Nut driver
Encyclopedia
A nut driver is a tool for tightening nuts
and bolts
. It essentially consists of a socket
attached to a shaft and cylindrical handle and is similar in appearance and use to a screwdriver
. They generally have a hollow shaft to accommodate a shank
onto which a nut is threaded. They are typically used for lower torque
applications than wrenches or ratchets
and are especially popular in the electronics
industry.
Variations include T-shaped handles for providing the operator with a better grip, ratcheting
handles, sockets with recessed magnets for holding fasteners, and flex shafts for bending around obstructions.
A spinner handle is a shaft and handle with a drive fitting—most commonly ¼"—at the end for attaching interchangeable sockets. This allows one to use a single handle with a number of sizes instead of having a separate nut driver for each size. However, a spinner lacks the benefit of a hollow shaft; thus, a common alternative system is a single handle with interchangeable shafts in each size.
Nut (hardware)
A nut is a type of hardware fastener with a threaded hole. Nuts are almost always used opposite a mating bolt to fasten a stack of parts together. The two partners are kept together by a combination of their threads' friction, a slight stretch of the bolt, and compression of the parts...
and bolts
Screw
A screw, or bolt, is a type of fastener characterized by a helical ridge, known as an external thread or just thread, wrapped around a cylinder. Some screw threads are designed to mate with a complementary thread, known as an internal thread, often in the form of a nut or an object that has the...
. It essentially consists of a socket
Socket wrench
A socket wrench is a wrench with interchangeable heads called sockets that attach to a fitting on the wrench, allowing it to turn different sized bolts and other fasteners. The most common form is a hand tool popularly called a ratchet consisting of a handle with a ratcheting mechanism built in,...
attached to a shaft and cylindrical handle and is similar in appearance and use to a screwdriver
Screwdriver
A screwdriver is a tool for driving screws and often rotating other machine elements with the mating drive system. The screwdriver is made up of a head or tip, which engages with a screw, a mechanism to apply torque by rotating the tip, and some way to position and support the screwdriver...
. They generally have a hollow shaft to accommodate a shank
Shank
Shank is the lower part of the leg; shin.It may also refer to:* Shank , a cut of meat * Shank , an action game* Shank , An LGBT based film* Shank , a thriller set in futuristic London...
onto which a nut is threaded. They are typically used for lower torque
Torque
Torque, moment or moment of force , is the tendency of a force to rotate an object about an axis, fulcrum, or pivot. Just as a force is a push or a pull, a torque can be thought of as a twist....
applications than wrenches or ratchets
Socket wrench
A socket wrench is a wrench with interchangeable heads called sockets that attach to a fitting on the wrench, allowing it to turn different sized bolts and other fasteners. The most common form is a hand tool popularly called a ratchet consisting of a handle with a ratcheting mechanism built in,...
and are especially popular in the electronics
Electronics
Electronics is the branch of science, engineering and technology that deals with electrical circuits involving active electrical components such as vacuum tubes, transistors, diodes and integrated circuits, and associated passive interconnection technologies...
industry.
Variations include T-shaped handles for providing the operator with a better grip, ratcheting
Ratchet (device)
A ratchet is a device that allows continuous linear or rotary motion in only one direction while preventing motion in the opposite direction. Because most socket wrenches today use ratcheting handles, the term "ratchet" alone is often used to refer to a ratcheting wrench, and the terms "ratchet"...
handles, sockets with recessed magnets for holding fasteners, and flex shafts for bending around obstructions.
A spinner handle is a shaft and handle with a drive fitting—most commonly ¼"—at the end for attaching interchangeable sockets. This allows one to use a single handle with a number of sizes instead of having a separate nut driver for each size. However, a spinner lacks the benefit of a hollow shaft; thus, a common alternative system is a single handle with interchangeable shafts in each size.