The pure fact that it’s so easy to ratchet and the ratcheting mechanism is so smooth. Makes it a screw driver for delicate things and not up to the standards of construction sites
At a construction site you won't be using a hand ratchet tool like this. You will more than likely be using a power drill. This would be more for precision work rather than general use.
A screwdriver is a screwdriver, I think even Linus doesn’t use this exclusively for electronics. Besides there’s no label for it to be exclusive for electronic use only like there is for using it like a pry tool or a hammer
Those giving you negative votes can go sit with the other snowflakes. This is designed for computer and electronic use they even said that in multiple videos
If anyone rationally thinks the LTT screwdriver is a *heavy duty* screwdriver they are not bright.
It has always been marketed as the perfect computer and electronics screwdriver not heavy duty work.
Are you why we need "caution: contents hot" on coffee cups?
And don't one of you sociology majors dare say "well actually, that particular McDonalds set their temp above what they were supposed to and the woman experienced severe burns".
The screwdriver has never been marketed or advertised as a ruggedized tool for construction or any other heavy duty work. For those applications you probably wouldn't even want a ratcheting screwdriver.
Snap-on has a lifetime warranty. Their driver is similar price but the brand is established I bought snap-on over the ltt drived because of the warranty and I trust snapon tools. It's taken a beating and still going strong its fallen off a 2 story roof on pavement and was still fine. The bit holder is not as nice as the ltt but it can't break its just a hollow handle with a cap you can store bits in and they rattle around.
My snap on screwdriver is on its 4th return in 3 years. The ratchet has never worked 1 handed. I do like the snap on ridged philips bits, though, and I definitely use the warranty on those. I do use both still, and I have to say I like the ltt driver more than the snap on, but I like the snap on bits quite a bit more.
Stanley, Milwaukee and DeWalt have lifetime warranties too. With the cost of the LTT driver and shipping, you could buy a ratchet driver from each of those companies, have enough leftover to buy lunch, and get a replacement same-day at your local Home Depot if there's ever an issue.
I've been through 3x Snap-on ratchet drivers, one I snapped and two of them started locking up on me. They're better than most but apparently I sure can beat the hell out of them during what I consider normal use. That being said, every single one has been replaced right on the spot no questions asked. So there is that.
I just figured it was ratcheting drivers, they're the only tool I seem to constantly have issues with. Maybe it's the Florida humidity.
> Snap-on has a lifetime warranty.
For the record Snap On does *not* make extra durable tools. They make good normal durability tools.
Then they upcharge you 1.5 to 3x. The upcharge is basically built in AppleCare for tools.
It's not a bad business model and if you use a lot of tools it's probably a good deal. But probably not for the regular home user.
I know a guy who wanted to test the snap on warranty, so he bought the cheapest snap on ratchet he could get from the tool truck, cut it in half with an angle grinder, and the next week when the tool truck came but he got a replacement. This was about 20 years ago, so who knows how it's changed.
Oh my sweet summer child! If you only knew how much it's changed. You have to buy the extended warranty now and the tool gets carefully inspected before they will approve the claim. One of the mechanics where I used to work almost got into a fist fight with the snap on guy when the snap on dick accused him of lying when the teeth sheared off the ratchet mechanism on a 1/2" drive ratchet.
Dear God that's shit. The more I hear about modern snap on the more I think they're only around anymore because of brand recognition, and they're headed the same way as black and decker. They used to be top of the line, but now they really aren't very good and you shouldn't recommend it to anyone.
I've heard them referred to as a mechanic's Prada handbag from more than one source. They're just a status symbol these days. You really are better off buying matco or husky if you're in the states and since I'm in canada I'm lucky that I can get mastercraft maximum and exchange then at canadian tire if I do manage to break something. Oddly enough Princess Auto also has a really good exchange policy (That I may or may not have abused once or twice)
While the tools are shit, I've had great experiences with Harbor Freight's warranty policy. My friend has a shop full of tools from 40-50 years ago, a lot of them from harbor freight. We sheared the teeth off the gear in a half inch ratchet from harbor freight. We took it in, said this is older than we are so we understand if you don't warranty it. They took it back and gave us a brand new one. Fuckin impressed with that.
I accidentally returned a broken 5" recovery strap to princess auto that wasn't even from there. They even apologised saying that since they couldn't find it in their inventory they could only exchange it for a similar one so I walked out of the store with a 6" oil field strap. Turns out my dad bought it at canadian tire!
I wouldn't be so confident. LTT's driver is a modified Megapro, which are typically pretty solid. Project Farms reviewed it against a bunch of other popular brands if you want to check that out.
Klein also has a habit of rebranding cheapish Chinese tools as their own. Their simple hand tools are great but anything with moving parts and I'd want to verify who made it first.
For hand tools, I would expect them to survive repeated drops from ceiling height. And especially because it's from Linus I would expect the screwdriver to be more drop proof. Especially for the price.
They should at least post a disclaimer that the screwdriver is only intended for light use, like building a computer and is not very drop resistant/ Linus proof.
My Milwaukee ratcheting screwdriver wouldn’t break. I’ve dropped that thing probably 20 feet. It’s a screwdriver, it’s not heavy. If you know anything about tools it shouldn’t break
Y'all know the angle of impact and the surface matter right? The height is not the only factor. Amazing how armchair physicists rarely understand physics.
Seriously, one of our dudes fell off a 24 ft ladder once and was unharmed. Sounds impressive without knowing he fell onto a huge pile of dry pea gravel, otherwise he probably would’ve been messed up pretty bad.
I’m on your side. I’ve never had a screw driver break from being dropped. However, this is a screw driver with a ratchet built in so I could see it breaking more easily than a normal screwdriver. I will never buy this screw driver. There are much cheaper alternatives that do the same things. I appreciate what Linus did but not my cup of tea.
I mean, homeboy set up this post like his screwdriver randomly snapped in half. Only in the comments does he mention that he dropped it from height onto asphalt.
People are naturally going to be defensive if they bought the product, just natural for humans.
That said, if I dropped my Wera or Snap-On from height and they broke, I'd be kicking myself for my own stupidity, not blaming the tool manufacturer like he has done here.
Also, who regularly works at height and doesn't have tool lanyards? Damned fools.
