Tools for Use With Square Drive Screws

• Square drive screws are popularly used for assembling furniture. screw image by timur1970 from Fotolia.com

  Most people are more familiar with flat-slot or Philips head screws than with square drive screws. Square drive screws, as the name suggests, have a square indentation on the top, into which the end of a screwdriver is inserted. The shape of this indentation causes screwdrivers to hold their position without slipping. Square drive screws are popular for assembling furniture, because screwdrivers can easily slip and damage new wood. Users can also tighten square drive screws more effectively.

Square Recess Screwdrivers

• The best tool to use with a square drive screw is a square recess screwdriver. As the name suggests, these screwdrivers have a bit, or tip, designed to fit into the socket of a square drive screw. While they can be a little more expensive than a flat or Phillips head screwdriver, they tend to last longer because the bit is less prone to wear down than the wings of a Phillips head or the thin, flat bit of a flat-head screwdriver.

Cordless and Electric Drills

• In addition to a square recess screwdriver, you can also use a cordless or electric drill with square drive screws. As with any other screw, you can purchase bits specifically designed to fit square drive screws. While drill bits can be expensive, square drive bits--just like square recess screwdrivers--tend to last longer than flat and Phillips head bits. In addition, you will only need two square drive bit sizes to fit most square drive screws.

Wrenches

• If you don't have access to a square recess screw driver or a power drill with a square drive bit, you can use a crescent wrench to grip the head of the screw and turn it from the outside. Obviously, this is much more cumbersome and difficult than using one of the previous methods, but using a wrench will work when there is no other option. If you do not typically encounter square drive screws, this method may suffice; if you anticipate working with a large number of them, however, you can save yourself a significant amount of hard work and frustration by purchasing the proper tool.