VIM ToolsHBR5 Ratchet

I LOVE this thing! See pics below to demonstrate its versatility. Don't get too caught up in the practicality of the connections in the photos. I was just having a little fun. But the bottom line is, you can pick up an impact or driver bit set and the options with this are nearly limitless. It is a tool Pro mechanics recommend and carry in their boxes because of its ability to access tight spaces and turn any 1/4 or 5/16 hex bit, standard or impact, into a stubby. Just get one already, pros and DIYers. And as other reviewers have mentioned, this is the old Husky that was discontinued by Home Depot. It was and still is made by VIM, a fantastic American manufacturer who makes products for most of the tool truck brands. Some products, like this and the steel bits, are made in Taiwan b/c they do a fantastic job on those tools. Many VIM products are made at their US factory. VIM also has customer service as good as any and better than most. You'll feel like a Snap-On customer (sometimes better!) in dealing with them. I do have an alternative, an adapter set that turns my ratcheting wrench into a driver like this (the 5/16 end on this tool has a removable 1/4 square Drive. As I've shown in the photos, you can put any impact square Drive adapter with a 1/4 hex connection in this as well). The difference is, this is reversible with a selector switch on both ends. You don't need a reversible ratcheting wrench. And it has an offset. And it's an ideal length for clearance issues. And it's $15. And it's 72T super smooth ratcheting. And it's extremely low profile! And it's VIM! It's just super cool!

great tools. I carry one on the dirtbike bike tool kit, snowboarding, in my tool box etc. really handy for hard to reach spots. Stronger than expected. I have two of similar make that are 10-15 years old and holding up. Really helps when trying to check a carburator on the trail and you need to pull the main or pilot jets.

This is a great little tool, especially for an aircraft mechanic who are no strangers to those hard to reach adels or bonding strap screws. The tool is very similar to the GearWrench 85035 ratchet in appearance but that's about it. Vim's HBR5 ratchet as a much smaller and slimmer profile-I mean ridiculously smaller, which is a must for it to be truly effective in hard to reach places. Nice and shiny chrome down the beam, about as ergonomic as this tool can be. The ratchet has fine gearing, not as refined as Snap On or Koken mechanisms, but hey, for this price and with the consideration given to the fact that it's a convenience tool that wont be used for hours out of your day-it's damned good enough! All in all, VIM knocked this one out of the park, this is a must have for everyones tool box.

Why did you pick this product vs others?: Great in small places, just what i needed, and got it super fast

I can't even remember the number of times I've been frustrated by needing, but not having, a handle or driver for either a set of bits....or a set of sockets. It seems I often find myself in the 'square peg/round hole' situation. This little tool really solves that problem as it has the ability to drive either 1/4" bits or 1/4" sockets...!! As an additional positive....bits, once snapped into the tool, are firmly held...I have a few other drivers that have NO retention ability for a bit...but just depend on luck to keep from dropping the bits out...generally at the worst time...!! I also like the knurled wheels on both ends that allow turning the bit/socket with a thumb/finger action. Finally, the way you can apply pressure directly to the back of a bit/socket can help to keep the tool aligned and fully engaged with a screw head or a nut. Nicely made and I'm sure it will find a lot of uses in my tool box.... I'll soon be ordering another one of these....or more...!!

The Good: It's good. It seems like a fairly solidly built tool. I only bought it for the hex diver side, and I've tightened some grade 8 bolts down with some real force - the same force that broke some of the cheaper one's I've had. I did have the Husky equivalent, and it was ok before it finally died. I didn't have very much confidence in it, so I was more surprised at how long it held up than when if finally died. This one seems stronger, but since I haven't used it as much, it's hard to say how long it'll hold up or if it is really better. The Bad: The square drive on the ratchet side faces up when you're using the hex side, and just gets in the way of my grip. The tool is small, so if you want to get your hand around it, you'll have to grip the end you're not using. If you're using the ratchet side, no big deal. But if you're using the hex driver side, the ratchet side will be sticking up and dig into your palm. I can see how someone who isn't me would use their fingers to lightly tighten or loosen some small hardware without any problem. For that person, I would say this tool gets 5 stars. Definitely. It'll be ergonomically satisfactory, and that person certainly won't wear it out to the point of failure, so it's worth the money. But if you're dealing with hardware that needs some torque, and you're using this because of a clearance issue or something similar, it might not be very fun if you're doing it more than once - or all day. I'm considering disassembling the ratchet side since I have a different, better tool for that. Then I'd give it a 5 if it holds up, but on second thought, back to a 4 for having to spend time modifying it. So 4 stars for what you may or may not agree is a design flaw.

Perfect tool for getting in small spaces works absolutely great I love it!

Unica herramienta para llegar a lugares con acceso limitado recomendada 100%.

Worth it. The 1/4” and 5/16” sides are quite handy at work and the small design helps.

Desde que la compre no me ha fallado cumple con su función

Works perfectly. Handy as a 6 point 5/16 wrench instead of a 12 point that may not grab a rounded bolt. Love this tool as mechanic, very low profile. Expensive but good quality.

Love it, nifty tool for those tight spaces. Use it alot and never let's me down

Brilliant Ratchet. Researched many different ratchets before opting for the Vim and I'm really pleased with it - high quality, weighty and perfect for getting into awkward tight spots. Now looking for some half-cut stubby bits which are of the same high quality. Highly recommend this indispensable tool.