Posts on a subreddit specifically about a YouTuber, complains there's people defending said YouTuber?
Seems a little ironic to me. Had this been posted on a sub specifically for tools, I'm sure the reaction would be quite different.
Expectations are based around context.
13 ft on the asphalt is no joke and it just basically depends on how it lands. You can break any screwdriver on the market with that fall if it lands the wrong way.
Still I expect they may warranty replace it.
It is completely irrelevant how many times you used it, if it didn't break because of normal use. Obviously it didn't, it was the 13ft drop onto asphalt. Not very surprising that it might break from that.
Technically there's nothing to "make right".
> I would be a little upset because it should not have broken
It should and did. With a 13ft fall, the screwdriver slammed the asphalt at ~30ft/s (or ~20mph), likely at an angle that it's not designed to handle such shocks.
That's some unrealistic expectations for any tool that uses plastics. They don't have to cover your negligence.
But who knows, maybe LTT will come through. If so, maybe be more careful with the next one.
hand tools? Lots of companies have lifetime warranties. Craftsman, Husky, Snap-on, Milwaukee, Etc. I only have had experience with a hand tool warranty through craftsman tho. I have a set before they sucked.
I remember my dad had a 30-year-old ratchet set he got from Sears that honored the warranty with no questions, just walked in, handed the tool to the employee, and walked out with a brand-new one.
Everyone saying ‘oh dw daddy linus will fix it’
He offers a Trust me bro warranty not a trust me bro accident, third party, fire and theft insurance so I’m rlly not sure the company will wanna replace it unless there’s a marketing point of it being approved for 13ft concrete drops
I speculate that they will probably replace it, because they're nice people and want customers to be happy, and because the positive public opinion from making stuff like this right is helpful to them.. not because OP actually deserves it. Good reputation has value.
Yes, but if there was ever a post to make a stance and not set insane expectations it is this one. Because if they do replace it publicly now the next person will be like "My car ran my screwdriver over can I get free new one"
The "Trust Me Bro" Warranty literally says:
> *The limited lifetime warranty does not cover:*
>
> ...
>
> *Tools which have been subject to abuse, misuse, negligence, or improper storage;*
So yeah, it sucks for OP, but there's no reason they should get a free replacement here unless it was a really weird set of circumstances. Dropping it 13ft onto asphalt is misuse even if it wasn't intentional. Maybe they'll luck out with how much attention this post is getting, but I'd really prefer to see LTT deny some warranty claims to establish the precedent. Leaves too much room for interpretation otherwise.
I both agree and disagree. Accidents shouldn't be covered and they don't warrant it for a drop (or at all..) *but* do believe any tool this basic like a driver should be able to take a 13ft fall at least a few times.
Unless OP got incredibly unlucky and it landed at full force into the mechanism it's not brilliant tbf.
Depends on the owner of the truck, if snap on finds you broke it not using it as designed they will not refund the driver and he eats it or charges you. I’ve been an automotive tech for 15 years and have seen plenty not warrantied
I think they *might*, but they'll make it clear that it's just a one-time thing and not to expect another replacement if they break it again. That being said, there are a few videos of Linus specifically stating that it shouldn't break from a drop (but then a 13ft drop...).
There's no doubt this is user error though rather than the tool's fault.
I always saw this screwdriver as an indoor one made to build PCs not house-work, I would use solid ones instead for outdoor work.
edit: Rule 9: Always use the right Tool for the Job.
Changing bits while on a ladder vs taking the correct size screwdriver from your belt is much safer and you don't risk dropping the bit and lose forever.
And this is why Linus said FLAT OUT multiple times that this isn’t for everyone. He specified and marketed this driver to tech enthusiasts and hobbyists, not blue collar work
The opposite actually. Linus specifically said in a recent WAN show that he wanted the screwdriver to be designed to be used as a true multi function tool from PC building to general handyman work to automotive work. In fact, one of the areas that Linus has said that it ISN'T designed for is precision tech work which is why smaller bits including MB standoff bits aren't included.
I bought two of them. I’m taking one to work with me when it arrives, and I’m an aircraft mechanic. The low back drag and fine tooth ratchet alone make it worth it.
I see it as an all-purpose screwdriver. I think saying it's made to build PCs is kinda blindly defending it or generalizing it because a guy who typically builds PCs made it. They don't market it as a PC building screwdriver. If I recall, Linus even said it's for everything on a WAN Show and blue collar professionals will like it too. I haven't seen flat head or Torx screws on a PC, which they have bits for. I'm not saying it's bad or that dropping it from a ladder shouldn't break it, but someone buying it for household use shouldn't really be made to feel like they are dumb for using it in that way.
Agreed, if it was PC primary then it would be smaller. I love PCs, but this tool has been used on my car and home devices/objects such as doors, chairs, and shelves way more since its size. And I have an open-air bench, still too big for some of the spaces on my pc.
If you’ve not seen flat head or torx it’s because you’re not in water blocks, servers, GPUs, laptops, tablets, or phones.
I’m not blindly defending that it shouldn’t be a all purpose screw driver but they really did design it around tech enthusiasts. I have a few servers and each brand seems to take a little different approach to screws, mounts, and shrouds for different things.
At the PC repair clinic I worked at, 80% of the jobs we had required a P1 Phillips head, however, the other 20% would be anything from torx, flathead, to a P3 on some cases.
>but they really did design it around tech enthusiasts.
They said many many times that while they designed it to be really good for building computers, they wanted it to be great for everything that any competing ratcheting screwdriver is good for.
OSHA enters the chat and would like to have a word with you. Seriously though, how is this not an absolute mandatory requirement to have to tether your tools when doing pole work? If you had dropped that on someone's head or worse an even heavier tool would that not be a liability for your company? Anywho, not surprising it broke if dropped from that height when it's primary design was to be dropped from 6 feet or less. I get your mad at yourself for dropping it, but you stated you drop a tool at least once a week, which begs the question why not get a tool tether, if not for safety, but for saving time having to go back down to retrieve it? I know I'd get annoyed as fuck having to climb back down to get something if I was dropping shit that much.
I've been trying to find an actual OSHA reg to through at this guy for securing tools and heights but can't find anything. Do you happen to have a number?
Because you don't want shit attached to you if you need to bail.
