Makita bits for impact driver: Impact Black, not colour
Updated: 23 October 2026
You have an impact driver, or you are about to drop bits from an £8.95 standard set into one. Makita bits for an impact driver are the sets sold for that blow. In this comparison that means a title that says Impact Black. A dark finish, a standard screwdriver set and that name are three different things. The [Makita bit set comparison](/hub/hand-tools/makita-bit-set) holds the amazon.co.uk prices from 19 October 2026. There was no durability rig. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
You have an impact driver, or you are about to drop bits from an £8.95 standard set into one. Makita bits for an impact driver are the sets sold for that blow.
You have an impact driver, or you are about to drop bits from an £8.95 standard set into one. Makita bits for an impact driver are the sets sold for that blow. In this comparison that means a title that says Impact Black. A dark finish, a standard screwdriver set and that name are three different things. The Makita bit set comparison holds the amazon.co.uk prices from 19 October 2026. There was no durability rig. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Our top picks
| Badge | Product | Pieces | Drives | Bit length | Note | Price | Offer |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Best overall |  Makita Makita B-66896 33-piece Impact Black | 33 | Bits, 6–10 mm nuts | 25 mm and 50 mm | 9.0 | about £19.75 | View offer |
| Alternative |  Makita Makita E-15768 6 nutsetters | 6 | Hex sockets | 50 mm | 6.8 | about £11.95 | View offer |
| Best value |  Makita Makita E-12011 10-piece Impact Black | 10 | PH, PZ, T15–T30 | 50 mm | 8.8 | about £9.04 | View offer |
On this page
What Impact Black is, in Makita’s words
Makita UK’s Impact Black series page says the bits are designed for impact drivers, made from S2 steel, given extra heat treatment, and intended to take more load than the brand’s standard bits. There is no percentage on that page. The 20 per cent figure appears on the amazon.co.uk listing for the B-66896, beside a torsion zone. That is the listing, not a test we ran.
A torsion zone, in the plain sense used by UK guides such as BuildWiz, is a narrowed neck meant to twist a little so the tip is not the only part that snaps. BuildWiz also says standard bits fatigue under those blows. Do not treat that as a lab result.
A wrong recess spends the blow on the corners of the head. No neck geometry repairs that.
Which sets in this comparison are for that tool
Four titles say Impact Black, and they are not equal. The E-12011 is ten 50 mm bits at about £9.04, with 4.6 from 814 reviews and no snap theme in 24 UK texts. The B-66896 is the 33-piece mix at about £19.75, with 25 mm and 50 mm bits, three nutsetters and HSS drills only to 5 mm. The E-15768 is six magnetic nutsetters from 6 mm to 13 mm, not a cross-head kit.
The E-12005 is also titled Impact Black, at about £9.97, but it is 4.2 from 478 reviews, with a weak latch and a shattered Pozidriv bit. The buyer said it was not for impact guns. The title and that review disagree.
Which titles are not that line
The D-30667 at about £8.95 is the set not to treat as impact-rated. It is 25 mm screwdriver bits in a belt-clip case, and the title never says Impact Black. The E-06270, the E-10730 and the B-68432 are drill-and-screw boxes. The D-73455 countersink set does not belong in this decision.
The B-66880 says impact in the title, and 4.5 from 1,964 reviews describe bits in a case, yet the attribute block names a 13 mm chuck, part 194079-2. Do not describe its contents as known.
Bits still break, and vibration is separate
Impact Black is not a promise that a tip will survive a stuck coach screw or a PZ2 forced into a Phillips head. Reviews of the B-66896 say bits can still break after long use. You still lock the 1/4 inch hex, match the recess, and stop when the head is flush.
Vibration belongs to the driver, not the bits. HSE tells employers to assess hand-arm vibration, and its tables do not give a figure for an impact driver with a screwdriver bit. This page will not borrow an impact-wrench number. Shorter bursts and a locked bit are the practical limits. A UK review of the E-15768 says a nutsetter magnet can let the socket leave the tool.
Common questions
Can I use the 31-piece standard set in an impact driver?
You can fit the D-30667 shank into a 1/4 inch hex, and the tool will turn. The title does not say Impact Black, and UK tool guides say standard bits fatigue under the blows. At about £8.95 it is the combi-drill set here. Using it in an impact driver risks the tip. The listing does not support that as a saving.
Will Impact Black bits still snap?
Yes, they can. The B-66896 reviews mention breakage after long use even at 4.7 from 2,554 ratings. The E-12005 has a report of a shattered Pozidriv bit despite the Impact Black title. A matched recess and a screw that is not jammed matter as much as the name. The 20 per cent sentence is a claim, not a guarantee.
Do nutsetters belong in an impact driver?
The E-15768 is sold as Impact Black for that job: six magnetic sockets from 6 mm to 13 mm on 50 mm hex shanks, at about £11.95. They drive nuts, not Pozidriv screws. UK reviews say the magnet leaves the socket shallow, and one says the magnet came loose so the socket can leave the tool. Do not treat it as a deep socket for a long stud.
Does the bit set have a vibration rating?
No. HSE guidance on hand-arm vibration is written for employers and for the power tool, not for a packet of bits. These listings do not print a vibration magnitude, and this page does not invent one. Limit the time on the trigger and keep the bit seated. A star rating is not an exposure number.
Which set in the comparison is the small impact one?
The small driver set with the cleaner review file is the E-12011: ten 50 mm bits at about £9.04 and 4.6 from 814 reviews, with PH, PZ and Torx and no slotted bit. The E-12005 is a 25 mm keyring case at about £9.97, but its 4.2 from 478 reviews include latch faults and a breakage report. Pocket size is not the same as a full afternoon in an impact driver.
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)