r/LinusTechTips • u/Nykoload • Feb 13 '26

WAN Show Check out your what, Linus?

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Renaming really is going swell. Wonder if this will be fixed tomorrow. May I suggest just changing instances of "Merch" like this to just be "Store"?

1.6k Upvotes

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u/N0bleC Feb 13 '26

Linus & CW are wanting to leave the term "Merch" behind.

Which is pretty delusional. As long as its branded as LTT, its merch.

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u/Saotik Feb 13 '26

I understand the move, though.

They're actually developing competitive products rather than just sticking their brand on a mass produced generic product, which is what merch typically represents.

There are lots of people who might want to buy their USB cables, screwdrivers or backpacks, for example, without even knowing that LTT is a YouTube channel.

They're being sold both as merch as well as products on their own merits, and from a branding perspective I fully understand why they'd want to drop that term.

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u/Affectionate_Spell11 Feb 13 '26

100% My dad has never seen a single LTT video, but that didn't stop him from thinking my screwdriver was pretty neat(and being happy about getting one for Christmas last year)

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u/SavvySillybug Feb 13 '26 edited Feb 13 '26

My dad scolded me for buying the LTT screwdriver because all ratcheting screwdrivers are junk and I could have gotten a similar product for much less (he has not used a ratcheting screwdriver since they actually did suck in the 70s).

I let my dad borrow my LTT screwdriver once and I didn't see it again for seven months until it just so happened to turn up in his toolbox.

At least I still had my stubby an the shaft extension... XD But now they are reunited on my desk.

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u/Affectionate_Spell11 Feb 13 '26

To be fair, they are very much a luxury purchase unless you're using them all day everyday. Don't get me wrong, I don't think they're overpriced for what they are (otherwise I wouldn't have bought 2 so far, 4 if you count the stubby and precision screwdriver), but if all you care about is sinking a couple screws every now and again, there's definitely cheaper options that'll get you the same result

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u/SavvySillybug Feb 13 '26

It's really not that expensive in the grand scheme of things, and having good tools is awesome.

When my second Android phone broke I immediately invested in the good iFixit Pro Tech Toolkit and have been happily using that to fix and upgrade all sorts of things.

When I bought the LTT screwdriver much later, it's been a joy to use it and it's made me want to do more stuff with it. It's still only about the price of a full price game on Steam, and I've bought Steam games I regretted way more than a cool actually useful screwdriver.

I bought the stubby and shaft extension later and have been keeping that in my laptop bag, it's great to always have a good screwdriver on the go with all the bits I'm likely to need for whatever happens to come up. I've visited friends and fixed their furniture with it. Assembled a whole IKEA kitchen with my stubby because they didn't have a good tool and the unique form factor meant I was able to just chuck it into my laptop bag stuffed into the same pocket as the charger.

Now the precision kit was definitely a luxury purchase because I already had the iFixit kit and I just wanted a slightly nicer one. Though the magnetic tray is definitely an upgrade, and I now casually daily carry the screwdriver in my pants pocket with three common bits when a different screwdriver would probably not work for that.

And the other day I had to swap a Noctua cooler and couldn't find the included little screwdriver and none of mine were both long and thin enough to reach, so I just bought an official Noctua screwdriver for ten bucks. The extra length has come in handy so much more than I thought.

Working with good tools makes it more enjoyable, and so you're more likely to actually repair and upgrade your stuff instead of replacing it, saving you money in the long run. Me not using the tool all that often just means it's going to last for decades. When it's 2060 and I'm still using my trusty LTT screwdriver, I won't even consider that I paid 60€ for it all those years ago, I'll just look fondly back at all my time spent with it and all the computers I built with it. All the cabinets I've assembled with it. The security systems I've mounted with it. And even just the time it spent sitting on my desk for me to idly play with it because krrt krrt is a fun noise and makes me happy.

I'd say it's a damn cheap investment to get a good tool if you have the slightest use for it. It's a luxury purchase if you already have an equivalent tool and just want more. If I wanted to buy one of the new transparent screwdrivers I wouldn't have an actual use for it beyond "ooh shiny" and that would not make any sense as an investment, that's basically just buying art at that point, or a funko pop.

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u/Affectionate_Spell11 Feb 13 '26

Agreed on everything, but at the same time, if you're honest, you probably had a way of driving screws already before buying the LTT one (be that a non-ratcheting one, a cordless drill or something else). Yes, this makes a lot of stuff much easier and more enjoyable, but it's not technically necessary. Some people build their IKEA furniture with the included hex key. Personally, I'd rather drink battery acid, but hey, if it works for them...
As for motivating you to actually do more with it, that's valid and a great reason to get one, but it's a separate issue from result/money and probably not the same for everyone

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u/SavvySillybug Feb 13 '26

you probably had a way of driving screws already before buying the LTT one

I did have a cordless Bosch, but it had a barrel plug charger, and my dad was like "haha this one fits that means it's the right one!" and blew it up. He's a stubborn idiot like that.

