Bit driver vs screwdrivers

[kgorman]

What is better? It seems like for my dollar I can get many more options going the bit driver route vs individual drivers. Plus when the tips wear I can get new ones w/o replacing a whole driver. What is the downside of bit drivers? I see all these pictures of boxes with tons of individual drivers in them.

I am thinking of getting a couple different Wiha bit drivers and bits vs individual drivers.

 

[Ford12508]

When your hands are covered in oil or something else slippery, good luck fighting the magnet in the bit driver. Also, if the bits rust, they are a PITA to get out. I have a 6 in 1 screw driver at work that has to be changed with a pair of channel locks.

 

[Jeff]

The bit drivers are a bit wobbly compared to a straight driver. I prefer the individual drivers for most of my vehicle and DIY work. But I have bit driver sets in all my vehicles and motorcycles.

I prefer Wera bit drivers.

 

[tooth]

You can get the bit drivers for the bits you don't use often but I'd definitely get drivers for flat and Phillips ends.

 

[DrkMtnDew]

it is best to have a good assortment of both. the bit drivers often ratchet and offer a wide range of bit sizes that take up minimal space. you also need regular driver for the places that a bit driver just won't go, for instance long skinny screwdrivers for undoing pesky electrical connectors or hose clamps.

 

[Sick Puppy]

I don't trouble myself about it, I have both.

 

[garfunkle24]

As others have said, even though bit drivers give great coverage and more options for adding ratchets etc, you still need regular screwdrivers for some applications. I have multiple fixed and ratcheting bit screwdrivers, PB Swiss bitsets, bit ratchets etc and my regular screwdrivers still see more use.

 

[plinker]

Most of the time I prefer a bit screwdriver, the only trouble I've found is the shank may be a little too big around for some things (steering wheel trims comes to mind). FWIW, I use mostly Snap-on ratcheting ones.

If you have both kinds, your pretty well set for most anything.

 

[Gregg33]

When I do an odd job in the house or at a friends place I bring the bit driver, much easier when you have no idea which screwdriver(s) you'll need. In the garage or the shop I always use screwdrivers, except for the odd time I need a small Torx bit (which I don't have a screwdriver for). Basically I screwdrivers are better but less portable.

 

[kgorman]

Ok good info thanks.

Thinking about this a bit more I am starting to think I will get a set of Phillips drivers then get bits for everything else. I want to use the same tool for slot,hex,Phillips,torx,and nut. I use Phillips so much that I will get a standard driver set in addition. I also want to use the bits in a power drriver. For handles I will get standard, ratcheting, and tee. This should simplify my box greatly.

I like Wihas drive-loc system and the Wera's. Does anyone have either of these and like them? The drive-loc probably can't be used in a power tool. So I am thinking I should stay with more universal bits vs a 'system'

Lastly is there a nice way to store all these bits?

 

[Holt]

The wera bits that come in the wera kompact are rated for impact drivers

 

[countrytech]

I have both.

I've found that the bit driver w/assorted bits is handy for fixing something in the house or handing the set to my wife so she can do something, but to me it's becoming worthless.

I find myself reaching for a regular screwdriver 99% of the time because it is better suited for the task at hand. A regular screwdriver fits places where a bit driver can't get close, there is no little bits to fumble with or lose and it just feels better. Multi-tools have lost their hold on me. Using tools more than once a month has a way of changing your preferances.

I made a little holder out of Komocel (PVC board) to hold all my driver bits, but unless I need a rare bit or a bit for the drill, I don't even touch them anymore. I much rather the regular ole screwdriver set.

 

[thatcoder]

bit drivers are useful for me when on the go, but at home.. i prefer screwdrivers.

 

[Notwerk]

I keep a Wera Kraftform Kompact bit driver in my handbox. It covers a lot of terrain, weighs practically nothing and comes with a handy pouch. Also works with Vessel JIS-friendly bits and any other 1/4 hex bit you can throw at it.

No problems with the oily hands: The Wera's collar locks bits in securely with the slightest pressure and when you're ready to switch, you just push on the rubber-contoured collar and it ejects the bit. I feel bad getting the thing dirty, but that's just because it looks so awesome.

With a square-drive adapter, I can use my Wera bit driver and any conventional socket to make a pretty good nutdriver, and I can use locking extensions to get any length I need.

The Wera bits are great, and Vessel bits are extremely high quality, too. I have a Vessel 00 Phillips that makes the bit driver an excellent precision driver for old cameras and such. So much better than those crappy, tiny metal drivers.

There is a tiny bit of wobble with the bit drivers, but I haven't found it severe enough to be a detriment in any way.

I have a set of screwdrivers I keep in the house, but short of using them as a makeshift pry bar (which is stupid anyway), I don't think there's anything they can do that my Wera can't. It's just too convenient.

Now, if you need a long-shaft screwdriver and all you have is a bit driver, you're in trouble. For most duties, though, it does what I need it to.

