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Pozidriv vs Phillips

Updated: October 2026

The bit cams out, the recess looks chewed, and the screw was new ten seconds ago. Pozidriv vs Phillips is that failure. The two crosses look alike, and they are cut so that the wrong driver walks out or tears the metal. You tell them apart by the tick marks on the head and by the letters on the packet, then you fit that bit and leave the other one in the case. Hex is a third drive in the [wood screws comparison](/hub/screws-and-accessories/wood-screws), a socket rather than a cross. Products Compared used bolts.co.uk and the drive fields on the amazon.co.uk listings dated 15 October 2026. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The bit cams out, the recess looks chewed, and the screw was new ten seconds ago. Pozidriv vs Phillips is that failure. The two crosses look alike, and they are cut so that the wrong driver walks out or tears the metal.

Our top picks

ForgeFix ForgeFix 4.0 x 30 mm, box of 200

Best overall

ForgeFix ForgeFix 4.0 x 30 mm, box of 200
7.8/10about £2.03
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TIMCO TIMCO Solo 5.0 x 100 mm, box of 100

Rank 2

TIMCO TIMCO Solo 5.0 x 100 mm, box of 100
9.0/10about £4.19
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Gorffy Gorffy 400-piece assortment

Rank 3

Gorffy Gorffy 400-piece assortment
7.6/10about £6.88
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On this page
  1. 1.Two crosses, one with tick marks
  2. 2.What happens if the bit is wrong
  3. 3.Which boxes print Phillips
  4. 4.Pozidriv boxes, and the two clashes

Two crosses, one with tick marks

Pozidriv is the everyday recess on UK wood screws. Between the arms of the cross you can see four short tick marks at 45 degrees. The flanks are closer to parallel, so a matching PZ bit stays seated. Phillips has a plain cross and no tick marks. The recess tapers so the driver cams out when the torque gets high. It was designed that way. Look at the rim of the recess. Extra ribs mean Pozidriv. A simple X with sloping walls means Phillips. If the packet and the screw disagree, the screw in your hand wins. BuildWiz puts PZ2 on about 3.5 mm to 5.0 mm. The millimetres do not tell you which cross you have. Size and finish sit on the buying guide.

What happens if the bit is wrong

A Phillips bit in a Pozidriv screw is the usual mix-up, because PH2 is already in the drill from plasterboard. The bit looks as if it fits, then it cams out. You get a half-driven screw and torn corners. bolts.co.uk says the Phillips driver is the wrong shape for that head. A Pozidriv bit in a Phillips screw fails the other way. The extra ribs have nowhere to go, so the bit rocks and chews the recess. A Gorffy review says the Phillips recess is shallow and skips with an electric screwdriver even with the bit the listing asks for. A PZ2 bit would make that worse. Keep the drill in line with the screw. Clutch and pilot sit on the how to use wood screws page.
ForgeFix ForgeFix 4.0 x 30 mm, box of 200

Testsieger

ForgeFix ForgeFix 4.0 x 30 mm, box of 200
7.8/10about £2.03
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Which boxes print Phillips

Phillips, in the bullet and the spec, is Gorffy and Flintronic. Gorffy’s how-to line says to use a Phillips bit. Flintronic’s head style is Phillips, and one review says PH2. The title also says M8, and many reviews describe a television kit, so confirm you received wood screws before you blame the bit. Both boxes stop at 40 mm. The drive that is not a cross is external hex, on TIMCO Index 6.7 x 150 mm. Reviews use an 8 mm socket. A cross-head bit will not turn it. For carcass work, buy the packet that says Pozidriv if you already own PZ2. Buy Gorffy or Flintronic only when you mean to drive Phillips, and only after you have seen a plain cross.

Pozidriv boxes, and the two clashes

Pozidriv is what the bullets and the drive fields say on the three ForgeFix single-size boxes, on TIMCO Solo 5.0 x 100 mm, on both Heifix assortments, and on the Brackit case. One Brackit review calls the head Philips. That comment does not rewrite the spec. If the screw shows tick marks, stay with PZ2. Two listings disagree with themselves. ForgeFast Elite 5.0 x 80 mm says Pozi in the bullets and Torx in the drive field. The ForgeFix organiser says Pozi in the bullets and Phillips in the drive field. Open the box, look for tick marks or a Torx star, and fit that driver. Prices sit on the best wood screws page.

Common questions

How do I see which recess I have?
Look for four short tick marks between the arms of the cross. Those marks mean Pozidriv. A plain cross with no ticks, and with walls that slope in, means Phillips. Check the packet for PZ or PH as well. If the printed drive and the screw disagree, trust the screw you can see. A hex head with a flange is neither cross. It takes a socket.
Will a PH2 bit turn a PZ2 screw?
It will turn it until the load rises, and then it is meant to cam out. The Phillips taper does not match the parallel Pozidriv flanks. You get a torn recess and a screw that is only partly home. Swap to a PZ2 bit for a 3.5 mm to 5.0 mm Pozidriv wood screw. Pressing harder with PH2 enlarges the damage.
Will a PZ2 bit turn a Phillips screw?
It sits badly. The ribs on the Pozidriv bit have nowhere to go in a Phillips recess, so the bit rocks and damages the head. Gorffy’s shallow Phillips heads already skip on a powered driver with the bit the listing asks for. A PZ bit is the wrong repair. Use PH2, keep the drill straight, and stop when the head is flush.
What size Pozidriv bit for a 4 mm or 5 mm screw?
PZ2. BuildWiz’s band for PZ2 is about 3.5 mm to 5.0 mm, which covers the 4.0 x 30 mm and 5.0 x 40 mm Pozi boxes here, and the 5.0 mm Solo and ForgeFast screws if the recess is Pozidriv. PZ3 is the step up from about 6.0 mm. The 6.7 mm Index screw is hex, so the Pozidriv sizes do not apply to it.
Why did the head chew even though the screw is new?
The usual reason is a Phillips bit in a Pozidriv screw, or the drill leaning off the axis so the bit walks. A soft recess does the same thing: Gorffy reviewers describe heads that round if you over-drive them. Check for tick marks, fit PZ2 or PH2 to match, and set the clutch to slip at flush. A new plating does not mean the bit was right.

Related pages

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Wood screws

Best wood screws: the box to open for indoor joints

Wood screws buying guide for size, thread and finish

Decking and sleeper screws: leave yellow zinc indoors

How to use wood screws without splitting the timber

Sources

Public UK sources on timber fasteners, UKCA, recess types, gauges and stainless grades. Listing prices and star counts are from the amazon.co.uk extracts kept for this comparison on 15 October 2026. Prices move.

  1. BSI, BS EN 14592:2022 (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  2. GOV.UK, designated standards for construction products (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  3. Fastener + Fixing, structural timber fasteners and UKCA (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  4. BS 1210:1963, withdrawn 1 July 2014 (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  5. bolts.co.uk, guide to common recess styles (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  6. B&Q, nails, screws and wall plugs (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  7. Screwsline, metric or imperial (retrieved 15 October 2026)
  8. TIMCO, stainless steel FAQ (retrieved 15 October 2026)