Best ratcheting wrench sets

This is the set I'd put in a plumber's van first. Craftsman lists a 12-point box end with a 90-tooth gear, which gives a 4 degree arc swing. That's a degree less than the 72-tooth sets here, and in a ceiling full of rod and pipe, a degree is real room.

It's 20 wrenches, split evenly. The SAE side runs 1/4, 5/16, 11/32, 3/8, 7/16, 1/2, 9/16, 5/8, 11/16 and 3/4 inch. The metric side runs 6, 8, 10, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17 and 18 mm. Amazon's listing includes a case.

For plumbing, the SAE side does most of the work. A standard nut on 3/8 inch hanger rod takes a 9/16 wrench, and a 1/2 inch nut takes a 3/4, under the ASME hex nut dimensions. Both are in this set, so a strut rack or a trapeze hanger is covered.

The metric half earns its place on equipment. Imported pumps, tankless water heaters and some fixture brackets use metric hardware, and a 10 or 13 mm wrench gets you through most of it without a second trip to the truck.

Craftsman says the wrenches meet or exceed ASME specifications and have a chrome finish for corrosion resistance. The 12-point box end lets you set the wrench on the nut every 30 degrees, which matters when the handle can only sit at one angle.

What's missing: there's no 13/16 or 7/8 inch, and the metric side skips 7, 9 and 11 mm. The listing doesn't mention a reversing lever, so you flip the wrench to back a nut off. Craftsman backs it with a full lifetime warranty, and Amazon sells it directly.

Craftsman also calls out large size markings for quick identification. In a dim crawlspace with a dozen chrome wrenches in the bag, that saves pulling three of them to find the 9/16.

If your hardware is SAE and some of it is big, this is the set. GEARWRENCH's 9312 runs 13 sizes: 1/4, 5/16, 3/8, 7/16, 1/2, 9/16, 5/8, 11/16, 3/4, 13/16, 7/8, 15/16 and 1 inch. No other set here reaches past 7/8.

Those top sizes matter on bigger hangers. Under the ASME hex nut dimensions, a standard 5/8 inch nut takes a 15/16 wrench, and heavy hex nuts run one size larger than standard. That's where a 3/4-max set runs out.

GEARWRENCH says the 72-tooth box end needs only 5 degrees to move a fastener, against 30 degrees for a standard wrench. It's the same math as any ratchet: 360 degrees divided by 72 teeth is 5 degrees per click.

The box end uses what GEARWRENCH calls off-corner loading. The wrench pushes on the flats of the nut instead of the corners, which GEARWRENCH says gives better grip and less rounding. On a painted or rusted hanger nut, that's the difference between turning it and stripping it.

The head and beam are thin for tight spaces, and the size is stamped on both ends of the beam. The open end sits at a 15 degree offset. GEARWRENCH lists alloy steel with a full polish chrome finish and says the set meets or exceeds ASME and ANSI specifications.

It comes on a wrench rack, which keeps the sizes in order on a shelf or in a drawer. With the rack, the set weighs 5.96 lb. GEARWRENCH backs it with a full lifetime warranty, and Amazon sells and ships it.

GEARWRENCH lists the 9312 as not reversible. To back a nut off, you lift the wrench and flip it over. If you'd rather switch direction on the nut, the DeWalt and Capri sets reverse without coming off.

Stubbies are the second set, not the first, but they earn their space. GEARWRENCH says the 85206 has a stubby beam length for when clearance is limited, with the same 72-tooth box end as its full-length wrenches.

Think of the nut on a carrier bolt behind a wall-hung bowl, or a bracket bolt under a water heater stand. A full-length wrench hits the floor or the wall before it clicks. A stubby clears it and still gets its 5 degree swing.

The sizes cover the middle of the range. SAE runs 3/8, 7/16, 1/2, 9/16, 5/8, 11/16 and 3/4 inch, and metric runs 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15 and 18 mm. GEARWRENCH lists 3/8 inch and 10 mm as the smallest and 3/4 inch and 18 mm as the largest.

