How to use Makita screwdriver bits without a rounded head
Updated: 23 October 2026
The head is round and the bit is still shiny. That usually means the seating and the recess, not the name on the case. This is how to use Makita screwdriver bits so the tip stays in the screw: lock the shank, match the stamp, push square, and stop when the bit starts to rise. The [Makita bit set comparison](/hub/hand-tools/makita-bit-set) lists the sets. Prices are the amazon.co.uk capture of 19 October 2026. There was no lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
The head is round and the bit is still shiny. That usually means the seating and the recess, not the name on the case.
The head is round and the bit is still shiny. That usually means the seating and the recess, not the name on the case. This is how to use Makita screwdriver bits so the tip stays in the screw: lock the shank, match the stamp, push square, and stop when the bit starts to rise. The Makita bit set comparison lists the sets. Prices are the amazon.co.uk capture of 19 October 2026. There was no lab test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Bit length | Holder | Impact line | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Makita Makita B-66896 33-piece Impact Black | 25 mm and 50 mm | Holder, screw guide | Impact Black | 9.0 | about £19.75 | View offer |
| Best value |  Makita Makita E-12011 10-piece Impact Black | 50 mm | None named | Impact Black | 8.8 | about £9.04 | View offer |
| Alternative |  Makita Makita D-30667 31-piece bit set | 25 mm | Quick-release | Not Impact Black | 7.3 | about £8.95 | View offer |
On this page
Lock the bit before the trigger
A Makita impact bit in this comparison uses a 1/4 inch hex shank. Pull the collet sleeve back, seat the hex until it clicks, and let the sleeve return. BuildWiz’s UK guide describes that sleeve pull as the normal lock. It is general tool advice, not a step printed on these packets. If the bit slides out while you are lining up the screw, it was never locked. Do not start the trigger to catch it.
The same lock matters more with a nutsetter. On the E-15768, one UK review says the fixed magnet came loose under impact and the socket can leave the tool. Stop if you are above your head or over a finished floor.
A magnetic holder and a pocket case are not a lock
A magnetic holder is not a lock. The E-12005 includes a 60 mm magnetic holder that some reviewers call flimsy, and the screw can fall off the moment you tip the driver. Press the screw onto the magnet, keep the tool pointing down until the tip is in the recess, and treat magnetism as a convenience.
The E-12005 keyring case is not a handle. UK reviews say the snap case will not drive a screw, the arm may open only to 90 degrees, and the latch can drop bits if the case is open on a belt. Take the 25 mm bit out and lock it in the driver.
Match the recess, then push straight
A bit that almost fits will wreck the head before the steel grade matters. Pozidriv has tick marks between the arms of the cross. Phillips does not. If you cannot see the ticks, read the screw box.
Seat the tip by hand, then line up the shank, the bit and the screw. If the bit rocks, change it. Accu, a UK fastener seller, treats cam-out as a problem of size, pressure, a square approach and speed. That is their advice, not a Makita procedure. Push firmly along the screw. If the bit rises, stop, and fit the bit the box names.
A 50 mm bit, as in the E-12011, helps when a frame would make you push at an angle. A 25 mm bit helps when you are already close to the work. Neither length corrects a PH2 sitting in a PZ2 screw.
Stop before the head is ruined
On a combi drill, drop the clutch first, then raise it only if the screw stalls while the head is still proud. On an impact driver the blows continue until you release the trigger, so the D-30667, not titled Impact Black, is the wrong set to try in that tool.
Stop when the head is flush. Past flush, chipboard thread strips and the screw spins. Switch to a hand screwdriver for a visible hinge, a rounding head, or a tip you cannot see.
A rounded PZ2 after a box of screws is wear. A bit that shatters on the first screw is different. Get a competent person when you cannot locate cables or pipes, when the fixing is structural, or when a broken screw is stuck in an electrical or gas fitting. These sets carry no hand-arm vibration number.
Common questions
How do I put a 1/4 inch bit in an impact driver?
Pull the collet sleeve back, push the hex shank in until it clicks, and release the sleeve. Tug the bit once before the trigger. If it slides, it is not locked, and a short burst will only throw it. A magnetic holder, such as the 60 mm piece in the E-12005, sticks to the screw and does not replace that click.
What do I do the moment the bit climbs out?
Release the trigger at once. Do not pulse the driver to chase the head. Back the screw out if it will turn, fit the bit named on the screw box, and seat that bit by hand before you start again. A rounded head in chipboard usually means that piece is scrap.
Why does the screw fall off the magnetic holder?
The magnet is small, and any tilt lets the screw drop before it bites. Seat the head on the holder, point the tool downward until the tip is in the recess, then keep your wrist square. On the E-15768 the magnet uses up the socket depth, so you stop when the bolt hits it.
When do I switch from the driver to a hand screwdriver?
Switch when the head is already marking, when the screw is in a visible hinge, or when you cannot see the tip seat. A hand screwdriver tells you about cam-out through your fingers. Keep the driver for long runs once the first screw has gone in cleanly. Flush is the stopping point, not a cue for more blows.
Is a snapped bit on the first screw a fault?
A bit that has driven many screws and then rounds off is wear. A bit that shatters on an ordinary first screw, or a case that arrives with pieces missing, is a reason to contact the seller under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, including the 30-day right to reject in section 22. One failure does not prove every set of that model will fail.
Related pages
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.
- Makita UK, Impact Black series (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- BSI, BS ISO 1173:2001 drive ends for screwdriver bits (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- BuildWiz UK, screwdriver bits (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Bolts.co.uk, common recess styles (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Knauf UK, plasterboard screws (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- HSE, advice to employers on vibration (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 22 (retrieved 19 October 2026)
- amazon.co.uk, Makita B-66896 (retrieved 19 October 2026)