EDC Bit Ratchets

[ReamerPunch]

Ratchets reviewed so far

Anex
Ares
Bosch
CyclingDeal
Giant
GreaTalent
Jackly
Klein
LaBear
Mulwark
Ovatt
Penggong
PK Tools
Prestacycle
Rujoi
Titan
Topeak
Trojan
Victorinox
Wera
Wiha

[ReamerPunch]

Vessel low-profile ratchet
(can also be found branded by Broppe and Lattook)
Weight with no bits: 48g
Weight with 2 bits: 54g
Length: 104mm
Head width: 16mm
Head clearance with standard bit: 25mm (adds 0mm)
Teeth count: 16
Minimum swing arc: 22.5°
Bit retention: spring detent
In-line driver bit socket: no
In-line driver socket bit retention: -
Bit material: Chrome Vanadium steel
Handle material: Chrome Vanadium steel
Price: $16 with 11 stubby bits
Bits: Allen 2/3/4/5/6, Phillips 1, 2 x2, 3, Slotted 4 and 6

Accessories
The Vessel low-profile ratchet comes with eleven stubby bits and a bit holder. The bits are the shortest stubby bits yet, at only 18mm long (the SK ratchet comes with three half-cut bits, that are 12mm long).
The bit holder is modular. It consists of three connecting pieces. When connected, the pieces have an insignificant amount of wobble and stay together with no issues.


Bottom right, left to right: SK ultra stubby (12mm long), Vessel stubby (18mm long), SK Anex Klein stubbies (19mm long), LaBear Mulwark (20mm long)

Dimensions
The Vessel ratchet is 104mm long, which is a little above average. The head is 16mm wide, which is great. The head adds no length to a bit's clearance.
At 54g with two bits in the handle, it is about average weight, perfectly acceptable.



Teeth Count
With only 16 teeth, this requires some space in order to engage the next tooth and turn a fastener.

Bit Retention
Bits are held in by a spring. This is not excessively tight and offers good retention.

Bit compatibility
Stubby bits can be removed easily.
Double-ended bits work well in this thanks to the hole in the back of the head.



Switch action
The Vessel has a spring-loaded, oversized pawl, which is its own switch. The pawl protrudes from both sides of the frame at all times. To reverse the action, a tip must be pushed up or down. It has good detent and it is not easy to get it to reverse accidentally.

Ease of use
The Vessel is the only ratchet so far to feature on-board bit storage. It has two bit slots built into the frame. The bits are secured by two rows of ridges in the hard plastic insert. The bits clip into their spots and are very secure. To remove a bit, simply push it out from the other side. The Vessel stubby bits are 18mm long, but the ratchet can store 19mm long stubby bits. 20mm long stubby bits will not fit, and of course, standard bits will not fit in this.
The ratchet gear is oversized and the teeth are exposed, so this can be used as a knurled finger wheel to quickly turn loose fasteners.
The ratchet head is 10mm tall and adds no length to an inserted bit's clearance. As long as there is room to swing this, it will reach into some crammed spots.
The sides have some jimping that provides some additional traction. The ratchet is long enough for a four-finger grip. Reversing the action is very easy.


Top right from left to right: LaBear, Anex, Vessel, Mulwark, SK

Construction Quality
The finish is crisp and consistent. The pawl and gear engage smoothly. Tolerances are great. There are no gaps between the plates and hard plastic insert. The lanyard hole edges are chamfered and will not wear down cords. The rivets are smooth and will not grab fabric. The Vessel logo is etched flawlessly on the frame. The bits fit in the frame perfectly, clipping in place with an audible click. The ratchet mechanism has very little wobble in the frame.
The sides of the plates appear slightly unfinished, but they are very smooth to the touch.

The bit holder is wonderful, with no molding imperfections. The pieces connect to each other convincingly, with very little wobble. Bits are held firmly, but are not overly tight.

Portability
The Vessel ratchet is straight and flat, and sits comfortably in multi-tool pouch side-sleeves, edc pouches, and pen sleeves.
It also has a 4mm lanyard hole, and the bit holder has a loop too, so these can be carried with carabiners or clips, and attached to other gear.



