Every Major Cordless Ratchet Wrench Brand, Ranked Worst To Best

Cordless ratchet wrenches fill a very specific niche in the toolbox, regardless of whether that toolbox is in a professional service garage or under a cabinet in an apartment. The right-angle design of the tool, paired with its inherent lower torque, make cordless ratchet wrenches perfect for tedious jobs that require the removal or installation of several fasteners. While an impact wrench or more powerful drill/driver are more appropriate for bigger jobs, a cordless ratchet wrench makes work in tight areas a lot less frustrating to deal with.

There are a number of factors one should consider when shopping for a cordless ratchet — things like power, value, battery life, comfort, weight, drive size, and features, for example. And while individual tools under a single brand name might have some differences, design choices are often seen repeated in a product line from these toolmakers.

We've ranked the major cordless ratchet wrench brands using those metrics alongside things like user ratings and feedback, YouTube reviews, input from local mechanics, and my personal experience with several of these brands as a former ASE certified automotive technician with over fifteen years in the industry. We've also included a suggestion from each brand; not necessarily the best cordless ratchet available, but a highlight from the toolmaker. And, as always, keep in mind that there are hundreds of cordless ratchet wrenches from dozens of brands out there, so even the tools at the bottom of our ranking are still worth looking into.

The former Sears brand has been mentioned in a number of our rankings, although rarely near the top. However, the company's reputation for honoring its lifetime warranties and its quality hand tools have kept its brand name in the minds of shoppers when they are shopping for tools at Lowes or Ace Hardware. Its power tools are a little more questionable, but with a bit of research it's easier to be comfortable investing in a Craftsman cordless product.

Delivering 35 lb-ft of torque at 300 rpm, the Craftsman V20 Cordless Ratchet Wrench is a good cordless ratcheting wrench at an average price. The tool is a little large, which can be an issue for maneuverability, but it does have a small head that can help squeeze the moving bit into a tight area, like the side of a Subaru engine for a spark plug job. I grabbed one of these to temporarily replace my Milwaukee when it was being repaired, and I'd definitely recommend it for light duty use. I did end up breaking the head off mine when I tried to use it to pry a tough bolt loose, but that's hardly Craftsman's fault. That's what breaker bars are for, friends.

The Craftsman V20 Cordless Ratchet Wrench can be purchased from Lowes without a battery for $99.

While Kimo isn't a name many outside of Amazon's bargain tool shoppers have heard of, the company does make a few well-received products. From hand tools to outdoor power equipment, Kimo has its hands in several industries, and both shoppers and reviewers often mention the brand's bargain pricing along with its products' surprising number of features.

Kimo's most, and best, reviewed product on Amazon is its Cordless ⅜-inch Ratchet Wrench Set, which includes a pair of batteries, a charger, a ⅜-inch-to-¼-inch adapter, seven sockets, and a hard plastic carrying case for all that stuff. At under a foot long and less than two pounds with a battery installed, the tool can get into some tight areas. As for power, the Kimo ratchet's output of 40 lb-ft of torque at 400 rpm is great for a budget product. And while one might assume that a tool from a lesser known brand like this would be prone to breakdown, online reviewers report that their cordless ratchet wrench is still going strong after a year or more of hard use.

The Kimo Cordless Electric Ratchet Wrench Set is normally available from Amazon for $90, but it frequently goes on sale for a significantly lower price.

One of three Home Depot exclusive brands, alongside Ridgid and Ryobi, is Husky, maker of solid tools at reasonable prices. The brand has been mentioned positively in a number of SlashGear's other rankings, including our lists of portable toolboxes and larger tool chests. It's also a popular brand among professionals, due to both the low cost of Husky's tools and the brand's lifetime warranty, which SlashGear mentioned in our list of hardware-retailer-exclusive tool brands.

The Husky ⅜-inch 12V Cordless Ratchet includes a charger for its onboard lithium-ion battery and a plastic case. While a non-removable battery can be a little frustrating when it runs out of juice, the tool does have an LED "fuel gauge" to warn users when it's time to recharge. Another positive stemming from that internal battery is that the tool is a little smaller than those that have a larger battery pack attached, allowing for increased maneuverability and use in tight quarters.

This well-reviewed Husky ratchet wrench produces up to 30 lb-ft of torque at 230 rpm, and it's also rated at up to 150 lb-ft of manual torque for getting those tougher nuts started before engaging the power function of the tool.

The Husky ⅜-inch 12V Cordless Ratchet is available with a case and charger from the Home Depot for just under $100.

