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How to use a precision screwdriver

Updated: 22 October 2026

The last small screw you touched jumped the bit and left a bright ring in the recess. That is usually fit and pressure, not a mystery alloy. How to use a precision screwdriver means keeping the tip seated, the shaft in line, and stopping when the tip starts to rise. The ranked rows are the [precision screwdriver comparison](/hub/hand-tools/precision-screwdriver). Peter F. used amazon.co.uk review themes and public repair notes on 22 October 2026, not a torque lab. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The last small screw you touched jumped the bit and left a bright ring in the recess. That is usually fit and pressure, not a mystery alloy.

Our top picks

Bosch Bosch 13-piece precision set

Best overall

Bosch Bosch 13-piece precision set
8.6/10about £25.41
View offer
JOREST JOREST 40-piece precision set

Rank 2

JOREST JOREST 40-piece precision set
9.4/10about £9.99
View offer
JOREST JOREST 40-piece CR-V set

Best value

JOREST JOREST 40-piece CR-V set
9.4/10about £9.99
View offer
On this page
  1. 1.Pick the bit that fills the head
  2. 2.Pressure, angle, and the first turn
  3. 3.Magnets, swivel caps, and cases
  4. 4.When to put the driver down

Pick the bit that fills the head

The right bit is the largest one that drops into the recess and fills it. iFixit puts a PH000 at about 1.5 mm and a PH00 at about 2 mm. Those are their Phillips figures, not a measurement of these sets. A size too small spins in the middle. A size too big sits on the rim. Try the neighbour sizes while the screw is still undamaged. A Phillips cross is not Pozidriv, and it is not pentalobe. A plain Torx bit will not pass a security pin. iFixit separates Phillips from JIS, the Japanese cross that still rounds on a sloppy PH0. UK reviews say Bosch's PH0, PH00, and PH000 cam out even though the sizes are printed. iPhone profiles are on the precision screwdriver for iPhone page.

Pressure, angle, and the first turn

Keep the shaft in line with the screw and push along it, not sideways. iFixit says a powered driver strips a phone head before you feel the cam-out. When the tip rises, stop. For a screw you are putting back, turn anti-clockwise until the thread drops, then clockwise. The Fanttik listing prints 0.05, 0.1, 0.2, 0.4, and 0.6 N·m. UK reviews say the lowest stated gear can still strip heads. The shaft is not a pry bar. A plastic spudger, if the kit has one, is the clip tool. Hinge work is on the screwdriver for glasses page.
Bosch Bosch 13-piece precision set

Testsieger

Bosch Bosch 13-piece precision set
8.6/10about £25.41
View offer

Magnets, swivel caps, and cases

On the JOREST pocket set a UK review says the bit stays dead until a separate ring is fitted. On Gareschten the tips were not magnetic, or the magnet was weak, and a magnetiser arrived with no instructions. Do not invent a method the leaflet does not give. Test over the table, not over the open device. A swivel cap lets one finger spin a screw that is already moving. It is not a clutch. Take your finger off it when the screw starts to tighten. JKG's box does not click shut. STREBITO bits fall out when the lid closes. Fanttik bits leave the rotary store when it is turned. Seat the bit you need before you open the device.

When to put the driver down

Stop when the recess is already round. A fresh bit has nothing left to bite, and forcing it can snap the head off in the hole. Stop when the cover is glued and the only way on is a steel lever, and when a battery is swollen. Do not puncture the pack. None of these handles is an insulated electrician's driver. The Health and Safety Executive's guidance is to isolate the supply before a metal shaft goes near a terminal or a damaged flex. A plastic grip does not change that. A laptop panel, a console shell, or a hinge is still in reach when the bit fills the head and the shaft stays straight.

Common questions

How do I know the bit is the right size?
It sits flat, fills the recess, and does not rock when you tilt the handle a fraction. iFixit puts PH000 near 1.5 mm and PH00 near 2 mm as a Phillips scale. A printed size on a listing can still be a loose fit, which is what UK reviews say about Bosch's small Phillips tips. Try the neighbour size while the screw is intact. The one that cams out on a gentle turn is the wrong one.
What do I do if the bit cams out on the first turn?
Stop. Change to the largest bit that actually fills the head, set the shaft back in line, and try one slow turn with axial pressure. Do not lean harder on the same bit. If the recess is already smooth, the screw is no longer a hand job. Prying the case to get a better angle bends the shaft and marks the device.
Can I pry the case with the driver?
No. The shaft is for turning a screw that is already seated. A plastic spudger, if the kit has one, is what you use on a clip. Steel under a screen or a glued cover marks the frame and bends the tip. If the cover will not release without a lever, that is the point where a repair shop takes over, especially if a battery is swollen.
How do I magnetise a bit that arrived dead?
Only if the kit includes a magnetiser and tells you how to use it. Several UK reviews describe a dead tip, a separate ring, or a magnetiser with no instructions. Test over a table with a spare screw. If the bit still will not hold it, use tweezers and keep the driver for turning. Do not assume a magnetic title has already done this for you.
When should I stop and pay a repair shop?
When the screw is already round, the battery is swollen, the cover is glued and will not lift without steel, or the work is next to a live terminal you have not isolated. A shop can extract a snapped head and deal with a battery. Carrying on with a fresh bit in a polished recess usually leaves a stub in the hole. Spectacle hinges that will not turn without the frame flexing belong with an optician for the same reason.

Related pages

Precision screwdriver buying guide

Precision screwdriver

Best precision screwdriver set: who should skip it

Screwdriver for glasses: hinge flats and thickness

Precision screwdriver for iPhone bottom screws (P2)

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. A hardness figure on a bullet was not measured here.

  1. HSE, work near electricity (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  2. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 22 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  3. Which?, what to do with a faulty product (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  4. ISO 8764-1:2004, cross-recess screwdriver tips (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  5. ISO 2380-1:2004, slotted screwdriver tips (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  6. Wera Kraftform Micro 12 Universal 1 (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  7. Klein Tools UK, precision screwdriver set (retrieved 22 October 2026)
  8. iFixit, pentalobe screwdrivers (retrieved 22 October 2026)