Bit holder or hex chuck?

Question

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.

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.

Answer 1

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.)