What Driving Bits to get?

ande3171 · 11-29-2008, 12:11 AM

With all of the sales going on, I'm trying to give my fiancee something to work with...

I saw on Home Depot they have a bunch of Milwaukee drill accessories on sale. My question is: I don't have an impact driver yet, but plan to get one in the near future (it would be the Ryobi 18v).

Do impact drivers specifically require impact bits (made of "premium proprietary tool steel", or will S2 steel work just as well?

I'm just a DIY, not an everyday professional...

Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

Rehabber · 11-29-2008, 12:15 AM

The Ryobi Impact driver is an excellent choice, power ls better than most others,but battery life is fairly short. I like the Bosch 'gold tip' bits

buletbob · 11-29-2008, 06:16 AM

I cant tell you about the ryobi brand, I have all dewalt. and you should be fine with anything as far as bits. I break at least one a month,which isn't bad. when you get into the bigger impact guns like the 3/8" & 1/2" drive then you will need the harden steel sockets, not with 1/4".impact guns. this is from my own experience with using them. I hope this was of some help to you . BOB

ande3171 · 11-29-2008, 09:27 AM

Yes Bob, that is basically the answer I was looking for.

I've always known not to use regular sockets on an impact, just wasn't sure if the same rule applied for the drivers.

Thanks for your help!

mikey48 · 11-29-2008, 10:30 AM

My Rigid driver will break regular bits onn a regular basis.

JCAHILL4 · 11-29-2008, 10:01 PM

I use my regular bits, I break Phillips heads maybe once a month, nothing else breaks much. I bought one of those 20 or 30 bit kits and love it. If your finishing a deck or doing A LOT of driving you will want to buy a few extra bits but for day to day... no worries!

P.S. Its my favorite tool! Enjoy!

shumakerscott · 11-30-2008, 12:42 AM

I always use Torx screws with my Makita. Actually I've been using Torx long before a got my impact. Much less chance of stripping the head or bit. You don't need as much pressure to keep the bit in place. Impacts Rock! Dorf Dude

ande3171 · 11-30-2008, 12:46 AM

Thanks for all the help! Sounds like I should just plan on using the standard bits for now.

Just wanted to make sure. I know with an air impact you are only supposed to use impact sockets or risk explosion of the socket. Sounds like that rule doesn't apply to drivers.

Quiglag · 12-10-2008, 03:16 PM

Get Hilti bit tips from Home Depot. They are much better then DeWalt tips. I go through maybe 2 Hilti tips a year. If you are breaking tips once a month then you either have really cheap tips, are using the wrong tip for the job, or you are not using the gun correctly.

Nestor_Kelebay · 12-11-2008, 08:12 PM

Ande3171:

Darn. I was hoping this thread was going to be about what BRAND of driver bits are best.

I was going to recommend Wera. They're made in Germany and the company specializes in screw drivers, allen keys, driver bits and related products. They certainly make the best screw drivers around.

I've bought Wera driver bits for years, and they last forever. They're the only company I know of that makes STAINLESS STEEL screw drivers and driver bits.

http://www.wera.de/cgi-bin/vshop?HTML=wera_us.htm

http://www.wera.de/us/produktdetail_...uare-plus.html

You don't need to know the rest...
By the way, "square drive" is pronounced "Robertson", after the CANADIAN that invented it. The only reason Robertson isn't as common in the US as it is in Canada is because Robertson wouldn't let the Ford company manufacture the screws under licence. Robertson wanted to make them and sell them to Ford instead. Ford wanted to make them so that he'd have control over the supply and quality of the screws he got. The two could never reach an agreement, and so Ford went with the Phillips screw instead. The Robertson screw is a superior screw drive, and arguably second only to the Torx drive in terms of torque carrying capacity, but it never caught on in the US like it did in Canada.