Ultimate affordable ratchet Screwdriver Hunt

[Evil Ninja]

Hello all. I'm on a hunt for the ultimate affordable ratchet screwdriver. After some intense research I have come to a few conclusions.

 

1. What I believe to Be Linus's orange screwdriver(Snap-on).  $67
2. A clone of the screw driver minus the awesome grip on the shaft of the driver by Williams. $35 ($30 on ebay)
3. The next best thing I can find Bahco brand ratchet screw driver $30
4. I also just found this Craftsman ratchet screwdriver but it doesn't have a place for the bits.

 

So I obviously Linus knows what he's doing with his baller screwdriver being the best. I think bahco is second best in terms of storing bits and having that grip on the shaft of the driver. Williams resembles the Linus/Snap-on screwdiver perfectly other than the grip. Another thing I found out while researching this is Bahco and Williams are subsidiary companies of Snap-on! 

 

Ideally I would like to have the same length as the the first three screw drivers, especially with the grip.

 

I was hoping that someone has scoured the interwebs in search of a Chinese knock off of the Snap on Screwdriver. Also if anyone has other recommendations I would truly appreciate it.

[Evil Ninja]

I also made a garage journal account and posted the same basic question there if anyone is interested. If i find the ULTIMATE affordable ratchet screwdriver I will let everyone know but here is a link to that thread on garage journal anyway.

[mr moose]

I've got two, a SCA branded job that actually has a differential in it rather than a ratchet and a Kincrome brand ratchet.  I use the kincrome one the most becasue it is small, but IMO the differential type is better.

[flowalex]

I have this one, I got a few extra secialty bits, but mostly use the Philips and Flathead bits

https://www.amazon.com/Stanley-68-010-Multibit-Ratcheting-Screwdriver/dp/B00009OYGW/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1502893508&sr=8-3&keywords=stanley+ratcheting+screwdriver

[dexT]

You could always save a bit and 1-up Linus by going with one of these https://www.matcotools.com/catalog/screwdrivers-and-sets/ratcheting-screwdrivers-and-sets/ probably the best drivers on the market.

[Evil Ninja]

8 hours ago, flowalex said:

I have this one, I got a few extra secialty bits, but mostly use the Philips and Flathead bits

https://www.amazon.com/Stanley-68-010-Multibit-Ratcheting-Screwdriver/dp/B00009OYGW/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1502893508&sr=8-3&keywords=stanley+ratcheting+screwdriver

my biggest gripe with that driver is how short it is. But honestly it's not a bad choice for afordabitity.

[Evil Ninja]

Someone on the Garage journal pointed out this one http://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-Ratcheting-Screwdriver-Set-15-Piece-236360150/204364647.

 

Any opinions on it?

[Tsuki]

why do you need a ratcheting one?

[Evil Ninja]

43 minutes ago, Tsuki said:

why do you need a ratcheting one?

The ability to twist in the screw when you start is super useful. Linus explains here. at 6:50

 

[kaiju_wars]

http://www.sears.com/craftsman-ratcheting-magnetic-screwdriver-with-bit-storage/p-00947144000P?plpSellerId=Sears&prdNo=2&blockNo=2&blockType=G2

 

This one

This is the one I use.

[DocYoda]

I have both the  Bahco Ratchet Bit Screwdriver and the Wera Kraftform. I highly recommend the Wera Kraftform. \

 

https://www.amazon.com/Wera-Kraftform-Kompakt-Ratcheting-Screwdriver/dp/B004VMWYCU/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1502952132&sr=8-1&keywords=wera+ratcheting+screwdriver

 

What I like about Bahco that I bought has a built in led light which is useful in tight areas. So might as well have both

[Evil Ninja]

On 8/17/2017 at 1:21 AM, kaiju_wars said:

http://www.sears.com/craftsman-ratcheting-magnetic-screwdriver-with-bit-storage/p-00947144000P?plpSellerId=Sears&prdNo=2&blockNo=2&blockType=G2

 

This one

This is the one I use.

fam that was one of my links  I think that one is okay as well

[Gravesnear]

Let me whole heartedly recommend against any husky branded tool with moving parts in it. Unreliable and not very good in the first place. Had a few myself that were given as gifts.

[razaldo]

Last week the Bahco ratchet was on sale in the UK store of Amazon. It was priced at GBP 12

[Patrick3D]

For over a decade now, I've been using these Black & Decker sets, they're great for PC's but lack smaller bits for laptops: https://www.amazon.com/Decker-71-945-5-Drilling-Screwdriving-45-Piece/dp/B000RH23AG

 

They're $20 on Amazon, I don't think I ever paid more than $15 for a set, they can usually be found on sale in stores like K-Mart or Target. The hard shell case makes them convenient to toss in a bag and not have to worry about bits falling out.

[Evil Ninja]

On 8/18/2017 at 3:21 AM, Gravesnear said:

Let me whole heartedly recommend against any husky branded tool with moving parts in it. Unreliable and not very good in the first place. Had a few myself that were given as gifts.

I think that company has a lifetime warranty if you still have them. You may be able to rma them

[soulreaper]

I am a professional Automotive Technician nothing beats Snap-On but hefty price. I used to only buy off the tool truck until I started working with some really cheap people and found a company called Gear Wrench they make all the basic had tools and they have the same look and feel as Snap-On. I have been using them in a extreme professional environment and never had an issue with the quality. Check out this driver  KDT82788 I don't use it often on PC'S but one time when I did I could barely reach the MOBO mounting screws near my hyper 212 evo but a simple longer phillips bit would have solved the issue. I have not used this particular driver I just noticed when searching for the Part Number this one has an led light in it. I have its little brother KDT82781 and love it. 