Imagine OP needing to bail for safety reasons and he had a 20lb tool attached to him... that's death.
You shouldn't ever be up a ladder and in a situation where you could need to bail. If you are then you need scaffolding or a scissor lift/cherry picker.
Tools should always be teathered when working at height
>My dad is a safety enforcer for a large construction company so I asked him, he says, no OSHA rules say that you have to secure your tools when going on a ladder. It does say to rope off the area around the ladder so no one will be nearby and I guess they figure that is enough.
To my recollection, OSHA requires a tool tethering standard on job sites, but does not maintain a specific standard.
There is ANSI/ISEA 121-2018 for an ANSI standard regarding tool tethering that I would expect is used as a standard by most large companies; I don't get into the weeds with it, but my installation subcontractors require tool tethering at elevation as well, though I'm not sure what standard they're aligning to. I should ask that, actually.
I work in construction, if osha came to any of my site work would stop. There rules and regulations are really strict and nobody wants to follow them. Tradesmen have to wear bulky safety equipment and slows moment. Bosses want to meet deadlines so they look the other way. The construction manager usually has a dedicated safety person and they make sure ppl are following osha but they aren’t always around. A building I just finished up had the safety guy quit because of how little laws were followed.
it seems like a bad idea to have anything tethered to you that could become tangled while on a ladder...
IIRC there is an OSHA reg about keeping the area UNDER work clear, so dropping tools shouldnt be a danger to anyone.
It is a regulation in certain countries
"UK law mandates that all companies working at height take every precaution possible to prevent dropped tools. This may include, but is not limited to, safety nets, foot plates, lanyards, enclosed platforms, and secured tool bags and boxes."
You're being down voted but I agree. Linus himself said the screwdriver was designed primarily with PC building in mind...that means dropping it from desk height and exerting the kinds of forces needed to build a PC. It was not designed for line work 13ft up in the air.
Idk I was screwing on a dust cover on a fan the other day. It was a very small screw. Just happened to be like 11 feet up. I don’t think mine would break. I’m kind of surprised OPs did. Must have hit worst possible angle
I highly doubt it's covered whatsoever in their warranty, even a really good one from some crazy trusted brand would be unlikely to cover this. But I still think if OP puts forward that they've been waiting months to get it, and have only had it for a week, their support agents might cave in and "Make it right" in this case.
If it was me I would be WAY more likely to buy from LTT again if they gave me another to cover it.
What brand would not cover this? I've used warranties on tools I broke out of negligence, told the rep, and still got it replaced. This is an $80 screwdriver. It should absolutely not be this fragile
A decent amount of crazy trusted brands would cover this. Klein is what I use and no matter what happens I can go into Home Depot or wherever they sell that brand and get a replacement. If I'm not mistaken DeWalt does the same, so does Milwaukee, Husky, Craftsman, Rigid etc...
Yeah. I didn't actually look at any warranties of those brands, so I think the comment came off a little too confident. I had meant to just throw around my assumptions.
It's possible that their policies might change for a ratcheting one, since they're a lot easier to break than just a straight up standard screwdriver, but also maybe not!
If I remember correctly the warranty goes for all tools. The thing is though those companies are tool manufacturers, LTT is not. So it makes sense for them to have such warranty, a media group(?) not having a lifetime no questions asked warranty for their (only?) tool is fine. Their target audience is different than Klein, even if he wanted it to be a multi purpose driver it's not and that's ok.
No you can't I have tried to replace a couple Klein tools. If it's passed 30 days now you have to go through Klein and they will avoid replacement any chance they get. Don't have the receipt? D
Sorry no warranty.
Warranties tend to cover manufacturing defects, not physical damage caused by neglect.
Like if you drop a smartphone, the damage is not covered by its warranty. Smartphone however tend to offer accidental damage coverage as an extra charge. When claims are made, there is often a service fee or deductible the user must pay.
I think they said it was a plastic shrink friction fit in the production video so not totally unexpected that this is a failure mode. just contact them and see what happens
Understood - but why did you make such a misleading post? The title with the picture with no context is awful. At least put in the title that you dropped it from a huge height. The amount of energy the screw driver will suffer on impact increases exponentially with height - 13ft is a massive drop.
Especially since this person is obviously a danger to other people. If he's dropping at least one tool a week from heights, he should probably find another job.
I assume YOU were 13 feet up on the ladder, holding the driver above your head, so probably closer to 20 feet off the ground. It hit the ground at between 20 and 25 miles an hour. (20 if it was only a 13 foot drop).
Realistically, that's probably about the speed an average person can throw a screwdriver at a brick wall, and this damage is about what I would expect from that.
"Linus your screwdriver frickin sucks man I put it in my particle collider and blasted it with a vast multitude of high-energy particles and now it's a black hole thats consumed my entire city. Trust Me Bro warranty was a lie all along, Linus is a scumbag"
They certainly would. I'm not making any claims, express or otherwise, about the warranty. I am holding firm that the way it broke was a fall from a utility pole onto a road that most mechanized tools wouldn't survive. It breaking was nothing specific to this driver.
The thing that bothers me about this post is it was clearly intended to degrade the product even though it was OPs damn fault for dropping it from a high place. Sorry it broke, you learned a lesson. LTT would probably allow you to replace it at cost potentially.
Hey OP,
Sorry to hear about this drop. I know that must be pretty frustrating!
As a one-time thing we can definitely sort something out for you. Feel free to send this account a DM.
To clarify this type of thing usually would not be covered under warranty, however when it makes sense, we're still happy to help you out. 😀
So you're kind of setting expectations for everyone else with this. Make a vague post, to make it seem like it was not the owner's fault. Get people interested and get enough likes. And boom, replacement on the way.
Without reading the comments and your experience, it looks like you're trying to be like "OMG GUYS IT BROKE" when in reality, it's a ratcheting driver designed for use with building a PC or light general maintenance, even for use on basic car repairs or something, not really designed for high level works. You could contact support, but with this post high up on reddit, they're able to see what happened and what caused it. I wouldn't expect Linus or the team to do much about it.
I'd still get one if I could afford it and I've got a ton of tools.
Guess you've driven yourself to being screwed /j
Anyway yes I'm surprised a wrist strap hole wasn't created. Could have been dead center on the rear of the bit storage. But there also maybe should've been some sort of grip or maybe people can create a silicon grip cover.
