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Today we are reviewing one of the JIS screwdriver options - the Vessel Impacta 980 range (available on Amazon or on eBay: eBay US, eBay CA, eBay UK, eBay AU).
Why would you need a JIS driver? If you haven't seen it already check out our article on JIS screws and drivers here. In a nutshell the screws you find on your Japanese motorcycle are probably not Phillips as they appear - there is a separate JIS head on them that is easily damaged by a Phillips driver. The JIS screwdrivers, on the other hand, fit the JIS screws properly and make your life a lot easier when disassembling.
This particular unit has some very exciting-looking text on the front of the packaging, such that it is - I can't read Japanese so I don't know what most of it says:
The reverse of the packaging explains the cam mechanism's function:
The handle is nicely contoured and shows that this is P2 sized and 150mm long in the shaft:
The handle claims to be non-slip, which is definitely the case:
Just in case you forget which brand it is:
The base has a flat metal piece, designed to be hit with a hammer:
...and the business end - the JIS tip:
The Impacta is an impact driver with a cam mechanism inside the handle so that when struck the shaft rotates 12°. This has the effect of forcing the driver head down into the screw very firmly - through striking - and converting some of that force into rotating the driver, hopefully resulting in you breaking free the stuck screw. We will do a video of this in action as time permits but as it stands it works quite well - the JIS head does indeed properly fit the cross-point screws on the Keihin carb set we tested it on and the impact functionality works as expected.
If you're looking for a good solution for removing stuck screws on your carbs or other areas of your bike the Vessel Impacta 980 series is well worth a look. You can pick them up on Amazon or on eBay (eBay US, eBay CA, eBay UK, eBay AU).
Check out our other tool reviews!
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