Milwaukee Tool has a new “7-in-1” multi-bit mini ratchet set, model 48-22-2950, that looks compact and highly portable.
The mini bit ratchet ships as a set – it comes with the tool, a bit holder, (4) screwdriver bits, and a 1/4″ hex to 1/4″ socket drive adapter.
The ratchet has a 90-tooth gearing for a 4° swing arc. Milwaukee says that the tool allows for better access in tight spaces.
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The mini ratchet has 1/4″ hex and 5/16″ nut driver sockets, and a rotatable thumbwheel that allows for easier tightening or loosening where the tool might be more difficult to swing.
It also has a direction selection lever.
The mini ratchet has a carabiner clip for convenient attaching of the included bit holder, and for securing the tool to tool bag D-rings, belt loops, or other such places.
Here’s where the 7-in-1 functionality comes from:
- 1/4″ and 5/16″ nut driver recesses
- 1/4″ square drive adapter
- Phillips #1, #2 screwdriver bits
- Slotted 3/16″, 1/4″ screwdriver bits
Price: $20
ETA: Coming Soon
Compared to Klein
The new Milwaukee mini bit ratchet looks a lot like Klein’s 65200, but better.
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Both options come with the same bit selection. Milwaukee’s bit holder has a ring for convenient carrying.
Milwaukee’s has 90T gearing, Klein’s has 72T. Finer-tooth ratcheting allows for a smaller minimal swing arc, which can make a difference in very tight spaces.
Both have 1/4″ and 5/16″ nut driver recesses.
The Milwaukee mini bit ratchet has a carabiner clip, but the Klein has a smoother ring that could potentially be more comfortable.
Klein’s is a little less expensive at $16, compared to $20 for the Milwaukee.
Discussion
I think that Milwaukee sought to improve upon the Klein design, and it looks like they did just that.
I like that Milwaukee’s mini bit ratchet can clip to various loops, and that the bit holder can also attach to the tool.
One can use a separate mini clip with the Klein ratchet, but Milwaukee’s solution is simpler and also provides easy attachment for the bits. With the Klein set, you need to put the bits in a separate pocket or similar.
If the Milwaukee bits can be easily swapped out for standard 1/4″ insert bits, this can be used in so many more places.
Saulac
I appreciate Milwaukee went beyond the standard rectangular bit holder, like that from Klein. But I would turn the bits to side instead to reduce the profile. Probably angle the bits up a little also. Don’t want to rely just on friction.
James
I absolutely love the Klein version, specifically the smooth ring to spin bits. While the clip is a neat idea, I think it will disrupt the feel.
While I don’t like the Klein bit holder, I don’t really care….i have a million bits and they ride in better holders.
I’m going to pick this up for another bag and compare them head to head but my gut says the Klein smooth circle makes that one the winner. TBD…
Nathan
I often think about getting the klien item. Curious. It’s another I don’t need it tool but I sort of want one
James
For running up nuts and bolts in tight spots where you can’t get your fingers it’s awesome. I often use it with a 6” bit extension. I disassemble equipment often and sometimes the space is just too small for even a 1/4” ratchet and this thing does the trick like magic.
KokoTheTalkingApe
Pretty nifty, but I wish the holder came with an extension, or even just a place to hold one. That would make that thing about 50% more useful. Maybe a clever 3d printer person will come up with something.
Stuart
https://14cyiuhvcgv.com/vessels-ball-grip-keychain-tool/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
Load that with your choice of extension.
John
Cool.
You don’t miss a beat, Stuart.
KokoTheTalkingApe
Thanks Stuart! But that Vessel bit holder/screwdriver is a little bulky just to hold an extension to work with the mini ratchet. I wish the Milwaukee bit holder just had a slot for an extension. It looks almost big enough already.
Stuart
There are slimmer ones. I really like the Vessel because it can also be used as a stubby handle rather than free-spinning.
KokoTheTalkingApe
That’s true, but the Vessel doesn’t take 1″ insert bits.
Stuart
True, but it could be loaded with an extension that can.
