# 8" Red and green robbies.



## Ontariojer (May 19, 2011)

spook said:


> Any _one know if wera wila etc carries red and green 8" _robbies. Ive had two kleins wear out in a month because of a crappy tip. The red isn't to hard to find but the green is i've been to home depot and lowes and looked online but cant seem to find much. I guess I could go ideal but i wanted to see what all the fuss was about with the others.


I think torbram used to have them, brafasco or fastenall maybe too otherwise online is the way to go. Note, they call them square drive not robbie, so i'm not sure if they are authentic tapers or not. I was also going to get a set, but only if they are actual robbies. Does anyone know?


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## kawimudslinger (Jan 29, 2010)

i find it hard to believe you wore out two tips in one month. Did you try the new improved Klein robertson tip? They are by far the best robertson screwdrivers i have tried yet. The ideal was very disappointing,(but they make a fine phillips) it was rounded in no time. I have Wiha and I don't mind the green for installing devices but the red was a bad as the Ideal. I use my Red Klein 8" robbie almost constantly (Canada) and I use it hard, and it looks new, aside from the rubber grip wearing.


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## spook (Oct 20, 2011)

kawimudslinger said:


> i find it hard to believe you wore out two tips in one month. Did you try the new improved Klein robertson tip? They are by far the best robertson screwdrivers i have tried yet. The ideal was very disappointing,(but they make a fine phillips) it was rounded in no time. I have Wiha and I don't mind the green for installing devices but the red was a bad as the Ideal. I use my Red Klein 8" robbie almost constantly (Canada) and I use it hard, and it looks new, aside from the rubber grip wearing.


There is a new and improved klein robertson tip, I didn't even know to be honest,Maybe ill have to check into that. All i know is my drivers before had normal shafts and tips but the last two had dinky little shafts on them.


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## Vintage Sounds (Oct 23, 2009)

Wera does make red and green drivers with 8" shaft.


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## Flectric (Nov 19, 2011)

Is sizing Square drivers by color a Canadian thing. Because all my Square have actual numbers to identify them.


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## Ontariojer (May 19, 2011)

Flectric said:


> Is sizing Square drivers by color a Canadian thing. Because all my Square have actual numbers to identify them.


I don't know about the rest of the country, but around here it is all about colours. Red and green most common, then black, then yellow. Most people coildn't tell you the numbers!


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## dirtyfrank (Jan 25, 2011)

I think people call them everything haha. a number 2 robertson could be a , red, a number 8, number 10 (different sizes of screws they fit). 


The wera screwdrivers are great. they're cheap too. that's always a good thing. 

chadstoolbox is where i buy em.


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## Flectric (Nov 19, 2011)

Ontariojer said:


> I don't know about the rest of the country, but around here it is all about colours. Red and green most common, then black, then yellow. Most people coildn't tell you the numbers!


Those colors do line up with how Bondhus colors codes theres, also identifies with a number. Black is #3, Red #2, Green #1, and Yellow #0. Which leaves me to ask has anyone ever needed a #0 or yellow robbie. 
I know #3 is good for fittings, #2 panel covers screws and generic screw all around, #1 devices, but I never had the need for the #0.


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## Vintage Sounds (Oct 23, 2009)

Colour coding is part of the Robertson system. #00 is orange, 0 is yellow, 1 is green, 2 is red, 3 is black and 4 is double black(it does exist, I've seen it and in fact it was a Wera). I have used the #0 on some oddball light fixtures but never seen it anywhere else. Too bad because it's way better than stupid tiny Philips screws.


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## rdr (Oct 25, 2009)

The only place I've ever used a yellow robbie was on a couple of the wife's frying pan handles after a liberal application of loctite on the screws. :laughing:


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## paulcanada (Feb 6, 2009)

i used the yellow on some hubbell twist-lock cord ends. that's it.


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## Ontariojer (May 19, 2011)

Flectric said:


> Those colors do line up with how Bondhus colors codes theres, also identifies with a number. Black is #3, Red #2, Green #1, and Yellow #0. Which leaves me to ask has anyone ever needed a #0 or yellow robbie.
> I know #3 is good for fittings, #2 panel covers screws and generic screw all around, #1 devices, but I never had the need for the #0.



Some cord caps, some telephone stuff, #4 and #5 screws(peefect for wood lath). At least around here.

J


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## oldtimer (Jun 10, 2010)

Ontariojer said:


> Some cord caps, some telephone stuff, #4 and #5 screws(perfect for wood lath). At least around here.
> 
> J


 (fixed your typo.)


Talking about wood lath ... ... Use thin screws and lubricate them with soap.

