right position – Chris H Jul 28 '21 at 15:22
  • @ChrisH It depends on the type of Yankee. The original ones rotated one way on push and the other way on pull and so were only for drilling and needed bits that cut in both directions. Modern ones have a ratchet so they can be set to turn only one way so they'll work for screws. These work fine with standard drill bits as long as the bit type and speed generated is sufficient to not splinter the material. For wood you'll find that a brad-pointed wood bit cuts much more cleanly than the general-purpose silver-and-demming style. – Perkins Aug 02 '21 at 17:21