Vessel – extension – bit
Milwaukee bit ratchet – extension – bit
I confirmed with Milwaukee that the bit ratchet will work with standard 1″ hex bits, but haven’t checked if it’ll work with longer power-drive-style bits. I figure things like that I’ll test once samples or production copies are available.
fred
I like it that the folks at Milwaukee keep trying to do one better than the competition. I can see plusses and minuses compared to the Klein – but look like it might be handy. About 15 years ago I gave a diminutive 60T ratchet from Vim as stocking stuffers. Bought one for myself as well – and I like it. Too small for any real leverage but good for running a screw or nut up – and able to take a 1/4 breaker bar if needed – only complaint is that its pricey:
https://www.amazon.com/Products-Ratchet-Double-Offset-Handle/dp/B07V9JQRT8
I also have one from Wera that feels very smooth in the hand. It also has a 60T design :
https://www.kctool.com/wera-073230-bit-ratchet-1-4-drive/
I mad need to take a look at the Milwaukee – if it hits the racks at HD
fred
When I was looking for the Vim tool on Amazon – I also spied this from Titan:
https://www.amazon.com/Titan-Drive-Swivel-Micro-Driver/dp/B08DQ9ND52
Jared
I’m going to need that VIM. I’m not sure what for yet, but that’s pretty novel!
I have the Titan and it’s a good tool. I don’t reach for it a lot, but it’s a problem-solver when I do. It’s also 90t like this Milwaukee, but has a very compact head.
It also comes in a 1/4″ square drive version.
fred
Vim also has a 3/8″ version:
https://www.amazon.com/VIM-Tools-DD3-Ratchet-Double/dp/B0872P962C
Daniel
I have a pair of of the Klein version. They have worked well and I like them a lot. I may have to add a Milwaukee to the bag and see how it performs.
Grokew
Sir
*Slotted 1/4″, 3/16″ screwdriver bits
Stuart
Thanks! *fixed* Good catch!
5/16″ seemed odd, but I double checked and saw the same. Maybe it was a Freudian slip.
Wayne R.
I worked with a few guys who absolutely embraced the dangly workstyle. The more stuff they could hang from tool bags, belts & pockets, the more cachet they believed they had.
It was noisy, they lost stuff, and looked terribly goofy.
They’d love this.
Stuart
I feel that dangly tools can provide benefits up to a point, and then adding more can lead to negative returns.
Jared
I’m a fan of bit ratchets. I bet I’ve got at least a dozen of them. This doesn’t look like a good design to me, but maybe it’s just for a different use case.
The ratchet head looks gigantic! The whole thing appears overbuilt honestly.
For comparison, my favorite bit ratchet is the Wurth/Zebra 1/4 inch bit ratchet, pn 712.0145, which doesn’t add any height to your bit, yet still has a thumb wheel and a reverse lever.
The top is dished so the bit protrudes slightly in the middle, you pop the bit out by pushing on the top. It looks very similar to the VIM fred posted, but with a slightly longer handle and a cushion grip.
I don’t think 90t is necessary in a ratchet this small. The smaller swing arc between 90t and 72t isn’t noticeable when your ratchet handle is a couple inches long.
James
I agree about the teeth not making a difference here..
John
I’d like to check out that design.
I tried typing 712.0145 in the search box on the Wurth website and it didn’t compute.
Can you find a direct link either on Wurth or another online seller?
Thank you!
Jared
I got mine from Wurth.ca since I’m in Canada. Here’s that link:
https://shop.wurth.ca/general-tools/professional-hand-tools/ratchets-sockets-sets/ratchets-ratchet-adapters/stubby-rotary-bit-ratchet/1-4-inch-bit-ratchet-mini-L100MM/712.0145/
But when I tried looking it up at wurthusa.com, I couldn’t find it either. That seems weird.
I did spy this thing though! https://www.wurthusa.com/Tools/Hand-Tools/Bits/Assortments-and-Sets/Reinhold-Wurth-Limited-Edition-1-4-Inch-Mini-Ratchet-and-Bit-Set—8Pieces/p/071201408
I want that too. 😄
Jared
Scratch that – I found it on Amazon.com (provided you want the kit):
https://www.amazon.com/W%C3%BCrth-Zebra-Wrench-Ratchet-Narrow/dp/B00DTTPENC
I have that kit, but I know the bit ratchet is available separately.
fred
That Wurth 4-inch flat ratchet with bit storage is clever. Reminnds me of one from Engineer that I once owned:
https://www.amazon.com/Engineer-DR-55-Profile-Ratchet-Screwdriver/dp/B00B4TECTQ
Jared
I considered getting that one too – Engineer products are consistently good. That open ratchet design though… just seemed retro. I realize there’s a few ratchets like that for use in dirty environments, but that’s not really applicable to me.
It looks like the bits it comes with are shorter than standard. I wonder why those are so hard to come by. They seem super-useful. I know VIM makes a set (they call it half-cut), but it’s ludicrously priced last time I checked (at least in Canada).