[soulreaper]

On 8/16/2017 at 6:08 PM, Tsuki said:

why do you need a ratcheting one?

It is much faster than a non ratcheting one without using a power driver. 

[Gravesnear]

On 8/19/2017 at 4:38 AM, Evil Ninja said:

I think that company has a lifetime warranty if you still have them. You may be able to rma them

Thanks, I didn't know that. Still not worth it for me to carry though; the ratcheting is really sub par and as I've said so is reliability, and when I'm in the field I need something that just works. Currently using an slightly old Stanley that I thrifted for $10. Which reminds me, hit up yard sales and flea markets. Anything either American or Japanese is usually a safe bet as a rule of thumb for any kind of used tool, especially American tools from ~1970s to mid 1990s (though they'll rarely have dates, a serial number can usually elucidate this). Both tend to have good QC and good steel. Just an observation from working in a store that bought and sold pre-owned tools.

[Evil Ninja]

After wasting too much Money I have come to a conclusion on my Ultimate affordable ratchet screwdriver hunt. I bought all of these screwdrivers so that way I could recommend the best one out of the lot and will rank them. The picture is of a free harbor freight non ratcheting screwdriver (dark blue) as a low end control. Then after that we get to the $10 Stanley ratchet screwdriver. Following that is a $15 craftsman ratchet screwdriver that I found at a Sears going out of business sale (normally priced at $30 for some reason and actually cheaper online) The next is the Williams screwdriver which I found on EBay for $30 but is on Amazon (prime) $30-35 depending if it goes on sale. Finally is the high end "flagship" screwdriver which is the Snap On one Linus uses. 

 

Best Price: Harbor freight free with a coupon here.

Best Performance: Snap On screwdriver here.

Best comfort: Craftsman Screwdriver here.

Best Overall:  Williams Screwdriver here.

 

Here is why:

 

For the ultimate cheap screwdriver. the Harbor Freight is the way to go because its got a decent build quality for being literally a free screwdriver using their coupons. It isn't advertised magnetic but there are devices that will do that (as well as just using a big magnet for a long period of time) to get some Magnetic effect on the driver.

 

The Stanley screwdriver is terrible in my opinion. The bits are hard to get out of the fancy rotating bit Rolodex thing at the top of the driver. It's advertised magnetic... for some reason. My screwdriver can't even pick up or move around a paper clip. Finally this is the biggest screwdriver in total length and one of the smallest shafts, so for computer building or repair it is probably the worst choice IMO. 

 

Once we get past the $10 range of ratchet screwdrivers it seems like there is a divide, at least in my selection. Some screwdrivers go for features/gimmicks while others go for build quality and reliability. The Craftsman ratchet screwdriver definitely tries to go the gimmicky route. The shaft is shrouded with some kind of plastic attachment that is supposed to be used when hand turning with the shaft. The Craftsman is Advertised Magnetic, however the magnetic portion of the screwdriver is actually built into the plastic shroud. So if you don't want a magnet right on a component. you can move the shroud back a whole centimeter. Its got a pretty comfortable handle as well. Overall for $15 half price it's a decent screwdriver. I'd say its not too bad for building computers but again its pretty bulky which is annoying. I'd never pay the retail $30 its advertised to sell for but not a bad choice if you don't mind the gimmicks.

 

Next up is the Williams brand ratchet screwdriver. It is looks like a clone of the Snap On screwdriver. That's pretty much because it is! Williams brand tools is now a Subsidiary of Snap On as of 1993. Since it's basically a name brand knock off it is basically stripped down version of the Snap On Screwdriver. This screwdriver is advertised magnetic and actually is magnetic. The length of the shaft is shorter by a quarter inch (.635cm) and its missing the textured grip on the beginning of the shaft The ratchet is ever so slightly less smooth than the Snap On brand one but over all its the MOST AFFORDABLE RATCHET SCREWDIVER which was my original purpose of posting this and buying the screwdrivers in the first place.

 

Lastly is the best of the best. Linus uses this screwdiver. Its well built, has the longest shaft length, is magnetic and is basically a better version of the Williams in every way. unfortunately being the best comes with a painful price tag of about $67.  

 

I hope someone found this helpful. I didn't test all the ratchet screwdrivers in the world but out of the five i did test these are my results.

[Dash Lambda]

8 hours ago, Evil Ninja said:

-snip-

I'm not gonna say you should spend more money, but if you feel like looking at another screwdriver (or another couple), Wera makes great stuff.

I don't have one of their ratcheting screwdrivers yet, which is why I'd be interested in a comparison, but I do have a Kraftform Kompakt 25 and it's awesome.

[Evil Ninja]

3 hours ago, Dash Lambda said:

I'm not gonna say you should spend more money, but if you feel like looking at another screwdriver (or another couple), Wera makes great stuff.

I don't have one of their ratcheting screwdrivers yet, which is why I'd be interested in a comparison, but I do have a Kraftform Kompakt 25 and it's awesome.

I think i'm going to end up collecting these damn things lol. I'll look into it.