The Best Drill and Driver Bit Sets: 4 Compared (and One to Skip)

RBE top pick

Milwaukee SHOCKWAVE Impact Duty Drill and Drive Set (50-Piece)

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The Milwaukee set wins on the two things that matter most, tip wear resistance and impact-duty shanks, with almost no filler. The DeWalt 100-piece is the close runner-up when you want broader coverage in one box.

Most drill-and-driver bit sets are sold on piece count, which is exactly the wrong thing to judge them by. We weighed what actually matters, which is tip hardness, whether the driving bits are impact rated, and drill-bit quality, using the makers' own product pages, and landed on two clear buys, one that depends on how hard you'll use it, and one count-trap to skip.

RBE top pick

Milwaukee

Milwaukee SHOCKWAVE Impact Duty Drill and Drive Set (50-Piece)

Buy it

Nails the fundamentals: impact-duty SHOCKZONE driving bits, drill bits in the mix, and almost no wasted count.

Best for: Anyone running a cordless impact driver or drill who wants bits that survive real work

$$ · mid-range

Why we like it

• SHOCKZONE shanks, optimized per tip type, absorb peak torque to prevent breakage
• Wear Guard tips with custom heat treat, and tip geometry Milwaukee says reduces stripping
• Curated 50-piece mix of drill and driving bits with laser-etched sizes
• Customizable case is designed to fit in PACKOUT organizers

Know before buying

• Fewer pieces than budget mega-kits (by design)
• Priced above what a homeowner who rarely drives screws needs to spend

Find it on Amazon Read our detailed assessment ↓

DeWalt

DeWalt Screwdriving and Drilling Set (100-Piece)

Buy it

A broad all-rounder with impact-ready FlexTorq driving bits and a lot of coverage in one box.

Best for: DIYers and pros who want one kit that quietly covers most drilling and driving

$$ · mid-range

Why we like it

• Impact-ready FlexTorq driving bits with a flex zone designed to absorb impact
• Drill bits included alongside the driving bits
• Everyday driving sizes are normally well represented in a set this large
• ToughCase storage keeps bits retained and organized

Know before buying

• 100-piece count includes sizes you'll rarely touch
• Check the drill-bit steel before relying on it for hardened metal

Check price on Amazon Read our detailed assessment ↓

Ryobi

Ryobi 120-Piece Drill and Impact Rated Drive Kit

It depends

Impact-rated bits at a budget price, fine for weekend jobs, but the count is padded and Ryobi now lists the kit as discontinued.

Best for: Homeowners and light users who want impact-rated bits without spending much

$ · budget

Why we like it

• Sold as a drill and impact rated drive kit
• Common sizes are covered in a multi-case layout
• Low cost of entry, especially in the Ryobi ecosystem

Know before buying

• Ryobi's own page lists this 120-piece kit as discontinued
• Budget bit steel is unlikely to match the pro sets under heavy use
• 120-piece count leans on filler sizes

Find it on Amazon Read our detailed assessment ↓

We'd skip it

Craftsman

Craftsman Drill/Drive Bit Set (140-Piece)

Skip it

A classic count trap: 140 pieces that look like value, with black-oxide coated HSS and a count padded by filler sizes.

Best for: A backup kit for very occasional low-torque use, not a daily driving set

$ · budget

Why we like it

• Lots of sizes on hand for occasional light tasks
• Recognizable brand with an organized case
• Cheap enough as a junk-drawer backup

Know before buying

• Craftsman lists the material as black oxide coated HSS, the most basic drill-bit finish
• Bits are not magnetic, per the spec list
• Most of the 140 pieces are filler you'll never fit to a fastener

See our pick instead See it at Amazon anyway Read our detailed assessment ↓

How we judged the field

We don’t run our own lab. Instead, we read each maker’s product page and compare what is actually published. For a mixed drill-and-driver kit, four things separate a set that lasts from one that frustrates you within a month.

First, tip steel and hardness. The single biggest predictor of whether a driving bit strips or grips is the quality and heat-treat of the alloy, not the number on the box. Harder, properly tempered tips (S2-grade tool steel and impact-specific alloys) bite into the fastener and resist rounding; cheap steel cams out and chews up screw heads.

Second, whether the driving bits are impact rated. If you use bits in a cordless impact driver — and most people now do — a bit needs a torsion or flex zone that absorbs the hammering blows. Impact-rated bits flex and survive; standard bits shatter or snap the tip clean off.

Third, the twist (drill) bits. Titanium-coated and cobalt bits drill cleaner holes and hold an edge far longer than plain black-oxide, which tends to dull on the second or third hole in anything harder than softwood.

Fourth, whether the set actually gives you the handful of bits you use — PH2, T25, and square (Robertson) in good numbers — plus a case that grips bits so you’re not hunting for a loose PH2 in the bottom of the box. Everything past that is often filler.

