Review on 🔧 Wera Kraftform 816 RA Bitholding Ratcheting Screwdriver - 1/4" Head: Efficient and Versatile Tool by Corey Ford

The Wera has more shaft play than my DeWalt Home Depot ratchet and is half the price. And a pretty similar ratchet, grip and overall quality feel. Come on people. Is this your first screwdriver? Want to know who the Heavyweight Ratchet Wrench Champion is? Read below. So you think I'm insane for writing my PhD on screwdrivers? Well you will be right. Also, I have bad news for you: your mental health is certainly not in the best of shape if you are reading this. However, rest easy knowing it's not entirely our fault. Tool manufacturers seem to have ceased to exist. All tool companies were bought up by large corporations and mostly sent all their products abroad. So what we're left with are tool brands - you can't tell if all X brand drivers are of the same quality as in many cases they are made in different places and on different machines and the logo is stuck on the tool end. before they send a tanker full of them. I doubt there's anything remotely reminiscent of the QC of bygone eras. Wondering if Stahlwille is in the same league as Bahco or Gearwrench might not be the right question - so brace yourself. to wait for him. They can all be the same screwdriver! And anyone touting the virtues or differences of one or the other on Revain or YouTube or some dark, dank spot on the forums has simply drunk too much late-capitalist koolaid and pretends there are glaring differences. How are you? Do you feel mentally less? And that's not all. Let me tell you how I got into this sad state: In my daily chores I would really like to have a good example of the following: No need for 8 different ordinary screwdrivers. I realized that I had amassed quite a large collection of materials that served one purpose or another, but none of them served me all purposes. I had doubles and triples on some things but nothing else. So I wanted to downsize and get just the right amount of the right thing, and maybe get something really good in the process that I enjoy using. My criteria were: Easy ratcheting of the magnet or chuck No proprietary bits or ball lock bits, so I can use a variety of bits like hex bits, socket wrenches, etc. Perfect rust resistance: Bonus points for nickel-plated bitsBonus for stainless steel shankBonus points for accepting 1" and 2" bits. Since I would have preferred to take a bit case with me, storing the bits wasn't a deal breaker anyway. You'd think it would be a no-brainer, but I've played through about a dozen different options and used/bought/played with dozens of others over the years, and it's about as hard as it gets to figure out . Some of these for me were: Stahlwille, Snap on, Williams, Megapro, Rolgear, Wera, Wiha, Kobalt, DeWalt, Klein, Bahco, Chapman, Gearwrench, etc. Bahco (Swedish) and Gearwrench (USA, Apex Tool Group) seem from to be manufactured by the same company/factory in Taiwan? These include full-size, 2-position pistol grip, LED-lit, and shortened models. They all have identical shanks, bit holders and roughly the same grip with a few minor differences, mostly in color and markings. Williams and Snap They are the same (Williams makes Snap-On) and Williams even has Snaps on the part numbers on the bits. If you fall between the two, go to Williams. The price difference is enormous. It looks like the Klein Heavy Duty Ratchet is made by the same company as Lenox and a few others. Here, too, only the material of the handle and, if applicable, the bits differ. The Megapro is largely the same as the Channelock except for the Beat build. However, Megapro has options that are not available in Channellock. Wera has quirky branding and Swiss-style typography, but for me it pretty much ends there. The grip is fine. But that's not important to me at the end of the day. And I'm just getting started. It's a mess. Just take my word for it and follow my lead or you might find yourself digging a screwdriver rabbit hole. So, before I go too far, just let me get to TL; Paying at the end of the day wasn't about the price. I had everything on my table except PB Swiss at an outrageous price. Interestingly, many budget options outperformed premium brands in some cases. So here's what I would do: Buy a Williams T and a full size if you can handle the bit storage situation. Some can't get along with the beats that are pounding out there. It has the tightest tolerances and the smoothest ride. Minimal wobble. Even the most spartan optics and plastic. Don't take this if your main purpose in buying a screwdriver is to feature it on Reddit. If you can't handle the bit situation or maybe need a knurled grip I would go with the Bahco/Gearwrench 2 position. with pistol grip. It also seems like an LED model might be useful, but I've never used it. If you want a full set of short, T-shanks, and multiple shanks in a box full of bits, get the full gearwrench set that comes in the box. It's good value and very similar in performance to the Williams and Snap-On at a bargain price. Don't discount the quality because the price seems too good to be true. For a ratchet screwdriver (not a ratchet screwdriver) I'd go with a Wiha set or All Trade Powerbuilt 1/4" Stubby, which is a bargain for the price but doesn't hold the bit as tightly as the Wiha. Also; a small one too -Grip hole ratchet works well in certain situations.Rolgear and Megapro deserve an honorable mention although to me they all have flaws that may not apply to you.The Megapro auto is great unless you are in one salty air climate, in this case it doesn't fit well.The Rolgear has great mechanics, however it's a novel construction that may not appeal to everyone and has too much play in the shaft for me.And the best big box option would be a DeWalt with retractable shaft. Surprisingly good ratchet, nice grip. However, there is noticeable wobble when you extend the shaft a few clicks, and there is no built-in bit storage. But it is by far the cheapest option and it's no fool. I find Wera to overrate and re-evaluate every tool I've bought from them: screwdrivers, ratchets and bits. Twice the size of even my big box that DeWalt bought. yes you heard me Come and give me Wera Snobs. I think encouraging Wera fans is a great place to end this review. Again and again.