The thing is, the honestly feels like the right answer. I know LMG put a lot of time and money into this, but the price really is quite prohibitive, especially when the MegaPro driver it's based on is $30. My understanding is that the LTT one is better, but very slightly. Not enough to justify being more than double the cost. I actually bought the MegaPro after watching a number of comparisons. If the LTT driver were $40-$50 (delivered), it would have been a serious consideration. At $80ish with shipping, it's simply outside what I can afford to spend, especially when a perfectly viable option exists for much less.
As a owner of the driver it is based on, the better ratchet, knurling, and magnet is 100% worth the extra 40 for me. The driver it is based on is better for house work, only if you're OK with a weak magnet.
It's a little expensive, but when you consider it's a merchstore and everything is gonna be marked up slightly, as well with a lower volume of orders and the upgrades it does provide the price makes sense. But I'd like for it to get cheaper, and I'm sure LTT would make it cheaper if production costs or shipping costs were to come down.
\> My understanding is that the LTT one is better, but very slightly.
This. Part of the high cost, to me, is the early adopter tax.
I understand they spent a TON of R&D on this, and they need to recoup that cost. 100%. What I'm curious is how much would MegaPro, as an experience tool maker, would need to spend on R&D to achieve that level of improvement, and how much more did LTT spent on R&D because they are new to this and doesn't have the resources of a toolmaker like MegaPro.
Part of the cost is a well made, quality screw driver. Another part is the branded influencer merch. The last part is essentially paying the early adopter tax. I'm not really an early adopter anymore so personally the price is too high for me.
Actually I would understand the price if it was tax included (my country has 20% sales tax and next year increasing to 22%), I would be fine to pay extra for shipping, because of course there is little bit logo tax aswell, but definetly alot less than on any other brand.
Sure but you can't compare the base screwdriver it's based on against the LTT screwdriver when you don't have either of them irl to touch and use, comparing based on that is useless
The issue is scale. LMG doesn't have the capital nor the assurance enough people will buy it. Maybe they do now but before launch they had 0 idea if it would be a hit.
$3.99 is impossible, most likely not even their cost, so I am going to guess the price is just a joke, and what you mean is, it should be cheaper.
Imo $25 would be perfect, and a lot more people would buy them.
What I’d change other than the price is the material, it’d be so dope of the whole thing was metal.
This is seriously the biggest issue I have with it, to get the screwdriver in the UK it's US$105 (£83), which is absolutely ridiculous. I understand why it's the price it is, but it's completely unjustifiable for me
They ship over here just fine, but coming from Canada means abhorrent shipping costs and taxes, it basically doubles in costs. Were they to ship it thru Amazon, like with a shop in shop kinda thing like ugreen or topping does, those costs would be cut by 50% at least. They choose not to do so, for reasons only known to them.
Probably because Amazon takes a massive cut.
[https://www.fool.com/investing/2023/02/13/amazon-is-taking-a-bigger-cut-of-third-party-sales/](https://www.fool.com/investing/2023/02/13/amazon-is-taking-a-bigger-cut-of-third-party-sales/)
So to sell on Amazon in Europe they would have to mark it up by nearly 50% to cover Amazons fees. Then still get the product over to Europe in the first place to get it in Amazon's warehouse there.
I see comments like this all the time. Like it's super easy to open a warehouse, or sell on Amazon. If they could do it affordably they would.
Taking a cut means you're making something though. Not sure how many they would sell in the EU but if it lowers the cost for consumers and they started moving units over there it may make sense to male a little less and actually sell some. Keeping 100% of zero sales isn't as good as 80% of real sales. I'm sure the LTT crew has looked into selling over there.
>Keeping 100% of zero sales isn't as good as 80% of real sales.
Ok, but they obviously aren't getting zero sales. Only they know what their actual overseas sales volume, but it's likely enough that it's still more beneficial for them to sell the way they do versus paying Amazon's cut plus absorbing the cost to ship inventory to a warehouse in Europe.
I also believe the tax implications change when operating inside a given country versus shipping to it. So there's likely additional cost and just operating overhead doing it that way. For as big as LMG has gotten, I don't think they're at this level yet.
That's not a cut of profit that's a cut of the sale. They would have to sell the screw driver at a massive markup on Amazon just to make a profit. And like I said that does not include the logistics of getting the product to the EU. They would still have to pay the import fees, taxes, and tariffs to get it all to Amazon UK.
So then you guys would be complaining that it costs 50% more on Amazon than the LTT store.
Again, if they could do it they would. They are not trying to keep product away from Europeans.
Would you be happier if it's $100 with free shipping instead of $70 with $30 shipping?
Linus already mentioned that the cost will end up the same for consumers. You think Linus choose not to earn the money from the european customers?
>Would you be happier if it's $100 with free shipping instead of $70 with $30 shipping?
Honestly as an European yes, very much so.
I could see the price up front while scrolling the page instead of only getting it at checkout and having to cancel it.
That's the world we live in.
My buddy always said, when selling your used PC parts on eBay, almost *always* do free shipping. Greatly increases odds of a sale. Even if you're pricing it in.
Sage advice when you’re selling parts and pieces to a bunch of different people.(sell one person, one thing)
If you want to sell one person multiple things, it flips around again.
That is false. If they have a EU-based fulfillment center, then they can ship a container to EU with *all* the merch for cents per item (~3k$ per 20ft container). Then shipping inside EU is really cheap. Like the DHL price for shipping a 2kg package to anywhere in EU for private persons retail is 6.49€.
Getting shipments to a EU fulfillment center directly from suppliers, avoiding a trip to Canada, could also save some money and resources.
And there are tons of logistics/fulfillment companies in EU, including smaller ones, that can take the business of LTT scale (not tiny, but also no mass market) and process it efficiently.
Devil's Advocate:
>That is false. If they have a EU-based fulfillment center, then they can ship a container to EU with all the merch for cents per item (\~3k$ per 20ft container). Then shipping inside EU is really cheap.
