Impact ready bits for Impact drivers...

[BikerDad]

Well, I was building myself a lumber cut-off storage cart today when I had something unusual happen that I've not encountered before. While running some pocket screws using my lit'l schweet Bosch 12v impact driver, I had the screwdriver bit blow apart. I've been driving Phillips head screws my entire life, and I've mangled a few bits in my time, but never had this happen.

The bit was a normal P2, but the experience has led me to reassess my prior skepticism on the "impact driver" bits now popping up from many of the manufacturers. So my question for y'all is this:

Are the impact bits worth the extra cost? Has anybody else had a simple bit blow apart on them?

 

[Mohawk Dave]

If you want the best, order some APEX or ZEPHYR on line. There's a guy in the classifieds, mobiledynamics, selling APEX right now. I just bought some from him tonight.

That being said, I've yet to find any at HD or Lowes that really last. IIRC, many guys on here say the Milwaukee ones are pretty damn good. For out in the field with the knuckleheads, I just buy the Dewalt normal ones and toss them at first sign of slipping.

 

[RivennHewn]

'Impact ready' is a marketing ploy.

Driver tips break all the time. Buy bulk.

 

[383 240z]

I get about 5-6x the life out of the impact ones over the cheapie ones. Milwaukee are the ones I grab simply because I can get them local. My buddy swears by the Makita line of impacts they are gold in color I think. Apex if I can find them. Keith

 

[rlitman]

'Impact ready' is a marketing ploy.

No it isn't. The impact bits are all long bits with a lathe turned down spot that twists, limiting the torque at the tip. Same way a torque stick works, and not a gimmick.

Still, bits don't last forever. Buying in bulk makes good sense.

 

[gasaxeman]

I got a hand full of the so called impact ready P2 bits the other day. Not impressed.
I have used the makita P2 gold ones and the seemed to grip better.

 

[383 240z]

Was putting up drywall in the house. I do have to mention that the studs were cut from chestnut (old house). I decided to use those drywall screw drivers they sell near the checkouts at the box stores. Snapped 6 of them (all that I bought that morning) on the first 5 sheets. I switched back the the impact drivers did not break another on the last 6 sheets.

6 regular bits in 5 sheets, 1 impact bit in 6 sheets and still intact. Yep that was enough to make me a convert. Keith

 

[rlitman]

I got a hand full of the so called impact ready P2 bits the other day. Not impressed.
I have used the makita P2 gold ones and the seemed to grip better.

Makita gold ARE impact bits.

 

[Jeff95TA]

I was putting down underlayment and went through a LOT of the DeWalt bits. I had a little better luck with the Milwaukee, but the gold Makita seemed to work the best.

 

[truckdriver]

I bought some Mac rebranded Irwin non impact bits 7 years ago when I got my first Bosch 10.8 impact. Used them exclusively with 0 failures till a about 3 years ago. Then I started buying Dewalt(best) and Milwaukee(worst) impact rated bits. I have broken several of them but my old non impact Mac's are still good. I have also used some non impact Zephyr/Snap On and Apex bits without any failures. I have both M12/M18 fuel impacts so they have plenty of power. Is impact rated a marketing ploy? From my experience yes. My only failures have been from impact rated bits.

 

[cwlo]

My experience has been that the phillips bits will usually cam out before breaking, but not always. So I use better screws now when I am driving longer lengths- they have a torx head, and the screw package usually comes with a bit. Go through long depths of wood like Butter!

Chris

 

[tshetter]

For the past 6 months I have been using Milwaukee 2" & 3" impact bits. Never broken one but they do round off pretty easily.

Before that I used Wera impactor bits and they stood up much better. Now I'm looking at get more of them but I also want to try the new Whia bits.

 

[owenst7]

Had a customer that kept breaking Milwaukee impact bits. I questioned my Milwaukee rep on it, as I'd watched the customer and knew they weren't abusing them. Rep told me the impact bits were only rated to 67 ft-lbs.

What's the rating on a 1/4" hex impact typically?

 

[allinon72]

I use Dewalt impact bits and have never had a problem. I've used a non-impact bit with my impact in the past and never had a problem.

 

[Burgerkong]

Had a customer that kept breaking Milwaukee impact bits. I questioned my Milwaukee rep on it, as I'd watched the customer and knew they weren't abusing them. Rep told me the impact bits were only rated to 67 ft-lbs.

What's the rating on a 1/4" hex impact typically?

Mine's at around 120.

 

[owenst7]

Mine's at around 120.

I know
Even the Ryobi claims more than 67 Lol.

 

[Burgerkong]

TBH, bits are expendable, either they get lost or stolen. Buy them in bulk.

 

[NoahG]

So I've spend too much time thinking about this, but basically, Phillips tips are expendables and don't last. So buy them in bulk.

Regular tips shatter or crack, whereas most impact tips are softer to absorb energy, so they deform faster but they usually don't shatter. Its just like chrome sockets vs. impact sockets.

My longtime standby's were the DeWalt impact ready. Tried the Milwaukee but IMHO they ****. I rarely have good experience with "reduced" style impact bits like Milwaukee offers, I find that they are just too rounded to get a good bite in the screw. The only exception to that is the Bosch silver phillips tips with ACR ribs sold at Lowe's, those ain't bad. In terms of off the shelf solutions, I absolutely LOVE the Makita Impact Gold bits. I used one for a month straight before it finally shattered.

