With all the power tools running around and the lightning pace that cordless tools are setting, it can be tough to get excited about hand tools. Any time Klein tells me they have something new for the trades, I’m sure to take a close look. Tools like the new Klein Heavy-Duty Nut Drivers are the case in point. They’re intelligently designed, tough tools that solve a unique problem.
The most obvious feature of Klein’s newest nut drivers is the hollow core. This is intentionally designed to help with running nuts onto threaded rod. The tip features a rare earth magnet to hold onto the nut.
Forged from a single piece of cold-forged steel, the shaft has been shaped into a hexagon. This has been done so you can use a wrench if hand tightening isn’t enough to secure the nut. Thanks to the forging process, you won’t damage the driver with this kind of force.
Moving down to the handle, you’ll find Klein’s traditional yellow core with black comfort grip overmolding.
At the base of each handle and on an etched ring around each driver’s tip is color coding to make size identification easier.
Using Klein Heavy-Duty Nut Drivers
All things considered, Klein Heavy-Duty Nut Drivers aren’t a complicated design. We set out to see how functional they are. I often take for granted hand driver handles. Having just wrapped up with a screwdriver, I took a moment to appreciate Klein’s comfort grip handles. They really do make a difference over the course of long days.
The driver’s heads are hex as opposed to 12-point. Klein’s precision showed off with very little play as the driver enveloped each nut to tighten or loosen it. I came across a surprising number of seemingly basic operations that were impossible for our other nut drivers simply because the bolt was a bit too long. It didn’t take nearly the entire length of the driver, but sticking out a ½ inch or more took them out of the game and would have required a wrench.
Nut running on threaded rod still leaves you with some discretion. I found it easiest to continue running them the majority of the way by hand (well, fingers) and then tightening them down with the Klein Heavy-Duty Nut Drivers. I could just as easily have used the drivers the whole way, especially since the magnet is strong enough to support the weight of the driver so it doesn’t fall off if you let go.
This method is particularly helpful if your threads aren’t perfect and you need some extra torque to push beyond the imperfection. Regardless, the hexagonal Wrench Assist shafts were helpful to get additional torque where my hand strength fell short.
Conclusions
Klein Heavy-Duty Nut Drivers are a no-brainer for anyone who is working around threaded rod or other bolts that are simply too long for a traditional nut driver or socket to be effective.
The only downside is a relatively limited number of sizes are available at the moment. They’ll certainly cover the majority of what HVAC pros will run into. I’d like to see some more options available for larger bolts (our suspended shelves used too large a nut and rod) as well as metric sizes.
Klein Heavy-Duty Nut Drivers are available in six sizes that include 1/4″, 5/16″, 3/8″, 7/16″, 1/2″, and 9/16″. They are also available in 4-piece and 6-piece nut driver sets. Expect to pay $15 – $20 for the individual drivers, around $60 for the 4-piece set, and $90 for the 6-piece set.
Klein Heavy-Duty Nut Drivers Key Features
- Hollow shaft allows for nut driving on unlimited bolt length
- Color coding for easy identification of different sizes
- Hexagonal wrench-assist for additional torque
- Magnetic feature helps retain nut
- Heavy-duty shaft with classic Cushion-Grip handle
For more Information
- Klein 1/4″ Heavy-Duty Nut Driver (Cat# 635-1/4)
- Klein 5/16″ Heavy-Duty Nut Driver (Cat# 635-5/16)
- Klein 3/8″ Heavy-Duty Nut Driver (Cat# 635-3/8)
- Klein 7/16″ Heavy-Duty Nut Driver (Cat# 635-7/16)
- Klein 1/2″ Heavy-Duty Nut Driver (Cat# 635-1/2)
- Klein 9/16″ Heavy-Duty Nut Driver (Cat# 635-9/16)
- Klein 4-Piece Heavy-Duty Nut Driver Set (Cat#635-4)
- Klein 6-Piece Heavy-Duty Nut Driver Set (Cat# 635-6)
