
Combination
Phillips-slotted drives are used with either a Phillips or
standard
slotted driver. The drive style is designed so that the driver will cam
out, or
slip out, under pressure to prevent over-tightening. These are often
used to attach knobs to furniture.

External hex
drives are six-sided, or hexagonal, and are driven by a
crescent
wrench, combination wrench, or sockets. They require minimal clearance
above the
fastener because they can be tightened or loosened from the side.
External hex
drives outperform external square drives in scenarios with limited
fastener
access, because smaller swing arcs may be used to rotate the fastener.

Internal hex
drives, also known as hex-socket drives, are similar to hex
drives,
but have a hexagonal hole in the center that requires an Allen key, also
known
as a hex key or Allen wrench.

Not
applicable defines a fastener that is either hand-driven, or
held in
place during use. Hand driven examples include knurled screws and spade
screws.
Since these are head styles, the drive style is not applicable. Carriage
bolts,
eye bolts, J bolts, and U bolts are all held in place during use while
the nut
is fed onto the threaded end of the fastener, tightening the bolt in
place from
the end rather than the head. The carriage bolt is held by its square
neck,
while eye, J, and U bolts are held in place by hand or with a tool.

Phillips
drives have x-shaped slots with rounded corners and are driven
with a
Phillips screwdriver. The slot is designed so that the driver will
cam-out, or
slip out, under pressure to prevent
over-tightening.

Slotted
drives have a linear slot and are used with a flat-bladed
screwdriver. These drives are commonly used in woodworking and are prone
to
slippage.

Spline
drives have twelve splines, or rounded plateau-like ridges, on
the
fastener and tool. Spline drives resist cam out, so they are frequently
used in
high-torque applications, such as tamper-proof lug nuts.

Star
drives, also called Torx drives, have 6-pointed indentations
that
provide more driving surface area. These drives resist cam-out better
than
Phillips drives or slotted drives. They are used with a Torx
screwdriver.

Triple square
drives, also known as XZN, drives have 12 equally spaced tips,
each
with an internal 90 degree angle. Three identical overlaid squares are
rotated
to form a pattern. Triple square drives are useful in higher torque
applications, such as drive train components. Many German vehicle
manufacturers
use triple square fasteners on their automobiles.