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82 or 90 degree countersink

Updated: 2026-10-23

You have a box of countersunk screws from a UK merchant and two cutters, one marked 82° and one marked 90°. An 82 or 90 degree countersink is one decision: match the included angle to the head you are holding. American pages say most screws are 82° and that a 90° seat leaves a gap. That is the wrong default for metric screws and for British countersunk wood screws. Prices and the rows that leave the angle blank are in the [countersink comparison](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/countersink). Listings were read on 20 October 2026. We did not measure screw heads in a lab. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You have a box of countersunk screws from a UK merchant and two cutters, one marked 82° and one marked 90°. An 82 or 90 degree countersink is one decision: match the included angle to the head you are holding.

Our top picks

Makita Makita D-73455 4-piece set

Best overall

Makita Makita D-73455 4-piece set
9.0/10about £7.92
View offer
Gasea Gasea 3-piece 90° countersink

Alternative

Gasea Gasea 3-piece 90° countersink
8.8/10about £4.99
View offer
EZARC EZARC 12-piece countersink set

Rank 3

EZARC EZARC 12-piece countersink set
8.6/10about £17.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.The two angles you will actually see
  2. 2.Metric, British wood screws, and US inch screws
  3. 3.What a mismatch does to the head
  4. 4.Which of these listings state the angle

The two angles you will actually see

An 82° or 90° countersink is the included angle of the cone: the angle between the two sloping sides if you cut the bit through the middle, not the angle down one flute. A spec string such as 9E+1 Degrees is unusable. On Torveen and ATOPLEE the title and the bullets are what say 90 degrees. If the page does not state the angle in words, you do not have it. Trade catalogues sometimes list 60° and 120° as well. For ordinary UK wood screws, and for metric countersunk machine screws up to M20, use 90°, or 82° for Unified inch flat heads.

Metric, British wood screws, and US inch screws

A page which says most screws are 82° is describing a US habit, not the screws in a typical UK wood-screw box. DIN 7991, aligned with DIN EN ISO 10642, is the countersunk socket head on metric machine screws. A 90° head in an 82° cone meets the seat on a ring, not along the slope. If the packet says metric, or it is a British countersunk wood screw without a Unified thread, start with 90°. If it says Unified, UNC or UNF, or the screws came with American hardware, start with 82°. Chipboard screws are often 90° as well, but the packet still beats a guess.
Makita Makita D-73455 4-piece set

Testsieger

Makita Makita D-73455 4-piece set
9.0/10about £7.92
View offer

What a mismatch does to the head

A 90° head in an 82° cone sits on the rim, and the underside stands off the slope. In pine the fibres crush and the head can still look flush. An 82° head in a 90° cone hits on a smaller ring, so the rim sits proud or leaves a shadow gap. In oak, brass or a machined plate you can see a bright ring. That is workshop practice, not a test we ran. TED’s line about a 90° chamfer leaving a gap is fair for an 82° screw and the wrong warning for metric 90° screws. Depth will not repair a wrong angle. If the head still rocks after a scrap test, change the cutter. The steps are on how to use a countersink bit.

Which of these listings state the angle

An 82° cutter suits Unified inch flat heads. On British wood screws and metric socket heads it is a softwood compromise, and a poor match when the head must bear fully in hardwood or metal. ColumPRO prints 82° and has no reviews in this comparison, so that line is a specification, not a result. A stated 90° chamfer does not become a combination bit because the angle is right. Gasea is that chamfer if you already have the pilot: 4.4 from 1,122 reviews, 12, 16 and 19 mm, and no pilot. Torveen states 90° at £4.19 with 15 reviews. ATOPLEE states 90° at £7.99 and forbids hand drills. Makita is the best-value combination set for short wood screws, and the listing still does not say 90° or 82°. Leave a blank listing blank.

Common questions

Which angle do UK wood screws use?
About 90°, and about 87° to 90° on the BS 1210:1963 note for slotted countersunk wood screws. Fastenerdata puts UK inch heads to British standards in that band. Use 82° for Unified inch flat heads, not as the default for a UK wood-screw box.
Which angle is a metric socket countersunk bolt?
90° from M3 through M20 under DIN 7991 and DIN EN ISO 10642. M22 and M24 go to 60°. An 82° cutter leaves a ring contact on those 90° heads. A 12 mm chamfer is a different question from the angle.
Will an 82° cutter still work in softwood?
Often the head still looks flush, because the fibres crush under the rim. That is a softwood compromise, and it shows more in oak, brass and on a machined face. If the head rocks in scrap, switch to a 90° cutter for British and metric heads. Do not keep deepening the 82° hole.
What does a mismatch look like?
A 90° head in an 82° cone sits on the outer rim. An 82° head in a 90° cone sits further in, and the rim can stand proud or leave a shadow line. In hardwood or metal you see a bright ring. The screw can still clamp. It does not bear as the head was made to bear.
Are 100° cutters for cabinets?
No. 100° is an aerospace-style head, not BS 1210 wood screws or ISO 10642 socket heads up to M20. A UK cabinet hinge screw is much more likely to be 90°. Keep 82° for Unified screws and 90° for metric and British countersunk heads.
Which sets in this comparison state 82° or 90°?
82° is stated for both EZARC kits, LIBRATON, NORTOOLS, Fentar and ColumPRO. 90° is stated for Gasea, Torveen and ATOPLEE, and ATOPLEE is limited to a machine rather than a hand drill. Makita, YXIING and TMBMLPP do not state an angle.
What if the listing has no angle?
Leave it unknown. Do not read 6E+1 or 9E+1 as 60° or 90°. Those strings are broken numbers. If you need a known 90° and you already have a pilot, Gasea states 90° and has 1,122 reviews. If you need a known 82° combination bit for Unified screws, the EZARC 12-piece set states 82°.

Related pages

Countersink buying guide

Countersink for wood

Countersink

Best countersink bit set for ordinary wood screws

How to use a countersink bit so the head sits flush

Sources

Public UK sources from the research digest, last checked on 22 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures in the display file.

  1. HSE PUWER overview (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. HSE L114, Safe use of woodworking machinery (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. HSE WIS23, Wood dust (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. HSE EH44, Dust and eye protection (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 22 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. Fastenerdata: screw heads (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. ISO 10642:2026 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. BSI: BS EN ISO 10642:2019 (retrieved 22 October 2026)