Best 1/4" hex impact bits?

[Notorious BRT]

I'm about to purchase a Milwaukee Fuel 1/4" impact and a drill and I want to get some opinions on bits. Bits aren't a big investment, but after dropping some pretty serious coin on the impact and drill I hate to waste money on junk bits. I was going to buy the Milwaukee Shockwave set, but I've read some disgruntled opinions on them. What are you guys using and how do you like them?

 

[fm2176]

I don't use mine daily, but I've had decent luck with the regular Dewalt bits. When Lowes drops the price, they are especially inexpensive, and durable enough for what I've used them for--driving a few hundred screws here and there, up to 3 1/2" into treated lumber.

 

[kctyphoon]

some interesting reading, but i mostly use the shockwave stuff.. the main drivers i use are nut drivers, but if your work calls for phillips, its basically a consumable item.

https://www.protoolreviews.com/tool...e-are-impact-rated-bits-worth-the-money/6447/

 

[Daniel Dudley]

They all break. Snappy brand bits seem to be pretty tough, but sooner or later the bits fail.

Buy extra for any project using a lot of big fasteners, and go with square drive or torx if possible when using construction screws. Phillips bits fail the most, and you can't do anything about it.

 

[Notorious BRT]

They all break. Snappy brand bits seem to be pretty tough, but sooner or later the bits fail.

Buy extra for any project using a lot of big fasteners, and go with square drive or torx if possible when using construction screws. Phillips bits fail the most, and you can't do anything about it.

I highly prefer square or torx when driving screws. I stay away from Phillips if at all possible. Thanks for the input guys.

 

[Fusion13]

Best bits you can buy right know are the flex torq dewalt bits... WAY better then the shock wake Milwaukee's and the rest of the cheap stuff like Irwin etc

 

[LordPsychon]

Best bits you can buy right know are the flex torq dewalt bits... WAY better then the shock wake Milwaukee's and the rest of the cheap stuff like Irwin etc

I don't know about "WAY better" but I agree that the Flex-Torq Dewalts are a step up from the Milwaukee Shockwaves. The one thing that the Shockwaves have going for them are ECX bits which I haven't seen in impact bits anywhere else.

 

[brook41]

Makita Gold.....http://www.homedepot.com/p/Makita-I...t-21-Piece-B-31893/203459383#customer_reviews Readily available at HD

 

[stearn786]

I have had good luck with the Shockwave bits. I've heard of people having problems with them; maybe I just got lucky. I'm using them in an automotive setting though so most of the time I probably don't abuse the smaller bits (T20, T25) as much as a contractor or someone doing framing, etc.

My T30 Torx has been beat with my MG325 impact and hasn't broken. It's the only T30 I've had besides SnapOn's gold bits that just refused to break.

 

[BFHtime]

I have used makita, milwaukee, de walt, and some others. For impact is see these brands the most. I also use some Snap-On pieces. Dewalt seems to hold up the best but a big compared to milwaukee. I have had a makita gold bit break the first time i tried to use it, not abuse it. It fractured with chunks of metal flying, got lucky not to get hit in the eye. It was not abuse either, just a fluke, as the next bit did the job with no fuss, or impacting from the tool.

These are wear items, i find impact rated ones last a while if they are not abused. I consider abuse to be, not fully engaging the bit, in the fastener, before firing the tool.

I was wrong the Makita bit I broke on the first try, was not gold, it was black.

 

[Fusion13]

I don't know about "WAY better" but I agree that the Flex-Torq Dewalts are a step up from the Milwaukee Shockwaves. The one thing that the Shockwaves have going for them are ECX bits which I haven't seen in impact bits anywhere else.

Oh they are, I had some shockwave bits and threw them all out awhile ago, I only use the reg dewalt and the flex torq now, "way" better bits

 

[kngelv]

Check the "Hot Deals" thread on the Wiha bits at Home Depot. They are miles better than anything else I've used. I bought 7 sets two weeks ago.

James

 

[knobby]

These wera bits are kind to fasteners and pretty stout, haven't broke one yet.
http://www.leevalley.com/US/wood/page.aspx?p=70310&cat=1,43411,70372

 

[User_Name]

FWIW I did most of my basement wall framing on a single Dewalt Impact-Ready #2 square recessed bit. It still has life in it.

 

[Tinner]

I've had great luck with Apex. Those suckers take a beating like nothing else I've used.

 

[crescent1]

I use Wera bits in appliance repair every day and have zero complaints so far. Waiting on some Wiha bits now to see how they compare

 

[anurag1990]

Wera impactor bits
Wiha MaxxTor.

 

[NoahG]

Zephyr bits. You really have to do some work to damage their Phillips tips.

But off the shelf Makita Gold and Dewalt Flextorq are pretty good.

 

[apdxyk]

Zephyr only

 

[Wizzard]

I've had great luck with Apex. Those suckers take a beating like nothing else I've used.