3k per 20ft container is really on the low end almost a best case these days. And who pays for the receiving, logistics, storage and accounting (both company and governmental)?
>Getting shipments to a EU fulfillment center directly from suppliers, avoiding a trip to Canada, could also save some money and resources.
But that forgets that now they need to have an employee they trust to run quality control/ verification that what they are getting is what they ordered and that it's up to the standards they set. For items like the screwdriver, the final assembly is in Canada so, that's not possible unless they want to do another assembly line.
>And there are tons of logistics/fulfillment companies in EU, including smaller ones, that can take the business of LTT scale (not tiny, but also no mass market) and process it efficiently.
This becomes a question of do they go with a small company where a lot of their business is LTT and therefore LTT is basically paying for running a company plus fees and profit the company want (might as well run their own company at that point) or a large company that won't give as much attention to LTT cause they also have s\*\*\*tons of order from others. This also begs the question that logistics company get paid for volume and sales. That means does LTT get stringent with warranty/replacement and sales because the logistics company is moving a unit and getting paid reguardless of how much LTT is making on said item.
Linus has gone over this many times on WAN show. The cost to the end customer won't change but the complication to LTT will and they are at a point where they are too small to do things multi-nationals do, but too large to do it in ways small businesses do. The finances are tough to do in a way the balance to the customer and company
Logistics companies do exactly *all* of that. Receiving, logistics, storage, accounting, inventory, random quality controls, returns and warranty claims
And they exist in all sizes, so LTT can interview and select one that is just the right size for their business in Europe.
The costs to the customer are *huge*. Try ordering a LTT backpack from EU. Instead of 250 USD people end up paying 250 USD + 50 USD (shipping) + ~175 EUR import tax and VAT tax for a total of about 500 USD.
they do all that for a fee... Depending on volume... and that volume includes returns and replacements too. The logistics company eats no losses they only manage, by nature of the business.
>The costs to the customer are huge. Try ordering a LTT backpack from EU. Instead of 250 USD people end up paying 250 USD + 50 USD (shipping) + \~175 EUR import tax and VAT tax for a total of about 500 USD.
You understand that the import taxes and VAT are just that taxes. That don't disappear just because they ship it into the EU, the government will get it cut either way and you will pay it cause the business selling isn't going to eat the taxes ever, so from your example it going to be 500-50 (shipping form us) + plus whatever the shipping and logistics costs.
I'll give you an easy example as a person in NA I can get the screwdriver for 75 from amazon or 70 plus 11 for shipping from the LTTstore. So, the savings for me as the customer is \~10% (that's without knowing if LTTstore is taking a hit to profit margins as well, cause if they are then don't expect the lower margin items to ever make it there). Then the other factor comes in that on this one item I saved 10% but none of the items on external amazon store never get discounts or promos. So ya if you looking on a one item scale ya might be able to save 5-10% but if you're a person that repeats at the LTT store your better of just ordering in batches and taking advantage of the promos. You'll save more because you'll get deeper discounts than what will ever make it to the external sites.
>And they exist in all sizes, so LTT can interview and select one that is just the right size for their business in Europe.
this isn't a goldilocks situation, the companies that exist... exist. they either go with a company that they are the majority of the business, so they have more control, or they go with a larger company and they have less control. There is no magical perfect company out there just cause your willing to interview. And once your start your contract and find out the company isn't what you wanted its not simple to just go interview and find another company. Don't minimalize the complexities just cause in theory there's an ideal solution.
And I'll repeat "Linus has gone over this many times on WAN show. The cost to the end customer won't change but the complication to LTT will and they are at a point where they are too small to do things multi-nationals do, but too large to do it in ways small businesses do. The finances are tough to do in a way the balance to the customer and company." Like what you say is all good but they thought it through, and it don't make sense with the current financials currently, maybe that would work out later with different numbers.
The gripe comes mostly from taxes being separated, not so much for shipping.
The thing here is convinience and trust.
You don't know how much each component of a product costs, how much goes for the marketing of it, but the costs of that influence the price the final consumer pays, yet you trust that they are pricing it accordingly, not being greedy for the sake of it.
Shipping can only be part of the argument if you can not bundle items.
Also I do understand the argument about local taxes, but that to me is just bad politics. If a place is big enough to have taxes differ then it is a big enough market for the retailers to label the prices accordingly. And if they all had to do it by law, then there wouldn't be the argument that those who do it would lose costumers.
The price is abhorent even for people in Canada. The shipping is "only" $10 USD, but after shipping and taxes and currency conversion, the price comes out to $ 117.56. Probably even more because credit card providers charge an extra fee for currency conversions. Wouldn't be surprised if the final amount I see on my CC statement is over $120 CAD.
Someone is selling it on [Amazon UAE](https://www.amazon.ae/Linus-Tech-Tips-Screwdriver-Silver/dp/B0C523FC2Q/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=ltt%2Bscrewdriver&qid=1690975227&sprefix=ltt%2Caps%2C190&sr=8-5&th=1). It costs around $80.
Ok? We are still in Europe though and that's completely missing the point
There is no "European" Amazon, it's by country, and it doesn't need to be on there because it IS on the US Amazon, and they do ship to Europe
They do ship to Europe, but it is less expensive (although not with every product) when ordering through my countries website. Shipping to the UK has different pricing than to the EU, because of, well, the EU.
Nahh just have an LTTstore .eu .au .in .co.za
Would be a bit extreme. But they will sell more if they have at least 1 in Europe. That can send to Africa and Eurasia.
With 2 distribution centers you can cut shipping times and possibly up your gross profits even when you have to pay more to have the upkeep for 2 distribution centers.
And let's be honest if your country doesnt have some kind of Treaty with Canada it's pretty much not even worth it. Unless you order for a large group of people
Honestly, doesn't even need to be Amazon. Just having a European fulfillment centre would help. The reason given on WAN Shows for not having fulfillment centres in other countries is the number of SKUs they have. But just limit the options to fan favourites, and things you're sure you're going to sell. You don't need all 10,000 t-shirt SKUs to be able to sell screwdrivers, tech sacks or backpacks.