Value
The Vessel ratchet cost $16, and came with eleven stubby bits and a bit holder. The ratchet has some nice features, the bits are 18mm long, and the bit holder is modular.

Conclusion
Having 16 teeth is a little low. This will need some space to swing around in order to work. This is a common occurrence with ratchets of the sandwich design. Still, the Vessel has some tricks up its sleeve.

Compared to its kin, the Vessel has quite a few features. Jimping for traction, a knurled finger wheel, a lanyard hole, and of course, on-board bit storage. It is also flat, adds no length to the bit clearance, and comes with a modular bit holder and eleven 18mm long bits. It certainly has a lot to offer.

Its features translate well into edc. The ratchet fits nicely in pouches, it has a lanyard hole so it can be tethered or clipped on other gear. The bit holder also has a loop and has a few carry options, depending on the number of bits users want to carry. The ratchet can store two bits within its frame, and it is compatible with double-ended bits as well. The hard plastic insert is a vibrant, highly visible orange, and it even has some jimping for traction. The Vessel low profile ratchet is a solid choice for a compact, edc bit ratchet.


Pros
-Knurled finger wheel.
-On-board bit storage.
-Ratchet adds no length to bit clearance.
-Modular bit holder.
-Shortest stubby bits yet (18mm long).

Cons
-Only 16 teeth.
-The ratchet cannot store standard bits.

[Old Happy Tiger]

Great review RP, I was actually looking at a few of those yesterday.

[m47mu74nt]

I just got the FACOM R1PICO-NOR in the mail today.
I won't make a dedicated review of it as it the ratchet is basically the RUJOI that RP already reviewed.
all I can say is : it's not worth twice the RUJOI if you don't have use of the box (that is of good quality, much more compact and really well engineered).


(above is the R1PICOPB)


I got this one for about 85€ including tax and shipping (it was like 50£, but UK being no more part of EU, taxes are not forgotten ).
the set is based on the FACOM R.180A:


Official product description of the ratchet :
    The compact head allows access to difficult areas when us ing bits 6-point 1/4".
    Flexible head 180 °.
    The button to lock the head in position. 13 locking positions
    60 teeth mechanism for a recover y to 6°.
    Reversing lever: easy even gloved hand. Allows visualisation of the direction of rotation.Use with square sockets 1/4 “through ECR.1 ada pter.
    Comes with a through ma gnetic extension 100 mm for use “T-handle” (EF.R180). Weight: pawl 70 g, 40 g extension.




Por whose who are interested, here are descriptions and part numbers of the content :

• 1 x 1/4" ultra-compact flexible ratchet: R.180A.
• 5 x 1/4" metric 6-point sockets: R. 6 - 8 - 10 - 12 - 13 mm.
• 1 x extension: L 100 mm (EF.R180).
• 15 x bits - 1/4" drive bit - 6.35 mm - L 25 mm:
  - EP.1T for Philips® head screws: PH1 (EP.101T)- PH2 (EP.102T).
  - ES.1T for slotted head screws: 3 (ES.133) - 6.5 (ES.136,5) mm.
  - EH.1 for metric 6-point hollow head screws: 2 - 2.5 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 mm (real part number is build like this : EH.102,4 for the 2.5 mm bit and EH.106 for the 6 mm bit).
  - EXR.1 for vis Resistorx® screws: TT10 - TT15 - TT20 - TT25 - TT30 (EXR.110 to EXR.130).
• 1 x socket holder bit: ECR.1.
• 1 x BV.RPE2 yellow box, the bit holder is actually made of a semi-rubberized injected plastic that won't come out: It comes through the main frame and works both as box shell and bit holder

main difference between the "Special Cyclist Edition" and the R1PICOPB:

• in PICOPB that is not in PICO-NOR:
  - ED.1T for Pozidriv® head screws: PZ2.
  - ES.1T for slotted head screws: 4.5 - 8 mm.
• PICO-NOR that is not in PICOPB:
  - ES.1T for slotted head screws: 3 mm.
  - EH.1 for metric 6-point hollow head screws: 2 - 2.5 mm.

