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Pozidriv or Phillips bit: the tick marks on the screw

Updated: 23 October 2026

A woodscrew, a chipboard screw and a plasterboard screw can all look like a cross. The Pozidriv or Phillips bit you pick will either sit in the recess or ride up and strip it. Pozidriv is usual on UK timber screws. Many plasterboard screws ask for Phillips, often PH2. Torx is a star, a third choice rather than a near miss. The [Makita bit set comparison](/hub/hand-tools/makita-bit-set) shows which sets contain the bits. Listings are from amazon.co.uk on 19 October 2026. Peter F. used maker pages and UK fastener guides, not a lab. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

A woodscrew, a chipboard screw and a plasterboard screw can all look like a cross. The Pozidriv or Phillips bit you pick will either sit in the recess or ride up and strip it. Pozidriv is usual on UK timber screws.

Our top picks

Makita Makita E-12011 10-piece Impact Black

Best overall

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

Alternative

Makita Makita D-30667 31-piece bit set
7.3/10about £8.95
View offer
Makita Makita E-12005 10-piece pocket set

Alternative

Makita Makita E-12005 10-piece pocket set
7.8/10about £9.97
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.The tick marks are the whole test
  2. 2.Timber, plasterboard, then Torx
  3. 3.What that means for a Makita set
  4. 4.Two sets do not answer the recess at all

The tick marks are the whole test

Look at the screw, not the bit already in the driver. A Pozidriv recess has four small tick marks, one in each corner between the arms of the cross. A Phillips recess is a plain cross with no ticks. If the ticks are there, you want a PZ bit of the size on the box. If they are absent and the box says PH, you want Phillips. Bolts.co.uk says you can physically put a Phillips bit in a Pozidriv screw, but you should not. The bit sits on the outer edges and the head loses its corners. A Phillips bit in a Pozidriv screw climbs out under load. A Pozidriv bit in a Phillips screw is the same class of mismatch on a soft plasterboard head.

Timber, plasterboard, then Torx

For a typical UK woodscrew, start with Pozidriv unless the box says otherwise. BuildWiz puts PZ2 at about 3.5 to 5 mm. That band is their guide, not a British Standard, and the box wins if it prints PZ1 or PZ3. If the bit rocks in a new screw, you are on the wrong size. Plasterboard is the exception. Knauf’s UK plasterboard screws are countersunk Ph2 heads. Use PH2 on the boards, then swap back to PZ2 for timber. The B-68432 drywall bits have no drive stamp, so do not assume PH2. Torx is next when the head is a six-point star. A PZ2 will not seat in a T25. The E-12011 lists T15 to T30, the E-12005 lists T15, T20 and T30 with no T25, and the D-30667 runs from T10 to T40. The impact question depends on the title, not the recess.
Makita Makita E-12011 10-piece Impact Black

Testsieger

Makita Makita E-12011 10-piece Impact Black
8.8/10about £9.04
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What that means for a Makita set

A set that answers this page contains both PZ2 and PH2, because a UK day often moves from timber to plasterboard. The E-12011 at about £9.04 and the E-12005 at about £9.97 list PH1 to PH3 and PZ1 to PZ3. Neither lists a slotted bit, so a flat-head screw in an old hinge is still a separate piece. The D-30667, at about £8.95, prints five PZ2 bits, plus Phillips, Torx and slotted sizes given as 4, 55 and 65. It is not titled Impact Black. You can own the right recess and still pick the wrong tool. The E-06270, the B-68432 and the E-10730 also name both crosses, then add masonry and metal drills. That is fair when you wanted the drills, and muddled when the only lesson was PZ versus PH.

Two sets do not answer the recess at all

Two sets do not answer the question at all. The E-15768 is six nutsetters from 6 mm to 13 mm and has no cross-head bit. The D-73455 is four countersink drills for No 6 to No 12 short wood screws and will not turn a Pozidriv or a Phillips screw home. Buying either because the search said bit set leaves you with the same stripped head you started with. Read the screw box once more before you open a fresh pack.

Common questions

How do I tell Pozidriv from Phillips on the screw?
Pozidriv has four tick marks between the arms of the cross. Phillips is a cross without those ticks. If paint fills the ticks, read the box or the stamp, PZ or PH, instead of forcing a bit that only sits on the rim. The bit already in the driver is the wrong place to start. A firm push on the wrong cross still strips the head.
Which bit for a UK woodscrew?
Use Pozidriv for most UK timber and chipboard screws, and use the size printed on the box. BuildWiz suggests PZ2 for about 3.5 mm to 5 mm as a guide only, not as a standard. A box that says PZ3 is not a suggestion you override because PZ2 feels close. If the bit rocks before it turns, stop.
Which bit for plasterboard?
Use Phillips when the plasterboard screws say PH2. Knauf’s UK plasterboard screws are countersunk Ph2 heads. A Pozidriv bit will feel nearly right and still chew the head, especially on a soft bugle head. When you go back to timber in the same hour, change back to PZ2.
Can I use PZ2 in a PH2 screw if it feels close?
No. Close is the start of cam-out. Bolts.co.uk warns against driving a Pozidriv screw with a Phillips bit, and the reverse is the same mismatch on plasterboard. If the bit rocks before the trigger, it is the wrong recess or the wrong size. Change it while the corners of the head are still sharp.
When do I need Torx instead?
Use Torx when the screw head is a six-point star, which you will see on decking and on many cabinet screws. PZ2 does not fit a star, and Phillips does not either. The E-12011 includes T15 to T30. The D-30667 bullet runs from T10 to T40. The E-12005 lists T15, T20 and T30, not T25. A missing star bit is not a reason to lean on a cross-head.

Related pages

How to use Makita screwdriver bits

Makita bits for an impact driver

Makita bit set buying guide

Makita bit set

Best Makita bit set for impact drivers on amazon.co.uk

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)