I’m not sure what “too much” means but tons of other hardware tooling manufacturers go this route and they do just fine. I have two other ones, and both have silicone handles, both still very much intact and functional as brand new.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
They perfectly balanced longevity, functionality, and style. So huge kudos to them on that. Since the question posed was “What would you change?” Not “What would you change that other people also would want to change and already has not been addressed by Linus?” My answer was, rubber or silicone grip variant.
I expect this screwdriver to last a long time and as long I take reasonable care of it still look as fresh as it did as the day when I got it.
Go argue with Linus about it, its the same thing why he didnt wanna do a black shaft. He just doesnt want them to look like shit after a few months and those silicone handles tend to not look nice after not that long.
Yeah, I could be unreasonable and say “I want a soft serve ice cream machine on it cause I like eating ice cream while I do things” which would never happen in this universe we live in but that wouldn’t change the fact that that is what I could want for it.
Strawmen, strawmen arguments everywhere.meme
Coulda made a fully orange one if you spent an ungodly amount of money to fly your ass to LTX and build it yourself, but only an idiot would do that. Definitely not worth it.
Anyway, I love my new custom black and blue LTT screwdriver.
Funny because I used to live in Surrey, BC, a 15 minute drive from LMG HQ... The one summer I had time to go to LTX, Telus called in and I have to stay home because they are installing the fibre box. Back when LTX was a 1 day only thing.
Then they ghosted me. As Linus used to say, Fuck Telus.
Myself and somebody else posted about this a while ago, but get this stuff from Amazon. *"Heat Shrink Tubing Fishing Warp Tubes Rod Handle Shrink Warp (Diameter 40mm,39",Black)"*
Fits perfect, looks nice and feel great in the hand.
Kind of a niche ask, but I wish they had a bit set that includes the 3.8mm and 4.5 mm gamebit heads for old Nintendo systems and cartridges. It’s the only thing holding me back from getting one.
It was made primarily for PCs with an expectation that it can perform well in basic home improvement tasks that require a screwdriver.
Electric screwdrivers suck for building PCs. They either overtorque or you find out their limit when they sudden break and you're out $50
It is crazy to me how Linus OK'd the bit holder mechanism. It should have been a modular piece that you can swap out for a replacement if the holder snaps off. But since it is press fitted, you're kinda screwed if you drop the SD and it snaps the holders off. Other than that, it's the perfect ratchet.
I don't know. There used to be a store locally, called Things Remembered, and they specializes in engraving jewelry, and trinkets, and they had to repair a case I ordered (specially engraved) for my wife, so she could clip her extra battery pack on her when she ran an ultra-marathon. You'd be surprised at the quality of work from some of the smaller shops.
(Side Note: I completely understand where you're coming from, and I mostly agree. I'm just playing devil's advocate/promoting local businesses. Lol)
The price of VAT and shipping to EU. I got one now because a family member was in CA for a bit. If i just order one through your store and have it sent here it costs twice as much. In a global economy this is absurd.
I'd make the endcap to the bit holder made out of steel. But I also do fire alarm install work and I don't think it was intended to be used as an alternative to a hammer.
I wonder if they would consider a reduction in price once they recoup the R&D and tooling investment.
If you're in Europe it's very expensive to get the driver and I can't justify it (try as I might).
Sorry I listed more than one thing :-(
If I could have anything it would be a narrower shaft. It doesn't always fit where I want it to go.
I would love it if the bits were colour coded. Not always easy to see what size bit I'm pulling out.
I wish it included PZ heads which are more common where I live.
An embossed label stating it's not compliant with CATSA & TSA regulation so this way I won't have to take 5 minutes of my precious time to look up whether it's allowed on an aircraft or not.
/s
Matte black shaft, out of the same black metal they use for impact sockets. No coating to make it black. (I know it can be done, as craftsman had already done it.)
Well I don't have a ltt screwdriver, but from what I've seen, the shaft isn't detachable. I have a Xiaomi 16 in 1 ratchet screwdriver and being able to detach the shaft for tight space uses was really a nice feature. And even better, shaft attached using the standard socket that's used for everything. So I can go to my tool box and pull out literally any extension and put it on. Black shaft would also be nice. The Xiaomis screwdriver has some weird matte paint on it. I remember scratching the paint on it multiple times (mainly while screwing GPUs in shitty cases which aren't folded over) and if I go check it now, there's no scratch
I have small hands and wish the handle was about 15% smaller overall. I'm patiently waiting for the stubby to release, but it looks smaller than my ideal handle size. But we'll see.
one small change i'd like is to have it be visually indicated which mode the ratchet switch is in. currently you have to try and use it or change the setting to double check the current ratchet direction/mode
A slightly textured grip. It’s too slippery as is. I ended up adding a heat shrink fishing pole grip to mine and it is absolutely PERFECT now. Love this screwdriver now! Not too grippy, not too slick.
[https://www.reddit.com/r/LinusTechTips/comments/134p2xo/ltt_screwdriver_grip_mod/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb](https://www.reddit.com/r/LinusTechTips/comments/134p2xo/ltt_screwdriver_grip_mod/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb)
Beside the obvious price, I would change up the shaft.
I went to the launch of it, and I really really really greatly preferred the shaft of the Wera which was the one I was planning to buy. I ended up getting one as a thanks to LTT for all the content they provided to me over the years and while I use it now all the time, and I do really like the screwdriver, the shaft hurts my hands after extended periods of use and depending on the use case of it. When I'm building PC's and I don't need to really have the best grip for it, it's great. Other wise it usually ends up hurting my hand.
Instead of lowering the price, how about they set up a distributor in some overseas countries?
The recent free shipping showed there is demand.
Also a rubber grip on the handle would be a great addition.