Is it really so hard to make bits a 1/4″ shorter?
fred
The bits that come with the Klein 65200 are also on the stubby side.
Jared
Thanks, I’ll check that out.
JR Ramos
There are several short bits out there…Chapman and Fuller come to mind in addition to Vim, and if they’re still available Eazypower had them available in an extended range of types. They’ve never been all that easily accessible but they’ve always been around.
The old General mini bit ratchet is still made and I think Lisle has one too that uses a one-way needle clutch bearing for infinite positioning vs. toothed pawl. I had that Engineer DR55…it’s good, not really any better than the similar ones from Taiwan (or more likely China these days) and they can take more torque than you might expect. My Engineer drove away in someone’s Grand Am engine bay but I still have a cheapie in the box, Enkay I think…not a great deal of difference. It rarely sees use anymore since I got on to the mini bit ratchets (Vim and Gearwrench for me).
JR Ramos
Come to think of it I have another of those open frame types that was made in USA with red plastic and textured nickel plating. I have no idea who made that. Patent #5119701 if anyone wants to look it up. Well made, honestly not *that* much nicer or better than the cheap Enkay or the Engineer…a bit taller at 1-5/16″ with a standard 1″ bit in it. I guess I’m adding this just to say that none of these to me seemed super useful and not much functional difference in quality or what they can do.
fred
I have a set of right-angle screwdrivers (fixed bits – non-ratcheting) from Anex Tools (Kaneko Mfg.) that have come in handy. Stuart posted about the brand:
https://14cyiuhvcgv.com/anex-hex-drivers/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
They also make ratcheting drivers:
https://www.amazon.com/Ratcheting-Screwdriver-Magnetic-Straight-Flathead/dp/B0028DDD2Y?th=1
Nathan
I’ve looked hard at the titan one too. They spin well you seem them at AutoZone and advance auto etc.
Doresoom
The Milwaukee looks way too bulky with that clip. The head also looks taller than most other low profile bit ratchets I own.
I’ve been really happy with my Topeak bit ratchet for EDC. I carry it absolutely everywhere along with a selection of 10 bits and my Knipex XS Cobras. The big differentiator for that ratchet is that it has a bit holder in the end of the handle. So if I need to reach far in somewhere, I can still do it without going and finding an extension.
The Topeak ratchet: https://www.amazon.com/Topeak-TT2524-Ratchet-Rocket-Lite/dp/B00P2BB2PE
It also looks like Prestacycle recently found the same vendor that actually makes the ratchet by itself, for about half the cost of the full Topeak set: https://www.amazon.com/Prestacycle-PrestaRatchet-Heavy-Duty-Maintenance-Screwdriver/dp/B0CWLQR849
Jared
I’ve got one from “Granite” that also appears to be the same thing. The “Granite Stash RT” is a mini bit ratchet tool kit with bits, designed to be stored inside the steering tube of your mountain bike.
I like the idea of a bit holder on the other end to use like a screwdriver, but I found the backdrag a bit stiff on the one from Granite. I haven’t used it much though, so it’s probably not fair to judge that just yet.
LGonToolGuy'd
As a former competitive cyclist and bike nerd, the topeak held a place in my heart, but I recently got the HF ICON baby ratchet and love it more.
Doresoom
Well, dangit, I might have to get that HF one! I didn’t realize it had a 1/4″ hex opening on the end of it too.
BigTimeTommy
You can stick your finger in the loop of the Klein and spin the ratchet real fast. Can’t do that with the Milwaukee.
More faster = more better, I’ll take the Klein.
James
This. But I’ll try the Milwaukee cause it’s dangly and worth a try.
JR Ramos
Hard pass for me. Maybe this is needed and works for some folks (clearly, as the Klein appears to be successful) but the bulk of the clip seems so limiting in any place that I have needed to use mini ratchets. Love the Vim double ended models and the similar minis from Gearwrench (gone?) and Kobalt, and those from Wera and similar where a more comfortable grip is needed. I suppose it depends how they’ve configured it, but 90t on a mini head with a handle that allows for some gorilla yanking sounds like a poor idea and the extra positioning probably won’t make up for the loss by the bulk of the clip in tight spaces.
fred
Vim makes ones in different lengths as well – some with flex heads,
https://vimtools.com/product-category/hand-tools/ratchets/
JR Ramos
I have four of the Vims and bought two extras for spares because you never know these days when something/someone will disappear. A coworker a long time ago who was an aircraft mechanic for most of his life clued me in to Vim and it was a pivotal moment in my tool life…! Great company.
fred
Ah! – the great disappearing tool act.
