Nah, cheap hex tools are cheap, those one time use allen wrenches. Torx comes with a higher minimum quality as you can’t just bend some rolled hex stock and have something that passes as a tool.
High-grade bits are expensive in either case, shape doesn’t matter much in that segment so tradespeople go by what’s the best shape and that’s torx. Really makes a difference when you’re going through thousands of say drywall screws a day: They never cam out, you can set precise torque with an actual torque limiter and screw them in at ridiculously high speeds without pressing down on the screw. Aim, fire, done, next, especially if your whatsitcalled in English has a magazine.
(if you over-torque a torx screw one of two things is going to happen: Either the screw head breaks off, or the bit. Also a kind of torque limiter)
In other applications they might be overkill but only having one type of screw around makes up for the minimal amount that torx is more expensive.
Things like external hex or if you want squares or really whatever of course also have their place, no matter the even number of sides it’s all wrench flats.
And for some reason electricians are fond of their combined flat/pozi screws. First outlet manufacturers used flatheads, then when switching to pozi they realised that while J. Random Consumer might have pozi screwdrivers their one insulated one is a flathead so they combined the shapes, then along come electricians and buy screwdrivers for that combined shape because it self-centres and nearly self-rotates and doesn’t cam out easily.
Torx are the better hex as they apply torque to six planes, not six lines. It’s right-out impossible to strip a torx.
The disadvantage is that it’s harder to machine but that really doesn’t matter for cast screws. Tools are also cheaper that’s why IKEA etc. use them.
Torx tools are cheaper? I didn’t know that. I’ve never really come across them, so I didn’t think they were an option for universal replacement.
Nah, cheap hex tools are cheap, those one time use allen wrenches. Torx comes with a higher minimum quality as you can’t just bend some rolled hex stock and have something that passes as a tool.
High-grade bits are expensive in either case, shape doesn’t matter much in that segment so tradespeople go by what’s the best shape and that’s torx. Really makes a difference when you’re going through thousands of say drywall screws a day: They never cam out, you can set precise torque with an actual torque limiter and screw them in at ridiculously high speeds without pressing down on the screw. Aim, fire, done, next, especially if your whatsitcalled in English has a magazine.
(if you over-torque a torx screw one of two things is going to happen: Either the screw head breaks off, or the bit. Also a kind of torque limiter)
In other applications they might be overkill but only having one type of screw around makes up for the minimal amount that torx is more expensive.
Things like external hex or if you want squares or really whatever of course also have their place, no matter the even number of sides it’s all wrench flats.
And for some reason electricians are fond of their combined flat/pozi screws. First outlet manufacturers used flatheads, then when switching to pozi they realised that while J. Random Consumer might have pozi screwdrivers their one insulated one is a flathead so they combined the shapes, then along come electricians and buy screwdrivers for that combined shape because it self-centres and nearly self-rotates and doesn’t cam out easily.
Unless they are in a facemill or something for a milling machine