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How to use a ratchet screwdriver and lock the last turn

Updated: 24 October 2026

The handle is already in your hand, the collar has three marks, and the screw is clicking without moving. That is the usual first evening with a flat-pack hinge. How to use a ratchet screwdriver comes down to four checks: the collar, the bit seated in the holder, the shaft in line with the screw, and the locked position when the screw gets hard. The [screwdriver ratchets comparison](/hub/hand-tools/screwdriver-ratchets) is where the 12 drivers differ. This page is the motion they share. Peter F. wrote it on 22 October 2026 from listing bullets and UK reviews, not from a workshop test. A qualifying purchase can earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

The handle is already in your hand, the collar has three marks, and the screw is clicking without moving. That is the usual first evening with a flat-pack hinge.

Our top picks

Bosch Bosch 1600A027PP ratchet screwdriver with 12 bits

Best overall

Bosch Bosch 1600A027PP ratchet screwdriver with 12 bits
9.4/10about £20.62
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Bahco Bahco 808050 ratcheting bit-holder screwdriver

Best value

Bahco Bahco 808050 ratcheting bit-holder screwdriver
9.4/10about £9.99
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Amazon Basics Amazon Basics 12-in-1 magnetic ratchet screwdriver

Alternative

Amazon Basics Amazon Basics 12-in-1 magnetic ratchet screwdriver
8.8/10about £9.89
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On this page
  1. 1.Set the collar before the screw is loaded
  2. 2.Seat the bit and stay in line
  3. 3.The working stroke, then the lock
  4. 4.When the click means a fault

Set the collar before the screw is loaded

The names on the collar are not standardised, and the job is. One direction drives the screw in and lets the handle swing back free. The other drives it out. The third locks the mechanism so the handle and the bit turn together, as a plain screwdriver. Bosch bullets call that third place a manual or middle setting. Amazon Basics calls it fixed, beside forward and reverse. Bahco descriptions talk about a neutral or locked blade. Set the collar before the bit touches the screw. Hold the bit still and turn the handle both ways. In drive, the bit should turn one way and click the other. In the lock, it should turn both ways with no click. A seized screw left in ratchet mode loads the pawl. The lock moves that load into the shaft. Clockwise tightens a normal right-hand screw when you are looking at the head. Anticlockwise undoes it.

Seat the bit and stay in line

Pull the bit once before the first loaded turn. A magnetic holder should keep it against a modest tug. If it drops, the magnet is weak, the shank is not home, or this unit does not retain bits. One Amazon Basics 12-in-1 review says the bit would not stay in the barrel. Another says bits jammed and needed a second tool. On the Bahco, reviews praise a strong magnet and also mention a stiff magazine. Keep the shaft in line with the screw. Pressure along the screw, not across it, keeps the tip engaged. The right collar direction still rounds a Pozidriv screw if the bit is Phillips. Ticks between the arms mean Pozidriv, which is Pozidriv or Phillips. On the Bahco, spin the knurled shaft with your fingers until the thread bites, then bring the handle in.
Bosch Bosch 1600A027PP ratchet screwdriver with 12 bits

Testsieger

Bosch Bosch 1600A027PP ratchet screwdriver with 12 bits
9.4/10about £20.62
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The working stroke, then the lock

Once the screw is biting, drive it with a short swing and let the handle return on the click. Where a bullet states 36 teeth, a rule of thumb is about 10 degrees of return. That rule is not a lab figure for the driver in your hand. If the handle hits a shelf before the next tooth, more force will not create swing. The shape change is on the ratchet screwdriver for tight spaces page. As the effort rises, switch to the locked position for the last half-turn, so you feel the screw stop before the head crushes chipboard or the bit cams out. Use the same lock on a seized screw. Final-tightening in ratchet mode is how a small pawl snaps or a soft head rounds while the handle still feels as if it is working.

When the click means a fault

On the DeWalt telescoping driver, UK reviews say that pulling a bit out also pulls the shaft to the first stop, and that the fully retracted position has no positive lock. That behaviour is the mechanism. If the shaft will not stay short, stop using it as a stubby. On the VMAN set, one review says the housing split under light use. A cracked body is not a collar setting. The Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 22, gives a 30-day right to reject faulty goods. A bit stuck in an Amazon Basics barrel, or a Bosch clip-set review that reports breakage within a month, is the same class of problem. None of these drivers claims 1,000 V insulation.

Common questions

Which way is tighten?
Looking at the screw head, clockwise drive tightens a normal right-hand thread and anticlockwise undoes it. Set that direction on the collar, then confirm in free air that the bit turns with the handle on the drive stroke and clicks on the return. If the screw backs out, the collar is in the other drive.
What is the middle position for?
It locks the ratchet so the tool behaves as a plain screwdriver. Bosch bullets call it a middle or manual setting, Amazon Basics calls it fixed, and other brands say neutral or position 0. Use it for the last half-turn and for a screw that will not move. Leaving a seized screw in drive loads the pawl.
Why does the bit fall out?
The shank is not home, the magnet is weak, or that unit does not retain bits. One Amazon Basics 12-in-1 review describes a bit that would not stay in the barrel. Tug the bit before you start. If it drops every time, that is a fault to return, not a grip problem.
Can I final-tighten in ratchet mode?
You can, and it is how heads get rounded and small mechanisms get overloaded. Switch to the locked position for the last half-turn so you feel the screw stop. In chipboard, stop when the head meets the hinge. Extra clicks after that point crush the board.
What if the handle only clicks and the screw does not move?
Check the collar in free air, then the bit in the recess, then whether the screw is seized. A click with no movement means drive is not reaching the screw. Do not add force in the same setting. Lock the collar or stop. A cracked housing, as in one VMAN review, is a stop, not a harder swing.

Related pages

Ratchet screwdriver buying guide

Screwdriver ratchets

Best ratchet screwdriver: flat-pack, drawer or case

Pozidriv or Phillips for UK furniture and chipboard

Ratchet screwdriver for tight spaces: three shapes

Sources

Sources from the research digest, last checked on 22 October 2026. Prices, stars and review counts are the amazon.co.uk listing figures for these 12 ASINs.

  1. HSE, PUWER overview (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  2. HSE, inspection of work equipment (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  3. Consumer Rights Act 2015, section 22 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  4. ISO 1173:2001 (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  5. Bahco 808050 bit-holder ratchet (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  6. bolts.co.uk, guide to recess styles (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  7. amazon.co.uk, Bosch 1600A027PP (B0BX9DT6C3) (retrieved 22.10.2026)
  8. PrimeTools, Wera Kraftform Kompakt 27 RA 1 (retrieved 22.10.2026)