Yankee Screwdrivers - Contractor Talk - Professional Construction and Remodeling Forum

Renegade 1 LI · 11-23-2008, 02:07 PM

Just wondering if anyone still uses a Yankee. I recently picked up a few new old stock ones & having learned on them in my younger days I thought I would give them a try. 1st there is no battery to charge & they are light weight. Once you get used to them you will be suprised how much control you have & how few screws get stripped. I just ordered a 1/4" collet adapter so I can use all existing quick change 1/4" bits I already have & small drill bits too. I am not saying it will replace a cordless, but it is a handy tool once you get used to it. I found a web site that sells a new version of the Yankee made in Germany & it comes with a 1/4" quick change bit system. I am going to order one & see how it is. Has anyone tried one of these yet?

neolitic · 11-23-2008, 03:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Renegade 1 LI

Just wondering if anyone still uses a Yankee. I recently picked up a few new old stock ones & having learned on them in my younger days I thought I would give them a try. 1st there is no battery to charge & they are light weight. Once you get used to them you will be suprised how much control you have & how few screws get stripped. I just ordered a 1/4" collet adapter so I can use all existing quick change 1/4" bits I already have & small drill bits too. I am not saying it will replace a cordless, but it is a handy tool once you get used to it. I found a web site that sells a new version of the Yankee made in Germany & it comes with a 1/4" quick change bit system. I am going to order one & see how it is. Has anyone tried one of these yet?

Have two full size and a mini.
Two need a new spring, I just
use the third one in the shop.
The original "cordless"!

K2 · 11-23-2008, 03:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Renegade 1 LI

Just wondering if anyone still uses a Yankee. I recently picked up a few new old stock ones & having learned on them in my younger days I thought I would give them a try. 1st there is no battery to charge & they are light weight. Once you get used to them you will be suprised how much control you have & how few screws get stripped. I just ordered a 1/4" collet adapter so I can use all existing quick change 1/4" bits I already have & small drill bits too. I am not saying it will replace a cordless, but it is a handy tool once you get used to it. I found a web site that sells a new version of the Yankee made in Germany & it comes with a 1/4" quick change bit system. I am going to order one & see how it is. Has anyone tried one of these yet?

I grew up on yankees and have a few laying around here but don't use them much. I even have my grndfather's yankee from the 20's or 30's. There was a time when the guys took the spring out of them because they thought they were dangerous and not necessary and i think you could buy them with or without the spring. I've got woobley screwdrivers i don't use either.

Greg Di · 11-23-2008, 10:57 PM

The guy that works for me now showed up on his first day two years ago and whipped out a yankee screwdriver to install deck railings with me.

I took it out of his hand while he was using it and threw it into the woods.

I handed him a 12V impact driver and said if I ever see that thing on one of my jobs again, I'll kill him!

Not that I don't have an appreciation for hand tools, but time is money and I have about $1k in cordless drills. There is no reason to ever use one of those in 2008. I have big drills and little drills for big screws and little screws....

Suffice to say, now I can't get an impact driver out of his hands and he insists on being the "LedgerLok Guy".