Which Multi-Bit Screwdriver Do You Need? 11-in-1, Tamperproof, Precision or Hollow Nut Drivers

An 11-in-1 stores seven screwdriver tips and four nut driver sizes in one handle. Klein's 32500HD lists Phillips #1 and #2, slotted 1/4 and 3/16 inch, square #1 and #2 and TORX T25, plus 1/4, 5/16, 3/8 and 1/2-inch nut drivers. That covers outlets and switch plates, cabinet hardware, appliances and most furniture.

Klein makes two versions with the same sizes. The classic 32500 is the original. The 32500HD adds a 1/4-inch quick-connect on the power nut drivers so they also fit an impact driver, and Klein rates the 1/4, 5/16 and 3/8-inch ones for impact use. Amazon also lists a KNECT 32500HDRT version with a ratcheting handle.

Tamperproof or security screws have a pin in the middle of the head, or an unusual spanner slot, so an ordinary bit won't seat. They turn up on dryers and other appliances, game consoles, bathroom partitions, signs and outdoor fixtures.

Klein's 32307 stores 26 double-sided security bits in its handle: nine tamperproof TORX sizes (T7 to T40), ten tamperproof hex sizes (3/32 inch to 5 mm), TORQ-SET TS6, TS8 and TS10, and spanner SP4 to SP10, plus a 1/4-inch nut driver. It has no ordinary Phillips or slotted tips, so it goes alongside an everyday screwdriver.

Laptops, controllers, glasses and small gadgets use screws far smaller than an 11-in-1's tips, and the wrong bit strips them quickly. A precision set carries many small bit profiles in one case.

Klein's 32787 lists 33 precision bits, 16 standard bits and 11 nut drivers, with an adjustable-length screwdriver, a micro-ratchet for cramped spaces and magnetic 1/4-inch and 3.5 mm bit holders, in a compact MODbox case. The trade-off is loose bits: slower to grab than one driver, and easier to lose outside the case.

If you'd rather grab a fixed screwdriver than swap bits, Klein's 85617 is eight precision drivers with rotating caps: Phillips #00 and #0, slotted 3/32 and 1/8 inch, and tamperproof TORX T6H to T15H for the pin-in-the-middle screws on consoles and laptops. It has no case and fewer sizes than a bit kit.

A standard nut driver stops turning when the bolt sticks out further than the socket is deep. Hollow nut drivers have an open shaft, so the bolt or threaded rod passes through and the nut keeps going down.

Klein's 32950 set has six color-coded SAE sizes from 1/4 to 9/16 inch with a 3-3/4-inch hollow core on 5-inch shafts. They're impact rated with a 1/4-inch hex end, and the set includes a ratcheting handle for hand driving.

If your bolts are short and you want fewer tools, flip sockets are the compact option. Klein's 32910 stacks three double-ended, impact-rated sockets for six sizes from 1/4 to 9/16 inch on one magnetic shaft, with a quick-connect handle. Klein says the sockets are shallow, for hex-head fasteners, so they won't pass over a long bolt the way hollow drivers do.

Inside electrical boxes, behind appliances or under cabinets, a full-length screwdriver often won't fit. A mini ratchet is the answer there. Klein's 65200 is about 4.3 inches long and 0.8 inches tall, and its 72-tooth head needs only a 5-degree swing. The head drives 1/4 and 5/16-inch hex nuts and takes 1/4-inch bits, and the set includes #1 and #2 Phillips, two slotted bits and a socket adapter. With no handle, it gives less leverage than a screwdriver, so it's an extra tool rather than a replacement.

Klein lists all of these as not insulated, so they don't protect against electrical shock. Turn the power off at the breaker before opening an electrical box, or buy tools that are explicitly rated and marked as insulated for live work.

• Worth buying: you keep a drawer of loose screwdrivers, or you often stop a job to find the right bit.
• Skip the specialist sets if you only meet ordinary screws: the 11-in-1 alone covers them.
• What you have may be enough: if your drill or impact driver came with a bit set and a magnetic holder, you mainly gain a hand driver for quick jobs.