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Best magazine screwdriver for the job in front of you

Updated: 23 October 2026

The best magazine screwdriver in this set is not the one with the highest star. A 4.8 from 60 ratings and a 4.7 from 3,880 reviews are not the same kind of evidence, and neither number inserts the recess you are missing. You want one handle, bits in the grip, and a clear reason to leave the other eleven on the [Magazine screwdriver comparison](/hub/hand-tools/magazine-screwdriver). This page, from the Products Compared editorial team on 22 October 2026, matches jobs to the amazon.co.uk snapshot. Prices are those raw figures, and they move. Links can earn us a commission at no extra cost to you.

The best magazine screwdriver in this set is not the one with the highest star. A 4.8 from 60 ratings and a 4.7 from 3,880 reviews are not the same kind of evidence, and neither number inserts the recess you are missing.

Our top picks

Wera Wera Kraftform Kompakt 20

Best overall

Wera Wera Kraftform Kompakt 20
9.6/10about £41.95
View offer
Bosch Bosch 12-bit pop-up ratchet

Best value

Bosch Bosch 12-bit pop-up ratchet
9.4/10about £20.62
View offer
Wera Wera Stubby magazine 2

Alternative

Wera Wera Stubby magazine 2
9.4/10about £20.28
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.For a UK drawer
  2. 2.For a short gap
  3. 3.For reach or a belt
  4. 4.For a live circuit
  5. 5.What not to crown

For a UK drawer

For a house that mixes Pozidriv wood screws with flat-pack Torx and hex, the Bosch 1600A027PP is the default in this snapshot. It is listed at £20.62, with 4.7 from 3,880 reviews and a pop-up magazine. There is no Phillips bit. The bullet describes a 36-tooth ratchet, a middle setting and an 80 mm rod. Up to 50 Nm is the listing, not a test. Skip it for Phillips screws, a 300 mm shaft, or a 65 mm gap. The £9.28 Bosch has no Pozidriv bit.

For a short gap

When the driver hits the cupboard wall, Wera magazine 2 is the short handle that still carries Pozidriv, at £20.28, and it does not ratchet. Wera states 65 mm overall. Magazine 1 drops Pozidriv for Torx. Magazine 3 is Torx and hex only. Magazine 4 is Phillips and slotted. The Bosch stubby at £16.83 does ratchet and includes PZ1 and PZ2, and a UK reviewer said it was not as short as a Wera. Choose magazine 2 when the gap is the problem and you can live without a click.
Wera Wera Kraftform Kompakt 20

Testsieger

Wera Wera Kraftform Kompakt 20
9.6/10about £41.95
View offer

For reach or a belt

The Kompakt 20 is £41.95 with 4.8 from 3,234 reviews. The bullets describe a retractable bayonet blade and a Rapidaptor chuck, and the sheet for 05051021001 does not describe a ratchet. Tip sizes are not named. It is the top pick because that star line is both high and large. The 27 XL is a 300 mm blade at £31.99. The Kompakt 28, at £28.38, is a bayonet holder that UK reviews say does not ratchet.

For a live circuit

The Wiha 283109021 is the only listing whose bullets claim a 10,000 V AC test and approval for 1,000 V AC. It is £51.11, with 4.4 from 1,474 reviews, and it takes slimBits. Several UK reviews say the cap opens in a pocket. The model field and the part-number field do not match (283109021 and 38611). Check the double-triangle mark on the tool you unpack. Regulation 14 still limits live work. Do not buy the Wiha to build a bookcase.

What not to crown

The Wera RA 2 is the only ratcheting Wera stubby here, at £34.99, with 4.8 from 60 ratings and two United Kingdom reviews. Buy it only when you need a ratchet and a short body together. Magazine 4’s Canada line mentions a ratchet the bullets do not claim. Ignore that line.

Common questions

Which of these is the household default?
The Bosch 12-bit, 1600A027PP, listed at £20.62 with PZ1 to PZ3, three slotted sizes, Torx 15, 20 and 25, and hex 3, 4 and 5. It has 4.7 from 3,880 reviews and an 80 mm rod in the bullet. It has no Phillips bit, and the up to 50 Nm line is not a test. Skip it for a 65 mm gap or a 300 mm reach. It is the best value here because of that bit list and that sample, not because it is the cheapest handle.
Is the cheapest Bosch stubby the same tool as the £16.83 one?
No. The £9.28 listing, 1600A032UZ, names PH2, SL5, TX25 and hex 3, 4 and 5, with 4.7 from 166 reviews and no Pozidriv bit. The £16.83 listing, 1600A027PK, names PZ1, PZ2, PH2, SL4, TX25 and HEX5, with 4.7 from 1,635 reviews. Both claim a 36-tooth ratchet. A UK reviewer said the £16.83 tool was not as short as a Wera stubby. Treat them as two products that share a brand.
Which Wera stubby magazine matches UK wood screws?
Magazine 2, and the RA 2 if you also want a ratchet. Magazine 2 lists PZ1 and PZ2 with Phillips and slotted bits, at £20.28, and it does not click. The RA 2 lists PZ1 and PZ2 as well, at £34.99, on 60 ratings. Magazine 1 has no Pozidriv bit. Magazine 3 is Torx and hex. Magazine 4 is Phillips and slotted. For chipboard screws, magazine 2 is the match, unless the missing click is the thing you came for.
Is the Kompakt 20 the one with a ratchet?
Not this listing. ASIN B000BK7AOS describes a retractable bayonet blade and a Rapidaptor chuck, and the Wera sheet for 05051021001 does not add a ratchet. It is £41.95 with 4.8 from 3,234 reviews, which is why it is the top pick, and the tip sizes are not printed in the bullets. If another shop photo shows a direction ring, that is a different Kompakt. The ratcheting stubby in this set is the RA 2.
Does 4.8 from 60 reviews beat 4.7 from 3,880?
No. The RA 2’s 4.8 rests on 60 ratings and two United Kingdom reviews in the saved listing. The Bosch 12-bit’s 4.7 rests on 3,880 reviews. A higher star on a thin sample is not a better driver. The Kompakt 20 is the listing where a 4.8 and a large sample sit together, at £41.95, and even that handle is not a ratchet. Read the bit list before the stars.

Related pages

Magazine screwdriver buying guide

Stubby magazine screwdriver

Ratchet or fixed magazine screwdriver

Magazine screwdriver

How to use a magazine ratchet screwdriver safely

Sources

Public UK and maker sources are listed below. Shelf prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures in this comparison. This page did not lab-test the drivers. Last checked 22 October 2026.

  1. BSI, BS EN IEC 60900:2018 live-working hand tools (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. Electricity at Work Regulations 1989, regulation 14 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. HSE INDG354, electricity at work (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. HSE, reducing force on the hand (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. ISO 1173:2001 screwdriver bit drive ends (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. bolts.co.uk, common recess styles (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. Which?, faulty products and the Consumer Rights Act 2015 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. Wiha LiftUp electric 38613 (retrieved 22 October 2026)