Why are/were device screws flat head instead of pan head?

[LarryFine]

I agree it's difficult to tighten terminals with them, but I have strong hands and can twist using the two bends.

 

[James L]

I agree it's difficult to tighten terminals with them, but I have strong hands and can twist using the two bends.

Same here. Thumb on the bend closest to the front, and I could tighten terminal screws.

Believe it or not, I was faster pluggin' and switchin' with a speedy than I am with a small impact driver now.

 

[LarryFine]

My driver of choice for many years now is the B&D PD600 6-volt Pivot. Two speed transmission, very torquey, bendable body, adjustable clutch, FWD/REV rocker switch (very handy for starting screws), long charge life, built-in LED illumination, etc.

 

[LarryFine]

I also believe the flat head allowed for self-centering as well as shallow-plate clearance.

I learned early on to drive the paint sideways out of slotted screw heads.

 

[James L]

I had help that used that twirly screwdriver to plug & switch a house for me. Trouble was he used it for the screws to hold the conductors too. Plates weren’t on when I did a walk through and I could see the loose connections on one, Four of four failed when I pulled them to check. He reworked all of them, and I still have that screwdriver on the workbench where he thew it. I went back over each one again.

1994 I worked for a shop, we never pigtailed anything, even multi-gsng switches. I had a help
helper, we plugged and switched a house, and this kid was crazy fast. I started joking with him about it, something like..."you're probably ao fast because you're not plugging your wires in "

He said..."no, I found a trick. If you wrap your wires around the screws tight enough, you don't need to tighten the screws"

He told me he'd already done about 25 house that way.

 

[LarryFine]

Agreed!

 

[John Hawkinson]

I also believe the flat head allowed for self-centering as well as shallow-plate clearance.

Why would you want self-centering here? Isn't the whole point of the slot so that you can adjust the device both in rotation and up-down/left-right so that it is level/plumb?

Also:

When you do not tighten the screw all the way, to get the device far enough out from the box to match the cover plate, the flat head has a wedging action against the sides of the slot, which a pan head would not have.

The more I think about it, the more it seems not right? The flat head's cone will press against the sides of the slot as you tighten, sure. But the pan head's underside will bear against the flat of the yoke strap as you tighten, too. They seem equivalent. It's not as if the cone/slot bearing line somehow gives you adjustable outward pressure for cases where the ears are not engaging the drywall. I don't see how the cone helps give you any more friction or force when it is loose.

 

[GoldDigger]

Which one is more likely to lever that end of the yoke sideways as you tighten it?

Sent from my Pixel 4a using Tapatalk

 

[Bluegrass Boy]

1994 I worked for a shop, we never pigtailed anything, even multi-gsng switches. I had a help
helper, we plugged and switched a house, and this kid was crazy fast. I started joking with him about it, something like..."you're probably ao fast because you're not plugging your wires in "

He said..."no, I found a trick. If you wrap your wires around the screws tight enough, you don't need to tighten the screws"

He told me he'd already done about 25 house that way.

Oh wow! I guess prior to working with you no one was checking his work.