DeWalt Phillips Bit for Collated Drywall Screwgun (5-Pack)

What these bits are and where they fit in

I’ve been running DeWalt’s collated drywall setup for a while now, and the accessory that quietly makes or breaks the system is the humble bit. These DeWalt collated Phillips bits are #2 long-shank drivers built specifically for the DCF6202 belt-fed collator. They’re essentially a consumable tuned for a single job: drive thousands of drywall screws to a consistent depth without stripping fasteners, wobbling the strip, or rounding over prematurely. The pack includes five identical bits, each with a 1/4-inch hex shank and a black, hardened finish.

On paper, DeWalt claims a tougher recipe and a slightly larger shank to boost life. In practice, that translates to a noticeably stiffer feel and less deflection at the nose, which matters more than it sounds when you’re chasing speed and consistency.

Setup and compatibility

These bits drop straight into the DCF6202 collated attachment with no drama. The 1/4-inch hex seats positively, and the length (just shy of 6 inches) is right for the collator’s nosepiece and depth stop. If you’re using DeWalt’s cordless drywall screwgun, the pairing is seamless. I also ran one bit on a standard drill/driver without the collator to drive loose drywall screws as a quick test—it works, but that’s not the intended use, and you lose the whole point of the long shank and depth setup.

A note on compatibility: because the shank diameter is a touch larger than older, slimmer long bits, it may not slide cleanly through some legacy or third-party collators that were machined tighter around the bit channel. In the DCF6202, it’s a perfect match. If you’re trying to adapt it to other systems or older attachments, check clearance before you’re onsite with boxes of board. I wouldn’t recommend modifying a nosepiece to make it fit—pick the bit that’s designed for your collator.

Also worth stating plainly: these are standard hardened bits, not “impact-rated.” Don’t expect them to live happily in an impact driver. They’re made for the constant-speed drywall screwgun/attachment combo.

Driving performance

In drywall, the game is speed plus control. The bits contribute to both. The long shank keeps the tip centered in the feed path and reduces the nose wander you can get with chunky collated strips. I noticed less cam-out than with budget long bits—particularly in coarse-thread screws into studs where a slight angle or an off-center start can chew the head. Part of that is the bit’s crisp tip geometry; it’s a true #2 profile that engages cleanly without feeling “oversized” and wedgy.

Depth consistency was excellent once I set the nose for the material. On 1/2-inch gypsum over old framing, the bit drove flush with a clean crater in the paper without tearing. On 5/8 Type X, it still had enough bite at the end of the stroke to finish the set without a second trigger pull. Overhead work is a good stress test, and I didn’t see the “stutter” you sometimes get when a softer tip starts to round and slip at the last millimeter.

If you’re new to collated systems, here’s what helps these bits shine:
- Keep your wrist and the bit axis aligned; don’t “steer” at the last second.
- Clean drywall dust out of the nosepiece and bit channel every couple of sheets. Gypsum fines can make any bit feel grabby.
- Let the clutch and depth stop do the work—don’t keep pushing after the clutch kicks.

Durability and wear

This is where these DeWalt bits justify their existence. On a recent interior project, I tracked how far a single bit went before I retired it. With a mix of 1-1/4 and 1-5/8 coarse-thread collated screws, one bit reliably drove well over a thousand screws before the tip started to mushroom and cam-out became noticeable. By comparison, the generic long bit I’d been using previously usually tapped out around the halfway mark.

The wear pattern on these is gradual. You’ll notice a subtle increase in slip before it turns into frustration, which gives you time to swap bits preemptively between rooms or sheets. I didn’t chip a tip or fracture one, even after a couple of accidental drops onto concrete—more common than I care to admit on lift days.

Because these sit farther out in front of the tool, they take more side load than a short driver bit. The larger shank diameter helps resist flex and keeps the tip aligned in the strip’s guide path. The result is less self-inflicted wear from slight misalignment under pressure.

Precision and feel

The tip isn’t magnetized, but in collated work that’s irrelevant—the strip handles feed and retention. What matters is how positively the bit lands in the screw head. The bite is crisp, and the bit doesn’t feel “sticky,” which is good. A sticky tip will grab the head and lift the strip during retraction; these release cleanly, keeping the feed smooth.

Noise and vibration are typical of a screwgun. If your nosepiece is set correctly and you’re square to the surface, you’ll get a consistent, quick “brrrrt” with a very short dwell at final depth. If the bit begins to slip more than once or twice per sheet, that’s your cue to swap it—don’t fight a dull tip; you’ll just chew screw heads and tear paper.

Value of the five-pack

Five bits in a pack is the right quantity for a small crew or a solo installer running a full house. I keep one in the tool, one in the collator case, and a few in the pouch. The practical benefit is downtime avoidance: you don’t want to stall a board lift to hunt for a backup bit. Price-wise, these aren’t bargain-bin, but the life per bit makes the cost per screw driven very reasonable. I’d rather buy fewer packs of better bits than burn through cheapies and spend the savings in frustration.

Downsides and limitations

• Compatibility is tied to the DCF6202 collator. If you’re running another brand or an older DeWalt attachment with a tighter nose channel, verify fit first.
• They’re purpose-built. If you want a general-purpose long #2 Phillips for odd jobs across tools, these will work mechanically, but that’s not where they shine.
• Not impact-rated. If your workflow leans on an impact driver for everything, these aren’t the right bits.

None of those are deal-breakers if you’re in the DeWalt collated ecosystem—they’re just part of understanding what you’re buying.

Tips for getting the most out of them

• Set your depth with the actual screws and board you’ll use; different brands of collated screws have slightly different head profiles that can mask tip wear.
• Rotate bits before they’re fully worn. I mark a bit with a paint pen when new and swap at the first consistent slip; the “good enough for exterior sheathing” bin gets a new recruit.
• Keep the bit and nose clean. Drywall dust and paper fibers accelerate wear and cause feed issues long before the tip truly dulls.

Who benefits most

These bits make the most sense for anyone hanging board at scale with DeWalt’s collated attachment—remodelers, production framers who also hang, and drywall crews who standardize on DeWalt cordless guns. If you’re a homeowner tackling a basement or a single room, they still add value by smoothing out the learning curve—collated systems are easier to run confidently when the bit is doing its job quietly in the background.

The bottom line

The DeWalt collated Phillips bits do exactly what a specialty consumable should: they disappear into the workflow. They seat positively, they hold up to real-world use, and they keep a collated gun driving cleanly and consistently. The larger shank and harder steel aren’t marketing fluff—you can feel the reduced flex at the nose and you’ll see longer intervals between swaps.

Recommendation: I recommend these bits if you’re using DeWalt’s DCF6202 collator. They’re reliable, long-lasting, and well matched to the system, and the five-pack format makes practical sense on site. If you’re running a different collated attachment or lean heavily on an impact driver, look for a bit designed for your setup. But for DeWalt’s collated drywall platform, these are the bits that let the tool shine.