Nut Drivers

A nut driver is a socket on a screwdriver handle — the right tool for a hex fastener small enough to turn by hand, where a ratchet is more tool than the job needs and a wrench cannot be spun. On electrical and panel work most of the fasteners are exactly that size, which is why nut drivers get used constantly. Hollow shafts let a long stud or threaded rod pass right through the tool, so a nut can be run down its full length rather than only started; solid shafts are stiffer where the fastener is short. Magnetic tips hold the nut on the driver while the other hand is holding something else, which matters most overhead and inside enclosures. Insulated patterns carry a tested dielectric coating for work where contact with an energized part is possible; bare-head versions leave the metal exposed for a positive fit where insulation is not required. Common sizes run 5/16, 3/8, 7/16, 1/2 and 5/8 inch, and a set covers the range with color-coded or stamped handles so the right one comes to hand first time. Shaft length is the other choice: longer reaches deeper, shorter works in tight spaces.