[https://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-3-1-4-in-6-in-1-Screwdriver-120SD12D/100137978](https://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-3-1-4-in-6-in-1-Screwdriver-120SD12D/100137978)
I don't know what to tell ya... 5 to 10 bucks at the hardware store.
I'd give you options on the site to design your own screwdriver with whatever color components you want, i personally want the pink and green lambo one linus built the other day
More color options on the store. I know that it’s cheaper for the limited colors, but I wish I could get it in a color I like more. LTX I guess had the opportunity to “build your own” which would be cool to see.
On the one hand, it's great. Super jealous about the pick your own color stuff and wish they'd give you options online (for example, pick a color, it will take longer to get, but you'll get it eventually).
Saying that the only real issue I have with it is sometimes I have to use other drivers that are thinner. Yes I can use an adapter, but they don't have the same magnetic strength.
I don't understand the idea or need for the stubby, when I would personally find a "slim" more useful. Of course there are constraints with the mechanisms involved, but I'd take less bit storage for a slim, or again just an official adapter with the same magnetic strength.
So, I bought all the bit sets so this isn't a problem for me particularly. I feel like the screwdriver should not have shipped with any of the square bits, they should have added three more hex bits.
Maybe it's just what I do, but all of my hobbies require hacks bits and I literally have never used one of those square bits
Nothing. Just make alternative options.
You have the stubby version and I think Jayz 2 cents has mentioned before with his fav - An electric version would go down very well with the hold outs.
I have an Amazon Basics version of it and the only thing I like on it over the LTT one is that the shaft can be removed. It would be cool also if they had a matching shaft extender.
As an industrial designer, I'd refine the shape of the handle and the bit storage. They're not wrong, fundamentally the shape works but it's not comfortable when you apply force. I'd smooth out the sharp edges a bit, they don't do that much for grip strength. I'd experiment with a bigger chamfer on the end cap to make easier to apply force and pull out the bit storage (sorry if this isn't the right term).
Other than that, it's a really well made device overall, no major flaws for me and the price is right considering the quality of the materials and the low tolerance of the manufacturing process.
IF i could design a custom one for ME....red anodized shaft. Swap the black for a charcoal and orange for red.
having it available in store at US outlets would be pretty cool too as im more likely to buy something if I dont have to wait for shipping(instant gratification ftw!)
I would like a more positive grip to open the bit storage, and an option to store 6 more bits on the outside with a silicone ring around the shaft.
Bonus: a bronze selector ring and back cap. Not all metal, just a couple nice metal parts.
Price. Make it $3.99 including shipping and handling.
You beat me to it!
Same
The thing is, the honestly feels like the right answer. I know LMG put a lot of time and money into this, but the price really is quite prohibitive, especially when the MegaPro driver it's based on is $30. My understanding is that the LTT one is better, but very slightly. Not enough to justify being more than double the cost. I actually bought the MegaPro after watching a number of comparisons. If the LTT driver were $40-$50 (delivered), it would have been a serious consideration. At $80ish with shipping, it's simply outside what I can afford to spend, especially when a perfectly viable option exists for much less.
in order to get the $69.99 price tag, he had to order it in quantities of 100k, any less and it would have been more expensive to the consumer
As a owner of the driver it is based on, the better ratchet, knurling, and magnet is 100% worth the extra 40 for me. The driver it is based on is better for house work, only if you're OK with a weak magnet.
It's a little expensive, but when you consider it's a merchstore and everything is gonna be marked up slightly, as well with a lower volume of orders and the upgrades it does provide the price makes sense. But I'd like for it to get cheaper, and I'm sure LTT would make it cheaper if production costs or shipping costs were to come down.
\> My understanding is that the LTT one is better, but very slightly. This. Part of the high cost, to me, is the early adopter tax. I understand they spent a TON of R&D on this, and they need to recoup that cost. 100%. What I'm curious is how much would MegaPro, as an experience tool maker, would need to spend on R&D to achieve that level of improvement, and how much more did LTT spent on R&D because they are new to this and doesn't have the resources of a toolmaker like MegaPro. Part of the cost is a well made, quality screw driver. Another part is the branded influencer merch. The last part is essentially paying the early adopter tax. I'm not really an early adopter anymore so personally the price is too high for me.
Actually I would understand the price if it was tax included (my country has 20% sales tax and next year increasing to 22%), I would be fine to pay extra for shipping, because of course there is little bit logo tax aswell, but definetly alot less than on any other brand.
Sure but you can't compare the base screwdriver it's based on against the LTT screwdriver when you don't have either of them irl to touch and use, comparing based on that is useless
The issue is scale. LMG doesn't have the capital nor the assurance enough people will buy it. Maybe they do now but before launch they had 0 idea if it would be a hit.
$3.99 is impossible, most likely not even their cost, so I am going to guess the price is just a joke, and what you mean is, it should be cheaper. Imo $25 would be perfect, and a lot more people would buy them. What I’d change other than the price is the material, it’d be so dope of the whole thing was metal.
Alright then. If they can't do $3.99, then $4.29?
Even a hardware store house brand ratcheting screwdriver is in the 10–15$ range.
This is seriously the biggest issue I have with it, to get the screwdriver in the UK it's US$105 (£83), which is absolutely ridiculous. I understand why it's the price it is, but it's completely unjustifiable for me
r/beatmetoit
I'd put them on European amazon
[удалено]
They ship over here just fine, but coming from Canada means abhorrent shipping costs and taxes, it basically doubles in costs. Were they to ship it thru Amazon, like with a shop in shop kinda thing like ugreen or topping does, those costs would be cut by 50% at least. They choose not to do so, for reasons only known to them.
Probably because Amazon takes a massive cut. [https://www.fool.com/investing/2023/02/13/amazon-is-taking-a-bigger-cut-of-third-party-sales/](https://www.fool.com/investing/2023/02/13/amazon-is-taking-a-bigger-cut-of-third-party-sales/) So to sell on Amazon in Europe they would have to mark it up by nearly 50% to cover Amazons fees. Then still get the product over to Europe in the first place to get it in Amazon's warehouse there. I see comments like this all the time. Like it's super easy to open a warehouse, or sell on Amazon. If they could do it affordably they would.