NB: The box has a very nice shade of yellow.
NB2: The box alone makes it a good alternative to the RUJOI if you can afford it.
NB3: I wouldn't be surprised to find other Stanley-Black&Decker's brand that would be exactly the same as the FACOM R1PICO, but I couldn't find any yet.

[m47mu74nt]

Apparently, FACOM ratchet and extension alone, without box or bit/sockets can be found for 40€, about the price of the whole RUJOI set.
I'll try to find a RUJOI ratchet and extension, to make an indepth head to head comparison.

[ComboTool]

I'll try to find a RUJOI ratchet and extension, to make an indepth head to head comparison.

A very similar ratchet can be found under the KS Tools brand, either stand-alone or in several sets reminiscent of the Facom.

[m47mu74nt]

A very similar ratchet can be found under the KS Tools brand, either stand-alone or in several sets reminiscent of the Facom.

You are absolutely right : it is even cheaper than the RUJOI (25€ on amazon)
Bits visually seem of much lower quality though

PS: I ordered one so I can make the comparison.

[m47mu74nt]

As expected with a bit of research,
Another Stanley black&decker brand does sell the same tools as you can find FACOM branded : USAG (Italian brand apparently): 606 1/4 SK, can be found for 50€ on Amazon. (If you don't need sockets, it looks like a much better deal).

[m47mu74nt]

You are absolutely right : it is even cheaper than the RUJOI (25€ on amazon)
Bits visually seem of much lower quality though

PS: I ordered one so I can make the comparison.

Ok, got it today : the KSTOOLS kit is of MUCH MUCH lower quality.

• The ratchet looks similar, even a few mm longer than the FACOM
• The extension/T-handle is almost identical
• The box feels cheap, the bit holder part is of added material and not as grippy (and it's black, not read as on the box pic)
• The ratchet mechanism isn't as clicky, the hinge isn't as smooth and presents some visual defects

Is is cheaper, and... it is cheaper, should be okay for most work though 

[m47mu74nt]

The handle is a little longer on the KSTOOLS, but the heads are visually almost identical, so are the T-handles.
There's a nice feature on the FACOM that is missing on the KSTOOLS : the socket adapter is much shorter.

Overall, after that comparison, I feel the FACOM is still too expensive, but it looks like it is still far better than the 25€ KSTOOLS product 

[Poncho65]

More great Ratchet sets and pics, RP and m47

[m47mu74nt]

Thank you!
My reviews are not as in-depth as RP ones, but don't tempt me too much or I'll get some USAG to compare with the two others 

[Old Happy Tiger]

Awesome review!  But my question is, what do you guys recommend to fit this:
 

altoids.jpg (Filesize: 245.69 KB)

[m47mu74nt]

RP should have some clues for you, here is a post with  the size of some of the previously review ratchets : https://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,88713.msg2342097.html#msg2342097

[m47mu74nt]

There's a nice feature on the FACOM that is missing on the KSTOOLS : the socket adapter is much shorter.

Damned, I just can't understand the marketing : KSTOOLS ratchet+extension+adapter alone are nearly twice the price of the whole bit set (40€ against 25), AND it features the same low clearance socket adapter that you can see on FACOM/USAG !

That makes no sense to me >_<

[ReamerPunch]

Awesome review!  But my question is, what do you guys recommend to fit this:
  [ Quoting of attachment images from other messages is not allowed ]

Wiha, Wera, Ares, and the Jackly keychain ratchet fit nicely

[ReamerPunch]

The handle is a little longer on the KSTOOLS, but the heads are visually almost identical, so are the T-handles.
There's a nice feature on the FACOM that is missing on the KSTOOLS : the socket adapter is much shorter.

Overall, after that comparison, I feel the FACOM is still too expensive, but it looks like it is still far better than the 25€ KSTOOLS product 

Interesting to see two ratchets be so similar in appearance but not in quality. Nice pics, too!