The brand that calls itself "the most professional choice" on its Amazon store page makes only a handful of tools — a couple battery powered ratchets, a few drills, and a leaf blower. But S-Long makes a decent, reasonably priced cordless ratchet with a number of features and accessories.

The S-Long Cordless Electric Ratchet Wrench Set is the first highlighted product available on the brand's Amazon store, and it's a solid pick. S-Long claims the tool can produce up to 40 lb-ft of torque and 400 rpm, putting it around the middle ground of what we expect from these cordless ratchet wrenches. The tool weighs under two pounds, and includes most of the features one sees in several of the other ratchets on this list, like a paddle trigger for variable speeds, an LED work light, and an LED power gauge to track remaining battery life. The kit offers up several sockets, extensions, and even a little manual ratchet for getting those tougher nuts started without risking damage to the cordless ratchet's head.

It's also the lowest priced tool on this list, making it perfect for folks who have wanted to try a cordless ratchet wrench but were hesitant because of high prices. S-Long also claims that if the tool is defective, it'll send a replacement with no return required. I purchased one of these for my dad while we were working on his old Ford Fairlane in Tennessee, and the tool worked exactly as advertised.

The S-Long Cordless Electric Ratchet Wrench Set can be purchased from Amazon for $50, or for $75 with an extra battery.

Harbor Freight is a favorite here at SlashGear because of its low prices and wide variety of products. Unfortunately, there is also a wide variety in the quality of those products, but as long as you know what to look for and what to avoid, there are some great tools available from the big discount tool store. And Hercules, one of the newer Harbor Freight exclusive brands, has consistently released a variety of good, powerful tools sold at bargain prices.

Hercules makes a few well-reviewed ratchet wrenches, but the one I've got hands-on experience with is the brand's 12V Cordless ⅜-inch Extended Reach Ratchet, which I picked up after pricing out a comparable Snap-On tool and recoiling in terror. It's got a 4-inch extended head, allowing the tool to get into tight spots — I like it for removing drive shafts or replacing rear differential gaskets, jobs where there are multiple smaller bolts that need to be removed, and can sometimes be a little tough to break loose. The tool produces 40 lb-ft of torque, and while its rpm is a little lower than some others at 275 it still spins those bolts out quickly enough to not be a problem.

The Hercules 12V Cordless ⅜-inch Extended Reach Ratchet is available as a bare tool from Harbor Freight online for $90. The website notes that in-store prices may vary, however.

Ridgid is another Home Depot brand with a good reputation for making reliable tools for the professional automotive technician, construction worker, or tradesperson. The company invented the modern pipe wrench over 100 years ago, and has been innovating in fields like plumbing, welding, electrical, and even software development since then. Of course, Ridgid has also developed a number of hand and power tools over its century of operation as well.

Ridgid's 18V ⅜-inch Ratchet is a powerful tool, providing an above average 55 lb-ft of torque to get stubborn nuts and bolts started and spinning. It's got a two-finger trigger and cushioned, textured grip, and an easily overlooked spot for a belt hook, which is very handy when fatigue sets in from removing several dozen bolts from a transmission pan. The ratchet also has an LED in the housing of the main tool, which isn't the best spot for lining a socket with a fastener head on, but is nice when a little light is needed while you're working under a vehicle.

The Ridgid 18V ⅜-inch Ratchet can be picked up from the Home Depot for $179 as a bare tool.

Makita makes teal tools for professionals, durable products that have the power and features one needs on a job site or shop rather than a DIY setting. While Makita's prices are often on the high end, the brand is known for making a quality tool that's worth the investment.

Makita's most popular cordless ratchet on Amazon is also its most versatile. The Makita 18V LXT ⅜-inch / ¼-inch Square-Drive Ratchet features interchangeable anvils to allow for users to swap between ⅜-inch and ¼-inch drive sockets. That bit of versatility can mean the difference between the head of the tool squeezing into a tight spot, or the struggle of using a manual ratchet wrench in an area that might only allow for a few degrees of movement at a time. The handle's slim design is comfortable, and the two-finger trigger design feels a little more reliable than the paddle switches many other cordless ratchet wrenches offer. And while 35 lb-ft of torque puts this tool on the lower end of the power spectrum in our recommendations, an above average rotational speed of up to 800 rpm means those fasteners will spin off quickly once they get started.

The Makita 18V LXT ⅜-inch/ ¼-inch Square-Drive Ratchet can be bought from Amazon for around $140 as a bare tool.

