Had to pick between a JIS screwdriver and a standard phillips for a stuck screw on a Minolta SRT-101

I went with the JIS driver and it freed up immediately, but now I'm wondering if I should just replace all the crossheads on old Minoltas before I touch them again - has anyone else found a reliable source for JIS bits that last?

2 comments

2 Comments

robin8361mo agoTop Commenter

Yeah, I feel your pain. I've got a couple of old Minoltas and I learned the hard way that using a standard phillips on those JIS screws is a recipe for disaster. I totally agree with @jamies45 about the Wiha bits, I got a set from Amazon a few years back and they're still going strong. Honestly, if you're going to be working on these cameras regularly, swapping out all the crossheads you can find is a smart move. Saves you from that sinking feeling when you feel the bit start to cam out. Do you usually pick up screws from a specific hardware store or online?

jamies451mo ago

Oh man, that brings back bad memories - I stripped a phillips head on an old Pentax once and had to drill the whole screw out. Ngl I just buy the Wiha JIS bits from Amazon and theyve held up way better than the cheap sets.