Anyone else NOT like ratcheting screwdrivers?

[Jokester]

Total opposite here as I rarely find fixed/standard drivers that helpful. Get far more done/quicker with a ratcheting and variable bits. Have standard, stubby, t-handle and use all based on the task at hand. The only real use I have for a fixed driver is when dealing with very small screws, like with electronics, R/C car, that sort of thing. Having a lightweight driver I can spin with fingers is key there, but anything larger and it's ratcheting all day long.

 

[rust in the eye]

Nope! My joints already hurt enough without using one of these.
Had a Snappy one, sold it. Still have a stubby Husky in the household tool bag but I never reach for it.

 

[Bubba Fett]

I will say, that they have come in handy when I rack-mount switches etc. I can hold the device with one hand, and use the ratcheting driver to thread the screws. I generally avoid screw-guns for that, because they can strip the screws or the screw holes.

Generally, I prefer non-ratcheting drivers for most other stuff. Again, the Mega-Pro is the only ratcheting driver that I have tried that I really like. Every other ratcheting driver has some kind of flaw (uncomfortable handle, poor bit storage, end cap that self-removes, low tooth count, poor selector switch, etc.) Most Mega-Pro drivers use ball-detent double-ended bits, which are fine, but I prefer standard insert bits, since they are easier to replace. It's a little pricey, but worth it.

 

[gtcs]

I have a few floating around and just last week I found out that this is a self solving problem!

I actually kinda needed one and the of the 2 I found one was stuck in the locked position and the other wouldn’t go into reverse(what I needed)

I guess I used them so little the moving parts are stuck and now they’re just regular bit holders

 

[bobg03]

I might be misunderstanding or maybe I've been using screwdrivers wrong, but it sounds like you're saying with non-ratcheting screwdriver, you unseat the screwdriver tip from the fastener end each time you twist your hand and thus might have an issue re-inserting the tip of the driver into the fastener head.

Is that right?

Because I what I think I do with screwdrivers is I keep slight downward pressure into the fastener as I loosen my grip slightly so I can rotate my grip around the screwdriver handle. The screwdriver doesnt move out of the fastener. The screwdriver stays stationary and I rotate my grip around it.

For the reason below, it can be a blessing

I have a couple somewhere but I don't use them. My grandfather told me he used to feel the same way until arthritis changed his mind.

I have a Williams, I keep the bits out of the handle. As arthritis gains more control it certainly has a place in my box for many but not all screws or fasteners.

 

[bwringer]

I loathe and detest all varieties of bit drivers, ratcheting or otherwise. They're always wibbly wobbly, bulky, and otherwise irritating as all hell.

But, of course, sometimes there's no other option, or you don't have room for a full set of drivers, or it's a tool belt or road tool kit or something.

A high quality Euro brand bit driver is the least annoying; I have a couple of Felos.

I also avoid anything with bit storage; I've never seen anything that actually works and will survive a drop of more than six inches.

I'd say the least worst of this bad bunch would be the Picquik design.

As to ratcheting, I don't think I even own one. Never ever met one I consider usable enough to not throw the damn rattly wobbly thing across the room.

Bah, humbug...

 

[slowtwitch73]

Only if there's a clearance issue, and then it's usually stubby territory.

 

[roofdweller49]

I would have liked them when running down many long screws, but at that point, the impact driver comes out. I do like them for screws where access is blocked and I can't use a second hand to hold the shaft down while I turn the handle.

 

[Chrome Vanadium Cody]

I’ve found these more useful for furniture assembly than automotive stuff. Sometimes they fit where an impact driver won’t. And imo the ratcheting mechanism is just a better fit for how wood screw thread pressure works than machine screw threads. Unless the hole is wallowed out wood screws give decent back pressure the whole way in/out, machine screws usually have a bunch of pressure when almost tight but not really any the rest of the way so the ratcheting is only useful for a couple of turns. (Subject to side load on the assembly you’re working on ofc)

 

[Madjik Man]

I bought the Anex (397) ball grip ratcheting screwdriver and absolutely love it. For all small jobs this is my go to.

 

[whateg01]

I was given a snap on ratcheting screwdriver where the handle rotates and becomes a pistol grip. I keep it in the tool kit for the road. I don't always use the ratcheting function, especially if I'm trying to position something so need to be able to tighten and loosen and tighten again, I do use the pistol grip position a bunch at times and I do use the ratcheting function at times. Could I get my without it? Yeah.

But sometimes I can't get a good enough grip on it because of positioning and having to loosen my grip would either let the fastener fall or the screwdriver. It's nice to be able to maintain whatever grip I can get.

 

[ZRX61]

Owned one for 30+ years. Not sure where it is, I know I only used it once.

 

[four.cycle]

I have several brand new ones still in the package.
Should I open them and find out I really hate them?

 

[darkzero]

I have several brand new ones still in the package.
Should I open them and find out I really hate them?

 

[Git]

I have two Vessel 'ball grip' screwdrivers - primarily because they are JIS that I use to work on my motorcycle. One is rechargeable and I like it so much that I am considering buying their 3 speed version. Never saw the need for a ratcheting screw driver, especially in this day and age

 

[shakenfake]

Meh, I used a Milwaukee one for work. It was nice since I didn’t have an electric screwdriver and saved my hands from fatiguing so quick. I have loose joints in my fingers so the squeezing and unsqueezing just cooks my hands. I found it nice when doing really stuck/tight screws, not sure why but it felt easier to ratchet it back.

Wouldn’t go out of my way to buy one.