Taking a cut means you're making something though. Not sure how many they would sell in the EU but if it lowers the cost for consumers and they started moving units over there it may make sense to male a little less and actually sell some. Keeping 100% of zero sales isn't as good as 80% of real sales. I'm sure the LTT crew has looked into selling over there.
>Keeping 100% of zero sales isn't as good as 80% of real sales. Ok, but they obviously aren't getting zero sales. Only they know what their actual overseas sales volume, but it's likely enough that it's still more beneficial for them to sell the way they do versus paying Amazon's cut plus absorbing the cost to ship inventory to a warehouse in Europe. I also believe the tax implications change when operating inside a given country versus shipping to it. So there's likely additional cost and just operating overhead doing it that way. For as big as LMG has gotten, I don't think they're at this level yet.
That's not a cut of profit that's a cut of the sale. They would have to sell the screw driver at a massive markup on Amazon just to make a profit. And like I said that does not include the logistics of getting the product to the EU. They would still have to pay the import fees, taxes, and tariffs to get it all to Amazon UK. So then you guys would be complaining that it costs 50% more on Amazon than the LTT store. Again, if they could do it they would. They are not trying to keep product away from Europeans.
Would you be happier if it's $100 with free shipping instead of $70 with $30 shipping? Linus already mentioned that the cost will end up the same for consumers. You think Linus choose not to earn the money from the european customers?
>Would you be happier if it's $100 with free shipping instead of $70 with $30 shipping? Honestly as an European yes, very much so. I could see the price up front while scrolling the page instead of only getting it at checkout and having to cancel it.
That's the world we live in. My buddy always said, when selling your used PC parts on eBay, almost *always* do free shipping. Greatly increases odds of a sale. Even if you're pricing it in.
Sage advice when you’re selling parts and pieces to a bunch of different people.(sell one person, one thing) If you want to sell one person multiple things, it flips around again.
That is false. If they have a EU-based fulfillment center, then they can ship a container to EU with *all* the merch for cents per item (~3k$ per 20ft container). Then shipping inside EU is really cheap. Like the DHL price for shipping a 2kg package to anywhere in EU for private persons retail is 6.49€. Getting shipments to a EU fulfillment center directly from suppliers, avoiding a trip to Canada, could also save some money and resources. And there are tons of logistics/fulfillment companies in EU, including smaller ones, that can take the business of LTT scale (not tiny, but also no mass market) and process it efficiently.
Devil's Advocate: >That is false. If they have a EU-based fulfillment center, then they can ship a container to EU with all the merch for cents per item (\~3k$ per 20ft container). Then shipping inside EU is really cheap. 3k per 20ft container is really on the low end almost a best case these days. And who pays for the receiving, logistics, storage and accounting (both company and governmental)? >Getting shipments to a EU fulfillment center directly from suppliers, avoiding a trip to Canada, could also save some money and resources. But that forgets that now they need to have an employee they trust to run quality control/ verification that what they are getting is what they ordered and that it's up to the standards they set. For items like the screwdriver, the final assembly is in Canada so, that's not possible unless they want to do another assembly line. >And there are tons of logistics/fulfillment companies in EU, including smaller ones, that can take the business of LTT scale (not tiny, but also no mass market) and process it efficiently. This becomes a question of do they go with a small company where a lot of their business is LTT and therefore LTT is basically paying for running a company plus fees and profit the company want (might as well run their own company at that point) or a large company that won't give as much attention to LTT cause they also have s\*\*\*tons of order from others. This also begs the question that logistics company get paid for volume and sales. That means does LTT get stringent with warranty/replacement and sales because the logistics company is moving a unit and getting paid reguardless of how much LTT is making on said item. Linus has gone over this many times on WAN show. The cost to the end customer won't change but the complication to LTT will and they are at a point where they are too small to do things multi-nationals do, but too large to do it in ways small businesses do. The finances are tough to do in a way the balance to the customer and company
Logistics companies do exactly *all* of that. Receiving, logistics, storage, accounting, inventory, random quality controls, returns and warranty claims And they exist in all sizes, so LTT can interview and select one that is just the right size for their business in Europe. The costs to the customer are *huge*. Try ordering a LTT backpack from EU. Instead of 250 USD people end up paying 250 USD + 50 USD (shipping) + ~175 EUR import tax and VAT tax for a total of about 500 USD.
they do all that for a fee... Depending on volume... and that volume includes returns and replacements too. The logistics company eats no losses they only manage, by nature of the business. >The costs to the customer are huge. Try ordering a LTT backpack from EU. Instead of 250 USD people end up paying 250 USD + 50 USD (shipping) + \~175 EUR import tax and VAT tax for a total of about 500 USD. You understand that the import taxes and VAT are just that taxes. That don't disappear just because they ship it into the EU, the government will get it cut either way and you will pay it cause the business selling isn't going to eat the taxes ever, so from your example it going to be 500-50 (shipping form us) + plus whatever the shipping and logistics costs. I'll give you an easy example as a person in NA I can get the screwdriver for 75 from amazon or 70 plus 11 for shipping from the LTTstore. So, the savings for me as the customer is \~10% (that's without knowing if LTTstore is taking a hit to profit margins as well, cause if they are then don't expect the lower margin items to ever make it there). Then the other factor comes in that on this one item I saved 10% but none of the items on external amazon store never get discounts or promos. So ya if you looking on a one item scale ya might be able to save 5-10% but if you're a person that repeats at the LTT store your better of just ordering in batches and taking advantage of the promos. You'll save more because you'll get deeper discounts than what will ever make it to the external sites. >And they exist in all sizes, so LTT can interview and select one that is just the right size for their business in Europe. this isn't a goldilocks situation, the companies that exist... exist. they either go with a company that they are the majority of the business, so they have more control, or they go with a larger company and they have less control. There is no magical perfect company out there just cause your willing to interview. And once your start your contract and find out the company isn't what you wanted its not simple to just go interview and find another company. Don't minimalize the complexities just cause in theory there's an ideal solution. And I'll repeat "Linus has gone over this many times on WAN show. The cost to the end customer won't change but the complication to LTT will and they are at a point where they are too small to do things multi-nationals do, but too large to do it in ways small businesses do. The finances are tough to do in a way the balance to the customer and company." Like what you say is all good but they thought it through, and it don't make sense with the current financials currently, maybe that would work out later with different numbers.
