Best ratcheting wrench set for 2022 – Roadshow [CNET]

So, you’ve got a good set of screwdrivers. Your toolbox is also kitted out with a smattering of conventional wrenches such as adjustable wrenches and metric wrenches. You also have a surfeit of sockets, a passel of pliers and maybe even torque wrenches, hammers, scrapers, picks and pry bars. What more do you need? Well, probably plenty (because you can never have too many tools), but one of the things you should immediately put on your shopping list is a set — or two — of ratcheting wrenches.

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While not absolutely necessary, ratcheting wrenches can be major labor savers. They meld the slimline design of a conventional wrench with the convenience of a ratchet and socket to create a highly versatile hand tool. Certain under-hood components, especially in modern cars, can be a tight squeeze; often there isn’t enough room to fit a conventional socket, let alone a hand. These situations are where ratcheting wrenches shine brightest. In those hard-to-access spots, rather than using a conventional combination wrench where you have to loosen or tighten a fastener one increment at a time and then reposition the tool, ratcheting wrenches allow you to remove or install fasteners much quicker and with way less effort. They can pay for themselves in just one use from all the frustration they’ll save you.

Yes, ratcheting wrenches sound complex and expensive, but neither is necessarily the case. There are plenty of ratchet-wrench sets out there that are eminently affordable, though you’re welcome to spend an absolute fortune on a top-quality assortment. But no matter how modest or massive your budget, you should totally grab a set. The following recommendations are based on grease-under-your-nails, first-hand experience as well as real-world user reviews.

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5 things to know about ratcheting wrench sets

• Ratcheting wrenches can be an absolute godsend when working in tight quarters or trying to remove a stubborn bolt in an awkward position. These tools are ideal in spots where a conventional socket and ratchet don’t fit.

• Ratcheting wrenches are also super helpful because you don’t have to keep repositioning the tool each time you loosen or tighten a fastener. If a nut or bolt isn’t quite finger loose, it can be extremely annoying using a conventional wrench because you have to turn the wrench, then take it off the fastener and reposition it again to continue tightening or loosening. In comparison, ratcheting wrenches do all this in one smooth motion.

• Many ratcheting wrenches come with 72-tooth drive mechanisms, which is a great feature. This means the ratcheting mechanisms “click” without requiring huge movement of the wrench handle, something that makes them more versatile. Many of these tools ratchet with just 5 degrees of handle movement, though the SK set listed above clicks every 1.7 degrees, about a third as much as other ratcheting wrenches.

• You don’t have to spend a fortune to get a great set of ratcheting wrenches. Of course, you can, it’s just not absolutely necessary. For general-purpose use, many of the value-priced sets listed above are perfectly fine, hell, they’d probably hold up a-OK in professional settings, too. And if something does go wrong, all the tools listed here are backed by a warranty, some by lifetime guarantees.

• Ratcheting wrenches are offered in a variety of shapes and sizes. Not only do they come in metric and imperial sizes, you can get long-handled ones for greater leverage and stubby models that fit in tight spaces. Examples with swiveling heads are offered, as are stubby models with swiveling heads. This variety is designed to give you lots of choice and to make the job of wrenching, particularly in cramped quarters, just a little bit easier.

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