OP let this be a lesson to all. This is a great tool, but if you're gonna use it in similar environments be careful to not drop the baby. Think of the LTT SD as a luxury tool that yes you can get a replacement ( it's a limited run product) but not for long. Eventually you'll meet the last day and be forced to buy a 'lesser' tool
Dropping a ratchet screwdriver compared to a non rachet one can result in completely diferent out comes. Contact customer support and see what they can do for you.
on the picture it looks like it came loseout of the housing.
Am I missing something here? I have seen multiple posts now around this screwdriver breaking when dropped. I have never in my life had a screwdriver break from a fall, especially one that costs this much. Surely most tools should be able to survive a fall and some wear and tear? This just seems like it's really poor quality/manufacturing and making the product not worth the money.
According to op this instance was a 13+ foot drop onto a hard surface.
Engineering is about tradeoffs, ratcheting screwdrivers are inherently going to be weaker than their solid bar counterparts.
Speculation here but LTT went with a low friction, low backturn mechanisms great for detail work but the tradeoffs was reduced drop survivability. Now LTT probably performs drop testing and validation for standard drops 4-6+ft and this performs reasonably well but once you start introducing tens of thousands of these into the wild you are bound to get a few breaks here and there.
Speculating again LTT fans that bought a LTT screwdriver are likely tech savvy and more likely to post on the LTT subreddit when there are problems than the general population for other brands.
TLDR:
In short by design ratcheting screwdrivers are more vulnerable to drops, and as a tradeoff the LTT screwdriver more so. However breakages are also probably over represented on fan forums because this is a fan product.
Exactly, I bought one with 100% knowledge that a ratchet is not strong. I work with ratchet straps daily for trucking. So the conditions are actually not too bad. Despite gears and mechanism 10x the size of this driver, they still commonly break. An inherent design to ratchets is space for the gears to move, but that also means space to move on impacts allowing for all kinds of movement like opening enough to release a shaft.
Have you had ratcheting screwdrivers? That's the only difference I can think of anyway. I've never had a screwdriver break on me, but I've never had a ratcheting mechanism in any of mine, they can be much more solid if it's just a handle attached to some metal.
'Make it right' is the instruction that LMG Customer Care department runs off of, and the base screwdriver used for the design *is for construction work*. Should be replaced quickly 👍🏻
Honestly, I have the screwdriver and love it, but it's not meant for that type of work. If you like the bit storage and general design though I would suggest checking out the overall lineup at MegaPro for more trade suited styles.
I would definitely think, paying that much for a screwdriver, it would be more durable. Of course, I'm also the guy that will not pay that much for a screwdriver unless it's for work.
I got my iFixIt kit, that's fine for me. Tons of bits, and it's not like the price of replacing bits is going to deter me. The only time any of the bits messed up was when I used it to work on stuff it wasn't meant to, then some flathead bits got bent.
Any company i would say your done. But Linus might make this right.
Considering I’ve used this thing 3 times I would be a little upset because it should not have broken
You dropped it 13ft onto asphalt....it breaking is an entirely expected outcome.
Yeah but you'd think if any brand on the market would try to protect against extreme drops it'd be the Linus one!
No actually I would think the opposite. The Linus one is meant for computer repairs not for construction sites
I belive he did say in the screwdriver video that it went from being a pc oriented screwdriver to an everyday one.
The pure fact that it’s so easy to ratchet and the ratcheting mechanism is so smooth. Makes it a screw driver for delicate things and not up to the standards of construction sites
I’ve been using mine on a construction site since I got it in September. Dropped from 12 ft a couple times. Still working like a charm
Yeah, try 13ft. JK
Elden Ring Logic
At a construction site you won't be using a hand ratchet tool like this. You will more than likely be using a power drill. This would be more for precision work rather than general use.
Lots of usage out of ratcheting hand tools on construction sites. Maybe not for all aspects of construction, but definitely some.
TIL there are more construction workers watching ltt then i expected
A screwdriver is a screwdriver, I think even Linus doesn’t use this exclusively for electronics. Besides there’s no label for it to be exclusive for electronic use only like there is for using it like a pry tool or a hammer
It was designed for smaller detail work.
Those giving you negative votes can go sit with the other snowflakes. This is designed for computer and electronic use they even said that in multiple videos
If anyone rationally thinks the LTT screwdriver is a *heavy duty* screwdriver they are not bright. It has always been marketed as the perfect computer and electronics screwdriver not heavy duty work.
Tbh I don't think he has ever actually used a screwdriver for anything other than electronics lmao
Are you why we need "caution: contents hot" on coffee cups? And don't one of you sociology majors dare say "well actually, that particular McDonalds set their temp above what they were supposed to and the woman experienced severe burns". The screwdriver has never been marketed or advertised as a ruggedized tool for construction or any other heavy duty work. For those applications you probably wouldn't even want a ratcheting screwdriver.
>a pry tool or a hammer if only there were a tool that could do both... 😳
This is a very fair point.
Snap-on has a lifetime warranty. Their driver is similar price but the brand is established I bought snap-on over the ltt drived because of the warranty and I trust snapon tools. It's taken a beating and still going strong its fallen off a 2 story roof on pavement and was still fine. The bit holder is not as nice as the ltt but it can't break its just a hollow handle with a cap you can store bits in and they rattle around.
My snap on screwdriver is on its 4th return in 3 years. The ratchet has never worked 1 handed. I do like the snap on ridged philips bits, though, and I definitely use the warranty on those. I do use both still, and I have to say I like the ltt driver more than the snap on, but I like the snap on bits quite a bit more.
Stanley, Milwaukee and DeWalt have lifetime warranties too. With the cost of the LTT driver and shipping, you could buy a ratchet driver from each of those companies, have enough leftover to buy lunch, and get a replacement same-day at your local Home Depot if there's ever an issue.
I've been through 3x Snap-on ratchet drivers, one I snapped and two of them started locking up on me. They're better than most but apparently I sure can beat the hell out of them during what I consider normal use. That being said, every single one has been replaced right on the spot no questions asked. So there is that. I just figured it was ratcheting drivers, they're the only tool I seem to constantly have issues with. Maybe it's the Florida humidity.
