I’m a convert to loving T-handle screwdrivers for their torque and – more importantly – they’re wonderful for my RSI / Carpal-tunnel injury.
I’m looking for a set of Phillips-head T-handle screwdrivers.
Obviously, there are loads of options for Hex, Torx, and the like. But the only Phillips drivers I can find are the bit drivers with multiple exchangable bits – Which are useless when the collar interferes with reaching a recessed screw.
Is there a manufacturing issue that makes them difficult to fabricate? Are they simply unpopular? Am I using the wrong search terms on the search-engines?
while its ratcheting, the shafts are long and might fit the bill.
then I found this: https://www.amazon.com/Motion-Pro-T-Handle-Phillips-Screwdriver/dp/B000UKGX6A/
and lastly you could CALLKctoolco.com, I couldn’t find anything on their site but I bet they could help for sure, also tell em Toolguyd sent you, if you make an online purchase from them use coupon code: TOOLGUYD4LIFE save some money and give our host some love!
Motion Pro used to sell a set (PH1, PH2 and PH3- part numbers 08-0101, 08-0102 and 08-0103 that I bought in 2009 for $19.
It looks like they only list the PH1 on their site but others seem to show them:
Try the Wera Vario series. Get the bits you need and get the Wera T handle and the locking bit holder https://www.kctoolco.com/wera-013390-t-handle-rapidaptor/ The bits are over 6 inches long so that should fit into tight spaces.
There were the 3 different sized (PH1, PH2 and PH3) T-Handles from Motion Pro that I cited above. It looks like only 1 size (maybe new old stock?) is still readily available. So maybe the answer to your question is that they did not sell well enough to continue making them or for others to make alternatives. The use of long bits as Charles suggests - is perhaps so much easier/cheaper that it undercuts the need for a dedicated one-trick-pony tool.
Cam-out:
Unless you use an “anti-cam” tip, Phillips tips will cam-out under extreme torque. Snap-On tools used to sell ACI and ACR (Anti-Cam Insertion and Anti-Cam Removal) tip options on their Phillips screw driver shanks. I’m not sure where they are with that tip offering lately, but they used to be a life saver for getting out stubborn Phillips screws.
This tendency for cam-out is why you will see MANY stripped phillips head screws in a variety of places. Reed and Prince, and Pozi-Drive Screws were an attempt to address this issue, but without widespread uptake in the manufacturing community. Gunsmiths are so wary of cam-out resulting in firearm finish damage, that they have come up with “screw jacks” to try to deal with this shortcoming of the Phillips fastener type.
Tip fracture:
Under extremes of torque, Phillips tips, like many other tip profiles, are subject to fracture, damaging the tool being used. The root cause being that Phillips tip profiles just don’t have the same load distributing surfaces in play as you would find in a Torx, Penta Lobe, or splined fastener to driver interface; and Phillips fasteners just are not what you can call precision-made devices–one or two of those 4 contacting surfaces is going to bear more of the load than the others.
Putting a Phillips tip on a “T-handle” driver is probably seen as counterproductive, and may be avoided for the above reasons.
I went with P2-ACR driver blades from various sources, a while back, but finally settled-on removing the screw in question and replacing it with a Torx or spline drive screw (admittedly not possible in EVERY situation, but possible often enough to make my life a lot easier).