Dewalt makes tools for both weekend warriors and pros, offering powerful, well designed products that cover a wide range of applications, while keeping its prices in the lower part of the professional spectrum. The yellow and black tools of Dewalt always end up near the top of SlashGear's rankings because of their durability, quality, and great design, and the brand's cordless ratchets are no exception.

The best-selling Dewalt cordless ratchet on Amazon at time of writing, and the second-best selling cordless ratchet overall on the site, is the Dewalt Atomic 20V Max XR ⅜-inch and ½-inch Cordless Ratchet has a lot going for it. Its thoughtful design slots its versatile battery pack in a vertical position at the bottom of the tool, making it a little less bottom-heavy than other ratchets that struggle to accommodate a large battery. That vertical setup also makes for a bit more maneuverability than this ratchet's larger-footed counterparts.

The ½-inch swappable anvil means the ratchet needs more power (insert Tim Allen grunt here), and this tool offers up the highest torque rating on our list, producing a whopping 70 lb-ft of torque at up to 250 rpm. While no cordless ratchet wrench is really designed to break large or stuck fasteners –- that's what impact wrenches are for, after all -– that added power does come in handy when it's tough to access an alternator bolt.

The Dewalt Atomic 20V MAX XR Cordless Ratchet is available from Amazon as a bare tool for around $177.

The bright neon green of Ryobi's tools makes them stand out in the aisles of Home Depot, but the brand's reputation for making good products for a great battery system is what gets those tools in the garages and tool chests of weekend warriors and DIYers across the country.

Ryobi makes several different ratchets in various anvil sizes, and with different battery sizes. Those powered by the brand's One+ 18V battery offer more power while building off the battery system many homeowners are already invested in. However, they can be a little awkward because of the larger battery set at the end of the tool.

As a specialty tool for light-duty work, there's the Ryobi USB Lithium ⅜-inch Ratchet Kit, which features Ryobi's smaller 2Ah lithium battery, which sets into the handle of the tool. While the ratchet only produces up to 10 lb-ft of torque, its 220 rpm is comparable to many of the other tools on this list. For speeding along weekend warrior duties like assembling furniture, or situations where low torque is mandatory like a head gasket replacement job, the Ryobi cordless ratchet is a great pick for setting fasteners before checking torque. Just be sure you're using the tool as intended, as a nut-runner rather than a nut-buster, and you won't be disappointed.

The Ryobi USB Lithium ⅜-inch Ratchet Kit can be picked up at the Home Depot, or ordered from its website, for $69.

The "red brand" earned the top spot on our cordless ratchet wrench brand ranking, and it's a brand that is at or near the top of several other tool ratings as well, including cordless drills and impact wrenches. The toolmaker is known for its reliable, durable products designed for professionals, and its battery systems are second to none when it comes to longevity. And for those brand loyalists who swear by Milwaukee's cordless power tools and outdoor power equipment, a power ratchet is a great addition to their lineup, especially if they already own other tools that use the same battery.

I've personally owned Milwaukee's M12 Cordless ⅜-inch Sub-Compact Ratchet for over five years, and have some strong opinions on the tool despite not being a huge advocate for the brand. Nothing against Milwaukee itself, I'm just invested in a different battery system, a trick SlashGear suggests to save tool buyers some money in the long run. However, this ratchet was reasonably priced for a Milwaukee tool. It is small enough to get inside a wheel well for brake work, and held up even after falling into separate pans of coolant and transmission fluid. And while I prefer a button to the paddle trigger that this and most of the other ratchets on our list offer, it's easy enough to get into the habit of using a pinky to engage the ratchet on tight engine jobs.

Milwaukee's M12 Cordless ⅜-inch Sub-Compact Ratchet is available on Amazon as a bare tool for $89.

When deciding on the final rankings for every major cordless ratchet wrench by brand, SlashGear took a number of factors into account. Things like diversity in ratchet wrenches offered, design choices, online reviews, YouTube comparison videos, and input from local automotive technicians were all used to form our decision.

As a former automotive technician with over 15 years of experience, I quickly learned the value of a cordless ratchet wrench in my toolbox. I also learned the limits of these tools after breaking a few in an effort to save a little time. However, when used properly, a cordless ratchet wrench can save a lot of time and effort in tasks suited to the lower torque that these tools provide.

I've purchased cordless ratchet wrenches from seven of the brands listed above, but have had hands on experience with all 10 in a shop environment. By using, and occasionally breaking, several of these cordless ratchet wrenches, I came to learn which features I valued in the tool. To me, torque, while helpful, isn't necessarily as important as RPM, battery location, and comfortable design.