Snap On Roto Head Bit Ratchet

Dave455 · May 28, 2019

I was on the Snap On truck today (always risky) mainly for a browse of the “specials”.

This 1/4 inch bit ratchet wasn’t a “special” but I couldn’t help picking one up anyway.

Seriously useful looking tool. I use 1/4 inch hex bits (pozidriv, hex or torx as appropriate) on the majority of screws these days, and suspect this will become my no.1 tool for screws I can’t get a ratcheting driver on.

Strange thing is, Snap On don’t list these in the catalogue, and don’t seem to ever have promoted them either! Weird!

They offer them with an all steel handle and a soft grip too. Personally, I reckon the roto-head is one design where the all metal handle doesn’t work, as it’s too slippy to use like a ratcheting driver! The ‘hard handle’ is perfect though!

Sine Swept · May 28, 2019

Nice find!

d.mcfarland · May 28, 2019

When you would push on the head of the ratchet to make sure the bit stays seated fully, wouldn't that change directions though?

rmsg0040 · May 28, 2019

https://store.snapon.com/Dual-80-17...d-Swivel-Head-Bit-Driver-Ratchet-P934449.aspx

In CAD dollars and with taxes = $224.20

Buy this:

https://www.jbtoolsales.com/vim-tools-hl414-locking-bit-holder-1-4/

And a gearwrench or HF roto

Dave455 · May 28, 2019

Yes, I suppose it could!

But if I needed to be at 90 degrees I’d probably use my regular bit ratchet. This thing scores when you are working at other angles, and can get enough downforce by pushing on the handle.

I seem to be using mostly Torx or hex bits in these things anyway. Might need to push down a frac using a regular bit, but the worst for this seem to be Phillips, and I seldom see them.

Only got the thing today though - we’ll find out in use...!

bwringer · May 28, 2019

Sweet buttery jumpin' Jayzuz on a pogo stick, $146.95 USD?

I hope you paid less. Substantially less.

Dave455 · May 28, 2019

rmsg0040 said:
https://store.snapon.com/Dual-80-17...d-Swivel-Head-Bit-Driver-Ratchet-P934449.aspx

In CAD dollars and with taxes = $224.20

Buy this:

https://www.jbtoolsales.com/vim-tools-hl414-locking-bit-holder-1-4/

And a gearwrench or HF roto

Or you could simply use a magnetic bit holder and normal 1/4 drive ratchet from your manufacturer of choice..., but dedicated bit ratchets sell, and seem to be more and more popular!

Or maybe it’s me buying them all....!

Dave455 · May 28, 2019

bwringer said:
Sweet buttery jumpin' Jayzuz on a pogo stick, $146.95 USD?

I hope you paid less. Substantially less.

Err yes, I did.

Didn’t realise list price was that high when I posted.

Maybe I’ll have to wear it round my neck as ‘man jewellery’ for the first 6 months...

Professional Tool User · May 28, 2019

For a bit ratchet, it looks a bit bulky. When you really need to get into a tight spot, that Snap on bit ratchet would be useless. I'll stick with my Titan 60 tooth flex head bit ratchet.

Skin · May 28, 2019

That's the thing, when you're using bits its generally also tight quarters. That ratchet is huge compared to a real bit ratchet.

Danglerb · May 29, 2019

Most of the time I want the power and control of a straight narrow shaft bit driver, when its a clearance issue I have the Gearwrench microdriver set and flexible shaft drivers of various types and sizes.

Even for Snapon that is a bit crazy of a price.

SkinnyG · May 29, 2019

The 3/8 ratchet of that design is by far my favorite ratchet. Not sure I'd pay the same kind of money for a bit ratchet as I did for my 12" long 3/8 ratchet. Never had a lot of use for bit ratchets though.

jgromada · May 29, 2019

I have a version of the same type of rotary ratchet by VIM. I like the fact on that one the angle you select can be locked in. Kind of surprised Snap-On didn't do that. But i agree without that type of lock all you have to do is barely bump it and the angle can change.

Mr_B · May 29, 2019

The big plus with roto head over flex is as pivot at head you can apply downward pressure from the handle .

I'm a big fan of these and in high tooth count and low back drag incredibly versatile and fast .
I only like styles that can be dismantled, the QR type that flange pressed from factory not so great long term .
other plus is tooth circumference is greater so 100tooth easy achieve and strong plus can use 2 pawls 180deg apart for more strength .
Snapon list price is just stupid, interested see average truck price lol .

bwringer · May 29, 2019

I sort of like that hard handle, although it's wayyyyyy too big and bulky. The Taiwanese rotos of various brands all seem to have a gawdawful huge soft handle that gets slippery when greasy. The soft handle does slide off easily enough with a dunk in boiling water.

A bare metal handle with knurling would be ideal in my book, or perhaps a more reasonably sized hard handle.