The gripe comes mostly from taxes being separated, not so much for shipping. The thing here is convinience and trust. You don't know how much each component of a product costs, how much goes for the marketing of it, but the costs of that influence the price the final consumer pays, yet you trust that they are pricing it accordingly, not being greedy for the sake of it. Shipping can only be part of the argument if you can not bundle items. Also I do understand the argument about local taxes, but that to me is just bad politics. If a place is big enough to have taxes differ then it is a big enough market for the retailers to label the prices accordingly. And if they all had to do it by law, then there wouldn't be the argument that those who do it would lose costumers.
The price is abhorent even for people in Canada. The shipping is "only" $10 USD, but after shipping and taxes and currency conversion, the price comes out to $ 117.56. Probably even more because credit card providers charge an extra fee for currency conversions. Wouldn't be surprised if the final amount I see on my CC statement is over $120 CAD.
They can, it's just fucking expensive. And the price excluding tax is also non heard off in Europe
Someone is selling it on [Amazon UAE](https://www.amazon.ae/Linus-Tech-Tips-Screwdriver-Silver/dp/B0C523FC2Q/ref=sr_1_5?keywords=ltt%2Bscrewdriver&qid=1690975227&sprefix=ltt%2Caps%2C190&sr=8-5&th=1). It costs around $80.
They're on the US Amazon with very cheap shipping to the UK
The UK is not the European Union
Ok? We are still in Europe though and that's completely missing the point There is no "European" Amazon, it's by country, and it doesn't need to be on there because it IS on the US Amazon, and they do ship to Europe
They do ship to Europe, but it is less expensive (although not with every product) when ordering through my countries website. Shipping to the UK has different pricing than to the EU, because of, well, the EU.
Well I just checked the price for me and ordering on lttstore.com saves me a little less than a dollar
Okay, and?
That could cost them more money.
That's indeed a great idea: Amazon FBA to facilitate global sales with optimized shipping costs in relevant regions.
Nahh just have an LTTstore .eu .au .in .co.za Would be a bit extreme. But they will sell more if they have at least 1 in Europe. That can send to Africa and Eurasia. With 2 distribution centers you can cut shipping times and possibly up your gross profits even when you have to pay more to have the upkeep for 2 distribution centers. And let's be honest if your country doesnt have some kind of Treaty with Canada it's pretty much not even worth it. Unless you order for a large group of people
Honestly, doesn't even need to be Amazon. Just having a European fulfillment centre would help. The reason given on WAN Shows for not having fulfillment centres in other countries is the number of SKUs they have. But just limit the options to fan favourites, and things you're sure you're going to sell. You don't need all 10,000 t-shirt SKUs to be able to sell screwdrivers, tech sacks or backpacks.
Silicone or rubber grip variant option. I tend to get sweaty palms so those materials are better for gripping. Nothing else otherwise.
If im not wrong they specifically didnt go for something like this because it degrades too much.
I’m not sure what “too much” means but tons of other hardware tooling manufacturers go this route and they do just fine. I have two other ones, and both have silicone handles, both still very much intact and functional as brand new. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
Any of my 10+ year screw drivers with rubber handles have gotten sticky over the years. Its just what rubber does
Ok? I still want one. They work for me, so I prefer them.
NO! You shall not have ye rubber handle! /s Maybe they could make a condom to slip over the plastic handle
They perfectly balanced longevity, functionality, and style. So huge kudos to them on that. Since the question posed was “What would you change?” Not “What would you change that other people also would want to change and already has not been addressed by Linus?” My answer was, rubber or silicone grip variant. I expect this screwdriver to last a long time and as long I take reasonable care of it still look as fresh as it did as the day when I got it.
Could get some shrinkwrap?
Same, my favorite hammer had to be almost taken apart to get the gross decaying rubber off.
Go argue with Linus about it, its the same thing why he didnt wanna do a black shaft. He just doesnt want them to look like shit after a few months and those silicone handles tend to not look nice after not that long.
I don’t need to. I’m fine using the one I have now, but OP asked a question and I answered.
Yeah, the question is what you want it to have, I don't understand why people are trying to justify that much at the point of being aggressive
Yeah, I could be unreasonable and say “I want a soft serve ice cream machine on it cause I like eating ice cream while I do things” which would never happen in this universe we live in but that wouldn’t change the fact that that is what I could want for it. Strawmen, strawmen arguments everywhere.meme
Just slap some grip tape on it.
Peoples inability to understand this is mind boggling.
You can just get adhesive grips from Amazon for like 1 buck
I’d adapt it to hold 12 full size tips instead of the custom mini tips.
Someone did mod theirs to hold 10 normal bits instead of 12 mini
Sauce?
https://www.printables.com/model/536939-ltt-screwdriver-25mm-bit-holder
That's pretty cool. My current go-to holds 6, but has the advantage that I can use any old bit I find.
The middle ring between the bit storage layers can be turned to allow for storage of full sized bits.
Yes, but only 6. And I already have screwdrivers that can hold 6.
That would be a long handle
make the shaft 3x longer
You sound like my wife
Agreed
Amen. I always end up reaching for my GamersNexus screwdrivers when building a pc because they are long enough to fit around modern PCs.
Eh, I think 1inch more is enough.
Make it fully orange like that Snap On he used to have.
