Ratchets

[ROB. THOMASSON]

I discovered ratchet spanners the other day ( as always behind the times Has anyone used them on aircraft and are they worth the money? Up to now my faithful combination spanners and socket set have done the job. If so what makes do people recommend?

[mikeblyth]

Got a set from Aldi less than £15 well worth for some jobs. Recently bought a set of Torx spanners from Toolstation, like Allen keys. Much better than those little things £6,
Mike

[mike newall]

Been using them for years - an absolute must have in my opinion. I have a full set of imperial and metric. Great for getting into tight spots.

Make sure they have a fine ratchet - I use Gearwrench and they ratchet at 5°

[mike newall]

Also, try and get a stubby 1/4" drive gearless ratchet. 2 reasons, the gearless action means great for fine work and the short handle means you won't over-torque the fastener.

[Nick Allen]

All of the above. Plus I acquired a set of ratchet spanners with a hinged head, which are really useful. One thing to note is that the heads on some ratchets are larger than regular spanners, which can sometimes offset the accessibility advantage.

I've also acquired a good set of 6-point spanners -- better grip on recalcitrant nuts/bolts.

Next on the list is a pass-through socket set.

You can never have too many spanners/sockets!