Like the 9312, it uses GEARWRENCH's off-corner loading on the box end to grip the flats and cut down on rounding. The head and beam are thin, the open end sits at a 15 degree offset, and the finish is full polish chrome over alloy steel.

The tradeoff is leverage. A shorter handle means more effort for the same torque, so a rusted nut is a job for a full-length wrench or a socket. Use the stubby once the nut is moving, or where nothing else fits.

The set comes in a compression rack and weighs 3.74 lb by GEARWRENCH's catalog figure. GEARWRENCH says it meets or exceeds ASME and ANSI specifications and backs it with a full lifetime warranty. Amazon sells it directly.

GEARWRENCH lists the 85206 as not reversible and not a flex head, so you flip the wrench to change direction. In the tight spots stubbies are made for, that's easier than it sounds, since the short beam turns over in less room.

Capri's long series answers two complaints at once. Its 120-tooth gear needs just 3 degrees of swing, per Capri, and the wrenches are 20% longer than standard for more leverage. Most sets give you one or the other.

The 3 degree figure is the same math as the others: 360 degrees divided by 120 teeth. That's 40% less travel than a 72-tooth wrench. In a joist bay with a nut against the framing, it can be the difference between a click and no click.

These are reversible, with a directional switch, per Capri. You flip direction without pulling the wrench off the nut, which is handy on a long run of hanger nuts where you tighten one and back off the next.

The box end is 12-point with what Capri calls WaveDrive, which it says spreads torque evenly and grips the nut from the sides. The box end sits at a 15 degree offset for knuckle clearance. The open end has an anti-slip design Capri says helps grip rounded bolts.

Sizes are 5/16, 3/8, 7/16, 1/2, 9/16, 5/8, 11/16 and 3/4 inch, in a mechanic's tray about 15.5 inches long. Capri lists chrome vanadium steel made in Taiwan, a 2.65 lb set weight and a lifetime warranty. It's not impact rated, so never put a cheater bar on it.

Amazon showed low stock with more on the way on the day of the update, so look at the stock note next to the price. If it's gone, the Craftsman's 4 degree swing is the closest substitute.

Capri says the offset design keeps your hands clear of fastener edges and nearby obstacles. With the box end set at 15 degrees and a longer handle, your knuckles sit farther from the joist or wall you're working against.

DeWalt's set sits between the Craftsman and the GEARWRENCH 9312. It's SAE only, like the 9312, but it's reversible, and it runs 12 sizes: 1/4, 5/16, 11/32, 3/8, 7/16, 1/2, 9/16, 5/8, 11/16, 3/4, 13/16 and 7/8 inch.

DeWalt lists 72 teeth for a 5 degree arc swing, the same as GEARWRENCH. The page calls the set reversible, so you can switch direction instead of flipping the wrench over, which saves a move on every nut in a tight row.

The box end uses what DeWalt calls DirectTorque technology, which it says helps prevent rounding fasteners. The open end sits at a 15 degree offset, which DeWalt says gives more range of swing in tight spaces.

The handles have a stamped hashmark pattern for extra grip points, which helps with wet hands under a sink or in a crawlspace. Sizes are stamped twice on both sides of the handle, so you can read the size whichever way the wrench lies in the bag.

DeWalt lists a full polish chrome finish and says the stamped markings stay visible over time, since they aren't printed on. That's a small thing until you're hunting for the 9/16 among a dozen chrome wrenches.

For plumbing, the 13/16 and 7/8 inch wrenches matter on bigger hardware. Under the ASME hex nut tables, a heavy hex nut on 1/2 inch rod takes a 7/8 wrench, which the Craftsman set doesn't include.

DeWalt's page doesn't list a rack or case for this set, so plan on a tool roll or a drawer to keep the sizes in order. What you give up is metric and the very largest sizes. There's no 15/16 or 1 inch, and no metric at all. DeWalt backs it with a full lifetime warranty, and Amazon sells it directly.