I Need a (Ratcheting) Screwdriver!

[Revanchist1ab]

Heeeeeyo... so... there are a thousand results for "screwdriver" on the forums, but I'm gonna throw this up here anyways. If the mods strike me down... SO BE IT!!!

 

The incumbent (and reigning champion of the Internet):

SNAP-ON!!!!

https://shop.snapon.com/product/SSDMR4BO ($69)

Linus swears by it so you should too! I guess...

They actually have 11 different colors.

They last forever.

They drive around a truck selling replacement parts like caps and bits...

Whats not to love?

Maybe the price? Cause ouch...

 

Anyone have any suggestion for something that won't make me cry like a baby if I lose it?

The big challenge is... that while there are numerous other ratcheting screwdrivers, none of them have the same shape! Their ALL round and fat! Well, most of them are.

 

This is what I've found:

 

(This one has issues with shoddy latches.) ($35 27)

https://www.amazon.com/Wiha-77791-Ultra-Driver-26inOne/dp/B01J92O2NA/

 

(This one is round and lacks the "knurling" of the Snap-On.)  ($45 24)

https://www.amazon.com/Channellock-131CB-Multi-Ratcheting-Driver/dp/B005GPFTVY/

(Here's MegaPro's version if you like black and red better.) ($25)

https://www.amazon.com/Megapro-211R2C36RD-13-Ratcheting-Driver/dp/B004VJY1EC/

 

(Here's Craftsman's. The big issue seems to be design. The cap is a revolver in that the top holds 7 chambers with one filled in to "lock." Seems a bit sketchy, imo.)

https://www.amazon.com/Craftsman-Ratcheting-Magnetic-Screwdriver-Storage/dp/B005ZLX1XC/

 

(I like the idea behind this one, but I worry its just not long enough and it seems to have a mild tendency to break after a few months.) ($18)

https://www.amazon.com/WORKPRO-Multi-Bit-Ratcheting-Screwdriver-Quick-load/dp/B0761K3H82/

 

(I wish I had more info on this one, but darn if the body doesn't look SUSPICIOUSLY similar to Snap-On's. It is unknown if the top is removable and I don't see many reviews on them.) ($38)

https://www.amazon.com/Genius-Tools-Ratcheting-Screwdriver-SC-234A/dp/B01COXPAV4/

 

(Hmm... These guys... I am almost 100% certain this is a trash... but similar design makes it SUPER attractive. Also, made in Taiwan.) ($33)

https://www.amazon.com/GearWrench-KDT-82781-Piece-Ratcheting-GearDrive/dp/B0150914PK/

 

(Wera gets some good reviews. It's shape is a little off-putting personally, but someone had a good review. Wera is like a Lexus. Wera does everything you need and is wonderfully thought out. Snap-On... is a Ferrari. A Lexus cannot compare to a Ferrari and similarly, the Wera's ratcheting mechanism will never be as crisp as Snap-On's. In their word's, Snap-On "has the best ratcheting action any mortal has ever produced or experienced. It's magical." ...food for thought.)

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B004VMWYCU/

 

(William's is Snap-On's bargain brand which shares the same bottom and top cap as well as the bits... literally, pretty sure their made in the same plant... but whose body is not as nice and it lacks knurling for precision adjustment. EDIT: They also lack an o-ring on the end cap... It's a VERY SUPER HIGH-QUALITY o-ring... Must be if they didn't want to give this screwdriver one.) ($37)

https://www.amazon.com/Williams-WRS-1-Magnetic-Ratcheting-Screwdriver/dp/B002NI1LZK/

 

(Snap-On bought these guys, Blue Point, and this particular model is the EXACT same as one made by the EU manufacturer Bahco, also owned by Snap-On. It was made in Taiwan.) ($34)

https://www.amazon.com/Point-ratchet-driver-ratcheting-screwdriver/dp/B072L2PLKY/

(Unfortunately, they suffer from numerous manufacturing issues like a lot of play at the connection of the handle and the bit shaft.)

