Long bits for an impact driver
Updated: 2026-10-23
You have moved from a combi drill to an impact driver, and the long bits that survived last month are snapping or rounding screws. Long bits for an impact driver take a series of rotational blows, and a long shank adds flex on top of those blows. The word impact on a packet is a claim. A torsion zone, the right drive, and a tip that stays in line matter more. This page lines up the impact wording on nine amazon.co.uk extracts saved on 21 October 2026. There is no lab test. The full table is the [long bits comparison](/hub/drilling-and-accessories/long-bits).
You have moved from a combi drill to an impact driver, and the long bits that survived last month are snapping or rounding screws.
You have moved from a combi drill to an impact driver, and the long bits that survived last month are snapping or rounding screws. Long bits for an impact driver take a series of rotational blows, and a long shank adds flex on top of those blows. The word impact on a packet is a claim. A torsion zone, the right drive, and a tip that stays in line matter more. This page lines up the impact wording on nine amazon.co.uk extracts saved on 21 October 2026. There is no lab test. The full table is the long bits comparison.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Impact claim | Drive | Length | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  toolant toolant 6 inch security Torx | Torsion zone | Security Torx TT7–TT40 | 6 inches | 8.9 | about £19.99 | View offer |
| Best value |  Saxton Saxton 152 mm PZ2 ten-pack | Impact duty | PZ2 | 152 mm | 8.1 | about £12.99 | View offer |
| Alternative |  Pronese Pronese 90 mm and 150 mm mix | Impact torsion | PZ2 and PH2 | 90 mm and 150 mm | 6.5 | about £9.99 | View offer |
On this page
What an impact driver does to a long bit
A combi drill turns the bit and can slip a clutch when the screw stops. An impact driver adds sharp rotational blows. BuildWiz describes ordinary screwdriver bits fatiguing under those blows, and it points buyers toward bits sold for impact use, with a torsion zone as well as an impact label. The mechanism is the same on the packs below: each blow loads the tip, and a tip that has started to cam out keeps being hit.
A 150 mm or 152 mm bit makes the load less kind. The shank can flex, the tip can walk, and the blows continue while you are slightly off the axis of the screw. Wear eye protection. HSE guidance treats debris from power-driven tools as a reason for it, and a shattered tip is a small piece of steel.
What to look for on the bit
Look for an impact claim you can point at, and for a torsion zone, often a narrowed waist that can twist a little and spare the tip. BuildWiz treats that waist, together with the impact label, as the buying check. S2 is a steel name. It does not mean the bit is impact rated.
The shank should be a 1/4 inch hex that locks. A magnetic tip starts a steel screw and does not keep a cammed-out tip in the head once the blows start. Match PZ2, PH2 or security Torx before you blame the driver. If the listing only says anti-impact and does not describe a waist, you have a word and not a torsion zone.
What these packs claim, and what reviews add
Pronese says impact torsion at £9.99, and several UK reviews say tips sheared, including one that says they are not impact bits. Saxton's title says impact duty on ten 152 mm PZ2 bits at £12.99. Two of 29 UK texts describe snaps, including a first-use failure. Rennie calls its ten 150 mm PZ2 bits impact bits at £13.99. Some UK texts say a bit lasted a day or weeks. Others say the ends shatter.
WojBear says impact and describes a narrowed middle at £7.99. Some UK texts say the tips stripped early. Bestgle says anti-impact at £10.98 and does not name a torsion zone. A T15 snapped in the UK sample. The GEINXURN Phillips packs name a shock zone. toolant names a torsion zone at £19.99, with 4.6 from 4,853 reviews, and a T20 shattered on first use. A 10 times life line is seller copy. The Bahco extract has no impact claim and no stated lengths. Those reports are not a percentage.
When a combi drill is the better tool
Use the impact driver for long timber screws and coach-style work, with a bit that claims impact use and with the tip kept in line. Use a combi drill when the screw is small, the head is soft, or you need the clutch to stop. A plasterboard PH2 screw, a hinge screw and a machine screw in a thin bracket are the usual cases. The clutch clicks. The impact driver would keep hitting.
The clutch does not fix a wrong drive or a bent shank. If 150 mm bits are already snapping, use the shortest bit that reaches and try the screw on the drill with a low clutch. Bin a cracked tip. At work, a bit that can throw a fragment comes out of use under PUWER. At home that scrap of steel can still reach your eye.
Common questions
Can you use normal long bits in an impact driver?
You can fit a 1/4 inch hex bit in the driver. BuildWiz warns that standard bits fatigue under repeated blows. A long bit that only says S2, with no torsion zone, is the weaker choice. The Bahco extract has no impact claim. Stop when the tip dulls.
What is a torsion zone?
It is a section of the shank, often narrowed, that can twist slightly before the tip shears. BuildWiz treats it as part of the check, with an impact label. toolant names one. Bestgle says anti-impact and does not name a torsion zone. A waist still does not guarantee the tip.
Does S2 steel mean impact rated?
No. S2 is the steel name on bullets from Saxton, Rennie, Pronese, WojBear, Bestgle and toolant. The GEINXURN Phillips mix says D2 in the title and S2 in the table. UK reviews on several S2 packs still describe snapped tips. Read the impact line on its own.
Why do some reviews still report shattered tips?
A claim on the packet is not a test of every screw. Tight screws, a wrong drive and a leaning 150 mm bit all show up in real use. Saxton, Rennie, Pronese, Bestgle, WojBear and toolant each have a UK text about an early failure, and satisfied buyers too. This page does not turn those texts into a rate.
What should you do with a cracked bit?
Bin it. A cracked tip can shed a fragment the next time the driver hits, which is why eye protection stays on. Do not grind it back into service. At work, take it out of use under PUWER. At home, fit the next intact bit or stop.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources from the research digest, last checked on 21 October 2026. Shelf prices and star lines are the amazon.co.uk figures used for this comparison.
- BuildWiz, screwdriver bits (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Bolts.co.uk, common recess styles (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- UK Planet Tools, Bahco 59/S54BC bit lengths (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Bosch Professional GB, extra-hard hex screwdriver bits (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- ISO 1173:2001, assembly tools for screws and nuts, drive ends (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- HSE, PUWER overview (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- HSE L25, personal protective equipment at work (retrieved 21 October 2026)
- Which?, faulty product advice (retrieved 21 October 2026)