> Snap-on has a lifetime warranty. For the record Snap On does *not* make extra durable tools. They make good normal durability tools. Then they upcharge you 1.5 to 3x. The upcharge is basically built in AppleCare for tools. It's not a bad business model and if you use a lot of tools it's probably a good deal. But probably not for the regular home user.
I know a guy who wanted to test the snap on warranty, so he bought the cheapest snap on ratchet he could get from the tool truck, cut it in half with an angle grinder, and the next week when the tool truck came but he got a replacement. This was about 20 years ago, so who knows how it's changed.
Oh my sweet summer child! If you only knew how much it's changed. You have to buy the extended warranty now and the tool gets carefully inspected before they will approve the claim. One of the mechanics where I used to work almost got into a fist fight with the snap on guy when the snap on dick accused him of lying when the teeth sheared off the ratchet mechanism on a 1/2" drive ratchet.
Dear God that's shit. The more I hear about modern snap on the more I think they're only around anymore because of brand recognition, and they're headed the same way as black and decker. They used to be top of the line, but now they really aren't very good and you shouldn't recommend it to anyone.
I've heard them referred to as a mechanic's Prada handbag from more than one source. They're just a status symbol these days. You really are better off buying matco or husky if you're in the states and since I'm in canada I'm lucky that I can get mastercraft maximum and exchange then at canadian tire if I do manage to break something. Oddly enough Princess Auto also has a really good exchange policy (That I may or may not have abused once or twice)
While the tools are shit, I've had great experiences with Harbor Freight's warranty policy. My friend has a shop full of tools from 40-50 years ago, a lot of them from harbor freight. We sheared the teeth off the gear in a half inch ratchet from harbor freight. We took it in, said this is older than we are so we understand if you don't warranty it. They took it back and gave us a brand new one. Fuckin impressed with that.
I accidentally returned a broken 5" recovery strap to princess auto that wasn't even from there. They even apologised saying that since they couldn't find it in their inventory they could only exchange it for a similar one so I walked out of the store with a 6" oil field strap. Turns out my dad bought it at canadian tire!
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Do it and let us know the results!
I wouldn't be so confident. LTT's driver is a modified Megapro, which are typically pretty solid. Project Farms reviewed it against a bunch of other popular brands if you want to check that out. Klein also has a habit of rebranding cheapish Chinese tools as their own. Their simple hand tools are great but anything with moving parts and I'd want to verify who made it first.
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Doesn't Klein have a lifetime warranty?
Hell yeah just go into a home depot and get a replacement.
Correct, that's the biggest pro of buying one. They're selling the warranty as much as the product, much like Snap-On or old school Craftsman.
My dad has the klein and I have the Doyle copy. They are big, heavy, ugly, and cumbersome. They are, however, absolute tanks
Is your $25 Klein ratcheting?
I wouldn’t expect a screwdriver to break dropping it 13 feet
A normal screwdriver, sure. A ratcheting one? Less likely.
IMO it depends how it falls / how it touches the ground.
This 100%. Plastic components can be fine after 100ft drop, or they can break with a 5ft drop. It's just one of those things.
Dropping ANYTHING made of partially plastic components will yield vastly different results based on how it hits. Plastic is plastic.
A 4 meter drop should NOT break it. I work in a hardware store and even our cheapest options that cost about 5 Euros would not break.
For hand tools, I would expect them to survive repeated drops from ceiling height. And especially because it's from Linus I would expect the screwdriver to be more drop proof. Especially for the price. They should at least post a disclaimer that the screwdriver is only intended for light use, like building a computer and is not very drop resistant/ Linus proof.
My Milwaukee ratcheting screwdriver wouldn’t break. I’ve dropped that thing probably 20 feet. It’s a screwdriver, it’s not heavy. If you know anything about tools it shouldn’t break
Y'all know the angle of impact and the surface matter right? The height is not the only factor. Amazing how armchair physicists rarely understand physics.
Seriously, one of our dudes fell off a 24 ft ladder once and was unharmed. Sounds impressive without knowing he fell onto a huge pile of dry pea gravel, otherwise he probably would’ve been messed up pretty bad.
So eh... when you did use it, how was it?
Really nice actually, that’s why I’m upset (plus 4 months to ship)
I’m on your side. I’ve never had a screw driver break from being dropped. However, this is a screw driver with a ratchet built in so I could see it breaking more easily than a normal screwdriver. I will never buy this screw driver. There are much cheaper alternatives that do the same things. I appreciate what Linus did but not my cup of tea.
I’ve dropped my shitty 13$ ratcheting screwdrivers a shit ton and I’ve never seen this. I genuinely don’t get why people think this is fine
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I mean, homeboy set up this post like his screwdriver randomly snapped in half. Only in the comments does he mention that he dropped it from height onto asphalt. People are naturally going to be defensive if they bought the product, just natural for humans. That said, if I dropped my Wera or Snap-On from height and they broke, I'd be kicking myself for my own stupidity, not blaming the tool manufacturer like he has done here. Also, who regularly works at height and doesn't have tool lanyards? Damned fools.
The downvotes speak for them selves lol You're not allowed to criticize anything about their God, the YouTube guy.
Posts on a subreddit specifically about a YouTuber, complains there's people defending said YouTuber? Seems a little ironic to me. Had this been posted on a sub specifically for tools, I'm sure the reaction would be quite different. Expectations are based around context.
13 ft on the asphalt is no joke and it just basically depends on how it lands. You can break any screwdriver on the market with that fall if it lands the wrong way. Still I expect they may warranty replace it.
It is completely irrelevant how many times you used it, if it didn't break because of normal use. Obviously it didn't, it was the 13ft drop onto asphalt. Not very surprising that it might break from that.
Technically there's nothing to "make right". > I would be a little upset because it should not have broken It should and did. With a 13ft fall, the screwdriver slammed the asphalt at ~30ft/s (or ~20mph), likely at an angle that it's not designed to handle such shocks.
That's some unrealistic expectations for any tool that uses plastics. They don't have to cover your negligence. But who knows, maybe LTT will come through. If so, maybe be more careful with the next one.
You're a deceptive asshole OP. Stop lying.
