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A novice DIY-er, I'm building out my arsenal of tools. One of the things that has been possible me is the bit holder vs the hex chuck.

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When buying bits, so far I've gone for the Irwin impact-ready line. They lock securely into the hex chuck of my impact driver and they won't come out unless I pull back the sleeve on the driver, popping the bit out. The bit holder is from an old machine, but despite not being impact-ready it locks nicely into my driver too.

Given I have the choice in what type of bits I buy, is there any reason for me to prefer "an impact ready bit holder with bits for it" vs. "directly inserting impact ready bits into the hex chuck on the driver" ?

Appreciate any comments to clear up this confusion for me.

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Both are good and functional. It probably boils down to preference, at the end of the day.

Bit holder:

+uses cheaper 1" bits

+over time, you'll probably acquire bit sets that include a bunch of 1" bits, so there's a good place to use them

+for obscure bit sizes, like Torx 15, you probably won't bother getting long ones, so this is what you'll need

+you'll occasionally need to stick the 1" bit directly in the nose (because of a lack of room), so having short bits around is useful

-bit holders that aren't 'impact ready' can break in time. For a couple of bucks, you'll replace it. Eventually, you'll lose your mind and buy something like a Wera Rapidaptor for $25 or so.

-a tiny bit more wobbly than a direct bit

Impact-ready bits:

+a little bigger and harder to lose in your pockets

+if you buy 3" long ones, they'll interchange with your Picquic screwdriver

+(edited in, following comments) a longer bit will sometimes let you get into a tight spot or sink a screw more deeply than the bit holder

-a little more expensive, and heartbreaking when they break. (And they will. At the least convenient time possible.)

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  • The Wera you mention, is that similar to the Irwin Impact Quick Change Extension? It looks very similar. Don't have access to Wera products where I am :(
    – Rob de Jonge
    Oct 23 '16 at 16:44
  • Irwin's impact models look to be fairly similar. Only thing is that the nose looks a little bulkier (which can be a bit bothersome sometimes) and I'm not sure if the collar would spin freely (so you can grab and stabilize). But that reminds me of another 'pro' that I'll add to the impact-ready bit section...
    – Aloysius Defenestrate
    Oct 23 '16 at 16:56
  • Yeah, I saw the spinning freely thing. Perhaps worth trying to persuade someone to bring me that Wera when next visiting Thailand. Thanks again for the comments!
    – Rob de Jonge
    Oct 23 '16 at 16:58
  • You pay airfare, and I'll bring you two!
    – Aloysius Defenestrate
    Oct 23 '16 at 16:59
  • 1
    Sounds like a great deal. Not for me though! ;-)
    – Rob de Jonge
    Oct 23 '16 at 17:09

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