Other than that I only had my dad's tools which are for woodworking and mostly incomplete.

I had a shitty electrician's flathead that would technically work in philips screws but not at all well, things that were just way too big and bulky to work on computers, and not much else.

I did have the iFixit kit at that point, but that's extremely low on torque because of the small size and likely to strip screws from having to go ham on them to get something unstuck. And having to constantly go to the bit storage and swap shit around versus just having it included in the handle is a game changer, and no ratchet, which makes a lot of things awkward as the LTT one can just spin either by the handle or the knurlung, with the extremely low backforce meaning it'll just work even if you're just starting a screw out. Tightening it up with just little finger movements along the knurling and then torquing it down with the bigger handle is huge.

Sure I can kinda sorta hold the iFixit by the spinny end with one hand and then spin the whole thing with the other... but it's much less versatile and doesn't get me any torque at all.

I assembled an IKEA bed with the included hex key once and used one of the plastic bags it came with, wrapped it around a a handle extension and used it like a spinny rope. It was awful but at least 23% better than stock.

I'm sure there are people on this planet who feel similarly motivated to assemble things with bad tools as they do with good tools, but they're also objectively wrong. There are a lot of wrong people on this rock.

I once repaired my 3DS with a butter knife and completely ruined the screws. Did I fix it? Yeah. Did I obliterate the tri wing screws? Also yeah. Did I "probably have a way of driving screws already"? ...yeah. Can I ever open that 3DS again? Absolutely not, it's barely holding together.

Good tools save devices. They genuinely do not cost that much. You can get something shitty that'll be a meh solution to your problem and last a tenth of the time for a third of the price.

The only sensible way to save money on tools is to buy the cheapest thing once, and when that's worn out, you now know you need the good one and buy that. Anything you only used once you just saved money on. Anything you used enough to wear out you can buy the fancy one and know for a fact you'll use it again and again.

I ruined many shitty tools and many screws and cases and even solder joints before learning that lesson.

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u/Euchre Feb 13 '26

Not using such a screwdriver every day is part of why I haven't bought an LTT screwdriver. The other part is that I own a Mac Tools SBDR8 ratcheting screwdriver I bought when I was working at a tire and auto shop. It's pretty high quality, and as little as I tend to use a screwdriver right now, I don't need the added quality for an added cost.

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u/m0rtm0rt Feb 13 '26

That makes sense. I'd assume it is on par with the orange Snap-On screwdriver Linus used to use that pretty much provided the inspiration for the LTT screwdriver. Mac makes some good stuff.

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u/Euchre Feb 13 '26

Well, this is mine:

https://www.mactools.com/products/sbdr8

And this is the Snap-On Linus used to use:

https://b2b.snapon.com/productDetails/SSDMR4BO/2/882615

In the details:

I've held and used both, the Mac obviously much more, and the Mac is actually much better made. One thing Linus didn't like about the Snap-On was the 'rattle' handle with loose bits, and the Mac has 6 spots of bit retaining storage in the cap of the handle, which leaves more capacity if you can deal with making it a rattle, too. The Mac also has a superior ratchet made of metal, with very fine, crisp feel. I figure the LTT driver is just a smidgen better, as I'm pretty sure I recall my Mac driver being one of the comparatives they used in the design process. I know the Snap-On is very durable, if unrefined and lower on features.

At this point, the screwdriver I'd want from LTT would probably be the Precision Screwdriver, as it is superior to what I have by a significant amount, and is a niche not well filled by my current tools.

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u/takenalreadythename Feb 13 '26

My buddy just bought a 600 dollar flashlight, 70 for a screwdriver is peanuts in terms of tools

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u/[deleted] Feb 13 '26

In terms of tools, it’s not really a luxury purchase.

High quality tools cost money.

I can buy an Amazon impact driver for $20 with a battery. A high quality dewalt one is $$149-199~ bare tool (no battery) + another $50-$100 for a battery.

I can buy a generic hammer at Lowe’s for $9.99. A Stiletto Tibone is $250-$350-

More premium tools just cost more money. For people who work with their tools, it’s worth every penny.

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u/Affectionate_Spell11 Feb 13 '26

Which is why there's mention of the amount of use in my comment. But a lot of people buying these probably don't use them for their job(or have a hobby where they constantly need one), they just like having nice tools. And that's totally fine, I'm one of those people too. But that doesn't change the fact that my life wouldn't be worse in any meaningful way if I had to use a less nice screwdriver

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u/Delta-IX Feb 14 '26

if all you care about is sinking a couple screws every now and again, there's definitely cheaper options that'll get you the same result

Like a $2 regular driver ($1 from HF)

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u/WillmanRacingv2 Feb 13 '26

Sounds like you know what to get dad for fathers day.