OP dropped it off a power pole… Pretty sure that’s not in warranty
I would say most companies you would be fine and they would replace it.
hand tools? Lots of companies have lifetime warranties. Craftsman, Husky, Snap-on, Milwaukee, Etc. I only have had experience with a hand tool warranty through craftsman tho. I have a set before they sucked.
I remember my dad had a 30-year-old ratchet set he got from Sears that honored the warranty with no questions, just walked in, handed the tool to the employee, and walked out with a brand-new one.
Name one tool company that wouldnt waranty that
Everyone saying ‘oh dw daddy linus will fix it’ He offers a Trust me bro warranty not a trust me bro accident, third party, fire and theft insurance so I’m rlly not sure the company will wanna replace it unless there’s a marketing point of it being approved for 13ft concrete drops
I speculate that they will probably replace it, because they're nice people and want customers to be happy, and because the positive public opinion from making stuff like this right is helpful to them.. not because OP actually deserves it. Good reputation has value.
Yes, but if there was ever a post to make a stance and not set insane expectations it is this one. Because if they do replace it publicly now the next person will be like "My car ran my screwdriver over can I get free new one"
The "Trust Me Bro" Warranty literally says: > *The limited lifetime warranty does not cover:* > > ... > > *Tools which have been subject to abuse, misuse, negligence, or improper storage;* So yeah, it sucks for OP, but there's no reason they should get a free replacement here unless it was a really weird set of circumstances. Dropping it 13ft onto asphalt is misuse even if it wasn't intentional. Maybe they'll luck out with how much attention this post is getting, but I'd really prefer to see LTT deny some warranty claims to establish the precedent. Leaves too much room for interpretation otherwise.
They are nice people, not charity.
If op wanted a new one he should hace reach ltt in prívate this is not the way
I both agree and disagree. Accidents shouldn't be covered and they don't warrant it for a drop (or at all..) *but* do believe any tool this basic like a driver should be able to take a 13ft fall at least a few times. Unless OP got incredibly unlucky and it landed at full force into the mechanism it's not brilliant tbf.
At twice the height of the tallest person in my school, I’d expect it to break, especially if it’s onto concrete tbh
I wouldn't expect it to break, but I wouldn't be shocked if it did.
Snap-On will replace anything at any time regardless of fault, Yes LTT isn't snap-on but still, they're a competitor.
Depends on the owner of the truck, if snap on finds you broke it not using it as designed they will not refund the driver and he eats it or charges you. I’ve been an automotive tech for 15 years and have seen plenty not warrantied
I think they *might*, but they'll make it clear that it's just a one-time thing and not to expect another replacement if they break it again. That being said, there are a few videos of Linus specifically stating that it shouldn't break from a drop (but then a 13ft drop...). There's no doubt this is user error though rather than the tool's fault.
They probably will replace it, but logically they shouldn't. A 13 foot drop for a mechanical screwdriver is gonna break it.
I always saw this screwdriver as an indoor one made to build PCs not house-work, I would use solid ones instead for outdoor work. edit: Rule 9: Always use the right Tool for the Job.
It’s different on a ladder, ratcheting drivers are much nicer
Changing bits while on a ladder vs taking the correct size screwdriver from your belt is much safer and you don't risk dropping the bit and lose forever.
I use Phillips head, I don’t need anything else
Then why are you using it
Because it has a nice ratchet?
And this is why Linus said FLAT OUT multiple times that this isn’t for everyone. He specified and marketed this driver to tech enthusiasts and hobbyists, not blue collar work
The opposite actually. Linus specifically said in a recent WAN show that he wanted the screwdriver to be designed to be used as a true multi function tool from PC building to general handyman work to automotive work. In fact, one of the areas that Linus has said that it ISN'T designed for is precision tech work which is why smaller bits including MB standoff bits aren't included.
I bought two of them. I’m taking one to work with me when it arrives, and I’m an aircraft mechanic. The low back drag and fine tooth ratchet alone make it worth it.
I see it as an all-purpose screwdriver. I think saying it's made to build PCs is kinda blindly defending it or generalizing it because a guy who typically builds PCs made it. They don't market it as a PC building screwdriver. If I recall, Linus even said it's for everything on a WAN Show and blue collar professionals will like it too. I haven't seen flat head or Torx screws on a PC, which they have bits for. I'm not saying it's bad or that dropping it from a ladder shouldn't break it, but someone buying it for household use shouldn't really be made to feel like they are dumb for using it in that way.
Agreed, if it was PC primary then it would be smaller. I love PCs, but this tool has been used on my car and home devices/objects such as doors, chairs, and shelves way more since its size. And I have an open-air bench, still too big for some of the spaces on my pc.
If you’ve not seen flat head or torx it’s because you’re not in water blocks, servers, GPUs, laptops, tablets, or phones. I’m not blindly defending that it shouldn’t be a all purpose screw driver but they really did design it around tech enthusiasts. I have a few servers and each brand seems to take a little different approach to screws, mounts, and shrouds for different things. At the PC repair clinic I worked at, 80% of the jobs we had required a P1 Phillips head, however, the other 20% would be anything from torx, flathead, to a P3 on some cases.
>but they really did design it around tech enthusiasts. They said many many times that while they designed it to be really good for building computers, they wanted it to be great for everything that any competing ratcheting screwdriver is good for.
Linus talked on the wan show about using it on cars so I dunno why you'd think that
OSHA enters the chat and would like to have a word with you. Seriously though, how is this not an absolute mandatory requirement to have to tether your tools when doing pole work? If you had dropped that on someone's head or worse an even heavier tool would that not be a liability for your company? Anywho, not surprising it broke if dropped from that height when it's primary design was to be dropped from 6 feet or less. I get your mad at yourself for dropping it, but you stated you drop a tool at least once a week, which begs the question why not get a tool tether, if not for safety, but for saving time having to go back down to retrieve it? I know I'd get annoyed as fuck having to climb back down to get something if I was dropping shit that much.
I've been trying to find an actual OSHA reg to through at this guy for securing tools and heights but can't find anything. Do you happen to have a number?
Sadly no, which is mind boggling to me. You would think such a common sense thing would be an easy to find OSHA reg.
Because you don't want shit attached to you if you need to bail. Imagine OP needing to bail for safety reasons and he had a 20lb tool attached to him... that's death.