And yeah, it would be nice to get some idea of the "real" price vs. the list price...

Mr_B · May 29, 2019

^
taiwan versions vary, genius tools has hard handle much like snapon, toptul does nice grip handle and bare metal .
I prefer grip handle as part of use of these is like a nut driver so a more screwdriver type handle can be useful pending how you using the ratchet and preferences .

sweet victory · May 29, 2019

d.mcfarland said:
When you would push on the head of the ratchet to make sure the bit stays seated fully, wouldn't that change directions though?

I have a 1/4" drive version, and no. It takes a pretty deliberate effort to change direction.

gjusername · Oct 12, 2020

I know I'm bumping an old thread but I just wanted to add that Napa Carlyle just came out with a bit ratchet very similar to this snapon one -

I am very interested and it's a LOT cheaper than the snap-on but even the Carlyle is pretty pricey for what it is, imo. It's too bad they don't let you combine their AAA discount with their online discount, otherwise I'd have one coming in the mail to me right now, but I just can't justify $60 for a bit ratchet. The only affordable option I've found for a roto head bit ratchet is the titan one, and I may get that but it's really small and I'd prefer a larger one like the carlyle since I already have a couple small bit ratchets with the regular 90 degree heads.

if there are other options for roto head bit ratchets, please post them here! It would be ideal if the bit holder was recessed into the head, but I haven't seen any roto's that are made that way. That would require a totally different design of ratcheting mechanism than what the standard roto's use, but I think a variation of the old school round head ratchets would work.

measuredtwice · Oct 12, 2020

gjusername said:
I know I'm bumping an old thread but I just wanted to add that Napa Carlyle just came out with a bit ratchet very similar to this snapon one -

I am very interested and it's a LOT cheaper than the snap-on but even the Carlyle is pretty pricey for what it is, imo. It's too bad they don't let you combine their AAA discount with their online discount, otherwise I'd have one coming in the mail to me right now, but I just can't justify $60 for a bit ratchet. The only affordable option I've found for a roto head bit ratchet is the titan one, and I may get that but it's really small and I'd prefer a larger one like the carlyle since I already have a couple small bit ratchets with the regular 90 degree heads.

if there are other options for roto head bit ratchets, please post them here! It would be ideal if the bit holder was recessed into the head, but I haven't seen any roto's that are made that way. That would require a totally different design of ratcheting mechanism than what the standard roto's use, but I think a variation of the old school round head ratchets would work.

Napa is sorta pricey. Your profile says your location is "uranus"

but if you were in the UK, there's a Ebay seller with several of the Snap-On ratchets for almost the same price (55GBP or 65USD) as the Carlyle. Shipping is free in the UK.

Unfortunately, shipping to USA is high...but it might be worth using a mail forwarder from the UK to USA.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/324328142890

R1100purist · Oct 12, 2020

I had my heart set on the snap on as depicted above, however I just couldn't swallow the cost even after finding the U.K. Ebay examples. However I also thought the Carlisle was way too much for what it was, and found a craftsman all metal version for $24 and I'm happy with it. Probably made in the same factory as the Carlisle.

Fedwrench · Oct 12, 2020

A lower cost roto head bit ratchet would be the Titan 11317.

Four inches of neon blue aluminum handled goodness for about $20. Lightweight and smooth :beer:

m6z · Oct 12, 2020

gjusername said:
I know I'm bumping an old thread but I just wanted to add that Napa Carlyle just came out with a bit ratchet very similar to this snapon one -

I am very interested and it's a LOT cheaper than the snap-on but even the Carlyle is pretty pricey for what it is, imo. It's too bad they don't let you combine their AAA discount with their online discount, otherwise I'd have one coming in the mail to me right now, but I just can't justify $60 for a bit ratchet. The only affordable option I've found for a roto head bit ratchet is the titan one, and I may get that but it's really small and I'd prefer a larger one like the carlyle since I already have a couple small bit ratchets with the regular 90 degree heads.

if there are other options for roto head bit ratchets, please post them here! It would be ideal if the bit holder was recessed into the head, but I haven't seen any roto's that are made that way. That would require a totally different design of ratcheting mechanism than what the standard roto's use, but I think a variation of the old school round head ratchets would work.

Got a link? Napa's website is terrible.

M635_Guy · Oct 12, 2020

bwringer said:
Sweet buttery jumpin' Jayzuz on a pogo stick, $146.95 USD?

I hope you paid less. Substantially less.

Well, the chrome one is only $129...

will335i · Oct 12, 2020

I would have to assume that the bit insert and the 1/4" insert for the roto ratchet fit in the same head and you could convert a 1/4" roto for cheaper than buying this new. I have a spare 1/4" that I plan to test this theory on when I place my next order.

bwringer · Oct 12, 2020

Fedwrench said:
A lower cost roto head bit ratchet would be the Titan 11317.

