The cheap screwdriver set in your drawer probably has a soft spot. It looks fine until the day a tiny screw in a laptop or a game console refuses to turn, and the tip of the bit or the head of the screw starts to round off. The iFixit Mako Driver Kit exists for that moment. It’s a case of small bits and one good handle, sold by a company that has built its name on repair guides.
I found few detailed owner stories, so I’ll be careful about what I claim, and I can’t speak to how the bits hold up after years of work.
Product image from the Amazon listing.
Here is my view up front: this is the driver set I would suggest to most home repairers, as long as they understand that it’s only the screwdriver half of a repair.
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What Is Really in the Case
iFixit’s product page calls this a 64-bit kit, and the list repays a close read. The bits are S2 steel, in a 4 mm size, and the set covers a lot of ground. There are 11 hex bits, 8 security Torx, 6 flathead, 6 nut drivers, 5 Phillips, 4 JIS, 4 Torx, 4 tri-point, 3 pentalobe, and small numbers of Gamebit, spanner, square, triangle and oval bits. There’s also a bit for iPhone standoff screws.
Count carefully and the 64 includes a few items that are not bits in the usual sense. iFixit counts a quarter-inch to 4 mm adapter, a magnetic pickup and a SIM eject tool in that total. I don’t mind that, since all three are useful. It’s just good to know that the number on the box means 64 slots rather than 64 drivers.
The odd shapes are the reason to buy this over a hardware store set. Pentalobe is the kind of screw that stops people opening Apple gear with an ordinary driver. Tri-point turns up in small electronics, and Gamebit is there for older game hardware. If you only ever work on PCs, you may never touch half the case. If you own a mix of Apple devices and consoles, that odd-looking row is what you are paying for.
There’s one limit to know about. The bits are 4 mm, which is a small precision size. That’s right for electronics, and the included adapter helps it fit other tools, but this isn’t a set for furniture or heavy work.
The Handle and the Case
The driver handle is anodized aluminum with a knurled grip, a swivel top and a magnetic bit socket. The swivel top is the feature that makes small screws easier. You press with a finger on top and turn with the other fingers, and the top stays still under your palm or fingertip. Long-necked 4 mm bits also help you reach into deep holes.
Owners and summaries mostly agree here. Target’s automated review summary says buyers find the driver comfortable to use, and it says guests appreciate the strong bits. I would not lean hard on that, because the summary is machine-written and includes incentivized reviews. ShopSavvy’s overview, itself an aggregation, also lists the magnetic socket and the handle as strengths, and it names the price as the main weak point.
The case gets more specific praise. It’s a 7 by 4.3 by 1.5 inch box with foam, a magnetic lid and a built-in sorting tray. That tray matters more than it sounds. Tiny screws roll away, and laptop screws of different lengths need to go back where they came from. Some Sam’s Club buyers mention that the bits are easy to take out and put back, unlike many other sets. They also like the magnetic holders that keep the tray in place.
Product image from the Amazon listing.
What Owners Say About Quality
The clearest owner comment comes from a buyer named George on Eleshop. He bought the kit to replace a cheaper driver set with poor bits and a bad handle. His summary: “The difference is like day and night.” He also wrote: “I like ifixit, I think their products are great and this one is no exception.”
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That’s the pattern I’d expect, and it’s the most useful thing an owner can tell you. The upgrade from a poor set to a good one is what people feel. The feeling isn’t about any special feature. It’s about a bit that seats in the screw and doesn’t slip.
There’s one small complaint to note. One eBay buyer found a bit with a deformed body. One bit from one seller doesn’t tell you much about quality overall, and buying from a reputable seller helps. A few reviewers also said the price is a bit high, which ShopSavvy echoes.
What I can’t tell you is how fast these bits wear. The precision and long-term wear of the tips are exactly what a serious repairer wants to know, and I found no owner who measured or described that. iFixit’s position is simple, though: the product is covered by a lifetime guarantee, and the page says, “If an iFixit tool breaks, we’ll replace it.” If that promise holds where you live, it answers much of the wear question for you.
Mako or Pro Tech?
This is the main decision, and buyers often mix the two up.
The Pro Tech Toolkit includes the same count of 64 bits, according to iFixit’s page for that kit, with a matching spread of types. It then adds the things you need to open a device. That means an opening pick, a suction handle, spudgers, a Jimmy pry blade, three kinds of tweezers, an anti-static wrist strap and a flex extension. On iFixit’s site, the Pro Tech has been priced at about twice the Mako.
So the question is what you are repairing. If your jobs mostly involve screws, such as swapping a drive in a laptop or cleaning a console fan, the Mako is enough. If you plan to replace a phone battery or a glued-in screen, you’ll need prying and lifting tools as well, and the Pro Tech is the better deal than buying those parts one by one. Modern phones and tablets are held together with adhesive as much as with screws, so a driver alone won’t get you in.
iFixit’s comparison table also lists a flexible extension for the Mako, while the Mako page’s main text doesn’t describe one. Check the current contents list before you count on it.
Product image from the Amazon listing.
Fit for Real Repairs
The honest test for this kit is a job you already have in mind. Check iFixit’s free guide for your device, note the screw types it names, and compare them with the bit list above. That takes about five minutes and tells you more than any review. It’s also the best answer to the question of whether the set suits your specific device.
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Remember the small habits too. Press down firmly, match the bit to the screw exactly, and stop if you feel it slip. A good bit helps a lot, but it can’t rescue a screw that’s already damaged.
A Driver Kit You Keep
I think the Mako is a good buy for anyone who opens computers, consoles or Apple gear more than once a year. The bit range is wide, the case is well thought out, and the owner who wrote in the most detail felt the jump in quality straight away. The lifetime guarantee softens the higher price.
Skip it if you need a full phone repair kit, because the Pro Tech covers that and this doesn’t. Skip it too if you fix one thing a decade, since a cheaper set may get you through a single job.
For repeat repairs on small electronics, the iFixit Mako Driver Kit is worth the extra money over a bargain set, as long as you confirm the screw types for your device before you order. This is an affiliate link. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
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