Hi all,

Weirdly I can’t find an opinion on the internet. I need to buy a load of new screwdriver bits, as my current DIY project has smashed through all my old ones (removing lots of old screws!)

I was looking at replacements, and I can see normal, and impact bits. I don’t have an impact driver, but am I right in thinking they would be harder, so may last slightly longer? Or is that just a bad conclusion?

I’m going to avoid tha absolute cheapest bits, but there seems to be a huge range from “proper” brands…

They should last longer as they are tougher to cope with the extra stresses that an impact driver places on them.
I use wera, milwaukee or dewalt and they seem to last forever.
I think i get less slippage with an impact driver though so maybe that helps.

Edit: If you haven’t got an impact driver then get one. They are night and day better than a drill. Especially removing old screws (excluding flat head). Its one of those tools that you didn’t know you “needed” until you get/use one.

I bought an impact driver last year and I loooove it! big grin as it flys a large decking screw in with a loud BRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR (small thing but it makes me happy)

Great for getting old rusty screws out too

Not relevant but thought id share my joy 😀

If you haven’t got an impact driver then get one.

+1

They’re usually a lot smaller and lighter than a drill, so less tiring to use.

I used to buy expensive bits, now I just buy the DeWalk tic tac box of posidrive bits they have at the counter of every builder’s merchant and just treat them as a cheap consumable. As soon as it starts wearing, just bin it and swap to a new one.

is the correct answer

Black DeWalt impact box of posi head. About £5/6 for 20 in screwfix iirc.
The erbaurer impact driver is a great bit of kit for not a lot of money.

Second dewalt for bulk boxes. Had good ones from erbauer in the past too. It’s worth having a box of pz2 bits and one or two each of pz1, pz3 and 3 sizes of phillips (ph 1,2,3) as if you’re taking screws out there could a variety of sizes. Wearing of snapping the bits rapidly is more often a result of using the wrong bit for the screw. I tend to use a wera selection box to have decent example of each and bulk pack of pz2s as they are in use 95% of the time

Edit: If you haven’t got an impact driver then get one

In the workshop/ job site they are great. I’m too polite to use one in a house- the noise from them is really intrusive, I’m not mean enough to subject mine or anyone else’s neighbours to that.

+1 Wera

I wouldn’t use those non impact dewalt bits above in a powerful impact driver, they just shatter. Fine in a drill though
The last box of bits I bought were Milwaukee shockwave. Definitely the best I have found and will probably last a DIY’er a lifetime. They are the longer ones that fit directly into the impact driver without an adaptor.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/like/172367955093?lpid=122&chn=ps&adgroupid=41088503464&rlsatarget=pla-259290725462&adtype=pla&poi=&googleloc=9045458&device=c&campaignid=672297739&crdt=0

As above, the tub of DeWalt ones will be your best bet (in an impact or normal driver).

On a side note, an impact driver is one of those things you had no idea how you managed without. Awesome bit of kit.

Currently on Erbauer packs of 20 which are also fine. Use a impact driver 5 days a week and have yet to find much of difference between half decent bits, pretty sure that they all can break if not fully seated in the recess.

Stopping and starting the driver allows the bit to reseat and seems to extend bit life loads. 🙂

Can someone recommend me an impact driver? My life suddenly feels empty.

The erbauer driver is good value at 89 quid with two batteries.
Lightweight as well.
Ive killed two of them though.
Got a bosch pro now.

Best tool I bought. My go to tool

Spendier but the makita XDT01Z is very useful- digital speed control so you can reduce some of the urgency that impact drivers have and have a bit more control for fiddlier assembly stuff. Expensive if you don’t already have makita batteries though. (But if you’re a massive nerd you can get them in limited edition gold from Japan 🙂 )

Get an impact driver. Our tools are Makita Ymmv. 18v impact drivers are ridiculously powerful – it will rip a screw through softwood. If you’re on a budget the 10.8v makita impact driver is more than enough for almost anything.

We built a whole house (timber framed) and as other have said, bits become a consumable. Tried lots of different ones but in the end mostly used the Dewalts above. Tried the desalt imapct but were more expensive and shattered just the same. Weras last better but again will shatter if you misuse.

Another vote for dewalt. I use a 14volt one everyday at work and give it loads of abuse. It’s never missed a beat and I can’t imagine using a screwdriver now

I bought a makita brush less impact driver early this year ( already had 18v lxt stuff ) not sure how I did without it. Bit wise ive been using dewalt bits. And for my diy stuff they last ages