They just don’t make steel as good as they used to. It now sublimes when left in the sun – not even a pool of molten metal to tell that it was there. Funny how that happens more often when you are a subcontractor on a large jobsite. And – it seems that more expensive tools suffer from this more than cheap ones.
JR Ramos
Well they’re making entire companies out of that same subliminatory material now, too! 🙂
One of the best pieces of advice I’ve ever received, from my grandfather many years ago, was that if you find something you love, buy two, because it might not be available anymore the next time you go to buy it. That has turned out to be so true, across categories. I think he was living his own advice as far back as the 1950s at least, seemed to keep doing it until he died in his late 80s.
So I gave Vim a boost in ratchet sales for a time, but now they get nothing from me until something breaks or goes missing. But I won’t be without a favorite if that does happen.
fred
IMO Vim (Durston Manufacturing) quality has gone up over the years. My recollection of some of their early products sort of screamed “shade tree mechanic” to me. They may have been serviceable – but looked like they were marketed to do it yourselfers not professionals. Here is an old listing from eBay of a fan wrench they once marketed:
https://www.ebay.com/itm/276496866764
At some point they moved from USA manufacturing to Taiwan for many of their items.
JR Ramos
I think they were known for addressing some specific needs/wants that some others just hadn’t bothered with. As broad as companies like Rimac and Lisle and OTC and others were, there were still some holes, and then they were kind of slow to address new challenges with changes in factory assembly and such. I know they had several items that were very popular with the aircraft guys. We considered adding them as a vendor but our top brass didn’t think there were enough items that we could sell well to make it worthwhile (which was a little disappointing but considering alllll the little and creative vendors/tools that we did always bring in, it made sense). Apparently they have shifted from Taiwan to China for several things somewhat recently. At some point they got on a heavy marketing train, which I’m not real fond of, but they still seem to be a pretty solid outfit, maybe not as generous with warranty concerns, based on review comments on Amazon anyway (for what that’s worth).
A lot of those old specialty tools and wrenches were kind of rough – some just introduced that way and some stayed that way. I recall some from Rimac, OTC, KD and even Thexton that seemed cheaper than their pricing suggested. Some eventually saw Asian copies introduced and they often at least looked better even if they used cheese steel.
JR Ramos
I had a thorough look over Vim’s current offerings this weekend and ordered one of their new push pin remover doodads…a clever pair of articulating tweezers. I didn’t realize that they had been bought/taken over by a previous employee a few years ago. Seems like a very different company in some ways – pretty harsh warranty/return conditions now. Very few US made tools, too. Taking some time to really look over the plethora of unique sockets and bits, it really is impressive, even if they don’t appeal to the masses of tool users like they might to many mechanics. They seem to be going strong still and although a few things look like generic rebadges they have many with their own tweaks…majority from Taiwan it looks like, with a little China here and there. US made items look limited to just a handful of square drive bits and a couple small tools.
Rx9
If that bit caddy were both magnetic and a bit lower profile, it would be perfect.
frank the tank
I like this, Milwaukee hand tool rock. But I’ll wait till black friday for a possible discount since I’m such a cheapskate…………..
PJB
I saw this release circulate the other day and said… yup… add it to the cart. I have the Klein, Wiha, Wera, and soon a Milwaukee. I appreciate them all. I think that flat portion the the “carabiner clip” might just be a bottle opener too.!? Does anybody else think that?
eddiesky
Anyone read that NPR article on Chinese prisoners making Milwaukee work gloves? Whether true or knockoffs, makes you wonder now if Made In China goods are now by prisoners. Or they are making IP ripoffs and saturating markets with knockoffs…
https://www.npr.org/2024/07/18/nx-s1-5035540/china-forced-prison-labor-us-company-allegations
Stuart
We’ll be talking about that soon.
I’ve been having conversations and digging into details prior to the very first article that came out, and believe it’s all been flawed and wrongfully sensationalized.
The original reporting, not NPR, violated journalistic rules of integrity.
Ultimately, the congressional investigation determined that the problem was with counterfeits and that Milwaukee cut all ties with the supplier that was doing this behind their back.
I asked the journalist (not from NPR), who interviewed me under false pretenses, whether they looked into the possibility of counterfeits, and they hadn’t. To my knowledge, they never looked into it.
Steve
Nice little set however I lean toward my Harbor Freight Icon set. But the socket part is useful.