Senior tech told me I was using the wrong screwdriver for PSU cables and it clicked

Ive been building and fixing computers for like 4 years now on the side, mostly friends and family stuff. Last month a guy I know who worked at a repair shop for 15 years watched me swapping a power supply in an old Dell Optiplex. I was using a #2 Phillips like I always do and he just goes "youre gonna strip that connector" and handed me a #1 Phillips. Turns out those little PSU terminal screws are way smaller than I thought. I had been muscling them in wrong for years without realizing it. Now I keep a set of small precision screwdrivers separate from my main kit and actually check the fit before I turn. Has anyone else been using the wrong size bit and never noticed until someone called them out?

3 comments

3 Comments

hannahm3927d ago

This is basically the same thing as using a slightly too big socket on a rusted bolt, you figure it's close enough until you round it off and now the thing is stuck forever. Most people don't realize how much force they're actually applying because they never stop to check if the tool actually fits right before they start cranking. It's wild how many things in life we just muscle through without stopping to see if there's a better way to do it.

emmag2227d ago

I actually just listened to a podcast with this mechanic who talked about the exact same thing. He said something like 80% of the stripped bolts he sees could have been avoided if people just took 30 seconds to find the right socket or used a little penetrating oil first. It's so true how we just grab whatever is close and start yanking on it without thinking. I've definitely been guilty of that myself, like using a butter knife to open a paint can and then wondering why it's all bent and the lid is wrecked. There's probably a lesson in there about slowing down and checking your tools before you commit to something.

logan23627d ago

Man, @emmag22 that butter knife example hits different because I did the exact same thing last week with a screwdriver and a can of paint. I was in a rush and grabbed the wrong size Phillips head, stripped the whole dang thing out, and had to go digging through my junk drawer for a pair of pliers to get it open. Honestly, half the time I think we're just impatient and want to feel like we're making progress even if it's the wrong move. It's like when you're trying to force a key into a lock that's not quite right and you just keep jiggling it harder instead of stepping back for two seconds.