Ratchet Screwdrivers solve what problem?

[DugT]

While browsing the "Impact driver bits" thread, people mentioned Ratchet Screwdrivers. At first I thought they seem like a good idea but are they really any more efficient? One aspect that is less efficient is having to flip a switch to go from CW to CCW.

I want one just because I like tools and I don't have one. Hopefully someone will post here a way or ways that a ratchet screwdriver will improve my quality of life.

 

[bwringer]

They're good in awkward positions, when you can't see the fastener easily, or when you have to maintain pressure.

And yeah, they can be faster.

 

[Robby321]

Arther Itis. Ball type best

 

[CR888]

When you have either broken, bent, stripped out, or lent out all your fixed head screwdrivers, then you have the ratcheting all in one as a last resort.

 

[PugetDude]

Interchangeable bits, faster than a conventional screwdriver and still works when you forget to plug it into the charger.

 

[lugnut71]

i used mine daily 10-15 years ago, since i bought a dewalt 12v screwdriver, never touch it anymore. That thing is awesome for interior work.

 

[XJSuperman]

I got a BluePoint one and Im seriously considering throwing out all my other screwdrivers. I don't really use them anymore. Except the large ones that (purists cover your ears!) get used on odd fasteners, used as prybars, or chisels.

 

[richfinn]

If you think about it with a conventional screwdriver you have to keep repositioning your hand on the driver or re-engage the tip in the fastener every half twist on a tight screw

Ratchet screwdriver overcomes both and makes it quicker and less stressful on your body and eyes

 

[Ton ton]

Don't mean to hijack the thread. Is one brand better than the other?

 

[richfinn]

Don't mean to hijack the thread. Is one brand better than the other?

I have always used Snap-On ratchet screwdrivers, one of them for 30 years, reckon I will get my moneys worth out of it and then sell it to a tool collector in the 2040s for more than it cost me

 

[XJSuperman]

Don't mean to hijack the thread. Is one brand better than the other?

Depends who you ask. Figure out what fits your hand best. I like the simplicity of a BluePoint/SnapOn, but many like the Wera brand or others. Personal preference as long as you find a brand of better quality than your parts store countertop specials

 

[Robinson1]

Speed is the big benefit. Also less hand fatigue if you've got a ton of screws to do by hand.

I like the milwaukees the best. Long bits reach recessed screws. I've got one in each truck, one in the house, and several more scattered out through the shop and in dedicated tool kits.

 

[seber]

I have two. I tried very hard to like them but to be honest, my hand is a better ratchet. Keep your palm on the end and it stays engaged and you have less back pressure than the best ratchet. If the screw has a lot of resistance then there is no reason not to just slip your hand around the handle.

 

[dnschmidt]

TOPTUL makes a really cool one that can be used straight or bent to increase leverage. Here's a link: https://www.toptul.com/en/product-3...-Grip-Ratchet-Screwdriver-Bit-Socket-Set.html

I sold ten of these to my buddy who owns a body shop and they use and abuse these things all day long. Very cool design.

 

[liliysdad]

I have had several...including Snap-Ons...and dont get the attraction. Never once have I had a scenario where the ratcheting driver solved a problem nothing else would.

 

[BFHtime]

TOPTUL makes a really cool one that can be used straight or bent to increase leverage. Here's a link: https://www.toptul.com/en/product-3...-Grip-Ratchet-Screwdriver-Bit-Socket-Set.html

I sold ten of these to my buddy who owns a body shop and they use and abuse these things all day long. Very cool design.

How much for a kit?

 

[Ralf11]

Don't mean to hijack the thread. Is one brand better than the other?

I am pretty durn sure that pb Swiss is the best.

But not worth $90

 

[Paul_The_Builder]

I agree, I have a few ratcheting screwdrivers, but overall don't use them much and don't find them that useful.

Every once in awhile when you are in a real tight spot, they can help keep you tigheting or loosening easier than if you were free handing it, so I'd say they are by far the most useful in an automotive setting, and not that useful in a general maintenance/construction type setting.

I pay a lot of attention to the weight of my drivers. A heavy driver (like a Klein 11-1 type multidriver) takes a lot more energy to turn screws than a regular screwdriver. Ratcheting drivers just add more bulk and take more energy to turn most of the time. A regular purpose built screwdriver is faster and easier almost every time.