Four inches of neon blue aluminum handled goodness for about $20. Lightweight and smooth

Well now, that's neat!

I really like the idea of an aluminum handle on a low-torque tool like this, and dammit, why can't tools be a pretty blue sometimes?

I also like how the color and the aluminum handle both serve to let you know that the tool you're looking at, groping for, or just picked up is a bit driver and not a standard ratchet.

Titan sells some very interesting tools, including quite a few small tools like this, at very reasonable prices; I've found quite a few at O'Reilly auto (although not this blue ratchet).

M635_Guy · Oct 12, 2020

I'm poking at the SO ratchet, but if it's something you use a whole lot, I don't begrudge anyone buying the best one you can find. Whether it's worth it to you or not is up to you.

I have to say, I recently did a fairly big job on my eldest-spawn's car, and the F80 was the star ratchet. I have several 3/8" from when I went down the ratchet-hole, and usually have several out when I'm working on cars. I found myself reaching for the SO a lot before I realized it.

But if it's worth $$$ and seldom-used, I'll generally sell it.

m6z said:
Got a link? Napa's website is terrible.

FWIW, I found the regular Carlyle 1/4" roto to have a fair amount of back-drag. If that's true here as well, it will be pretty frustrating.

Cgw1984 · Oct 12, 2020

I have a question, and please forgive me, its probably stupid. What's the point of these bit ratchets? How is this better than a ratcheting screwdriver? Not trolling, i have just never used one of these.

bwringer · Oct 12, 2020

Cgw1984 said:
I have a question, and please forgive me, its probably stupid. What's the point of these bit ratchets? How is this better than a ratcheting screwdriver? Not trolling, i have just never used one of these.

It's about five seconds per fastener faster in certain situations.

You can break the fastener free with the handle to the side, then spin it out.

You can also reach over or around obstructions; hold the handle at 120 degrees or whatever if there's not room to swing at 90 degrees.

No one NEEDS one of these, but they're sometimes a slightly easier/faster way to get something done.

For example, the skid plate on one of my motorcycles is held on with T40 Torx screws. I have many different ways to break these loose then spin them out, but this is the fastest, and a full-length bitdriver wouldn't fit in the space available for most. It would also be difficult to break them free sometimes or tighten them adequately with just a screwdriver handle.

Dave455 · Oct 12, 2020

Cgw1984 said:
I have a question, and please forgive me, its probably stupid. What's the point of these bit ratchets? How is this better than a ratcheting screwdriver? Not trolling, i have just never used one of these.

If you do a lot of automotive work, there are a lot of applications where you can’t access a fastener directly, but only from the side. Faced with one of these, a regular screwdriver is not suitable.

Unfortunately, I seem to be finding these more and more. I needed a bit ratchet just to remove the seat from a Citroen last week, and again to remove the steering pump from the same vehicle.

I only use these with regular screwdriver bits maybe one time in three. The majority of occasions I seem to be using them with hex bits or Torx bits. Some manufacturers seem to use hex head cap screws all over the place. A hex wrench sometimes works, or sometimes works slowly, but a bit ratchet usually works much better.

A regular ratchet and bit holder are another option, as is a regular ratchet and set of hex / Torx bits to fit, but the latter can be costly!

The Snap On roto head bit ratchet is a bit of a speciality tool compared to a regular bit ratchet, and I’d probably get the regular one first, but I find roto head ratchets very versatile generally (see the posts above) so thought I’d try the bit version.

If I’m going to a job, and just taking one ratchet with me, I generally go for the roto head. No other tool can be used quickly like a screwdriver, or swung round to give leverage.

gjusername · Oct 12, 2020

m6z said:
Got a link? Napa's website is terrible.

you should be able to find it with part# rh14s100

Cgw1984 said:
I have a question, and please forgive me, its probably stupid. What's the point of these bit ratchets? How is this better than a ratcheting screwdriver? Not trolling, i have just never used one of these.

it's just another option. The advantage over a ratcheting screwdriver is that you can get a lot more torque a lot more easily by flexing the handle to 90 degrees like a standard ratchet. For me it would most often be used in place of my 1/4" square drive ratchet and sockets that I typically use for the large assortment of hex, torx, and triple square bolts on my car. I'd probably keep the ratchet and sockets for home use and put the bits and bit ratchet in a mobile toolbag.
Another advantage of some bit ratchets is ultra low clearance, although these roto heads wouldn't be the best for that purpose because the bit holder sticks out of the head instead of being recessed like other bit ratchets

Another option is the felo k-handle (https://www.kctoolco.com/felo-64539-ergonic-k-handle-ratcheting-screwdriver/), which is basically a ratcheting screwdriver that can flex. I have that and love it but I still have the urge to buy a roto head that I don't need at all, because roto heads are my favorite ratchets and I don't have one for bits yet.

Snap On Roto Head Bit Ratchet

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