Security Torx bit set: fit the pin, then leave the rest

The star bit you use on decking stops dead on a small pin in the middle of the screw. A security Torx bit set is the tin with a hole through the star tip. A plain Torx, a bigger Torx, or a Phillips you lean on will not pass it.

You only need that holed bit when the screw has the pin, and only on a cover you are allowed to lift. Gas appliances and consumer units are the hard stop. Figures are from twelve amazon.co.uk listings read on 15 October 2026 and from Electrical Safety First's note on electric screwdrivers. We did not lab-test the bits. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

In short

A security Torx bit set is worth buying when a star screw has a pin and a solid Torx will not seat. The Bosch 32-piece extra-hard set lists holed Th sizes and was £8.36. The Faithfull 61-piece set adds hex security and spanner bits at £8.99. Leave gas appliances and consumer units, and do not buy 232 pieces to turn one screw.

A pin in the star is a different bit

Ordinary Torx is a six-point star. T20 or T25 is the size of that star, not a Pozidriv number. Security Torx, tamper Torx and a Torx with a hole are the same star with the centre open, so a pin can enter the tip. The Bosch extra-hard contents line marks those holed sizes as Th. A solid bit meets the pin and stops.

The usual mistake costs the screw. T20 will not drop in, so you try T25 and add pressure. The lobes skate, the pin bruises, and the recess starts to shine. Cam-out can throw the bit, so keep your other hand clear of the chuck. If metal stands in the middle of the star, look for a bit with a hole.

Hex security is a different pin. The Faithfull contents list hex security bits at 2, 2.5, 3, 4, 5 and 6 mm beside the tamperproof Torx, because a six-sided recess will not accept a star. Spanner bits on that list are 4 mm (two of them), 6, 8 and 10 mm. Torx Plus is not named on these listings.

What a home security Torx bit set includes

In the listings we read, a home security Torx bit set is a 1/4 inch hex shank plus a short list of holed sizes. Bosch Professional's GB pages cite ISO 1173 as C 6.3, the standard 1/4 inch holder. If Th or tamper is missing from the contents line, the holder does not matter.

The sizes written on the Bosch tin

The top pick on our bit set comparison is the Bosch 32-piece extra-hard set, model 2607017319. On 15 October 2026 it was £8.36, rated 4.7 from 26,022 reviews. It names Phillips, Pozidriv, slotted, Torx, security Torx and hex, with 31 bits at 25 mm and a magnetic holder. The included-components line lists Th 10, 15, 20, 25, 27, 30 and 40 beside solid Torx from T10 to T40. Those two lines do not match exactly, so check the tin.

The bits are 25 mm. The listing describes drill drivers, not an impact rating. Reviewers call the layout easy to read and the plastic case easy to break. One review says the PH2 bits break quite easily, and the warranty field says no warranty. Extra hard is a listing phrase. If an impact driver already snaps your tips, see the impact driver bit set page.

Faithfull, and the sets that skip the pin

The Faithfull FAISBSET61 is the best value when the pin is why you are shopping: £8.99, 4.6 from 240 reviews, listed at 400 g. Contents name tamperproof T10, T15, T20, T25, T27, T30 and T35, plus hex security, spanner bits, three PZ2, three PH2 and a 60 mm magnetic adaptor. You miss the Bosch tamper T40. Reviewers call the tips average, rust follows a damp case, and the drive-system field says Phillips only.

The Wera Bit-Check 30 was £19.13, 4.7 from 3,843 reviews, with Pozidriv, Phillips, Hex-Plus, Torx and slotted, and no security Torx. Pay that for a 227 g pocket case when you do not need the pin. The colour-coded Bosch at £11.77 marks security Torx, and one lid had to be taped. The 43-piece set at £14.50 names tamper Torx and S2 steel, without a size list. The buying guide sets those case limits next to the recess list.

Panels you can open and panels you leave

A service cover on a small appliance you have unplugged is the job these bits are for. The cover is a panel, not a part that holds gas or a live busbar. Seat the holed bit and turn slowly. A 25 mm bit can chew a T10 if you hold the trigger as if you were driving a woodscrew. Use a low clutch.

A pin does not make the cover yours. If the screw is on a gas hob, a boiler, a gas fire, or any appliance that burns gas, stop and call a professional. You cannot see the joint behind the casing from the recess.

The consumer unit and anything still live

Leave a consumer-unit cover on. These sets are not insulated. Electrical Safety First's advice on electric screwdrivers is to stop using a damaged tool, seat the bit, and stay off live equipment. If you cannot show the circuit is isolated, stop. The same stop applies to a stair or brake fixing, and to any screw with a stated torque. A bit set does not measure newton-metres.

A Th bit of the right size may seat in a pinned star on a games console. The SWANLAKE listing also names tri-wing, which a star bit will not turn. If the first holed bit rocks, stop. The best bit set page compares tins. It does not walk you through a console.

You do not need 232 pieces for one screw

The SWANLAKE 232-piece set was £27.99 and 3.07 kg, rated 4.5 from 2,159 reviews, with tamper Torx among the named profiles. One review cites Torx from T4 to T40. Bits fall out, more than one review says a bit snapped on first use, and rust shows up after rain. One reviewer counted duplicates rather than 232 distinct pieces. It is a poor answer to a single pinned T20.

Bahco names tamper Torx without that bulk. The 54-piece set was £14.95, 4.7 from 790 reviews, and the 100-piece set was £19.43, 4.7 from 979 reviews. Reviewers put some bits at about 150 mm: long enough for a buried screw, and easy to snap if you side-load the shaft. Both pages print an item weight of 9 g, the listing figure rather than a weighed case.

Draper's 127-piece set was £28.97, rated 4.6 from 2,926 reviews, with a lifetime warranty line on the listing. Security bits appear in reviews rather than on the compatibility line, which names TX-STAR, Phillips, slotted and hex. If Th, tamper, or security Torx is not printed, assume you do not have the pin bit until the case is open in your hand.

Seat the bit, then stop if it rocks

Clear paint and grease from the recess before you choose a size. The pin should enter the hole, and the six points should fill the star. If the bit sits proud, it is too big or still solid Torx. If it rattles, it is too small. On the Bosch list the steps run 10, then 15, then 20. Skipping two sizes is how a T10 tip twists off in a T20 screw.

Keep the driver in line with the screw and use a clutch that clicks early. The Bosch magnetic holder locks the bit. The Faithfull adaptor is 60 mm and magnetic. A weak magnet is a contents problem, not a reason to grip the bit in the chuck jaws. These bits are not insulated, so keep the machine away from anything you have not unplugged.

Stop at the second miss. A shining recess means the next turn makes a worse screw. A bit that arrives broken is a faulty-goods question under the Consumer Rights Act 2015. The how to use page is the longer sequence for ordinary screws. For a pin: hole over the pin, a size that does not rock, and a panel you are allowed to open.