Best screwdriver sets 2023
Our tests reveal the best ’drivers to turn to for car work
As with many tools, buying a set is often the best way to go, and screwdrivers are no exception. It’s certainly a cost-efficient option, whether you’re building your collection from scratch or replacing those you’ve damaged or simply worn out.
For motoring applications, slotted, Phillips, hex and Torx (star) are probably the most useful types, with Pozi being more common in the home. Some sets include a selection of ’driver bits and hex keys as well as the screwdrivers to cover a wider range of fasteners. But which are the head turners? We got to grips with eight sets to find out.
How we tested them
We looked for comfort and practicality, which are key for screwdrivers, particularly for the palm of the hand when dealing with really tight fasteners. Colour coding makes it easy to get the right one in the heat of a DIY battle and if there’s a hole in the handle, then a second ’driver can be used as a T bar to apply more torque. Magnetic tips are always useful to prevent fasteners slipping into the engine bay or cavities, and a case or rack helps keep the tools clean and together. We also took price into account.
Verdict
Our top three are incredibly close, with the Siegen just edging out the Silverline 248250 and the Draper Combination sets.
- Siegen 12pc Soft Grip Screwdriver Set
- Silverline General Purpose Screwdriver Set 12pce
- Draper 44 Piece Soft Grip Screwdriver, Hex Key And Bit Set
Reviews
Siegen 12pc Soft Grip Screwdriver Set
- Price: Around £18
- Rating: 5/5 stars
- Screwdriver type: 5 SL, 3 PH, 4 TRX
- Contact: sealey.co.uk
Brightly colour-coded in red, blue and orange, these tools make sure you never pick the wrong one, and there is a good selection of types across slotted, Phillips and Torx. We like the spread of sizes, from 200mm slotted to a couple of useful stubbies, and found the handles comfortable, with grippy, nobbly sides and similar sections at the base so that the forefinger and thumb don’t slip. At £1.50 each, the price is reasonable and our only niggle is the lack of a case.
Silverline General Purpose Screwdriver Set 12pce
- Price: Around £12
- Rating: 4.5/5 stars
- Screwdriver type: 6 SL, 3 PH, 3 PZ
- Contact: silverlinetools.com
Typically, Silverline leads on price, with the cost per ’driver of just 98p. Yet this is a comprehensive set, which includes slotted, Phillips and Pozi sizes. We like the rubberised handles, which are grippy and comfortable to use, while featuring coloured sections within the centre to identify them.
Handle holes and magnetic blades are also plus points, and the indents at the base of the handles prevent oily fingers slipping. It would have been good to include more than one stubby and, as with the Siegen, there is no case.
Draper 44 Piece Soft Grip Screwdriver, Hex Key And Bit Set 81294
- Price: Around £22
- Screwdriver type: 6 SL, 4 PH, 4 PZ, 3 TX, bit holder, 16 Hex, 10 bits
- Contact: 023 8049 4333, www.drapertools.com
- Rating: 4/5
Draper’s collection comes in a plastic stand for either the bench or wall. It has a wide selection of drivers, being the only one to include Torx options as well as Phillips, Pozi and slotted heads, plus 10 bits fitted into a fold-out holder, and two sets of hex keys.
The drivers are magnetic, but there are no stubbies, although their handles are comfortable and the hex moulding prevents them rolling on flat surfaces. Our biggest complaint is a lack of colour coding, which means choosing from the stacked stand is a bit of a lottery.
Silverline Mechanic’s Screwdriver Set 11pc 324731
- Price: Around £12
- Rating: 4.5/5 stars
- Screwdriver type: 6 SL, 3 PH, 3 PZ
- Contact: silverlinetools.com
Typically, Silverline leads on price, with the cost per ’driver of just 98p. Yet this is a comprehensive set, which includes slotted, Phillips and Pozi sizes. We like the rubberised handles, which are grippy and comfortable to use, while featuring coloured sections within the centre to identify them.
Handle holes and magnetic blades are also plus points, and the indents at the base of the handles prevent oily fingers slipping. It would have been good to include more than one stubby and, as with the Siegen, there is no case.
