Out of curiousity, if you have flex, do most of you also have non flex ones? I would assume there is an argument that a reversible, flex set is the only set of these you would need, but I'm sure there are circumstances that's not going to be true.
If you break a bolt loose with the non reversible one, is it already stuck by virtue of grabbing and torquing it loose? or does it become stuck as you continue to ratchet? I have experienced wrenches and sockets both getting stuck on a bolt head but never one that I couldn't get off with a tap of a hammer or [blunt object that should not be used as a hammer]. I'm just wondering how much technique would be involved with this. Usually I can feel a wrench getting stuck on if I'm at an odd angle (I do not have flex ratcheting wrenches) so I just make adjustments when I'm using my non reversible GW set.
It always gets stuck when you are breaking the bolt loose or when you are final tightening. It gets wedged under pressure, especially on rusty or worn fasteners. If the bolt is really frozen and hard to turn, it can stick even when just ratcheting the bolt in or out. Sometimes there is no access to tap on it or pry it off. Sometimes hitting it with a hammer or prying on it just won't get it off. Reversing direction almost always does.
Not everyone works in one spot within 6 feet of their main box. Some have to move bay to bay and work numerous projects at one time. This means dragging around a cart that needs to be light as possible, but loaded with everything you think you need to cut down on trips back to the main box. Having non reversible ratchet wrenches means you either need to carry around a standard set of wrenches for breaking the bolt loose and final tightening or constantly walking back and forth to the main box to get that standard wrench. In that type of environment, decisions like those can mean hours of lost time when added up over the tools lifetime and many miles on your feet or pushing around extra weight in your cart. I worked several bays and my tool cart was very overloaded. It gets old pushing that around 5-10 times a day. The trips back and forth for tools not on hand do too.
I have both non flex and flex, but my first set was non flex as that was all that was available when I first bought a set of ratchet wrenches. I bought a set of 15 degree offset non flex Blue Point reversibles as soon as they were available on the truck.
I bought the flexible type later on because they are usable sometimes when the non flex aren't.
I find the zero degree offset non flex non reversible type the least useful, but that's just my opinion. The problem always seems to be you either don't have enough room to swing the wrench due to it's design or as with any type of ratchet wrench, the head is just too large and their is not enough clearance around the bolt to get the wrench on it.
Which is why i bought the EZRed/Mountain type ratchet wrench set. I actually went with the "Klutch" brand from NorthernTool. I only went that route due to the convenience of being able to warranty them locally if one breaks.
Link to Klutch Wrenches:
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/category_hand-tools+wrenches+flex-ratcheting-wrenches+klutch
The "stand out" one one side and the flex of the wrench will make it useable on a lot more applications. Typically only non ratcheting zero degree offset wrenches have that "stand out". Basically a very thin, long, low profile socket and ratchet for tight spaces.
Depending on what you do with your tools and how much you use them, multiple tools just makes life easier and jobs quicker. Certain tools can mean the difference between extra time/hours of further disassembly to accomplish a job; which adds cost in parts and labor to the customer. Snap-on is my go to brand, but if someone else makes a better design or offers something I like that Snap-on doesn't make, then I go with what I find useful.
My big thing on tools is not as much price or brand as much as it has to be useful, make my life easier, and be of a decent quality. No half *** aggravating ****. I personally go for American made tools even though they cost more, but I will go with any COO if it is the tool that best suits my needs.
I turned bolts 6 days a week for many years and even though I haven't turned bolts on a daily basis in over 9 years, I still turn bolts part time. I got over the "cost" issue many years ago and have become accustomed to having nice tools. I could never go back to "get by" tools. YMMV
