1. Milwaukee 27-in-1 — the widest bit range of the three
The Milwaukee covers the widest range of screws of the three, which is why we recommend it for most people. Milwaukee’s own spec sheet for the 48-22-2904 lists 26 bits plus a 1/4-inch nut driver. The nut driver is a small socket that fits one common size of hex-head screw. Everything stores inside the handle, so you can swap bits without hunting for a loose one. The bits cover Phillips, slotted, square and Torx in the common sizes. There is no Pozidriv bit. Pozidriv screws look like Phillips, but they have extra small lines between the slots. If your house has them, buy a PZ1 and a PZ2 bit. The slotted bits are sized in inches, and the hex bits come in both inch and metric sizes.
Milwaukee says its all-metal ratchet is built to last and gives more turning force. The front bit holder pulls out. Its end is a six-sided 1/4-inch rod that fits straight into a drill, so you can power-drive screws when there are too many to do by hand. It costs more than a plain fixed driver, and it’s a bigger thing to hold than the stubby Bosch below. (Joel: one of these does the job of several separate screwdrivers.)
2. Wera Kraftform Kompakt 27 RA 2 — the most comfortable to use all day
Buy the Wera if you drive screws often and want the most comfortable handle. The Kraftform handle is shaped to fit your palm and has flat sides so it won’t roll off the bench, and the ratchet is fine-toothed — it has more, smaller teeth, so it catches again after only a small twist, which helps in a tight corner. A ring on the handle sets it to drive, lock or reverse. The blade takes any standard 1/4-inch bit, and its six bits store in a magazine inside the handle.
Two things to weigh up: the price and the bit list. It costs close to double the Milwaukee. It comes with only six bits: two Phillips, two slotted and two square. There is no Torx or Pozidriv bit in the box, so you’ll need to buy a few to match the screws in your house. If you use a hand driver most days and comfort matters to you, buy the Wera. (Matt: I use a comfortable tool more often, so the extra cost is worth it to me.)
3. Bosch Home & Garden Stubby — fits where a full-length driver won’t
The Bosch is a stubby — a very short screwdriver, barely longer than your palm — and that is the main reason to buy it. Use it inside a cabinet, behind a toilet cistern or under a shelf, where a full-length driver won’t fit. It has a 36-tooth ratchet with a ring on the handle for switching between drive, lock and reverse, a magnet in the tip to hold the bit, and six colour-coded bits stored in the handle. The bits are one Phillips, two Pozidriv, one slotted, one Torx and one hex. It’s the only driver here that comes with Pozidriv bits. It’s rated to about 50 newton-metres of turning force, which is plenty for the small screws a stubby handles.
It costs much less than the other two, which is reasonable for a tool you only use in tight spots. It has two limits. With only six bits, most drive types come in just one size. The short handle is also tiring to use when you drive a lot of screws in open space. Keep a stubby in a kitchen drawer so you can reach cupboard hinges and other close work.
What to look at before you buy
Four things separate these three drivers. The ratchet is first: a finer-toothed ratchet catches again after a shorter twist, which matters when your hand only has a few degrees to move in a corner. Most decent ones also lock solid, so you can use the tool as a plain screwdriver for the first firm turn or the final tighten. Next is the bit range — how many drive types and sizes come with it, and whether it takes standard 1/4-inch bits so you can add more. Screws come in a long list of drive types. Around a house you will meet several of them, including Phillips, Pozidriv, slotted, square and Torx. A Phillips bit can slip out of a Pozidriv screw and damage the screw head, so use the matching bit. The Bosch comes with Pozidriv bits, but the Milwaukee and the Wera don’t.
Then there’s reach. A full-length driver gives you more turning force and a comfortable grip in open space. A stubby gives you less turning force and a smaller grip, and it fits in tight spots where a full-length one won’t. Last is where the bits are stored — in the handle, or in a separate case that is easy to lose. For most people, buy a full-size multi-bit driver with the bits in the handle first. Add a stubby later as a cheap second driver. If you often drive long runs of screws by hand and want a powered tool instead, look at a drill or an impact driver. These bits use the standard 1/4-inch hex fitting, so they physically fit an impact driver too. An impact driver hammers as it turns, and that can snap an ordinary bit, so buy impact-rated bits if you use one.
Warranty and your consumer rights
Check where a Milwaukee tool comes from before you count on its warranty. Milwaukee’s Australian warranty covers only tools bought from an authorised Milwaukee retailer in Australia or New Zealand. It says the warranty is not valid for tools bought on marketplace websites. If you buy from a marketplace seller, the maker’s warranty does not apply. Your rights under Australian Consumer Law are separate. If a tool is faulty or fails much sooner than it should, you may be able to get a repair, replacement or refund from the seller. The ACCC explains these consumer guarantees.
The verdict
You want one driver that handles most screws in the house: the Milwaukee 27-in-1. Twenty-six bits and a nut driver in the handle, an all-metal ratchet, and a front holder you can fit into a drill for bigger jobs. Add a couple of Pozidriv bits if your house uses them. We’d recommend it for most people, and it’s reasonably priced for what it does.
You drive screws often and want the most comfortable tool: the Wera Kraftform Kompakt 27 RA 2. The smoothest ratchet and the best handle here, worth the extra if you use it most days — just budget for a few more bits, since it comes with six.
You need a driver short enough for a tight space: the Bosch stubby. Short, cheap and handy in a cupboard or behind a cistern, with six bits in the handle. Buy it as a second driver to use alongside a full-size one.
Choose based on the screw types you use and how tight the spaces are. For most home sheds, we recommend the Milwaukee 27-in-1.