Draper Soft Grip Screwdriver, Hex Key And Bit Set (44 Piece)
- Price: Around £25
- Rating: 4.5/5 stars
- Screwdriver type: 6 SL, 4 PH, 4 PZ, 3 TX, 16 Hex, 10 bits
- Contact: drapertools.com
This Draper is one of three sets to come in a plastic stand, and it can sit on the bench or be screwed to the wall to prevent cluttering the work space. The range is impressive, because it is one of only two sets (along with the Clarke) to offer ’drivers in all our basic categories, along with 16 hex keys (metric and imperial) and 10 bits.
We found the handles comfortable and the hex moulding round the base stops them rolling off the bench. But having no colour coding is a bind, making it tricky to pick the right one from the stand.
Clarke PRO407 44 Piece Hammer Through Screwdriver & Bit Set
- Price: Around £40
- Rating: 4/5 stars
- Screwdriver type: 5 SL, 4 PH,4 PZ, 4 TRX, 16 hex, 10 bits
- Contact: machinemart.co.uk
This is a seriously heavy, and heavy-duty, set from Clarke, because they are a hammer-through design, where the shaft continues to the top of the handle, and the blades are tough enough to cope with this kind of pounding. That makes them more expensive, but about par for the course.
We like the wide-ranging selection, all of which are clearly colour coded and the shafts are hex rather than round. The handles are grippy and have finger indents at the base. As a bonus, the bench/wall stand includes 10 bits and 16 hex keys in separate plastic holders.
Halfords Advanced 8 piece Screwdriver Set
- Price: Around £13
- Rating: 3.5/5 stars
- Screwdriver type: 4 SL, 4PZ
- Contact: halfords.com
This Halfords set is very well made and the colour coding is particularly effective, with red or yellow tops and a series of coloured dots down the handles. Handles are soft but grippy, with the sizes clearly marked and with smooth and shiny plastic tops, which make applying pressure easier on the palm.
The tapering handle design does mean that the grip is compromised in high-torque situations, especially with greasy fingers. We’d have preferred Phillips over Pozi, but we like the inclusion of twin stubbies.
Silverline Soft-Grip Screwdriver Set 18pce
- Price: Around £14
- Rating: 3.5/5 stars
- Screwdriver type: 4 SL, 4 PZ, 10 precision
- Contact: silverlinetools.com
Again, Silverline is among the least expensive on test, although these ’drivers do feel a bit low rent, with plenty of plastic flashing on the handles. Although the sizes are marked on one side, there is no colour coding. The plastic rack keeps everything together and can be set on the bench or wall-mounted. The precision drivers – two slotted, two Phillips and six Torx – could be useful, particularly for smaller electrical items, and the main ’drivers include a couple of stubbies, but with Pozi rather than Phillips for crossheads.
Draper Expert Soft Grip Screwdriver Set (6 Piece)
- Price: Around £16
- Rating: 3/5 stars
- Screwdriver type: 2 SL, 2 PH, 2 PZ
- Contact: drapertools.com
What a superbly made set this is – well finished and top quality all round. The handles are really comfortable and feature a grippy, grained surface, which is always handy when working with greasy hands. They look good in light blue and black, but we’d have preferred better colour coding, which is limited to the tops of the handles. There are holes for a T bar and all are magnetic, but having just six tools spread across three types is a bit limiting, and there are no stubbies or really large ’drivers.
Halfords Advanced 6pc Screwdriver Set
- Price: Around £13
- Rating: 3/5 stars
- Screwdriver type: 3 SL, 3 PH
- Contact: halfords.com
Unsurprisingly, this Halfords Advanced set is all but identical to the eight-piece collection we tried, but with two fewer ’drivers. The other major difference is that three of the six are Phillips rather than Pozis, although neither set features a stubby. They are colour coded, with two sets of three dots on the handles, which are the same style and equally comfortable.
The lightweight plastic tray keeps them together, although they are a touch pricey, at just over £2 each (oddly, this set costs the same as the eight-piece option), albeit with a lifetime guarantee.
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