I was at my local plumbing and electrical shop recently, getting more parts for a kitchen remodel. As I waited at the checkout counter, I looked over the various "impulse items" on display.
"Oh good, more cheap multi-bit screwdrivers destined for landfills," I mused to myself. "I wonder which 'developing economy' produced these?"
To my surprise, the multi-bit screwdrivers in question, from a company called Picquic, were manufactured in Vancouver, British Columbia. Hey, just up the road! That was refreshing…so many "wonder tools" are made overseas and end up being a big disappointment in design, materials, and manufacture.
A closer look revealed that these screwdrivers weren't at all the junk I had imagined. In fact, this Canadian tool appeared to be well-designed, and made of quality materials. So I bought a Stubby, and when I got home, I did some online research and learned that Picquic made another product especially noteworthy for boaters: the Mariner. I had soon tracked one of those down as well.
PICQUICThe Picquic screwdrivers stand out above every other multi-bit screwdriver I’ve encountered.That was 18 month ago, and today, the several Picquic screwdrivers I have at home, in the car, and aboard the boat are my favorites, by far. In fact, I like them so much that during a recent visit to Vancouver I stopped by the factory and spoke with Kerry Martin, Picquic's sales and customer service guru.
Before I discuss what I learned at the factory, let me explain what makes the Picquic screwdrivers stand out above every other multi-bit screwdriver I've encountered. All Picquic Screwdrivers feature the through-the-handle instant bit change system: to change bits, you take the current bit out of the shaft and push it into the bottom of the handle behind the new bit you want. Storing the old bit and extracting the new bit occur simultaneously, so it's very difficult to misplace a bit. Grab the new bit, insert it into the magnetic bitholder shaft, and you're ready to go.
The bits are power-rated, so if you want, you can use them with your drill or power screwdriver.
PICQUICThe Super-8 HVAC was created specifically in response to feedback from technicians working in the HVAC industry.
During my visit, Kerry showed me the fabrication and assembly facilities at Picquic, and we talked a lot about the Picquic product line. It turns out they've refined the basic design incrementally over the years, and expanded the line in response to customer feedback.
PICQUICThe Picquic Mariner has been my "go to" screwdriver aboard Two Lucky Fish for two cruising seasons so far, and I couldn't be happier with it.For instance, they've got one model, the Super-8 HVAC, created specifically in response to feedback from technicians working in the HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) industry. These folks need the conventional slotted and Phillips bits in a couple different sizes, but they also need a bit for Schrader valve stems (the same kind you find in automobile tires), and a 5/16-inch nutdriver shank for screw-band hoseclamps.
The Picquic Mariner has been my "go to" screwdriver aboard Two Lucky Fish for two cruising seasons so far, and I couldn't be happier with it. One thing, though: on my boat, the Canadian version of the Mariner, which gives up some less-common sizes of the conventional bits in order to include three sizes of square-drive bits, works out just a little bit better than the US version. My boat uses at least two sizes of those square drive bits.
But the fact is that Picquic screwdrivers are almost infinitely customizable, thanks to retail outlet FireHawk Technology (http://www.firehawktech.com). FireHawk sells so many Picquic screwdrivers that they stock virtually every item and accessory available, and that includes individual bits. In fact, you can use their website to select exactly the bits you want for four of Picquic's most popular screwdrivers: the Super-8, the X-7, the Multique, and the Stubby. My only complaint: the Mariner isn't offered this way.
In case it isn't obvious, I highly recommend the Picquic screwdrivers, and nobody has paid me to say so. That said, in the interest of full disclosure, on my visit, Mr. Martin was kind enough to send me home with a couple models I didn't have already, including an experimental model he specifically instructed me to "beat the [expletive] out of." Still working on that.
PICQUICAll Picquic Screwdrivers feature the through-the-handle instant bit change system: to change bits, you take the current bit out of the shaft and push it into the bottom of the handle behind the new bit you want.
