I’ll admit it, I’m a sucker for free shipping on Amazon.com. A few months ago I was placing an order on Amazon and got that tantalizing message “Add $7 to your order and qualify for FREE Shipping!” Naturally I went straight to the tool section to see what kind of high-end tool I could buy for $8 (sadly, none). I did, however, discover a tool priced perfectly and that I though might have a decent chance of being useful despite it being incredibly cheap, the Neiko Mini Ratcheting Screwdriver.
Since it was just shy of $8 I pretty much assumed this would be a mostly worthless. . . how do I put this diplomatically. . . . piece of crap. Oddly enough I’ve found it totally useful and surprisingly solid. The Neiko Close Quarters Ratcheting Screwdriver, (they’ve got to find a catchier name for this thing), is made in Taiwan and has some plastic components, so don’t expect it to survive being run over by your car or truck. But the business end and most of the handle are made of metal, so it doesn’t feel completely flimsy either. Those of you following the heated debate on slotted vs phillips screws, will be happy to know the bit assortment includes a couple sizes of each.
One note to foreign manufacturers: please stop using free online translation tools when writing content for your tools! English is a complicated language with many nuances, so it might be worth paying a translator $20 to translate properly. That way you can avoid packaging that says, “No need to remove obstruct parts away during work” and “Design for mobile, machine, household, any narrow space.” Luckily the tool does not require any written instructions.
It just so happened that I was installing a vent hood in our kitchen shortly after the Neiko screwdriver arrived. As you can see from the picture, the brilliant vent hood engineers left about a 1/2″ space to fit the typical 8″ screwdriver. The Neiko screwdriver worked brilliantly here, and the ratcheting action was far more effective than trying to use those goofy offset screwdrivers shaped like an “S”. It will even work in clearances too tight for compact right angle drills and drivers. I was impressed, and pretty stoked my free shipping on Amazon ploy netted me a handy tool. It’s so handy, I’d recommend buying it for your toolbox even if you’re not just trying to weasel free shipping like I was.
You can pick up the Neiko Pocket Size Close-Quarters 1/4-Inch Drive Mini Ratcheting Screwdriver and Bit Set
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