Magnetic screwdriver set: what to check before you buy
Updated: 23 October 2026
You are looking at a 10-piece box and a 118-piece box on amazon.co.uk. A magnetic screwdriver set is either fixed drivers with magnetic tips, or one ratchet handle whose bits are held by a magnet. Check the drive list, then how the magnet is fitted, then whether the steel name is only a claim. Piece count comes last. Prices and the ten rows stay on the [magnetic screwdriver set comparison](/hub/hand-tools/magnetic-screwdriver-set). We did not run a lab test. A qualifying purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
You are looking at a 10-piece box and a 118-piece box on amazon.co.uk. A magnetic screwdriver set is either fixed drivers with magnetic tips, or one ratchet handle whose bits are held by a magnet.
You are looking at a 10-piece box and a 118-piece box on amazon.co.uk. A magnetic screwdriver set is either fixed drivers with magnetic tips, or one ratchet handle whose bits are held by a magnet. Check the drive list, then how the magnet is fitted, then whether the steel name is only a claim. Piece count comes last. Prices and the ten rows stay on the magnetic screwdriver set comparison. We did not run a lab test. A qualifying purchase through our links can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Drives | Magnet | Steel claim | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Anesty Anesty 10-piece magnetic screwdriver set | Phillips and slotted | Magnetic tip on each driver | Chrome vanadium | 9.2 | about £9.68 | View offer |
 Amazon Basics Amazon Basics 73-piece ratchet screwdriver set | PZ0 to PZ3 in the longer includes block | Magnetic bits; precision bits non-magnetic | Chrome vanadium | 9.2 | about £13.99 | View offer | |
| Alternative |  Saker Saker 42-in-1 magnetic ratchet screwdriver set | PH, SL and PZ | Bits strongly magnetised, in the bullet | S2 claimed; zinc alloy on the material line | 8.1 | about £29.74 | View offer |
On this page
What you are actually buying
The lid number is a count of pieces, not a description of the tool. The fixed rows here are Anesty's ten Phillips and slotted drivers in a bag, and ZBXSNK's case of standard drivers, precision drivers and bits. YFNVH is a 3.5 kg rack with one ratchet handle, hex keys and a magnetic tray. The ratchet rows are Amazon Basics, VMAN, Wesdut, Faireach, MULWARK, Saker and KELIN. Wesdut stores thirteen bits in the handle. Amazon Basics is a three-way ratchet in a case. Saker and Faireach are T-handles. A 100-piece case is optional for occasional DIY.
Drives a UK household actually meets
Most household wood screws in the UK are Pozidriv, with four ticks between the arms of the cross. PZ2 covers most 3.5 to 5.0 mm wood screws. A Phillips tip can turn a Pozidriv screw and then climb out, which rounds the recess. Anesty is Phillips and slotted only, so it is the wrong default for a wardrobe screw. Saker's bullet names PH, SL and PZ. MULWARK's title names Pozi. VMAN's captured bullet does not name Pozidriv, and Wesdut does not list PZ. Amazon Basics names PZ0 to PZ3 only in a longer includes block. If the bullet you can see has no PZ2, assume the set does not have it.
Magnet, steel name, and the case
A magnetic tip can be refreshed by drawing the shaft out of a magnetiser slowly, without rotating it. That is the Klein Tools UK method for the MAG2. A magnet pressed into the holder is a different part, and UK reviewers report it coming loose on Saker, VMAN, Faireach and KELIN. Wesdut's highlight says the holder is magnetic, and a US review says it was not. Brass and most stainless screws are not held. S2 and chrome vanadium are listing names, not a hardness certificate. ZBXSNK says chrome vanadium in the title and high carbon steel on the material line. Saker's bullet says S2 and the material line says zinc alloy. Count the bullet, not the lid. KELIN's title, set name and bullet disagree at 68, 66 and 62 bits. Amazon Basics says 73 pieces and one item.
What this set will not do
None of these listings states BS EN IEC 60900. A rubber handle is not insulation. If you are opening a consumer unit, stop and use a competent person. HSE INDG229 says you do not use a screwdriver as a chisel or strike it with a hammer. A short 6.3 mm hex bit is form C in ISO 1173, not an impact bit because it fits the chuck. Precision bits bend on a hinge screw, and a tip magnet is the wrong thing to rest on a pacemaker. Those limits are on the precision screwdriver set page. Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015 the goods should match the description you relied on.
Common questions
Does the set include Pozidriv, or only Phillips?
Read the bullet, not the piece count. Pozidriv has four ticks between the arms, and PZ2 is the usual size for 3.5 to 5.0 mm UK wood screws. Anesty is Phillips and slotted only. Saker names PZ. VMAN's captured bullet does not. Amazon Basics names PZ0 to PZ3 only in a longer includes block. If the page does not say PZ, do not assume it.
Is a higher piece count a better magnetic screwdriver set?
No. The count is how many pieces the seller added up. YFNVH's 118-piece rack weighs 3.5 kg and has no review line. KELIN's three counts are a description problem, not a better tip. Buy the drives you can see, then a case that shows a gap.
Will the magnet hold every screw?
It holds many steel screws, and it does not hold brass or most stainless screws. A magnetised tip can be swiped again. A magnet in the holder is the part reviewers report falling out. Test one screw you know is steel before you work overhead.
What does S2 or chrome vanadium prove?
On these listings it proves the seller typed the name. It is not a hardness certificate. ZBXSNK and Saker each print two metals. A tip that fills the recess matters more than the stamp. If two metals are printed, treat both as claims.
Is a rubber handle safe on a live wire?
No. None of these sets states BS EN IEC 60900, and a soft handle is not an insulating rating. Do not use them on live mains or on a circuit you cannot isolate. That work belongs to a competent person. HSE INDG229 also rules out hitting the handle with a hammer.
Fixed drivers or a ratchet: where is that choice made?
A ratchet helps when you cannot take a full swing. A fixed shaft is the better tool when the screw is seized or the recess is deep and narrow. Anesty is the fixed ten-piece here. Amazon Basics, Saker and the other bit kits are ratchets. That mechanism choice is a separate page from this checklist.
Why do two numbers on one listing disagree?
Because the title, the set name and the bullet were written separately. KELIN says 68, 66 and 62 bits. Amazon Basics says 73 pieces and one item. Faireach says 42 in the title and 40 bits in the bullet. Use the itemised bullet, and treat a clash as a reason to hesitate.
Related pages
Sources
Public UK sources are listed below. Shelf prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures captured on 22 October 2026. This page did not lab-test the sets. No field strength was measured.
- BSI, BS 2559:1994 screwdrivers and accessories (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- BSI, BS ISO 8764-1:1999 cross-recess driver points (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- ISO 1173:2001 bit shanks, 6.3 mm hex (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- British Heart Foundation, pacemaker questions (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- HSE INDG229, using hand tools (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- Bolts.co.uk, common recess styles (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- Compel, magnetic screwdriver tips (retrieved 22 October 2026)
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, Part 1 Chapter 2 (retrieved 22 October 2026)