« CobraHead Weeding and Cultivating Tool
Hobart Trek 180 Cordless Welder »

Ideal Ratch-A-Nut

By Gordon DeWitte

Part of the fun of doing TM posts is the discovery of tools I’d never seen or used. The Ideal 9-in-1 Ratch-A-Nut Screwdriver is one such beast. It’s a ratcheting screwdriver with 1/4″ and 3/16″ slotted bits, #1 and #2 Phillips bits, 1/4″, 5/16″, and 7/16″ nutdrivers on one end, plus a ratcheting wire nut wrench on the back end that can handle a variety of wire connectors. The typical price runs around $19, but True Value has it for a bit over $9.

Ratch-A-Nut [Manufacturer's Site]
Street Pricing [Google Products]
Ratch-A-Nut Via Amazon [What’s This?]


9 Responses to “Ideal Ratch-A-Nut”

  1. Zeros Says:

    I have the twist-a-nut version of this screwdriver, which is the same just does not have the ratcheting action. I find this screwdriver very handy and like using it to tighten wire nuts especially when it is colder and the fingers are numb. I think I paid around $17 on ebay for mine.

  2. fred Says:

    Ideal also make a bit (part no 30-902) for tightening wire nuts.

  3. Bill Clay Says:

    The twist-a-nut and ratch-a-nut are the same, except the ratcheting mechanism makes it almost twice as heavy as the the former one. Both are good depending on what you like.

  4. 1800ceiling Says:

    Ideal Ratch-A-Nut is really an Ideal one to use. I bought it recently to use it in the process of home improvement. It helped me to fix the new ceiling tightly and very easily. The previous tool which I had was very tough and was difficult tighten the screws really like this product.

  5. Frank Townend Says:

    I also have the non-ratching version and keep it in the case with my wire nuts. It does an excellent job tighting wire nuts.

  6. Scwetherbee Says:

    This is all well and good, but what about the #2 Robertson square drive for all the screws your are going to run into in all electric wiring jobs.

  7. Zaw Says:

    I love this screw driver! I found it in non tool related area at Home Depot and never ever seen it again!!

    I’m satellite guy and it come with 7/16 ratchet so its very handy.

    Very good quality all around!!!

    I don’t have use for the Wire Nut driver thought.

  8. heywood j Says:

    re: scwetherbee:

    If you’re going to do much wiring you’re gonna need more than one driver anyway…along with a set of linemans, dykes, strippers, needle noses, etc. etc.

  9. David Bryan Says:

    And it’s real easy to find the bits to make it do what you want it to. I put square bits in mine, but to me the no. 1’s are more useful, because they fit the combination heads on most of the devices I use.

Leave a Reply