This is the set that gets the fundamentals right, which is exactly why it’s our pick. Milwaukee describes SHOCKZONE shanks that are optimized per tip type to absorb peak torque and prevent breakage, a Wear Guard tip for wear resistance, custom heat treat for longer bit life, and tip geometry it says reduces stripping. The set is designed for use with impact drivers and drill drivers.

Just as important is what it leaves out. At 50 pieces there’s very little filler, the sizes are laser etched for quick identification, and the customizable case is designed to fit in PACKOUT organizers. It costs more per piece than a mega-kit, but you’re paying for tips built to survive rather than a bigger number.

A broad all-rounder if you want one box that covers most jobs. DeWalt’s FlexTorq impact-ready driving bits have a flex zone designed to absorb impact under an impact driver, and the set pairs them with drill bits. Note that dewalt.com does not currently list a page for this exact 100-piece kit, so check the contents of what you are actually buying before relying on specific sizes or coatings.

The 100-piece count does include sizes you’ll rarely touch. But a set this large normally covers the everyday driving sizes, and the ToughCase system keeps everything retained and easy to grab. For most DIYers and a lot of pros, this is the sensible one-and-done kit, it just edges below the Milwaukee on how little it wastes.

The middle option. What earns Ryobi a look at this price is that the kit is sold as a drill and impact rated drive kit, which is unusual for a budget kit. The common sizes are covered, the multi-case layout is tidy, and for a weekend homeowner it’s a lot of capability for very little money.

The catch is availability and steel. Ryobi’s own product page lists this 120-piece kit as discontinued, so you may only find old stock. Budget bit steel is unlikely to match the Milwaukee and DeWalt sets under heavy or repeated use, and the 120-piece count leans on filler sizes to hit the number. So it depends: if you’re a light user, already in the Ryobi ecosystem, and can find one, it’s a fair buy. If you drive fasteners all day, buy harder tips.

This is the classic count trap, and it’s the reason we wrote this comparison. On the shelf, 140 pieces looks like the most value of the group. In use, it’s the least. Craftsman calls it an impact drill/driver bit set with shock-resistant tool steel and CNC-machined tips meant to reduce cam-out, but its own specification lists the material as black oxide coated HSS and the bits as non-magnetic.

The drill bits are the most basic finish available, and most of the 140 pieces are filler sizes you’ll never actually fit to a fastener, buried in a case that makes the kit look comprehensive. It’s fine as a junk-drawer backup for the occasional low-torque job, but as the working set for a modern drill-and-impact-driver setup, it’s the one to skip.

Milwaukee SHOCKWAVE (50-Piece) vs DeWalt Screwdriving and Drilling (100-Piece): which should you buy?

These are the two to actually consider, and the choice comes down to how you weigh curation against coverage. Both use impact-duty driving bits and include drill bits, so both are built for modern impact drivers.

Buy the Milwaukee 50-Piece if you want the highest-quality tips with almost no filler — a lean set where nearly every piece earns its place, with Milwaukee’s strip-reducing tip geometry and a case that plays nicely with a PACKOUT system. Buy the DeWalt 100-Piece if you’d rather have broader coverage in one box — more sizes on hand across four grab-and-go cases, at a small cost in top-end tip hardness and a bit more filler. If you drive a lot of screws and want bits that shrug it off, lean Milwaukee. If you want one kit that quietly handles whatever the day throws at it, lean DeWalt. Either way you’re buying steel quality, not a headline count.

What to look for

• Ignore the piece count. A 200-piece set is mostly sizes you’ll never touch. Judge a set by the quality of the dozen bits you’ll actually use.
• Demand impact-rated driving bits if you own a cordless impact driver. Look for a torsion or flex zone. Non-rated bits snap or cam out under impact.
• Check the steel. S2 tool steel and impact-specific alloys for driving bits; titanium-coated or cobalt for twist bits. Plain black-oxide dulls fast.
• Count the everyday sizes. PH2, T25, and square (Robertson) in good numbers matter far more than a dozen exotic sizes.
• Look at the case. Tips should be held tightly, not rattling loose. A case that grips bits saves you from hunting.
• Match the twist bits to your material. Titanium for general wood and light metal; cobalt if you drill hardened steel regularly.

Our final take

The number on the box is marketing; tip hardness and fit are what separate a set that lasts from one that strips. The Milwaukee SHOCKWAVE Impact Duty Drill and Drive Set (50-Piece) is our pick because it delivers the best-documented steel with the least filler, and the DeWalt Screwdriving and Drilling Set (100-Piece) is the close runner-up when you want more coverage in one box. The Ryobi 120-Piece kit is a budget option, impact rated but discontinued, so it depends on what you can still find. And the Craftsman 140-Piece set is the count trap to avoid: the biggest number in the group and the most filler. Buy the quality bits you’ll actually reach for, not the biggest case.

Deciding between the top two? See our head-to-head: Milwaukee SHOCKWAVE Impact Duty Drill and Drive Set (50-Piece) vs DeWalt Screwdriving and Drilling Set (100-Piece).

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