Advice on precision screwdriver set for camera repair

[blee1996]

Hi, my trusty Japan made precision screwdriver set is getting a bit worn (especially the flatheads) after 30 years of good service, and I would like to ask for advice on which new set to purchase. I will use the set mostly for simple camera repair and service, as well as some tinkering in electronics. There are so many choices out there on Amazon, but most seems to be cheaply made. Are Wiha and Wera good brands to start with? Thank you in advance!

The below requirements are based on my current set, and I'm open to comparable or extended modern set:
- The head sizes: 1.4/1.8/2.3mm flatheads, #00/0/1 Philips type
- Material: metal or polymer with good grip
- Length: ideally a bit longer neck to get into tight places
- Bits are made with high quality metal so they are strong and can last
- Budget: $50 for 6 pieces, more for more pieces

I attach here a photo of the existing set for reference.

 

[gone]

My ex neighbor was a jeweler, and she had some very nice screwdrivers that I coveted. When I asked her how much she had paid, it was well under your budget limit. So that might be a good place to look. Those folks can't afford to mar an expensive heirloom.

 

[Dirb9]

Vessel makes a nice set, TD-56S, that covers about the same range of sizes as your old set, it's about $25 on Amazon or Ebay. Wiha and Wera are very good, but they don't have true JIS crosspoints. Still handy for the times when you don't need that specific bit, I have both a Wiha set and the Vessel one. That being said, ifixit makes a pretty comprehensive bit set that includes some more esoteric drivers like small torx or tri-lobe, they compare favorably to my Wiha bits.

 

[cramej]

Don't forget JIS!

Moody Tools make nice precision screwdrivers. I have a JIS set and a small metric nut driver set. I will be buying more to replace my Wiha phillips and flathead sets that I'm beginning to dislike. The Wiha flatheads have too thick a blade for most screws and I have to resort to using a narrower driver to get the correct thickness. My iFixit set is a bit better in that regard but it has a much shorter reach.

 

[blee1996]

Thank you all for the recommendations. The Vessel TD-56s seems a good replacement, and very reasonably priced.

I heard about iFixit sets a lot, especially from the computer/phone teardown and fixing blogs. I will check their Mako and other kits, to see if they can expand my capabilities. They have magnetic head which is definitely a plus, but their neck seems a bit shorter and chunkier.

 

[blee1996]

Quick update: I did get the Vessel TD-56s kit and it is wonderful. High quality precision made, excellent grip and ergonomics, and very useful bits. It added one smaller size flathead (0.9mm) which is very useful for those tiny set screws in a hole, and omitted one large Philips head (#1) which is ok.

I used it to fix my stuck Bessamatic today, so I already got the money's worth of the screwdriver set.

 

[Alex Varas]

I use Starrett set of 6, I don’t come across many JIS so flats are fine for me.