Apex is the best by far, and I've used most of them. Used on assembly lines at Boeing. Ain't going to find them at a box store.

 

[RedRabbit]

I use the black dewalt impact ready set.

 

[justme-]

Irwin industrial packaged from Cripe. I use mostly torx and allen. Another tech uses Snap on for the warranty. Mind you, I'm using 6" long drivers for EPO repair, not construction.

 

[newspeed]

I usually order bits from McMaster and have never been disappointed. They seem to usually send zephyr.

 

[truckdriver]

I have some 8 year old Irwin(Mac rebranded) non impact and a bunch of SO/Zephyr non impact bits that have held up just as well as my Dewalt and Milwaukee impact rated bits. The first generation Milwaukee's weren't worth a **** but the new ones seem just as good as the Dewalts.

 

[Rogue1987]

So far my experience is:

Makita gold
The new Dewalt bits
Milwaukee impact bits (don't like those at all).

I've got a grey pneumatic hex to 1/4 drive that I've put through hell and is still prefect fwiw.

In the future I want to try some apex bits. Anyone know of a good vendor for them?

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

 

[Ainsley]

If I want to use something longer lasting than a plain jane 4" bit I'll go with a wera or wiha.

 

[Wizzard]

So far my experience is:

Makita gold
The new Dewalt bits
Milwaukee impact bits (don't like those at all).

I've got a grey pneumatic hex to 1/4 drive that I've put through hell and is still prefect fwiw.

In the future I want to try some apex bits. Anyone know of a good vendor for them?

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk

For the Apex bits I built my order on Amazon if that helps. None of the box store brands even come close to comparing to Apex...explains why they use them on commercial airplane assembly lines.

 

[Nor'Easter]

I know you didn't ask but have you read reviews on the Fuel vs. the new Makitas? I bought a new Fuel impact and used it for about a year and a half, bought a Makita and I'll never go back... I was blown away.

 

[Notorious BRT]

I know you didn't ask but have you read reviews on the Fuel vs. the new Makitas? I bought a new Fuel impact and used it for about a year and a half, bought a Makita and I'll never go back... I was blown away.

I haven't. I ordered my Fuel kit last night too. I guess I could act swiftly and cancel, lol. What makes you prefer the Makita?

 

[LordPsychon]

There is something special about Makita gold bits, I'll give you that. I only have a few (came with my sockets which are also awesome btw) but try as I might I can't damage them (not that I'm trying but you don't know me as well as my wife and she's shocked I haven't broken them).

 

[Monte]

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[thebeekeeper1]

I'm building a house with mostly old barn wood on the interior so I use them a LOT and have tried every brand and type. My experience is they just are asked to do too much and cannot be made to really work well. The nice hard ones stay sharp on the contact edges but tend to shear due to being brittle, as today's drivers are powerful. The ones that don't shear wear down where they contact the screws fairly quickly, which causes them to slip and strip the hole. The only answer I've found is to simply buy them in bulk and replace often.

Perhaps someone has a better idea--I'm all ears.

 

[bonneyman]

Makita Gold.....http://www.homedepot.com/p/Makita-I...t-21-Piece-B-31893/203459383#customer_reviews Readily available at HD

Next time I need bits I'm going to give these a try.

 

[NoahG]

I'm building a house with mostly old barn wood on the interior so I use them a LOT and have tried every brand and type. My experience is they just are asked to do too much and cannot be made to really work well. The nice hard ones stay sharp on the contact edges but tend to shear due to being brittle, as today's drivers are powerful. The ones that don't shear wear down where they contact the screws fairly quickly, which causes them to slip and strip the hole. The only answer I've found is to simply buy them in bulk and replace often.

Perhaps someone has a better idea--I'm all ears.

The better idea would be for Robertson or Torx to finally replace Phillips for general duty use. If only.

 

[SantaAna12]

I usually order bits from McMaster and have never been disappointed. They seem to usually send zephyr.

The gold ones?

 

[Airframer]

So, always been a fan of Apex, but these are actually very good if you're using a bit holder: http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00EPNVU16/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pC_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=18XATJZ5H7O6F&coliid=I2KH2UA7DC9VM9

 

[fivespdcat]

Out of any of thes bits I've tried, including the milwaukee, dewalt. Kobalts, etc. the best I've found to date are the Qualtool Qryptonite bits, they seem to last forever no matter what bit, Phillips, torx, square, all worked great. Second to those are high quality standard bits, but I just would rather use something impact rated so I don't use those anymore...

 

[thebeekeeper1]

The better idea would be for Robertson or Torx to finally replace Phillips for general duty use. If only.

This is very specific to my needs but I've found the neutral colored Phillips head screws blend in better with the wood grain.

 

[jetdawg]

We sell apex which are by far the best, would love to stock witte and such in the future to get the feedback.

 

[tarbellb]

Definitely going to look into the Apex bit, but I also like ordering any of the German or USA made bits in bulk off Cripe. Lots of Bosch quality for cheap.