[m47mu74nt]

So I got USAG 606 1/4 SK kit, It is the FACOM  R.PEJ31PB bit set with the FACOM R.180 ratchet only available in the R1PICO kit

It looks like the perfect alternative to the FACOM kits for someone that only wants bits and no sockets, but the ability to use a variable angle ratchet, for the price of the FACOM R.PEJ31PB (that does not offer the same ratchet)

[m47mu74nt]

This time, is not a "clone" of the FACOM, it is the exact same ratchet, extender and adapter

Bits have their own id codes, but the USAG box has the FACOM code : BV.RPE1 (the very box of the R.PEJ31PB kit)

Brand	USAG	FACOM
Ratchet	237 SKF B	R.180 A
Extension	236 SKF A	EF.R180 A
Adapter	660Q B	ECR.1 A

With both, I don't think I'll need another 1/4 set before long 

[ReamerPunch]

Those look so nice.
The only flex-head I have is the Rujoi, but those boxes also need love.

[m47mu74nt]

Go for one, just go for one 

Choose wisely the one you need as they are quite expensive, but they are really well built

Below are FACOM/USAG kits I found
FACOM R.PEJ31PB (doesn't offer the R.180 A ratchet, extension and short socket adapter)
FACOM R.180J31PB (offers R.180 A ratchet, extension and short socket adapter) ==> I didn't found that one before, I'll edit above posts. (can't edit, too old post  )
FACOM R1PICO (less bits, but offers sockets)
FACOM RXPICOPB (sockets kit and R.180HX ratchet, only compatible with provided sockets)
USAG 606 1/4 SK (R.PEJ31PB bits set + R.180 A ratchet kit, in fact it is the same as  R.180J31PB)
USAG 610 1/4 EFK (sockets kit and ratchet, only compatible with provided sockets, same as RXPICOPB)

[ReamerPunch]

SK11 ultra low profile mini ratchet

Weight: 38g
Length: 99mm
Head width: 14mm
Head clearance with standard bit: 25mm (adds 0mm)
Teeth count: 16
Minimum swing arc: 22.5°
Bit retention: spring detent
In-line driver bit socket: no
In-line driver socket bit retention: -
Bit material: Chrome Vanadium steel
Handle material: Chrome Vanadium steel
Price: $18 with 4 stubby bits  and 3 ultra stubby bits
Stubby Bits: Phillips 1, 2, 3, Slotted 6
Ultra stubby bits: Phillips 1 and 2, Slotted 6

Accessories
The SK ultra low profile ratchet comes with seven bits and a bit holder. Four bits are stubby and are 19mm long, and three are ultra stubby, at only 12mm long. These are half the length of a standard bit, and offer the lowest bit clearance so far. The stubby bits have knurled necks.



Dimensions
The SK ratchet has the flattest head, at only 7mm, and also the narrowest head, tying with the Victorinox ratchet at 14mm.
It adds no length to an inserted bit's clearance. It is also among the lightest, at only 38 grams.
It is 99 mm long, which is about average.
The stubby bits are 19mm long, and the ultra stubby bits are only 12mm long. This offers the lowest bit clearance so far.



Teeth Count
The SK has only 16 teeth, which is rather low. The ratchet requires some space for it to be able to swing and engage the next tooth, to be able to turn a fastener.

Bit Retention
The bits are held in place by a spring. This offers good retention while still allowing the bits to be removed easily.

Bit compatibility
The ratcheting socket is almost pass-through. The walls of the socket have tiny steps at the bottom, which prevent bits from sliding through.
Thanks to this, all sorts of bits can be used with this ratchet, as long as they are 1/4". The ratchet can be used with the shortest bits yet, and even comes with them. Double-ended bits can be used with no issues, as the back opening of the socket is wide enough for all heads to pass through. Leatherman bits fit in this as if it was made for them.
This is the best bit compatibility so far.