Oh, and there's no striking plate for obvious reasons, so if I were starting from scratch and getting a bit driver, I'd probably make sure that the conventional drivers had a striking plate or whatever if you ever find yourself needing to tap them to dig into tough screws. Beyond the bit driver having a soft, rubbery/plastic back end, striking it, I'd think, would be pretty bad for the locking collar.

 

[canuckian]

in the vehicles, I have bit drivers to save space. In my shop, I have a full assortment of both types.

 

[AmateurMechanic]

Bumping an old thread, but...

Bit drivers are great for bits you aren't going to use every day. I have a German-made Wiha Torx bit set from T7 to T40 and they work great with my bit drivers and ratchets.

Standard screwdrivers have their advantages in that they might feel a bit more "solid" if you are using them every single day in a professional setting, but individual bits also have their advantages. For example, you can easily stick a bit into a bit holder and put that onto a ratchet for more torque than you could get with a screwdriver alone. I also prefer a ratcheting bit-driver over a standard screwdriver as it causes less hand fatigue with prolonged use.

 

[iScream]

I'm not really getting why you bumped a 4 year old thread to basically repeat answers that were posted 4 years ago.

 

[shanny19]

I'm not really getting why you saw the need to call him out over it.

Have a nice assortment of both, you won't regret it.

 

[bonneyman]

I don't trouble myself about it, I have both.

Yep.

 

[JettaGetUpandGo]

Tips on a bit driver are typically bulkier than a standard screwdriver due to the mechanism that holds the bit in place. Only a handful of times has this been a problem for me. The drivers that don't have this issue (like the Wera) use longer bits that are more specialized/expensive/harder to find replacements for.

 

[mtwaterguy]

I'm not really getting why you bumped a 4 year old thread to basically repeat answers that were posted 4 years ago.

So that someone else doesn't come up with the old "Why didn't you search for this, it's been talked about before"?

 

[iScream]

So that someone else doesn't come up with the old "Why didn't you search for this, it's been talked about before"?

But that's really my point. There was no new question asked. Just repeating answers already given 4 years ago.

Not a big deal, just odd.

 

[Jarhead0408]

I don't care how old the thread is. Still a good read IMO.

I love my long shanked Snap On ratcheting screw/bit driver. Gotta go with a solid driver for xxl applications though.

 

[Jacobson]

I really like the ratcheting bit driver compared to a screwdriver,
but I always forget to use it

 

[d.mcfarland]

I think if the individual is using the item very often then go with a dedicated tool. If the individual is a DIYer or just rarely sees a certain type of application, then the bit is hard to beat in terms of storage size and cost.

 

[wolf_from_wv]

The bit drivers are a bit wobbly compared to a straight driver. I prefer the individual drivers for most of my vehicle and DIY work. But I have bit driver sets in all my vehicles and motorcycles.

I prefer Wera bit drivers.

Unless you have bits like this, the bits won't fit everywhere a regular screwdriver will fit. Even the 5/32" bits won't fit everywhere. I just got a 8" #2 Phillips screwdriver because I couldn't fit bits long enough. I found a few 6" bits. Do they make them longer than that for hard to reach places?

 

[Jarhead0408]

Ditto. I need to pick up some xl bits. I need them more often than not and wind up having to make do.

 

[mrborohachi]

Management at my work has followed suit and purchased 4 Wiha System 4 screwdriver kits. Its cheaper to buy one bit at $2 instead of a whole screwdriver at $5+

 

[honcho]

As mentioned by others, there are places where bits are too bulky or not long enough to fit. Personally, I use a 4 in 1 screwdriver more than anything else, then bits (bits mostly for torx and hex) then dedicated screwdrivers. However, a screwdriver with an appropriate length shaft and the right tip for the fastener feels best to me. For very small screws, using a dedicated driver that is the right size means I'm less likely to muck it up with too much torque or accidentally putting a the tip where it doesn't belong.

It's another one of those areas where there is often more than one way to get a task done but there are multiple tools that will work when you don't have the "best" tool available.

 

[exmaxima1]

As mentioned by others, there are places where bits are too bulky or not long enough to fit. Personally, I use a 4 in 1 screwdriver more than anything else, then bits (bits mostly for torx and hex) then dedicated screwdrivers. However, a screwdriver with an appropriate length shaft and the right tip for the fastener feels best to me. For very small screws, using a dedicated driver that is the right size means I'm less likely to muck it up with too much torque or accidentally putting a the tip where it doesn't belong.

It's another one of those areas where there is often more than one way to get a task done but there are multiple tools that will work when you don't have the "best" tool available.

+1
I like those 4-in-1 drivers better than the giant set of tiny parts, especially when up on a ladder installing a fan/light. I bought the Wera Kompact 50 at a sale for $5, and while it seems well-made it has too many parts to slip from my hands and get lost---I never used it yet.

It looks like this:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0001P1878/?tag=atomicindus08-20