Torquing Slotted Screws

Slotted screws was the worst. For a while was getting breakers and panels with what was called ECX screws, these were by far the best in my opinion as they gave the best of all three, a phillips, slotted and robertson bits, especially when torquing. Definitely hex for the larger set screws. Not sure why they seem to suddenly stopped using ECX in panels and breakers.
Robertson square when they also have the slotted across like the old panels will stretch and slip before the min torque suggested by the mfg. Plain slotted will spin out and then not turn able let alone able to be torqued.
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ECX bit
 
Fred B said:
Not sure why they seem to suddenly stopped using ECX in panels and breakers.
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Probably a money thing... either the screws were too expensive or hard to get in large quantities, or not enough ECX bits/drivers were being sold on the back-end to justify the cost of using them.
 
Joethemechanic said:
How did we do it for so many years and almost never touch a torque wrench. I swear this is because everyone new coming into the trades is green as green can be and they have no mechanical feel
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OK, I'll say it... How many more years will I go without touching a torque wrench for slotted head (and phillips/square) screws?
 
I'll have to say "Give me the torque driver" not for the breakers, but for the devices. I couldn't even begin to tell you how many screws I stripped out on Cooper receptacles. Leviton and Hubbell, though, I don't think I ever stripped...
 
Strathead said:
OK, I'll say it... How many more years will I go without touching a torque wrench for slotted head (and phillips/square) screws?
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Only thing I can say is seen many issues from GC and handyman installs with tripping AFCI breakers that traced back to improperly tightened connections. All that was done is torque the connection, no other intervention, and magically no more tripping. Also seen many squished wire so much so that you barely touch the wire and it is broken from the connection, that is way overtight.
ModbusMan said:
I'll have to say "Give me the torque driver" not for the breakers, but for the devices. I couldn't even begin to tell you how many screws I stripped out on Cooper receptacles. Leviton and Hubbell, though, I don't think I ever stripped...
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The torque for most 120V receptacles are so low its hardly worth it. But have seen some that it must be a faulty mfg because it would strip the screw before it was tight enough to keep the wire from pulling out, back wire connection (not back stab), only two finger tight.
 
Now just saw a new one.
A Millbank meter pan, had rather than a torque range or a specific torque it had only listed a "Maximum Torque". So what would that be torqued to? That would seem to be anything as long as its is not "over" the specified "max". L1 could be 25 in. lb. and L2 could be 200 in. lb. and the N could be 50. (Have seen such numbers.) That seems to be what the requirement for torquing was meant to avoid.
 
Fred B said:
The torque for most 120V receptacles are so low its hardly worth it. But have seen some that it must be a faulty mfg because it would strip the screw before it was tight enough to keep the wire from pulling out, back wire connection (not back stab), only two finger tight.
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This was when I was still doing day-to-day operations at the data centers instead of the BAS/DCIM stuff I'm into now, so all #10 THHN landing in twist-lock receptacles with screw+plate terminations. Yes, #10 even on 15A deliveries... less stuff to stock, and makes the inevitable power upgrade to 20 or 30 simple.
 
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