Recently Proto came out with a completely new design for the standard screwdriver….well, the screwdriver handle anyway. For many decades, screwdriver handles were made of plastic or even wood & the major downfall to those were the fact that they had a very short lifespan when placed in contact with shop chemicals. The problem is that keeping shop chemicals off of your tools, especially when you are an automotive mechanic is next to impossible.
Now the big claim that they are making with these new “Duratek” screwdrivers, are the fact that they are designed to be extremely chemical resistant. I decided to put that claim to the test, and was very surprised to see the results. Not only are they unaffected when sprayed with oil, brake fluid, transmission fluid, coolant, gasoline, acetone, or brake cleaner…..even after literally soaking in the various chemicals for over 24 hours, there was absolutely no damage to them at all! The handles did not peel, swell, warp, separate, or have any discoloration.
What makes the handles so different from “normal” screwdrivers, is the fact that they are made out of a special “Nylon Alloy”. That material is injected into molds in a 3-part process that not only gives the handles their unique shape, but also gives them a color scheme. All 3 different colors that make up the handle is actually a different layer of the handle, and they are all made of the same Nylon Alloy. Unlike a typical screwdriver handle (which is usually plastic), these do not react with the chemicals & sustain zero damage under exposure to them. In comparison I also wanted to see what would happen to a regular screwdriver & after 10 minutes in brake cleaner, the hard plastic handle was as soft as hot chewing gum on pavement & the colors had leached out into the brake cleaner (turning the whole container red).
One thing that you should note about the handles themselves, is the fact that they are hard. From just looking at pictures online, I originally thought that the black section would be some sort of “comfort grip”, but after holding one in my hand, I soon found that all 3 colors are exactly the same & there is no cushion grip at all with them. I don’t find this to be a problem at all though, and they are actually very comfortable to use.
The entire Duratek screwdriver (handle, shaft, chrome plating, etc) is 100% made & assembled in the USA, and they carry a full lifetime warranty. I think that they are very well made, and the fact that they are not only comfortable to use, but also extremely resistant to any and all chemicals that I put them up against, really was a nice surprise.
Check out the video for the complete testing, and you can see for yourself what makes the new Proto Duratek screwdrivers different.