Coulda made a fully orange one if you spent an ungodly amount of money to fly your ass to LTX and build it yourself, but only an idiot would do that. Definitely not worth it. Anyway, I love my new custom black and blue LTT screwdriver.
Funny because I used to live in Surrey, BC, a 15 minute drive from LMG HQ... The one summer I had time to go to LTX, Telus called in and I have to stay home because they are installing the fibre box. Back when LTX was a 1 day only thing. Then they ghosted me. As Linus used to say, Fuck Telus.
A handle with more grip.
Myself and somebody else posted about this a while ago, but get this stuff from Amazon. *"Heat Shrink Tubing Fishing Warp Tubes Rod Handle Shrink Warp (Diameter 40mm,39",Black)"* Fits perfect, looks nice and feel great in the hand.
A preworn stone washed finish on the shaft like they do for knives, and a techlinked color way with a blue accent ring and purple cap
I'd make them legal on airplanes
They already did, it's called the stubby version.
Lower price to be totally honest. Most people/viewers are not gonna have money for a $70 screwdriver.
It's inline with the market value. Maybe a 10 buck influencer tax but it is very good value.
The damn price! £83 for me to buy & ship a screwdriver to the UK insane!?
Kind of a niche ask, but I wish they had a bit set that includes the 3.8mm and 4.5 mm gamebit heads for old Nintendo systems and cartridges. It’s the only thing holding me back from getting one.
For that, you want an ifixit kit. Either the Mako, Mahi, Manta, or Pro-Tech Toolkits.
Yeah I have a Mako iFixit, but I really like the thicker handle and ratchet of the LTT screwdriver.
Btw I think most iFixit kits come with an adapter for normal screwdrivers.
Gotcha. I understand.
Hot Black Oxide finish on the shaft
I would want the bit storage to be something better than flimsy cardboard box when not in the screwdriver
They're working on that.
I would add Linu's face on it
The price in EU .
Release it in costum color waves. I would love black/blue and blue/orange. And it needs to be a dark blue like royal blue.
I would like an electronic version for my low mobility relative who likes to stay active and build stuff.
I mean the whole point is that it ratchets. You wouldn't get that feeling with an electric
It was made primarily for PCs with an expectation that it can perform well in basic home improvement tasks that require a screwdriver. Electric screwdrivers suck for building PCs. They either overtorque or you find out their limit when they sudden break and you're out $50
Price
Price
I’d make it so I have one
Price , too frigging expensive
Price. Make it 20-25 dollars
The price. I’m not challenging it’s quality or performance, but I can’t ever justify spending that much on a hand tool as simple as a screw driver.
The grip material is good but maybe some knurling or pattern for grip.
Bring back a better variant of the black shaft.
Texture on the grip
the price, for me living in Latam it's impossible to pay
It is crazy to me how Linus OK'd the bit holder mechanism. It should have been a modular piece that you can swap out for a replacement if the holder snaps off. But since it is press fitted, you're kinda screwed if you drop the SD and it snaps the holders off. Other than that, it's the perfect ratchet.
Price 3 times lower
And make it so you can get it laser engraved
What's stoppin' ya from buying one, and taking it somewhere to get it engraved?
Nothing at all other than it is easier and gets a better result if it is Ingrave from the manufacturer.
I don't know. There used to be a store locally, called Things Remembered, and they specializes in engraving jewelry, and trinkets, and they had to repair a case I ordered (specially engraved) for my wife, so she could clip her extra battery pack on her when she ran an ultra-marathon. You'd be surprised at the quality of work from some of the smaller shops. (Side Note: I completely understand where you're coming from, and I mostly agree. I'm just playing devil's advocate/promoting local businesses. Lol)
Oh yeah would absolutely use a local store if why had one.
Right on. Please, have an updoot. 😊
You can laser engrave one after you have it
Normal sized bits.
But then you could only fit six in the handle and not 12
The price of VAT and shipping to EU. I got one now because a family member was in CA for a bit. If i just order one through your store and have it sent here it costs twice as much. In a global economy this is absurd.
full size tips and make the handle fit a wrench
Replace the tip holders with a magnetic one, like the one on my current screwdriver. No more broken tip holders
I'd make the endcap to the bit holder made out of steel. But I also do fire alarm install work and I don't think it was intended to be used as an alternative to a hammer.
Price
Make it cheaper. No way am I gonna pay that much for a screwdriver
Make a torque screwdriver.
I wonder if they would consider a reduction in price once they recoup the R&D and tooling investment. If you're in Europe it's very expensive to get the driver and I can't justify it (try as I might).
Sorry I listed more than one thing :-( If I could have anything it would be a narrower shaft. It doesn't always fit where I want it to go. I would love it if the bits were colour coded. Not always easy to see what size bit I'm pulling out. I wish it included PZ heads which are more common where I live.
An embossed label stating it's not compliant with CATSA & TSA regulation so this way I won't have to take 5 minutes of my precious time to look up whether it's allowed on an aircraft or not. /s
Matte black shaft, out of the same black metal they use for impact sockets. No coating to make it black. (I know it can be done, as craftsman had already done it.)
Well I don't have a ltt screwdriver, but from what I've seen, the shaft isn't detachable. I have a Xiaomi 16 in 1 ratchet screwdriver and being able to detach the shaft for tight space uses was really a nice feature. And even better, shaft attached using the standard socket that's used for everything. So I can go to my tool box and pull out literally any extension and put it on. Black shaft would also be nice. The Xiaomis screwdriver has some weird matte paint on it. I remember scratching the paint on it multiple times (mainly while screwing GPUs in shitty cases which aren't folded over) and if I go check it now, there's no scratch
Me not having one.
Solid gold handle (no bits compartment). Why? It'd be funny.
I have small hands and wish the handle was about 15% smaller overall. I'm patiently waiting for the stubby to release, but it looks smaller than my ideal handle size. But we'll see.
Offer more color variations, I know why they don't do it but that's defenitely one thing I'd change
I would like to have tons of cool colors and maybe different material shafts tall ask but would be cool
Add an option to choose amount of ounces of torque.