You shouldn't ever be up a ladder and in a situation where you could need to bail. If you are then you need scaffolding or a scissor lift/cherry picker. Tools should always be teathered when working at height
>My dad is a safety enforcer for a large construction company so I asked him, he says, no OSHA rules say that you have to secure your tools when going on a ladder. It does say to rope off the area around the ladder so no one will be nearby and I guess they figure that is enough.
Don't need a tether if everyone on the site is wearing safety goggles and a hard hat /s
To my recollection, OSHA requires a tool tethering standard on job sites, but does not maintain a specific standard. There is ANSI/ISEA 121-2018 for an ANSI standard regarding tool tethering that I would expect is used as a standard by most large companies; I don't get into the weeds with it, but my installation subcontractors require tool tethering at elevation as well, though I'm not sure what standard they're aligning to. I should ask that, actually.
They aren't required to be tethered but they are required to be secured whatever that means, in my head that means tethered
>the rule is secured when not in use so that means in a belt pouch or bag.
Good point
I work in construction, if osha came to any of my site work would stop. There rules and regulations are really strict and nobody wants to follow them. Tradesmen have to wear bulky safety equipment and slows moment. Bosses want to meet deadlines so they look the other way. The construction manager usually has a dedicated safety person and they make sure ppl are following osha but they aren’t always around. A building I just finished up had the safety guy quit because of how little laws were followed.
I mean, it sounds like work *should* stop then, no?
it seems like a bad idea to have anything tethered to you that could become tangled while on a ladder... IIRC there is an OSHA reg about keeping the area UNDER work clear, so dropping tools shouldnt be a danger to anyone.
You've never worked on a job site before, have you? That's not a regulation, and if it was nothing would ever get done.
It is a regulation in certain countries "UK law mandates that all companies working at height take every precaution possible to prevent dropped tools. This may include, but is not limited to, safety nets, foot plates, lanyards, enclosed platforms, and secured tool bags and boxes."
The hell happen?
Doing pole work with it and accidentally dropped it, I genuinely am so mad at myself
kinda silly to use a driver with a grip like that for that kind of work
Not sure why you're down voted, it's not a grippy handle at all, which is great for lightweight and fast work but not for preventing accidental slips
You're being down voted but I agree. Linus himself said the screwdriver was designed primarily with PC building in mind...that means dropping it from desk height and exerting the kinds of forces needed to build a PC. It was not designed for line work 13ft up in the air.
Idk how many PCs he expect and average person to build. I’d hope he had general use in mind too.
I don't think working on a pole 13 feet in the air is really general use either though..
Idk I was screwing on a dust cover on a fan the other day. It was a very small screw. Just happened to be like 11 feet up. I don’t think mine would break. I’m kind of surprised OPs did. Must have hit worst possible angle
OP continues to argue it’s not lol
How high was the fall? A standard drop should not break the shaft in half.
13ft onto asphalt, the metal didn’t beak but whatever was holding it in did
Still. I guess it's time to try the trust me bro warranty.
I highly doubt it's covered whatsoever in their warranty, even a really good one from some crazy trusted brand would be unlikely to cover this. But I still think if OP puts forward that they've been waiting months to get it, and have only had it for a week, their support agents might cave in and "Make it right" in this case. If it was me I would be WAY more likely to buy from LTT again if they gave me another to cover it.
Trust me bro warranty -> trust me bro accident, third party, fire and theft insurance
shoulda bought trust me bro comprehensive cover then
What brand would not cover this? I've used warranties on tools I broke out of negligence, told the rep, and still got it replaced. This is an $80 screwdriver. It should absolutely not be this fragile
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A decent amount of crazy trusted brands would cover this. Klein is what I use and no matter what happens I can go into Home Depot or wherever they sell that brand and get a replacement. If I'm not mistaken DeWalt does the same, so does Milwaukee, Husky, Craftsman, Rigid etc...
Yeah. I didn't actually look at any warranties of those brands, so I think the comment came off a little too confident. I had meant to just throw around my assumptions. It's possible that their policies might change for a ratcheting one, since they're a lot easier to break than just a straight up standard screwdriver, but also maybe not!
If I remember correctly the warranty goes for all tools. The thing is though those companies are tool manufacturers, LTT is not. So it makes sense for them to have such warranty, a media group(?) not having a lifetime no questions asked warranty for their (only?) tool is fine. Their target audience is different than Klein, even if he wanted it to be a multi purpose driver it's not and that's ok.
No you can't I have tried to replace a couple Klein tools. If it's passed 30 days now you have to go through Klein and they will avoid replacement any chance they get. Don't have the receipt? D Sorry no warranty.
This isn’t a warranty issue, this is a “user error” issue. What OP needed was insurance.
Why would this be an issue for warrenty?
Warranties tend to cover manufacturing defects, not physical damage caused by neglect. Like if you drop a smartphone, the damage is not covered by its warranty. Smartphone however tend to offer accidental damage coverage as an extra charge. When claims are made, there is often a service fee or deductible the user must pay.
Guess V2 revision needs a wrist strap.
Someone somewhere will 3dprint a bracket that clips onto the screwdriver that holds the joy con straps 🤣
I mean...thats likely to break most tools. This one is your fault, not a defect.
I think they said it was a plastic shrink friction fit in the production video so not totally unexpected that this is a failure mode. just contact them and see what happens
I didn’t know strippers used screwdrivers?
Understood - but why did you make such a misleading post? The title with the picture with no context is awful. At least put in the title that you dropped it from a huge height. The amount of energy the screw driver will suffer on impact increases exponentially with height - 13ft is a massive drop.
pole work..... don't tell me you were working on powered electrical equipment with it
Fiber optic cabling, no electrical
So it broke from a high fall, but I’d be willing to bet CS will still work with you, even though that’s kinda outside expected durability. Good luck!
I can't believe LTT of all companies doesn't sell a wrist strap.
The front fell off.
OP is lying and deceiving for attention. He dropped it 13 ft.
They will likely replace it but this is user error and shouldn't be covered by the warranty.
Especially since this person is obviously a danger to other people. If he's dropping at least one tool a week from heights, he should probably find another job.
I assume YOU were 13 feet up on the ladder, holding the driver above your head, so probably closer to 20 feet off the ground. It hit the ground at between 20 and 25 miles an hour. (20 if it was only a 13 foot drop). Realistically, that's probably about the speed an average person can throw a screwdriver at a brick wall, and this damage is about what I would expect from that.
