Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
I'm always on the lookout for a now toy -- ahem, I mean tool -- to add to my everyday carry (EDC) gear. New multitools, flashlights, and other cool tools are always on my radar.
A few weeks ago, I happened to come across something that, the moment I saw it, I just had to have it. It was one of those gambles: "it might be good, it might be on the way back to Amazon by the end of the day".
Also: 10 tiny tools I carry with me everywhere - how they work
It turned out to be one of the coolest, best engineered bits of kit I've handled in a while, and it even doubles as a fidget toy. It's a mini 1/4-inch ratchet wrench by 711L. Yes, a tiny, yet fully-functional and reversible ratchet. It measures a very compact 2-inches, and on the other end, there's a 1/4-inch adapter with a magnet for screwdriver bits, allowing the tool to be used in both orientations.
And don't let the small size of this ratchet fool you. This thing it strong! According to the manufacturer, the ratchet can take 22 ft-lbs (30 Nm) of torque. In my real-world tests, I've put a socket on the end and applied as much pressure as I could muster, and the ratchet held up with no problems whatsoever.
I can't see anyone breaking this tool by hand.
Also: The TSA-approved multitool myth: I tested it on a plane so you don't have to
On the business end there's a precision-machined, diamond-cut pattern that fits a thumb or fingertips perfectly, allowing for high-speed spinning of the ratchet in tight spaces.
The 711L mini ratchet is beautifully engineered. Adrian Kingsley-Hughes/ZDNET
... continue reading