What is the best ratchet screwdriver out there?
I used to think that these were gimmick tools, I remember one of my colleagues spending over £80 on a Snap-On one from the van over twenty five years ago, and I thought it was a waste of money.
Well I guess he has the final laugh, because now I own four.
The contenders:
Neilsen (CT1241)
RRP – £12.95
Features – reversible, 12 bits, jointed
Length of time tested – over a year
Value for money – 5/5
Quality – 2/5
Functionality – 5/5
Overall score – 12/15
Price – £22.30
Features – reversible, 6 bits & 1/4″, lifetime warranty, stubby
Length of time tested – over a year
Value for money – 4/5
Quality – 5/5
Functionality – 4/5
Overall score – 13/15
Price – £20.49
Features – reversible, 6 bits & 1/4″, lifetime warranty
Length of time tested – over a year
Value for money – 5/5
Quality – 5/5
Functionality – 4/5
Overall score – 14/15
Price – £20.95
Features – reversible, 12 bits, removable extension
Length of time tested – over a year
Value for money – 4/5
Quality – 4/5
Functionality – 5/5
Overall score – 13/15
Testing:
Gear strength test I set my torque wrench to 10Nm and torqued up a M6 nut with a hex bolt in my vice. All the contenders managed to undo the bolt (for testing purposes I used the Neilsen in the straight position, also I used the same bit in each driver).
Feel:
You can instantly tell the quality difference between these, the Neilsen feels cheap (because it is), but the ratchet mechanism is very smooth (dare I say too smooth) but does not inspire confidence when comparing to the Stanley (which feels rather clunky) and the Teng offerings.
Features:
The Teng screwdrivers are exactly that, a ratchet screwdriver with a bit holder in the handle. I do like that they have added a 1/4″ socket holder.
The Stanley has a nice grip, the removable extension is a great addition giving extra length (its like owning both Teng Tools) and the bit holder is in the handle.
The Neilsen’s bit holder is on the screwdriver shaft, the jointed handle means you can have a straight screwdriver or a :-shape, its a little bit of a gimmick possibly but its a feature none of the others have.
Roundup:
All the screwdrivers here use standard sized bits. The quality of the Stanley and the Neilsen’s bits are a little questionable compared to Teng’s.
The Stanley would have be joint first place if they had included lifetime warranty like Teng.
Results.
First place – Teng Tools (MDR908)
Joint Second place – Teng Tools (MDR908S) & Stanley FatMax
Third place – Neilsen (CT1241)