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Makita bit set buying guide: the tool, then the screws

Updated: 23 October 2026

You already own the drill. The open question is which Makita bit set belongs beside it. A 10-piece pouch, a 33-piece Impact Black box and a 212-piece drill case answer different jobs. This Makita bit set buying guide puts the forks in order: the tool in your hand, the screws you buy, then length, then the piece count. The [Makita bit set comparison](/hub/hand-tools/makita-bit-set) lists ten sets from amazon.co.uk on 19 October 2026, with prices in GBP. Peter F. did not run a lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

You already own the drill. The open question is which Makita bit set belongs beside it. A 10-piece pouch, a 33-piece Impact Black box and a 212-piece drill case answer different jobs.

Our top picks

Makita Makita B-66896 33-piece Impact Black

Best overall

Makita Makita B-66896 33-piece Impact Black
9.0/10about £19.75
View offer
Makita Makita E-12011 10-piece Impact Black

Best value

Makita Makita E-12011 10-piece Impact Black
8.8/10about £9.04
View offer
Makita Makita D-30667 31-piece bit set

Alternative

Makita Makita D-30667 31-piece bit set
7.3/10about £8.95
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Start with the tool in your hand
  2. 2.Match the screws you already buy
  3. 3.25 mm, 50 mm, or a whole drill case
  4. 4.Nutsetters and countersinks are different buys

Start with the tool in your hand

An impact driver hits the bit with a series of blows. A combi drill turns the bit under clutch control. Those are not the same load, so the first fork is which tool will hold the shank. Impact Black in this comparison is the E-12011, the E-12005, the B-66896 and the E-15768 nutsetters. Makita’s UK catalogue describes that line as S2 steel with extra heat treatment for impact drivers. That is the maker’s description, not a test we ran. The D-30667 at about £8.95 stays on a combi drill: 25 mm bits in a belt-clip case, and the title does not say Impact Black. The B-66880 title says 35 impact bits at about £29.70, but the attribute block names a 13 mm chuck, part 194079-2, and the weight field says 10 g.

Match the screws you already buy

UK timber screws are usually Pozidriv. Plasterboard screws from makers such as Knauf are often Phillips PH2. A lot of decking and chipboard screws are Torx. Before piece count, check whether the bullet prints both PZ and PH, and whether Torx is there if your screws are stars. The E-12011, the E-12005, the D-30667 and the mixed drill cases list both Phillips and Pozidriv. The E-12011 and the E-12005 name no slotted bit. The D-30667 bullet prints five PZ2 bits plus slotted sizes, which matters if door hardware still uses a flat slot. The E-15768 has neither Pozidriv nor Phillips. It will not rescue a stripped woodscrew.
Makita Makita B-66896 33-piece Impact Black

Testsieger

Makita Makita B-66896 33-piece Impact Black
9.0/10about £19.75
View offer

25 mm, 50 mm, or a whole drill case

A 25 mm bit keeps the driver close to the screw. A 50 mm bit clears a deep frame, a hinge, or your knuckles. The E-12005 is nine 25 mm bits plus a 60 mm magnetic holder at about £9.97, with 4.2 from 478 reviews, and UK texts mention a weak latch and a shattered bit. The E-12011 is ten 50 mm Impact Black bits at about £9.04, with 4.6 from 814 reviews and no repeated snap theme in the 24 UK texts we read. They are not interchangeable just because both say ten pieces. The B-66896 at about £19.75 carries both lengths, plus HSS drills from 2.5 mm to 5 mm. The 102-piece cases and the E-06270, about £49.22 and 212 pieces, are not titled Impact Black. Buying that case because a PZ2 cammed out adds drills.

Nutsetters and countersinks are different buys

A nutsetter is a shallow socket on a hex shank. It drives nuts, not a Pozidriv head. The E-15768 gives you 6, 7, 8, 10, 12 and 13 mm at 50 mm, sold as Impact Black, for about £11.95. UK reviews like the sizes and still say the magnet eats the depth, so the socket may not cover the nut. The B-66896 includes only 6, 8 and 10 mm. If hex heads are the whole job, the six-piece set is the one with 7 mm. The D-73455 at about £7.92 is four countersink drills for No 6 to No 12 short wood screws, plus an L wrench. There is no driver bit. It will not turn that screw home.

Common questions

Do I need Impact Black if I only have a combi drill?
No. Impact Black is Makita’s name for bits it sells for impact drivers. A combi drill with a clutch is the job the D-30667 is titled for, at about £8.95, with 25 mm bits and a belt clip. You can still use an Impact Black set in a combi drill. You are paying for a duty the clutch is meant to limit.
Is a 10-piece set enough for a house?
It is enough when the ten bits match the screws you already own. The E-12011 covers PH1 to PH3, PZ1 to PZ3 and four Torx sizes at 50 mm, with no slotted bit and no spare PZ2. A house with flat-head screws will outgrow it. A 212-piece case does not fix that if the extra pieces are drills.
When is 25 mm better than 50 mm?
Use 25 mm when the screw is in the open and you want the driver close to the head. Use 50 mm when the screw sits in a frame or a hinge. The B-66896 includes both lengths. Length does not turn Pozidriv into Phillips.
Are nutsetters the same as screwdriver bits?
No. Nutsetters are magnetic sockets for hex nuts. The E-15768 has six of them and no cross-head bit. A shallow magnet, which UK reviews mention on the E-15768 and the B-66896 sockets, means the nut may not sit fully if the bolt must pass through.
What if the listing names a chuck but the title says 35 bits?
Stop and read the attribute block. On the B-66880 the title says 35 bits at about £29.70, and the included-components field names Makita chuck part 194079-2. The bullets do not list sizes, and the weight field says 10 g. Reviews describe bits, but the listing does not prove the contents.

Related pages

Makita bits for an impact driver

Pozidriv or Phillips bit

Best Makita bit set

Makita bit set

How to use Makita screwdriver bits without a rounded head

Sources

Public UK and maker sources are listed below. Shelf prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk figures captured on 19 October 2026. This page did not lab-test the sets.

  1. Makita UK, Impact Black series (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  2. BSI, BS ISO 1173:2001 drive ends for screwdriver bits (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  3. BuildWiz UK, screwdriver bits (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  4. Bolts.co.uk, common recess styles (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  5. Knauf UK, plasterboard screws (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  6. HSE, advice to employers on vibration (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  7. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 22 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
  8. amazon.co.uk, Makita B-66896 (retrieved 19 October 2026)