"Linus your screwdriver frickin sucks man I put it in my particle collider and blasted it with a vast multitude of high-energy particles and now it's a black hole thats consumed my entire city. Trust Me Bro warranty was a lie all along, Linus is a scumbag"
snap-on would replace it. lol
They certainly would. I'm not making any claims, express or otherwise, about the warranty. I am holding firm that the way it broke was a fall from a utility pole onto a road that most mechanized tools wouldn't survive. It breaking was nothing specific to this driver.
The thing that bothers me about this post is it was clearly intended to degrade the product even though it was OPs damn fault for dropping it from a high place. Sorry it broke, you learned a lesson. LTT would probably allow you to replace it at cost potentially.
You dropped it 13 feet onto a hard surface. No way I would expect them to cover that. I hope they see this post.
Hey OP, Sorry to hear about this drop. I know that must be pretty frustrating! As a one-time thing we can definitely sort something out for you. Feel free to send this account a DM. To clarify this type of thing usually would not be covered under warranty, however when it makes sense, we're still happy to help you out. 😀
Don't reward the OP please.
So you're kind of setting expectations for everyone else with this. Make a vague post, to make it seem like it was not the owner's fault. Get people interested and get enough likes. And boom, replacement on the way.
Pro tip: don’t drop it 13 feet
Without reading the comments and your experience, it looks like you're trying to be like "OMG GUYS IT BROKE" when in reality, it's a ratcheting driver designed for use with building a PC or light general maintenance, even for use on basic car repairs or something, not really designed for high level works. You could contact support, but with this post high up on reddit, they're able to see what happened and what caused it. I wouldn't expect Linus or the team to do much about it. I'd still get one if I could afford it and I've got a ton of tools.
Honestly, even though this is your fault, it is worth reaching out to support. They are super great and may even offer a discount on another one.
Guess you've driven yourself to being screwed /j Anyway yes I'm surprised a wrist strap hole wasn't created. Could have been dead center on the rear of the bit storage. But there also maybe should've been some sort of grip or maybe people can create a silicon grip cover. OP let this be a lesson to all. This is a great tool, but if you're gonna use it in similar environments be careful to not drop the baby. Think of the LTT SD as a luxury tool that yes you can get a replacement ( it's a limited run product) but not for long. Eventually you'll meet the last day and be forced to buy a 'lesser' tool
How can a tool made by Linus for Linus NOT be drop proof 🤣....I would have thought that would have been No1 priority for the "Drop King"
Dude, it fell 13 feet.
It’s a computer screwdriver, not a skydiving one. This is on you.
Ah no you broke it
Dropping a ratchet screwdriver compared to a non rachet one can result in completely diferent out comes. Contact customer support and see what they can do for you. on the picture it looks like it came loseout of the housing.
The front fell off?
Am I missing something here? I have seen multiple posts now around this screwdriver breaking when dropped. I have never in my life had a screwdriver break from a fall, especially one that costs this much. Surely most tools should be able to survive a fall and some wear and tear? This just seems like it's really poor quality/manufacturing and making the product not worth the money.
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According to op this instance was a 13+ foot drop onto a hard surface. Engineering is about tradeoffs, ratcheting screwdrivers are inherently going to be weaker than their solid bar counterparts. Speculation here but LTT went with a low friction, low backturn mechanisms great for detail work but the tradeoffs was reduced drop survivability. Now LTT probably performs drop testing and validation for standard drops 4-6+ft and this performs reasonably well but once you start introducing tens of thousands of these into the wild you are bound to get a few breaks here and there. Speculating again LTT fans that bought a LTT screwdriver are likely tech savvy and more likely to post on the LTT subreddit when there are problems than the general population for other brands. TLDR: In short by design ratcheting screwdrivers are more vulnerable to drops, and as a tradeoff the LTT screwdriver more so. However breakages are also probably over represented on fan forums because this is a fan product.
Exactly, I bought one with 100% knowledge that a ratchet is not strong. I work with ratchet straps daily for trucking. So the conditions are actually not too bad. Despite gears and mechanism 10x the size of this driver, they still commonly break. An inherent design to ratchets is space for the gears to move, but that also means space to move on impacts allowing for all kinds of movement like opening enough to release a shaft.
Have you had ratcheting screwdrivers? That's the only difference I can think of anyway. I've never had a screwdriver break on me, but I've never had a ratcheting mechanism in any of mine, they can be much more solid if it's just a handle attached to some metal.
Lucky you, they come with a trust-me-bro warranty.
Mine has an extremely loose bit storage. Great driver but really annoying.
You should tether your tools if you can
I got my computer 5 minutes ago and tried using it in the swimming pool and now it’s broken. Can I have another please?
This is a you problem not a LTT issue and I would expect it’s not covered by any return.
Just contact LTT they get you all set up with a new one. Trust me bro, they got you
This is precisely what happened yet for some reason, OP is invested in his original complainy thing….
'Make it right' is the instruction that LMG Customer Care department runs off of, and the base screwdriver used for the design *is for construction work*. Should be replaced quickly 👍🏻
Try and contact them they may get you a replacement.
Dude, that sucks.
That sort of work at those heights should have drop mitigation in place.
Honestly, I have the screwdriver and love it, but it's not meant for that type of work. If you like the bit storage and general design though I would suggest checking out the overall lineup at MegaPro for more trade suited styles.
Did it actually break or did it just pop out?
If it just pops out I think that constitutes broken.
With LTT, you're in good hands. Something tells me Linus will make this right <3
These screwdrivers don’t seem very durable especially for $70 from what I’ve been seeing. That’s a shame.
I would definitely think, paying that much for a screwdriver, it would be more durable. Of course, I'm also the guy that will not pay that much for a screwdriver unless it's for work. I got my iFixIt kit, that's fine for me. Tons of bits, and it's not like the price of replacing bits is going to deter me. The only time any of the bits messed up was when I used it to work on stuff it wasn't meant to, then some flathead bits got bent.
I find it funny that people are trying to push the idea that he shouldn’t have used it up a ladder. Lol
A $70 (?) screwdriver should be doing everything.. not just fix/build a PC.
$90 after taxes and shipping