The best impact driver bit set

[bigboxes]

I finally bought an impact driver. It's a DeWalt Atomic 20V 1/4" drive. I'm been doing research on a bit set. Project Farm recommends Milwaukee bits. Looking for recommendations. TIA

 

[repoman0]

I’ve got the big Milwaukee 1/2 inch metric set. 6mm through like 27 or something like that. No complaints whatsoever and came in a nice plastic case. The bits along with their mid torque 1/2 inch driver have quickly become my favorite tools.

 

[bigboxes]

I already have a Craftsman set. It's garbage. I bought a 2" metric hex bit set from Protorq that seems good quality. My Craftsman set only has SAE.

 

[mindless1]

Might depend on what you want in the set, most of the contractor grade tool brands make decent quality sets. In particular, Makita XPS, Milwaukee Shockwave, Dewalt (I forget their special name for impact duty bits).

Keep in mind that if you max out the torque that impact driver can make, it can shear off the shank of just about any bits, though some of Dewalt's can generate the most torque before failure. Not sure about chewing up the tips, might want to check a youtube video for that but I'd lean towards the Makita XPS being the best in that regard.

If you're going to store them in an (included) case, pick one with a proper hinge on it, not a living hinge that cracks after a few years of use.

 

[Greenman]

In my pocket right now I have five different brands of driver bits, none of them are demonstrably better than the others as far as I can tell. I lose them long before wearing them out.

 

[Ajay]

Project Farm is a very good YT channel. Not perfect by any means. Given you've just picked up a consumer grade LION driver - I don't think you need to worry much. As @Greenman points out, you'll lose them before they break.

I can't count how many extended length Phillips head driver bits I've lost over the years.

 

[mindless1]

^ Does consumer grade really matter that much today? That Dewalt, though might be optimistically rated, makes somewhere in the neighborhood of 1700-1825 in-lbs AKA 140+ ft-lbs. That's enough to damage a bit in certain situations.

 

[Ajay]

^^ Okay, maybe not. That's around 50% more than my Makita sub-compact, and about the same as the compact Makita LXT. I assumed it was around that of my set. The Dewalt 'Atomic' is a sub-compact design - but they sure are getting a heck of a lot of torque out of that!

Sadly, Milwaukee came out with their sub-compact after I grabbed the Makita set - Jerks. :-(

 

[bigboxes]

^^ Okay, maybe not. That's around 50% more than my Makita sub-compact, and about the same as the compact Makita LXT. I assumed it was around that of my set. The Dewalt 'Atomic' is a sub-compact design - but they sure are getting a heck of a lot of torque out of that!

Sadly, Milwaukee came out with their sub-compact after I grabbed the Makita set - Jerks. :-(

Yes. DeWalt finally got off their asses and took on Milwaukee and their fuel line. More compact and more power.

 

[Pacfanweb]

^ Does consumer grade really matter that much today? That Dewalt, though might be optimistically rated, makes somewhere in the neighborhood of 1700-1825 in-lbs AKA 140+ ft-lbs. That's enough to damage a bit in certain situations.

No, it doesn't. Loads of tech in auto shops buy their power tools right from Lowes or Home Depot, and use them every day.
I have Dewalt stuff, but only because when I needed new stuff that was what was on sale. So I got the Dewalt impact/drill/light/batteries kit, added another impact and a 90* drill later, and that was 5 years ago, it all still works great. Use it every day.
Far as bits go, I buy what's on sale. I've not seen a dime's worth of difference in the bits. Mostly use Torx stuff, and the occasional Phillips.
I do prefer the Dewalt bit holder extension, just because the magnet in it is a bit stronger, and it holds on to the screws better. It pisses me off to have them fall off inside a headliner.

Having the Dewalt stuff is handy, because multiple techs in every shop I go to have them, so if I let my batteries get run down I can always stick them on one of their chargers.

But had Makita or Milwaukee been on sale when I was ready to replace all my older stuff, I have no doubt it would have been just as good.

Cordless drill tech has been the best thing for auto mechanics I've seen come out. Everyone used to have to have air powered everything to get that type of power, now you can do at least 90% of whatever you need to do with electric, unless you're doing heavy engine or other powertrain work.

 

[herm0016]

the makita bits seem pretty good. ryobi suck. Milwaukee shockwave are ok. dewalt are good

i use mostly Philips bits as I am an electrician and the equipment manufactures use shitty combo head screws. bad bits strip them very fast. i wish we could all agree to just use square heads on everything electrical, like breakers, boxes, beam clamps, fittings, etc.

 

[BoomerD]

the makita bits seem pretty good. ryobi suck. Milwaukee shockwave are ok. dewalt are good

i use mostly Philips bits as I am an electrician and the equipment manufactures use shitty combo head screws. bad bits strip them very fast. i wish we could all agree to just use square heads on everything electrical, like breakers, boxes, beam clamps, fittings, etc.

I'd rather see TORX than Robertson square drive.

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

Hit Harbor Freight, grab three or four sets in different configurations. You'll never break any of them with a 1/4" driver.

I've got a mix of sets from DeWalt, Bosch, HF, Ryobi, Kobalt, etc., some impact rated, others not. Aside from rounding off Phillips bits, I haven't had trouble with any of them.

 

[Lost_in_the_HTTP]

We had one of those 'tubin' for clicks guys show up on another site to try to hawk his clicks wares. He didn't hang around very long when we expressed our opinions of guys who 'tube for clicks.

I'll guess the 'tube for clicks guy mentioned above probably got something of some sort from Milwaukee to make that recommendation.

 

[bigboxes]

Well, I finally got my bit set. This is the Sunex 9729 208 piece Master Bit Set. It's a fairly complete set. I bought an impact driver in November. After research, I came upon this Sunex set. It contains standard and deep bits and nut drivers. It also has a 1/4" socket adapter, 60mm bit holder and 65mm quick release. Made of S2 steel and contains standard and security bits. Had to wait awhile since I got this from Acme Tool on backorder.

 

[herm0016]

I'd rather see TORX than Robertson square drive.

agree, but about half the electrical stuff is already Robertson. my fav is the spax torx with the end center lip. holds a screw great, does not strip and does not retain the bit readily.


@bigboxes
sunex stuff is good, its a nice complete set, but I find that the sintered and not ground bits like this are much more brittle and less precise. i would pick up something else for your most used ones. i have shattered plenty of this style. I wear out about 1 bit per 2 weeks though. heavy use.

 

[BoomerD]

agree, but about half the electrical stuff is already Robertson. my fav is the spax torx with the end center lip. holds a screw great, does not strip and does not retain the bit readily.


@bigboxes
sunex stuff is good, its a nice complete set, but I find that the sintered and not ground bits like this are much more brittle and less precise. i would pick up something else for your most used ones. i have shattered plenty of this style. I wear out about 1 bit per 2 weeks though. heavy use.

I'm constantly having "good quality"Phillips bits "explode" during use. Ridgid, Dewalt, Milwaukee, Makita...hasn't mattered much what brand. Damned Ridgid impact driver has some torque.