 

For me personally, it comes down to:

• Grip - A rounded handle will never handle more precise or (if you talk to some repairmen) as quick to handle as an angled one. You simply can't generate enough torque.
• Knurling - This allows you to more easily make finer adjustments or as Linus stated years ago, it allows you to get a screw down much faster then just spinning the handle.
• Magnet strength - A number of cheaper options come with cheaper magnets. It'd be nice if the bit actually sticks inside, y'know?
• Build quality - You get what you pay for... usually.
• Teeth - This determines the amount of degrees you must spin your screwdriver in reverse, before spinning back to ratchet down the screw. (It's what makes the click when you turn the driver.) The more teeth, the less you have to spin each time and the easier it is to make finer, tighter adjustments.
• Ratcheting mechanism strength and quality - This is sorta overarching but its not something that you can easily look at as most screwdrivers don't allow you to easily disassemble them. This mechanism (which includes the teeth) is key to a good screwdriver.

If there is one thing I say that does not matter to me... its rotating tops. I'm just not a big fan of it. With all the screwdrivers I've used, it just hasn't been comfortable enough for me.

 

Here's the video from Linus with the screwdriver and the reason he likes it (it's set to the timestamp where he talks about it):

(Yes, it's been 6 years and his taste's may have changed, but that doesn't mean I won't still throw him under the bus! :3)

 

So what are your guys' thoughts? Any suggestions?

[TheKDub]

https://amzn.to/32VbeuL

 

I just recently got this one. So far it's great. The ratcheting mechanism is sturdy. My biggest complaint is it doesn't seem to be magnetic.

[Revanchist1ab]

@TheKDub Yep, that's in my list... its super round. But people still like it, I guess.

[johnny5c]

1 hour ago, Revanchist1ab said:

(Hmm... These guys... I am almost 100% certain this is a trash... but similar design makes it SUPER attractive. Also, made in Taiwan.) ($33)

https://www.amazon.com/GearWrench-KDT-82781-Piece-Ratcheting-GearDrive/dp/B0150914PK/

 

GearWrench has come a long way in the last decade with a full line of tools, they're not just ratcheting wrenches these days.  I own a automotive restoration shop and I'm seeing my younger employees go with more midrange brands like GearWrench these day to avoid the lifetime of debt to the Snap On guy.

 

I have this kit at home and it's well worth the cost,

 

https://www.tooltopia.com/gearwrench-8915.aspx

 

 

 

 

[Lady Fitzgerald]

I don't even use ratcheting screwdrivers. If a screw isn't a tight fit, the screw driver will just keep backing out what you just screwed in when reversing direction to take another "bite" unless you also hold onto the shaft of the screwdriver. If I'm already holding onto the shaft of the screwdriver, it's easy to just reposition my grip on the screwdriver handle. I can even do it one handed.

 

If I want to speed up installing a screw, I use my little 18v Ryobi impact driver. It has variable speed that's easily controlled with the trigger with just a little practice. Besides being faster, it is much easier on my old wrists and I can use it one handed. I can use it to drive screws as small as 6-32 and 4-40 without stripping out the screwheads or breaking the screws. Its only downside is it is bulky but, often, extensions will take care of that problem.

 

For computer work, 90% of the time, a #2 Phillips head screwdriver is all you need. Occasionally, you may need a #1.

 

For just the occasional screw that pops up, I use a Milwaukee screwdriver that has seven 2 1/2" long bits (two Phillips, two flat blade, and three Robertson) that stores six of the bits in the handle revolver style (the spare screws stay put in the handle yet are still easy to remove when needed). The handle grip has a larger diameter, giving me more torquw with my old, arthritic hands. I keep it in a desk drawer where I can quickly grab it but it easily slips into a back pocket. I can also add extensions or use extra long bits if I need to. I also have a nearly identical one under the Craftsman label that I keep in my truck where it is quick and easy to grab.