 

[DugT]

Thanks for all of the excellent input. I've also been reading Amazon reviews of different highly rated ratchet screwdrivers. I’m still undecided. I understand that if you do a lot of screwing, so to speak, it is nice to have options like a ratchet screwdriver. But, as others have said, if I need to work with more than a couple of screws I use my drill driver. However, I don’t like to use that beast on small screws that are easily broken or stripped, like anything on a guitar. (Electric guitars have lots of little screws.) Bike allen and torques bolts fall into that category too but I am more likely to use a small torque wrench for them.

Because of the prevalence of drill drivers I think most people would only use a ratchet screwdriver for smaller screws. For smaller screws I like small screwdrivers that have a spinning top that makes it easier to apply downward pressure while spinning the driver.

Smaller screws are usually really easy to spin except when you are snugging them tight or breaking them loose. Beyond that it is easy to spin the screwdriver. A common complaint in Amazon reviews is the ratchet is too stiff so the screw reverses instead of the ratchet activating. That could easily be a fail with small screws.

 

[JR 42]

Well, to be fair, most hand drivers (including basic screwdrivers) are at their best with smaller screws- it's a wrist- killing pain in the *** to try to pull a 3"+ #10 wood screw out of hardwood with any kind of hand screwdriver.

Ratcheting screwdrivers are great for repetetive work, easy access, clean unrusty fasteners, and household stuff. Control isn't quite as good as with an ordinary screwdriver, but much better than a power tool- the fastest way to **** something up is with power drivers.

 

[SDF]

In aviation maintenance, the times when battery powered is not advisable, speed handles and ratchet screwdrivers come in handy. The ratcheting screwdriver is lightweight and conpact. Snap-On is favored, but outside of aviation, I don't see any use that a drill/screw gun won't do faster, if you walk the bit on lumber it wont take much to correct if it even matters.

 

[ChefRex]

I have 3 or 4, rarely used anymore, meh.

 

[flynlow8740]

I’m in aviation and there are some specialty screws that you can’t buy a dedicated driver for, such as torq set. I use a ratcheting screwdriver daily on those in places an electric tool won’t fit or isn’t advised.

Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[dnschmidt]

Was selling the TOPTUL kit for $40 but I'm out of that business now. If you've ever used the old Milwaukee/Panasonic 2.6V NiCd screwdrivers that were very popular 10 years ago that's exactly how the TOPTUL handle works. It is remarkable how much torque you can generate with the handle in the bent position.

 

[JR 42]

Yeah, I remember regretting not buying one of the Toptul versions back when Denny had them. The Craftsman closeout at HJE is sorta similar, but there's no handle lock, it doesn't pivot as far off axis, and the ratcheting mechanism is a little coarse and sloppy. On the plus side, it's cheap, made in Germany (by Schroder IIRC), and the entire shaft is fluted so it's very grippy (which helps offset the backdrag a little bit).

https://www.harryepstein.com/craftsman-ergonomic-ratcheting-screwdriver-w-25-piece-bit-set.html

 

[sparky 1971]

I use a ratcheting screwdriver (Wera 816RA) for set screw conduit fittings. Definitely not a daily thing, but at least a couple days a week. That is the only use I have ever found for one. Anything else where the ratchet would be nice, a cordless is even better.

 

[nadogail]

My Stanley Spiral Rachet screwdriver was purchased long before battery operated power screwdrivers were practical for serious use.

 

[isb cornbinder]

I have two SnapOn ratchet screwdrivers. They always work really well znc zre over 25 years old. My favorite "ratchet screwdriver is from SK. It has a reversible sprag clutch. A sprag clutch is a one-way freewheel clutch. It resembles a roller bearing but, instead of cylindrical rollers, non-revolving asymmetric figure-eight shaped sprags, allowing single direction rotation, are used.
There is no detectable drag in either direction. It was a little expensive at $165. I would do this again. At 20 years there is no sign of failure.

 

[WittHay]

They are magnetic , regular screwdrivers are not. You can get specialty bits like tamper proof torx instead of buying oddball screwdrivers.

I found the Snap-ons are small enough to fit into recessed plastic dash holes. Place the Phillips screw onto the bit which is magnetized, apply a little pressure or wiggle the handle while turning the knurled shaft with the other, helps get screws started with out stripping or going in crooked.

