[kevmo314]

> Shipping the Nest thermostat with a screwdriver "turned a moment of frustration into a moment of delight"

I must be in the minority then. I end up with a ton of these product-specific screwdrivers and get a little frustrated that I have to throw it away, contributing ever-so-slightly to the pile of consumer waste.

It'd be cool if you could select a "need tools" option sort of like how take out now has a "need utensils" option.

[Phiwise_]

Just send it to your local goodwill. Some single mother just scraping by in a rotting-out apartment who suddenly needs to fix a sink or lighting fixture that duct tape just isn't working on any more will be delighted to find your nest brand screwdriver with a fifty cent sticker while looking for a pair of shoes her growing kid's feet might fit in.

And that's just here in the US. Our working poor are the world's one percent. If our definition of consumer waste is things no one would like to hold on to, then even what we consider the most banal tools are not consumer waste, and it will be a very long time until they are.

[eddieroger]

Check out the picture - it's not a product-specific screwdriver, it's just a screwdriver with standard Philips and flathead bits. Some of the products used outdoors have security bits, but even those are just Torx bits most of the time. I am delighted to not need additional tools, and feel no pressure to keep it since I have a good set of screwdrivers already. Plus, this makes a handy small one to keep in the kitchen for random uses.

[cout]

The zinus bedframe I bought came with a mini ratcheting wrench instead of a flat wrench. The wrench is just the right size to fit hex shank screwdriver bits, and so I've used it many times when I couldn't find my screwdriver or I needed just a little bit more torque. I have even used it to repair my John Deere tractor since it's small enough to fit where a regular size ratcheting wrench couldn't.

The wrench definitely made the product feel higher quality, and I have a tool I will keep for a long time, if I don't wear it out.

[jrockway]

For me it's kind of a wash. For years I avoided buying any imperial allen keys because I had a pile of free ones that were good when I infrequently needed them. I also got this combination 2.5mm hex / Phillips screwdriver which is actually quite convenient as those are the sizes of screwdriver I need most frequently.

The rest go into the landfill unfortunately, and I agree the waste isn't really worth the 3 random sizes of allen key I once needed.

[cout]

I'm a little wary of those cheap hex keys -- I've been burned a few times by them stripping out a hex head when the key was just a little loose. I know I should invest in some quality hex keys, but you are right -- it's hard to justify the purchase when I already have so many lying around.

[jrockway]

Yeah. I think part of the problem there is also low-quality fasteners, but good hex wrenches do prevent a lot of problems.

As I go through my stash of direct-from-the-Shenzhen-market-at-10x-the-price fasteners from Amazon I'm replacing them with equivalents from McMaster. I have to say the increase in quality is noticeable. I half expect to break an Amazon screw and find that it's hollow inside to save a few cents.

[prepend]

I love the screwdriver. It’s better than any I can find at Ace or HomeDepot.

I bought three Nests and while the thermostats are pretty annoying, I really love the screwdrivers.

They are really pleasant to hold.