Switch action
The SK has an oversized and exposed pawl, which acts as its own switch. It has excellent detent, and does not change direction when accidentally bumped into something.

Ease of use
The SK is an ultra low profile ratchet, and has the flattest and narrowest head so far. It also adds no length to an inserted bit's clearance. It comes with the shortest bits so far.
It only has 16 teeth, so this still needs some room to move around.
The ratcheting gear has exposed teeth, so it can be used as a knurled finger wheel, for loose fasteners.
The sides have some jimping which improves traction, and the ratchet is long enough for a four-finger grip.
The ratchet has a lanyard hole, so if needed, it can be tethered and prevent misplacement.


Top left, left to right: LaBear, Anex, Vessel, Mulwark, SK

Construction Quality
The SK is a sandwich ratchet, with two metal plates holding the internals in place.
The ratcheting gear has the least amount of wobble so far, even better than the Anex ratchet. The teeth are perfectly machined and the pawl has excellent fitting with the gear. The pawl has great detent. The lanyard hole edges are rounded off and will not damage cords.
The corners are chamfered and the ratchet has no hotspots.
For once, the bit holder has no molding imperfections. It holds bits securely but it is not overly tight.
There are no gaps between the plates and hard plastic insert.

Portability
Given its slim frame, it is no surprise that the SK can fit comfortably in multi-tool pouch side-sleeves, edc pouches, and pen sleeves. Some micro ratchets, like the Topeak, have slimmer bodies, but the SK has a flatter head.
Thanks to the generous lanyard hole, it can also be clipped to a bag or pack with a quick-release clip or carabiner, or even tethered with a cord to keep it from dropping. The bit holder also has a loop, and is even short enough for a key-chain.



Value
At $18, the SK is quite inexpensive. It comes with seven bits, four stubby ones and three super stubby bits, and a nice bit holder. It also has some nice features to offer.

Conclusion
The SK ultra low-profile ratchet was certainly surprising. It is the lowest profile ratchet so far, with the thinnest and flattest head. It adds no length to the bit clearance. It comes with the shortest bits yet. The gear can be used as a knurled finger wheel. It is very well-made, with excellent tolerances and finish. It also has the highest bit compatibility so far, thanks to the slim and almost pass-through head. This tiny ratchet tops several lists of stats, which is impressive.

Of course, having only 16 teeth means that it needs some space for it to swing around, in order for it to engage teeth and turn fasteners. Still, with the narrowest and flattest head and the shortest bits so far, it will definitely come in handy for accessing fasteners in tight spots.

The SK holds its own and does it well. It is an excellent little ratchet and it defies its modest price.


Pros
-Ratchet adds no length to bit clearance.
-Comes with three 12mm long bits and four stubby bits.
-Knurled finger wheel.
-Head with no bit is only 7mm tall.
-Extreme bit compatibility.

Cons
-Only 16 teeth.

[ReamerPunch]

Wiha Mini Ratchet Go-Box Set

(Image removed from quote.)

This is down to $32 on Amazon right now.

[Poncho65]

Only now seeing this that is an excellent price going now to check and see if it is still there or back to normal price

[ReamerPunch]

Wiha set now down to $31.5 on Amazon!

[m47mu74nt]

Not exactly what I would call "EDC", but still it is more compact that "usual": facom Rnano (with USAG 606, R1 pico equivalent as scale)

and I found it for quite cheap at a flea market so I couldn't resist 

[Old Boy]

This is going to sound weird but I started carrying the Klein ratchet as a fidget toy. I get really impatient sometimes in meetings that drag on so I will swing the ratchet by the finger loop and catch in my palm (feels cool) or catch the knurling in my palm and rotate. Makes a satisfying clicking sound.

[m47mu74nt]

I hope you work remotely and close your mic 

[Old Boy]

I hope you work remotely and close your mic 

Sadly no. But I try to do the clicky thing in my office when I dial in and mute myself. Helps me think.

[m47mu74nt]

I don't tend to use my ratchets as fidget toys (stored too far from my desk)... But Zippos and Axis-lock knives are used in instead