The screws will not split the lath as easily.

This hint has probably been posted before, but it works!


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## Ontariojer (May 19, 2011)

oldtimer said:


> (fixed your typo.)
> 
> 
> Talking about wood lath ... ... Use thin screws and lubricate them with soap.
> ...


I do the same thing with the saw blade. I also use a japanese keyhole saw from lee valley. It cuts on the pull, and i keep my hand on the plaster to minimize breakage/separation. Have had good luck with this system.


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## SteveO. (Oct 17, 2011)

We always called them #6 (green), #8 (red) and #10(black). No idea where those numbers came from but from the day I started in the trade that's how I learned them. I still call them that but find outside the trade, nobody knows what I'm talking about. I am thankful for the colour coding though. 

As for the #4, or 0 (yellow), I used to see it lots on exit lights and some cover plates for 1110 boxes. Recently though, they don't seem to be as common.


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## dirtyfrank (Jan 25, 2011)

SteveO. said:


> We always called them #6 (green), #8 (red) and #10(black). No idea where those numbers came from but from the day I started in the trade that's how I learned them. I still call them that but find outside the trade, nobody knows what I'm talking about. I am thankful for the colour coding though.
> 
> As for the #4, or 0 (yellow), I used to see it lots on exit lights and some cover plates for 1110 boxes. Recently though, they don't seem to be as common.


6 8 and 10 are the size of screw thickness. people call a screw driver based on that then a black should be number 12. a red tip will fit an 8 and a 10 screw. but telling someone the difference (especially an older electricaan) is like telling someone that their linesman pliers are really called side cutters. and that their side cutters are really diagonal cutters.


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## SteveO. (Oct 17, 2011)

dirtyfrank said:


> 6 8 and 10 are the size of screw thickness. people call a screw driver based on that then a black should be number 12. a red tip will fit an 8 and a 10 screw. but telling someone the difference (especially an older electricaan) is like telling someone that their linesman pliers are really called side cutters. and that their side cutters are really diagonal cutters.


But a #8 will fit # 8, 10 and 12 screws. :blink: I guess that's why I never understood the system.


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## Vintage Sounds (Oct 23, 2009)

dirtyfrank said:


> like telling someone that their linesman pliers are really called side cutters. and that their side cutters are really diagonal cutters.


If you said diagonal cutters here, nobody would know what you were talking about. Crazy eh?


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## Ontariojer (May 19, 2011)

SteveO. said:


> But a #8 will fit # 8, 10 and 12 screws. :blink: I guess that's why I never understood the system.


No, #12 screws should be using a black robbie, not a red.


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## SteveO. (Oct 17, 2011)

Ontariojer said:


> No, #12 screws should be using a black robbie, not a red.


I built an entire deck last summer with #12 screws and #8 driver bit. :thumbsup: For sure wouldn't have fit a #10 driver.


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## oldtimer (Jun 10, 2010)

SteveO. said:


> I built an entire deck last summer with #12 screws and #8 driver bit. :thumbsup: For sure wouldn't have fit a #10 driver.


 # 12 screws, but the drive is # 8.

Not unusual!


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## Ontariojer (May 19, 2011)

oldtimer said:


> # 12 screws, but the drive is # 8.
> 
> Not unusual!


I thought you said #8, #10, and #12 screws are all drive #8. That isn't possible since the #8 and #10 screws take the red/#2 robbie, while #12 screws take the black/#3 robbie is what I was trying to say.


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## kaboler (Dec 1, 2010)

I dunno. My #2 red robertson seems to last forever, and it's just a regular old Fuller or whatever you call em. However, my green isn't a fuller but some other brand, and I think it's too small.

fuller.

Oops they call it #8. I just call em green, red, and black robertsons.


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## brokenankle (Jan 17, 2009)

*chadstoolbox*

05117686003 wera 368 rob s/d #3 x 150mm


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## dirtyfrank (Jan 25, 2011)

SteveO. said:


> I built an entire deck last summer with #12 screws and #8 driver bit. :thumbsup: For sure wouldn't have fit a #10 driver.


thankfully i haven't ran into those screws yet... my brain can only handle so much. 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Robertson_screwdriver#Robertson Scroll to the Robertson section and you'll see a table there with the colours & numbers & everything else that will confuse the hell out you haha. 

So my point is: The number 6/8/10 unofficial labelling system that is in place within this trade, is based on the size of the screw, and the size of the driver that fits it's head. 