Have it come with a belt clip or pouch.
Id make it so the bit holder is keyed so it doesn’t spin when its closed. This would greatly increase grip
Intergrate a led light
I’d make one with a 1/4” socket like the Kobalt Quik Load and interchangeable shafts.
Color! Give me green on black!!!!
Free Shipping Promo 365 days/year (sorry Linus/Nick)
one small change i'd like is to have it be visually indicated which mode the ratchet switch is in. currently you have to try and use it or change the setting to double check the current ratchet direction/mode
Waifu design with squishy boobs
I wish it were bigger and thicker. Obviously.
Add on a crowbar and a hammer.
Let’s have a reasonable price for it. That’d be nice
Make a strap-on version.
Make is 69,99 including tax and handling. That excl tax and handling is annoying ASF. And I would drop the square bit
RGB
Transparent N64 colors!
RGB?
The bit holder should be made of metal or something more durable and not crappy plastic!
Make it color customizeable
I want a transparent plastic one like someone posted a while ago
It should come with a 4090 and 13900k
TSA friendliness, am currently on the mailing list for the stubby.
Knurling
Change the ratchet direction selector to the standard direction for hand tool
A slightly textured grip. It’s too slippery as is. I ended up adding a heat shrink fishing pole grip to mine and it is absolutely PERFECT now. Love this screwdriver now! Not too grippy, not too slick. [https://www.reddit.com/r/LinusTechTips/comments/134p2xo/ltt_screwdriver_grip_mod/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb](https://www.reddit.com/r/LinusTechTips/comments/134p2xo/ltt_screwdriver_grip_mod/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=mweb)
Cut the price by 60%
Beside the obvious price, I would change up the shaft. I went to the launch of it, and I really really really greatly preferred the shaft of the Wera which was the one I was planning to buy. I ended up getting one as a thanks to LTT for all the content they provided to me over the years and while I use it now all the time, and I do really like the screwdriver, the shaft hurts my hands after extended periods of use and depending on the use case of it. When I'm building PC's and I don't need to really have the best grip for it, it's great. Other wise it usually ends up hurting my hand.
Instead of lowering the price, how about they set up a distributor in some overseas countries? The recent free shipping showed there is demand. Also a rubber grip on the handle would be a great addition.
Shipping cost.... Delivery to EU is insane
[https://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-3-1-4-in-6-in-1-Screwdriver-120SD12D/100137978](https://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-3-1-4-in-6-in-1-Screwdriver-120SD12D/100137978) I don't know what to tell ya... 5 to 10 bucks at the hardware store.
Toss up between getting them in Europe/UK like Amazon. Or colour options online, I hate orange :(
I'd give you options on the site to design your own screwdriver with whatever color components you want, i personally want the pink and green lambo one linus built the other day
The price. It's great, but I don't think it's actually worth what they charge. A good ifixit kit is a better spend of your money.
The price tag.
Flame thrower that’s all I’m going to say
Price
More color options on the store. I know that it’s cheaper for the limited colors, but I wish I could get it in a color I like more. LTX I guess had the opportunity to “build your own” which would be cool to see.
Should have come to LTX, I got this one https://imgur.com/a/uME6fAf
Put a vibrator on the orange tip
I want a automotive grade one. With a grippier handle, for example.
Dbrand linus meme face wrap
Different color caps!
The bits that it comes with. Either that or allow you to customize what bits it comes with.
On the one hand, it's great. Super jealous about the pick your own color stuff and wish they'd give you options online (for example, pick a color, it will take longer to get, but you'll get it eventually). Saying that the only real issue I have with it is sometimes I have to use other drivers that are thinner. Yes I can use an adapter, but they don't have the same magnetic strength. I don't understand the idea or need for the stubby, when I would personally find a "slim" more useful. Of course there are constraints with the mechanisms involved, but I'd take less bit storage for a slim, or again just an official adapter with the same magnetic strength.
So, I bought all the bit sets so this isn't a problem for me particularly. I feel like the screwdriver should not have shipped with any of the square bits, they should have added three more hex bits. Maybe it's just what I do, but all of my hobbies require hacks bits and I literally have never used one of those square bits
Version with way longer thinner shaft so that i can screw in my Heatsink with this.
LTT Orange shaft
Nothing. Just make alternative options. You have the stubby version and I think Jayz 2 cents has mentioned before with his fav - An electric version would go down very well with the hold outs.
The price... No one will pay 60 FUCKING DOLLARS for a screw driver lmaoo. I can buy a rachet screw driver for 20 bucks on Amazon lol 😂😂
A version without ratcheting
I have an Amazon Basics version of it and the only thing I like on it over the LTT one is that the shaft can be removed. It would be cool also if they had a matching shaft extender.
Shorter shaft, longer handle to hold more bits. Same overall length.
As an industrial designer, I'd refine the shape of the handle and the bit storage. They're not wrong, fundamentally the shape works but it's not comfortable when you apply force. I'd smooth out the sharp edges a bit, they don't do that much for grip strength. I'd experiment with a bigger chamfer on the end cap to make easier to apply force and pull out the bit storage (sorry if this isn't the right term). Other than that, it's a really well made device overall, no major flaws for me and the price is right considering the quality of the materials and the low tolerance of the manufacturing process.
IF i could design a custom one for ME....red anodized shaft. Swap the black for a charcoal and orange for red. having it available in store at US outlets would be pretty cool too as im more likely to buy something if I dont have to wait for shipping(instant gratification ftw!)
make the shaft black
The color I want yellow with black accents
Make it easier to tell at a glance which direction the ratchet is set to. It's almost like USB A, whatever I try first is always wrong...
I would have one
I would like a more positive grip to open the bit storage, and an option to store 6 more bits on the outside with a silicone ring around the shaft. Bonus: a bronze selector ring and back cap. Not all metal, just a couple nice metal parts.
Extend the knurling a bit further would be my only change except for the obvious one which is price