Vessel TD-6700W-23 Stubby Ratchet Driver

I used this stubby to help me with replacing parts inside a clothes dryer. It was a tight space. But the stubby was the perfect tool for the job.

This is a very good little stubby ratchet with a smooth, light ratchet mechanism with good back drag that Japanese ratchets are so well known for. I have Snap-On and Bahco ratchets and this Vessel easily competes with them and has a light ratchet feel.However, two things to bear in mind, the handle is very stubby and shorter than other stubby's that you're use to but what I like about and I got use to was the knurled section the below the handle on the rotating shaft that allows your fingers to hold and hand turn fasteners to loosen or tighten fasteners, making this ratchet very useful for smaller, lighter, more delicate jobs. Also, the bits for this ratchet are double ended 1/4" hex bits as seen in photo and come with, these are longer than the traditional 1"/25mm long bits. The shorter bits will go deeper inside the shaft more and will be difficult to remove with your hand. Having said that, I find it a a plus when using 2" or long bits, it give nice solid feel. A 50mm or 75mm hex bit gives the stubby ratchet the feel and size of a normal size screwdriver. On my snap-on and Bahco these longer bits have lots of wobble and not the best combo. There is no magnet in this ratchet, it has a ball bearing with spring pressure to hold the bit inside the socket. I liked the rubber grip of the Bahco more but prefer using the Vessel. The Bahco went into the spare tool drawer.Later on after a lots of use, I flushed it out with rubbing alcohol and used Blue Creeper lubricant in the mechanism and works really well.

Bought this one based on all the positive reviews on Amazon but I'm definitely not a fan. One minor issue is the material the handle is made of. The hard, smooth plastic makes the screwdriver feel like its going to slip out of your hand. I feel like some rubber in the handle would fix that. The double sided bit is another issue. I don't think I could find a replacement bit like it. Fortunately, it will take standard bits like the ones used on drills. Next, the click wheel for the ratcheting mechanism is easy to move. Sometimes while I'm holding the screwdriver or using it, I accidentally change the ratcheting settings on the screwdriver. Finally, one day while using the screwdriver I accidentally moved the click wheel and the ratcheting mechanism locked up. Now it wont spin either way and I cant unlock the mechanism. Its basically a 12 dollar stubby screwdriver now.

ratchets perfectly fits together bit size is excellent

This stubby screwdriver feels very nice to use, it's more ergonomic than it looks (to me anyway, not really an expert). The ratchet mechanism is good, and it makes sense for a stubby, used in places where you may not have much room to re-grip.The only downside is that regular screwdriver bits will be too short, and you probably won't find other bits that properly engage the retention ball in this handle. (I even tried some other slightly longer Vessel bits that you can find on Amazon, which look like they might, but even they do not engage the retention in this handle, so I use them with the longer ball-grip handle.)Still, when I need a stubby +2 or +3, I'm quite happy to have this.

What more could you ask for but a low price... well, at only around twelve bucks, this little Japanese stubby from Vessel is probably one of the best bargains out there among the USA/Germany/Switzerland/Japan made ratcheting stubbies on the market.Note, that it does not have any bit storage, but the core of this stubby driver is it's ratcheting mechanism and this ratchet's 72 tooth mechanism is just way smoother and with lower backdrag than ratcheting driver many times this price point.

This compact Vessel ratcheting screwdriver with a combination #2/#3 bit is superb quality. Like most of us, over the years many screwdrivers have accumulated. At the moment I've got sets of Snap On, Wiha, old Craftsman, and Vessel. My Vessel Megadora 930 are hands down my favorite. The fit and grip, especially into Japanese screws, is so much better than any of the others.This 6700 stubby ratchet has a flawless clear handle and a 72 tooth ratchet mechanism. Very little backdrag, and it has a textured ring so you can freewheel a loose fastener with your thumb and forefinger. This product is made in Japan and the packaging is entirely in Japanese. Absolutely a first rate product.

An excellent stubby,ratcheting, screwdriver for the tool chest. At a reasonable price.