The common types

Pentalobe

Shape: five rounded lobes, like a flower. Where: Apple iPhones, MacBooks, and Apple Watch, often on the outside screws. Tip: sizes are small and specific (P2 is common on iPhones). Use the exact size.

Tri-point (Y-type)

Shape: three slots in a Y. Where: Apple device internals and some Nintendo hardware. Tip: easy to confuse with Tri-Wing. Look closely.

Tri-Wing

Shape: three offset triangular wings. Where: older Nintendo hardware, some power tools and appliances.

Torx and security Torx

Shape: a six-point star. Security Torx has a pin in the center. Where: laptops, hard drives, game consoles, appliances. Small sizes like T5 and T6 are common in laptops and drives. Tip: for security Torx, you need a bit with a hole in the tip.

Phillips and JIS

Shape: the familiar cross. JIS looks almost identical. Where: nearly everything. Phillips 000, 00, and 0 are common in electronics, and JIS appears on a lot of Japanese-made gear and cameras. Tip: if a “Phillips” screw keeps camming out, try a JIS bit.

Flat (slotted)

Where: eyeglasses, watches, jewelry, older electronics. Tip: choose the widest blade that still fits the slot, for better contact.

Hex

Where: RC cars, drones, bikes, and some small electronics and furniture.

Quick reference

Always check a repair guide for your specific model. Manufacturers change screws between generations.

Use them with a real handle

Most precision kits put these tips on 4mm bits with a thin handle. Nested Hex lets those same bits fit your standard magnetic screwdriver, for better grip and control on tight or delicate screws. More on that in how to use precision bits in a magnetic screwdriver.

What you need

• A standard magnetic screwdriver.
• The 4mm precision bit for your screw (see which bit fits which device).
• A Nested Hex adapter.

Steps

1. Seat the adapter. Push the Nested Hex adapter into your screwdriver’s bit socket, just like a normal bit.
2. Drop in the precision bit. Insert the 4mm bit into the adapter. The magnet holds it in place.
3. Drive the screw. Line the tip up square to the screw head, press in, and turn.
4. Swap tips in seconds. Pull the precision bit out and drop in the next one. The adapter stays in the screwdriver.

Tips to avoid stripped screws

• Match the tip exactly. A Phillips 00 in a Phillips 000 screw will cam out. Test-fit before you turn: the bit should sit snug with no wobble.
• Push more, twist less. Small screws strip when the bit rides up out of the head. Firm downward pressure matters more than torque.
• Keep it straight. A full-size handle makes it easier to keep the driver square to the screw, which is half the reason to use one.
• Go slow on the first turn. Factory screws and threadlocker need a firm, steady start, not a fast spin.
• Keep track of screws. Small screws are often different lengths. Lay them out in order on a magnetic mat or a sheet of paper as they come out.

Why bother?

Precision handles are fine for quick jobs. For tight screws, long sessions, or anything you’d hate to strip, a full-size handle is just easier to control, and the bits you already own keep working.

Get the 3 pack and keep one in the drawer, one in the toolbox, and one in the travel kit.

Two common bit sizes

Most screwdriver bits are named by their shank, the hex-shaped end that goes into the handle.

The tips on precision bits are what make them useful: they match the tiny, often unusual screws inside modern gadgets. The shank is just small enough that it won’t fit the screwdriver most of us actually like using.

Why that’s annoying

Precision kit handles are skinny so they can spin fast between your fingers. That’s fine for loose screws. It’s a different story when a screw is tight from the factory, stuck with threadlocker, or sitting at the bottom of a deep hole. A thin handle gives you little leverage and makes it easy to slip, and a slipped bit can strip a tiny screw head in one bad turn.

The fix: put the small bit in the big handle

Nested Hex is an adapter that holds a 4mm precision bit so it fits your standard magnetic screwdriver. You keep every tip in your precision kit and use it with the handle you already trust:

• Better grip and control on tight screws.
• Full magnetic retention, so the bit and screw stay put.
• Half the size of other adapters, so it stays compact.

Not sure which tip you need? See our guide to precision bit types and what they fit, or learn how to use precision bits in a magnetic screwdriver.

Where your money goes

When a small maker sells through a big marketplace, the platform usually keeps a significant percentage of every sale as a referral or selling fee. That often comes before fulfillment, advertising, and storage costs. For a small product with a modest price, those fees can easily be larger than what the maker keeps.

When you buy direct:

• More of the sale goes to the people who made it.
• We can keep making things here, in small batches, in America.
• You still get free shipping within the US.
• Checkout is secure, handled by Stripe.

What you’re supporting

Nested Hex started as a fix for a small, everyday annoyance: precision bits that don’t fit the screwdriver you actually like using. Turning that into a patent-pending, made-in-America product takes design, testing, production, and a lot of packaging tape. Every direct order helps pay for the next batch.

From our family to yours

Thank you. Whether you’re fixing a phone, tightening your glasses, building a PC, or buying a stocking stuffer for the person who fixes everything, we’re grateful you chose a small maker.