looking for good drill tips for impack driver

[brad kellner]

i have an 18v impact driver and every phillips tip last about an hour or so. cant anyone recamend a brand to buy. so far i have been braking dewalt and bosch tips. or is it better just to use an impact driver with sq drive screws. thanks in advance

[Steve Aiken]

The problem you are likely experiencing is 'cam out' where the phillips drive slots get stripped out. Vermont American makes a drive bit called the Icebit. It has ribs along the driver blades to help keep the bit firmly in the phillips recess. Lee Valley has coated driver bits which are supposed to keep the driver from slipping, and they have a grabber liquid which also helps.

What are you driving? You might try coating the screw threads with a bit of wax to help reduce the torque required.

Steve

[Jon Bonham]

Dewalt bits are junk. I buy my bits off the Snap-On truck. Not sure who makes them, but they are very durable and they have ridges on them to keep them from slipping. Also, always make sure you're using the right size bit for the job.

[Alan Tolchinsky]

How about using square drive #2's instead of phillips. No cam out and very good control with an impact driver.

[Jason Beam]

I'm with Jon. The dewalt driver bits i've used snapped real fast. It's funny this post comes today - i was just at my local candy store and was turned onto this new bit that dewalt makes, rated for impact drivers. They're black and likely hardened steel of some kind. I was at Home Depot later today and saw the same kit as well. Trouble, so far, is that I haven't seen them sold individually like the "normal" ones. The kit has a bunch of other stuff, too.

[Todd Jensen]

Personally, I really don't like philips head screws, and especially with my impact driver. I think square drive is the way to go. The only issue with square drive is that your bit will sometimes get a little stuck in the screw, but I'd rather be a little stuck than a little stripped.

[Tanner Sammons]

Check your local lumberyard (not borg) for better tips. I have not broken a tip in the 4 years I've owned my impact driver, but I don't use phillips screws that are longer than 2". Anything longer than a standard drywall screw gets a T20 Torx head construction screw.

Here's my hierarchy for screw heads:
Slotted/Flat
Phillips
Square
Torx

Just my .02.

Tanner

[John Lohmann]

Wiha bits from Chads Toolbox, They have many varieties.
John

[Homer Faucett]

Brad,

Did you have any luck finding hardened bits? I went through four #2 phillips head bits (DeWalt and Bosch) last weekend driving deck screws to secure a sign to a building with my little litheon Bosch impactor. The Bosch bits lasted a while, but the DeWalts fractured on the first or second screw that they were used on. On every one, the tip of the bit literally broke off. No cam out, no stripping the screw, just a broken bit.

I'm clearly going to have to buy special bits for this, and am hoping someone has some recommendations.

Edit:

It looks like McFeely's carries some. Anyone use any of these, and can you tell me the difference between the APEX and standard (brand name mabye?). http://www.mcfeelys.com/impact-driver-bits

[Greg Sznajdruk]

I avoid Phillips like the plague. I use Robertson (square drive) exclusively, Robertson has a slight taper in the socket, verses the square drive usually found in the USA. With my impact I can easily drive the screw too far into the material.

Here in the Great White North you can purchase Robertson screws anywhere including variety stores. Not that I’m biased but we have been using Robertson screws since 1911.

Greg

Screw types in order of preference

Robertson
Robertson
Robertson
Did I mention Robertson?

[Ed Labadie]

Brad,
<snip>
It looks like McFeely's carries some. Anyone use any of these, and can you tell me the difference between the APEX and standard (brand name mabye?). http://www.mcfeelys.com/impact-driver-bits

Apex makes industrial bits and sockets. They are designed for production use, such as automated assembly equipment or production line assembly work with air tools.

http://www.cooperpowertools.com/catalog/pdffiles/TC-100_EN.pdf

Ed

[Chris Jenkins]

I have a Bosch impactor and after putting in cement board a few weeks ago I have proved that you can easily break Square Drive bits too! I have never worn down the Phillips bit that came with my Impactor, but I went through a 5 pc set of Bosch standard #2 Square drive bits putting in 4 pieces of cement board.

I did notice Bosch makes some Titanium coated ones - guess I should have tried those instead for a few bucks more.

Chris

[Scott Long]

I bought the Bosch TIN coated bits for my drywall gun. I am impressed with how long they are lasting. Usually I would go though a tip in a day. So far it's it bin ib the drill almost a week now. They are too hard on the wallet either, I picked up a dozen at the blue BORG for about $13 and they came in a handy dispencer.

[Karl Brogger]

Square drive or torx is the only way to fly.

[Homer Faucett]

While I'm sure that square drives are less likely to break, and I do use square drives (lots of them when I'm doing pocket screws), this discussion of using different screws is straying a bit afield of the question. The question was who makes bits that will last in the impact driver, phillips or otherwise.

Since you can buy phillips heads just about anywhere here, and square drives have to be mail ordered or purchased from a hardware supply house, you can pick up phillips heads for much less, and can even get some for next to nothing at auctions, etc. When you're just making functional pieces, I'm not into paying $.05 or $.10 per screw when I can use 10 phillips heads that I got for next to nothing (like $.001 each).

So, it appears that the answer is that DeWalt makes some hardened bits in a 38 pack accessory kit you can get for about $25 at Amazon (and, yes, it includes a square drive bit and torx bit as well). McFeely's sells Apex hardened bits and their own brand as well. I'm sure others sell them, too. Just stay away from standard bits in the impact drivers, or you'll break them fairly quickly. I got the DeWalt set locally, and I'll be using it this weekend, so I'll let you know how they work out.

[Matt Ocel]

Brad - I use only #2 square drives. I won't let phillips heads screws into my workshop.

[Dale Lesak]

"Ice Bits" They last a good long time. I can't think right off hand who makes them But I can check if some one wants to know for sure. they are submerged in liquid nitrogen to make them hard instead of tempering. One of the wood mags did a report on this a while back. Dale

[Karl Brogger]

I'm not into paying $.05 or $.10 per screw when I can use 10 phillips heads that I got for next to nothing (like $.001 each).

Square drive cost the exact same as the phillips in my catalog. 1 1/2" is $.012 each.

Torx on the other hand, the GHB fasteners are getting out of control expensive. I love their finish screws, and use the 3 1/8" for hanging boxes, and the 6" for screwing down islands and small cabinets that only catch one stud to the floor. I honestly don't know what I pay for these screws. I do know that I have never had one break, or have the head twist off.