Having a DeWalt or Mac 12 volt screwdriver with a selection of 2 1/2, 3 1/2 and 6" bits does the same purpose and is quicker for dash work if careful. Just costs 5 to 6 times as much as a ratcheting driver

 

[Avenging Bankroll]

nothing

 

[liliysdad]

That's probably the main advantage and the main point. The other is that if you get a ratcheting screwdriver with Knurling (like the Snap-On, Reverse Gear and some others) you can easily thread and unthread fasteners. The other point is that you use a ratcheting screwdriver for tasks where you can't trust a drill or electric screwdriver and to be able to control the torque. It's also easier on the wrist as it requires less movement to screw/unscrew while being able to do it faster than a conventional screwdriver. Being able to get all sorts of security or specialty bits is another advantage that saves space and also money.

One point that was brought up in another thread about ratcheting screwdrivers is how they're being phased out or replaced by other alternatives. There isn't much demand driving ratcheting screwdrivers versus traditional bit holders or fixed/interchangeable screwdrivers. Power tools are constantly improving but ratcheting screwdrivers are mostly staying the same (teeth count, locking feature, bit holding mechanism etc)

I can have interchangeable, magnetic bits without the silly ratcheting nonsense.

 

[Ton ton]

Does PB Swiss make a good ratchet screw driver?

 

[Qualitytools]

^ Yes they do but I have only seen photos here on GJ

 

[Jwallace1]

i like them for the times i need something other than a Phillips or standard screwdriver, mainly because of the interchangeable bits. i keep a few torques and square drive bits in the handle as well as a small Phillips and straight bit.. i tend to use it more when i'm doing electrical work, i use to have a craftsman one that had a built in holder that kept the bits organized unlike my snap on that the end just unscrews and you dump the bits out to find the one you need, when the craftsman one broke they didn't make them anymore and i couldn't find another one like it. i keep it in the box but i don't use it everyday

 

[bwringer]

Everything PB Swiss makes is top-notch quality but a bit expensive.

There are lots of good brands in the screwdriver world, so it becomes mostly a matter of personal preference.

 

[Avenging Bankroll]

nothing

 

[richfinn]

I can have interchangeable, magnetic bits without the silly ratcheting nonsense.

I also use a 1/4" square drive bit in my Snap-On hard handle ratchet screwdriver so I can use with sockets

I have a piece of silicone tube that slips over the shank for use as a flexible "spark plug driver" (stops the threads cross threading)

Finally if you take the bits out, you have a great hidden compartment for your "stash"

 

[cvairwerks]

I use them all the time at work. I normally use 4 or 5 different tips, depending on what I'm working on, and as a bonus, 1/4" head bolts don't need a tip or socket. The other nice thing about them, is that no adapter is needed for tips and that's one less possible piece of FOD.....

The other place they shine is where you have very limited access and can't get more than a couple of fingers into the space. I can run hardware in or out with two fingers and a thumb, and I only need a 5/16" wide slot or gap to get to the hardware.

 

[Qualitytools]

The advantage I have is once I have a positive engagement with the fastener I don't have to remove the driver and reposition it nor do I have to take my hand off of it, this is the best part of a ratcheting screwdriver.

Another is when you are trying to get a screw started and you need an initial constant pressure for it to bite into the material, this again is where the ratcheting screw driver shines.

 

[DugT]

The advantage I have is once I have a positive engagement with the fastener I don't have to remove the driver and reposition it nor do I have to take my hand off of it, this is the best part of a ratcheting screwdriver.

I think this only applies to situations were you have to drive in the screw singlehandedly. Using two hands it is easy to twist the driver with one hand and use the other hand to hold the driver steady while preparing to twist again. Maybe the point is it is easier to be singlehanded with a ratchet driver.

Another is when you are trying to get a screw started and you need an initial constant pressure for it to bite into the material, this again is where the ratcheting screw driver shines.

That is a good point.

On the other hand, when screwing a bolt into a nut, I often turn the screw CCW until I feel the bolt clunk at the entry point of the nut. To do this with a ratchet driver the ratchet would have to be reversed before starting CCW. Maybe this could be done by twisting the shaft between the nut and the ratchet.