Screw Starters

Ullman Screw Starters and Magnetic Pickup Tools for Australian Workshops

Screw starters are the precision tools that hold a fastener at the tip of a magnetic or mechanical-grip extension — letting the operator place a screw exactly where it needs to go in restricted-access work, then drive it home with a screwdriver. For Australian mechanics, electricians, and maintenance workers handling fasteners in tight spaces, the right screw starter saves time and frustration that improvising with fingers, tape, or magnets can't replace. AIMS Industrial stocks Ullman screw starters and pickup tools.

The screw starter and pickup tool types we stock

• Magnetic screw starters — magnetic tip holds ferrous fasteners; the everyday choice for mild steel screws
• Mechanical (claw) screw starters — small spring-loaded jaws grip the fastener; works on non-magnetic fasteners
• Telescoping magnetic pickup tools — for retrieving dropped fasteners from awkward locations
• Articulated magnetic pickup tools — bendable shaft for reaching around obstacles
• Mechanical pickup tools — flexible-shaft fingers for retrieving small parts in tight access
• Combination starter and pickup kits — multiple tools in a roll or case

Ullman — the established brand

Ullman is a long-established US manufacturer specialising in inspection and retrieval tools for trade workshops. The Ullman range covers screw starters, pickup tools, inspection mirrors, and similar precision hand tools — built to a consistent quality standard that suits daily-use trade work. The Ullman screw starters are widely used by mechanics, electricians, and maintenance workers across Australian industry because they hold fasteners reliably and last through years of service.

Where screw starters earn their place

• Engine bay and chassis work — placing fasteners in restricted access where fingers can't fit
• Electrical panel and switchboard work — small fasteners in crowded enclosures
• Plumbing and HVAC — fittings and brackets in tight access
• Equipment service — fasteners in machinery where dismantling for finger access isn't practical
• Overhead and awkward-position work — where a dropped fastener can't be retrieved easily

Magnetic versus mechanical

• Magnetic starters — fastest to use, hold ferrous fasteners reliably; not suitable for stainless, brass, or aluminium fasteners
• Mechanical (claw) starters — work on any fastener material; slightly slower to set up but more versatile

For workshops handling mostly mild steel fasteners, magnetic starters are the everyday choice. For workshops working with stainless or non-ferrous fasteners, mechanical starters earn their place.

Pickup tools — extending the kit

Magnetic pickup tools — telescoping, articulated, or fixed-shaft — recover dropped fasteners and small parts from places fingers can't reach. For confined-space service work, pickup tools are essential equipment. Combined kits with starters and pickup tools cover the everyday small-parts retrieval and placement work that mechanics, electricians, and maintenance workers face daily.

Companion ranges at AIMS

Screw starters sit alongside our broader hand tool range — see screwdrivers, screwdriver bits, penlights and inspection lights, and inspection mirrors for the related products.

Need help speccing screw starters and pickup tools for a trade or workshop kit? contact our team — we'll match the right tools to your work.