These opinions were formed from running bits in my M12 FUEL Impact, my 18v Makita Impact, DeWalt 20v Brushless impacts, and 18v Bosch Impacts, driving course and fine thread drywall or deck screws from 1" up to 4".

I bought some APEX bits but I need to try again as the ones I have don't fit drywall screws so well. I used a Zephyr bit at a scene shop the other day and was impressed. Those are next on my wish list.

Haven't gotten into Wiha or Wera bits yet, but everyone says good things.

 

[Monte]

check these videos out:

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/MgculKlbtPw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/bxM2VYkpP1c" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/CP90ouEW11o" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/s13sVBWdCVE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

<iframe width="640" height="360" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/YdtbRV3qm18" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>




Wiha Terminator bits are for example available here: http://wihatools.com/700seri/768serie.htm

Wera Impaktor bits are for example available here: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_n...sprefix=wera+imp,aps&rh=i:aps,k:wera impaktor

Festool, Metabo, Fein, Bosch, Witte, Wekador and Felo offer impact bits now too.

 

[KaHuNaZ]

Id like to see some tests on the new Klein bits

 

[The Ratchet Man]

I've always used the Dewalt Impact Ready bits. Haven't had a problem with them so I haven't had to try any other brands. The graph is interesting though...

 

[bareass172]

+1 what others have said. I buy the regulars in bulk and use them expecting that one may shatter once in awhile. I carry a handful of impact ones that I can switch too if I feel the need, but I usually find the regulars wear out before they shatter. I've used DeWalt and whoever made Kobalt a couple years ago.

 

[cheechi]

I have noticed a big difference in quality specifically in Dewalt from the 90s and early 00's to now. I had used those older ones in an impact driver before the impact rated ones became more popular, but I wouldn't trust the current ones at all. That said, I would compare a non-impact bit used in one of these drivers to a chrome socket put on an impact wrench. Not surprising that you'd get a hand or face full of it when it shatters.

I've seen bits shear, crack, chip, all kinds of failures along the shafts of these bits (usually I use 2" bits) even with the tips perfectly intact. The torque-stick style of the most popular ones, Milky, Makita, etc are due to this. The Dewalt impact bits don't have this feature but in my experience they last longer than the Milky, though both are good for the money when bought on sale. I have read that the Dewalts are just regular bits without any different material or process to make them, then a coating added.

I think this kind of failure, in conjunction with the cost of materials, is why the 1" bits are so much more popular now than the 2" or longer ones.

I don't have much experience with the Makita but if I see them cheap next time I need I might pick them up. The tool clowns seem to like them anyway. My only experience with the Zephyr are non impact but they are hella nicer (for more money of course) than the standard Dewalts I usually have.

 

[theknurl]

broke 2 SnapOn #2 Phillips 3/8" drive tips in 38 years......

and thats with a PIT-120 impact driver and a 2 lb brass hammer....

they have also spent a lot of time on the front of a CP air wrench

 

[truckdriver]

This graph pretty much backs up my own experience. I haven't tried the Wiha or Wera, but since the non impact Irwins are still just fine 7 years later, why would I?

 

[lotsoftools]

I used to swear by Milwaukee Shockwave until I used one of their torx bits. I usually use the square bit and they hold up great, the torx was nothing special.

 

[uart]

Rep told me the impact bits were only rated to 67 ft-lbs.

I know
Even the Ryobi claims more than 67 Lol.

Interesting. Still 67 ft-lbs is a pretty large amount of torque to apply to a PH2, which I think was what the OP was using here. It's roughly equiv to half your body weight applied through a 10" ratchet for an average person. Certainly before the days of impacts I don't think anyone was putting torque like that through a PH2.

My experience has been that the phillips bits will usually cam out before breaking, but not always. So I use better screws now when I am driving longer lengths- they have a torx head, and the screw package usually comes with a bit. Go through long depths of wood like Butter!

Perhaps that's the crux of the problem Chris, the phillips head screw just not being the right tool for the job in these days of impacts with 100+ ft-lbs of torque.

The thing of course is that phillips screw are just so ubiquitous, and often either cheaper or more readily available than alternatives. But I agree that other drive types - torx and square in particular - really are much more appropriate than phillips in high torque applications.

 

[owenst7]

Interesting. Still 67 ft-lbs is a pretty large amount of torque to apply to a PH2, which I think was what the OP was using here. It's roughly equiv to half your body weight applied through a 10" ratchet for an average person. Certainly before the days of impacts I don't think anyone was putting torque like that through a PH2.


Perhaps that's the crux of the problem Chris, the phillips head screw just not being the right tool for the job in these days of impacts with 100+ ft-lbs of torque.

The thing of course is that phillips screw are just so ubiquitous, and often either cheaper or more readily available than alternatives. But I agree that other drive types - torx and square in particular - really are much more appropriate than phillips in high torque applications.

I was told that was the spec for their whole shockwave line, including nutdrivers. That's actually what my customer was breaking, not p2s.

 

[crewchief888]

Id like to see some tests on the new Klein bits

i just recieved a sample pack of klien bits in the mail, havent had a chance to try them yet..

 

[NoahG]

i just recieved a sample pack of klien bits in the mail, havent had a chance to try them yet..

I want a sample pack!

So, who's using the Wiha or Wera bits? How do they compare? I don't trust the infomercials.

 

[crewchief888]

I want a sample pack!

klien was doing a giveaway on either facebook or through the klien tradesman club a couple weeks ago.

 

[NoahG]

Has anyone tried those Bosch Impact Tough bits from Home Depot?