Examples:
#6-32 screws for receptacles/switches - GREEN / #1
#8-32 screws, wood screws - RED / #2 
#10 wood screws - *RED* / #2 
#12 set screws for conduit fittings - BLACK / #3 

Based on that article, and based on this wacky system, a #8 screwdriver will fit a #8 and #10 screw. And the black / #3 driver will fit a #12 screw and higher... Suggesting that the black driver should be called a number 12. This is crazy to begin with, I don't know why people dont just stick with the colours or the numbers that are WRITTEN on the drivers themselves.

... but that'll never happen.


If your number 10 driver (I assume Black or #3) is too *big* to fit those number 12 screws that you had for your deck, which you say had a red or #2 head (that should normally be black or #3),

then why are you calling the black/#3 driver a #10? 

I'll stick with colours.:wallbash:


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## Vintage Sounds (Oct 23, 2009)

I have never heard anyone call a Robertson screwdriver by the size of screw it drives! That is completely bizarre. Who would bother when there _already is_ _a numbered *and *coloured system in place?_


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## Ontariojer (May 19, 2011)

Vintage Sounds said:


> I have never heard anyone call a Robertson screwdriver by the size of screw it drives! That is completely bizarre. Who would bother when there _already is_ _a numbered *and *coloured system in place?_


I have never heard of this either!

Where are you guys from that you use this 6/8/10 or whatever system?


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## SteveO. (Oct 17, 2011)

Ontariojer said:


> I thought you said #8, #10, and #12 screws are all drive #8. That isn't possible since the #8 and #10 screws take the red/#2 robbie, while #12 screws take the black/#3 robbie is what I was trying to say.


I said I have used a #8 red robbie to drive #12 screws, which is very possible and not unusual at all. I'm just saying that calling the #1,2 and 3 Robbies #6,8 and 10's doesn't always correlate with the screw size. I can drive a #10 screw with a #8 driver, so it doesn't make sense.

I'm just saying that here in Calgary, I learned in the trade that the #2 red robbie was called your #8, your green was your #6 and the black was the #10. I'm aware of where you use each of them, but the names of them as I was taught don't seem to be common with the rest of the world. I still call my red robbie my #8. No idea why, it's just what I was taught it was called.


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## BigReggie (Mar 3, 2012)

Common on the east coast, as well.

#6 - green
#8 - red
#10 - black


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## oldtimer (Jun 10, 2010)

BigReggie said:


> Common on the east coast, as well.
> 
> #6 - green
> #8 - red
> #10 - black





What about yellow #4, and orange#?

Yellow, I own and have used.

Orange , I have seen, never owned, or used.


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## chewy (May 9, 2010)

To the OP - Wiha makes a 8" red robbie.


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## BigReggie (Mar 3, 2012)

oldtimer said:


> What about yellow #4, and orange#?
> 
> Yellow, I own and have used.
> 
> Orange , I have seen, never owned, or used.


Yellow - #4

Not sure about orange. It's smaller, that's all that really matters


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## CanadianBrad (Feb 9, 2012)

Orange is known technically as the #00(as yellow is technically #0). I've don't own one, and have never used one. Neither have any of the j-men I work with, that they could admit to. It's interesting, because I was just looking at driver bits on the Rack-a-Tiers websites, and the orange driver bit they show actually looks to be a larger(than #3/#10 black) size. Go figure.

Anyway, keeping with the #10, #8, #6, I would assume(not having actual solid information) that orange is #2.

For the OP, I personally don't like the grips on the Klein drivers. They feel too small for my hand. Also, I've found that I hate looking at the little colour mark on the butt end of the driver, especially after it's been used a little bit. I like the Wera drivers, and various others, that are colour-coded more clearly, so you can spot them in a pouch with a dozen other drivers in it.

*EDIT: If guns kill people, I can blame spelling errors on my keyboard.


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## BigReggie (Mar 3, 2012)

kawimudslinger said:


> i find it hard to believe you wore out two tips in one month. Did you try the new improved Klein robertson tip? They are by far the best robertson screwdrivers i have tried yet. The ideal was very disappointing,(but they make a fine phillips) it was rounded in no time. I have Wiha and I don't mind the green for installing devices but the red was a bad as the Ideal. I use my Red Klein 8" robbie almost constantly (Canada) and I use it hard, and it looks new, aside from the rubber grip wearing.


Hey Mudslinger,

I've been wondering. I had a j-man who insists that home depot klein drivers are cheaply made, in comparison of those sold at a distributor, for example.

Any insight into this? I assumed that since they were all under the klein banner, that they'd be produced in the same place (somewhere in the states)?


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## bubb_tubbs (Apr 15, 2012)

If you're ok with ordering tools, Wera makes some pretty kickass 8" robbies - insulated or standard.

Edit: although not in black, unfortunately.


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