Prestacycle Prestaratchet Micro with 6 Bits Set and Stand

The Prestacycle Prestaratchet Micro kit with six bits and stand is strong and versatile – it takes any 1/4in bit you've got – but you'll also need strong fingers for getting those bits back out. And a flat and more packable holder would make more sense than the round stand.

This is a strong steel tool with a positive-feeling reversible ratchet, and within the limits of its leverage – it's only 92mm long – it's very useful. It's certainly more comfortable to use than a regular hex key, thanks to the thick end with its little channels for grip.

> Buy now: Prestacycle Prestaratchet Micro for £18 from Prestacycle

Prestacycle says this is rated for up to 40Nm of force, and it certainly feels sturdy enough to take it if your hands can.

You need quite strong fingers for swapping bits, though, as once clicked in they're seriously in there, and the bits' short, smooth shapes don't give you much to pull. It needs a serious death grip to unplug one. If your hands are greasy or wet, it's practically impossible.

I quite often resorted to using one of the other bits to poke the installed one out from the back. Prestacycle notes that, 'The patented Ratchet head firmly holds bits in place without a magnet,' but ironically the socket in the handle end does use a magnet, holds the bits perfectly securely, and doesn't require the finger strength of a legless freeclimber to remove them.

Similar micro-ratchets from Lezyne and Wera are far easier to use in this regard.

EDIT: Since we published this review, Prestacycle created an Instagram video showing the previously unmentioned technique you need: you press the bits out from the back with your thumb. However, as the bit sits slightly below the toolhead I simply can't do it with my thumb (or fingertips), though I can do it by stabbing my thumbnail in at the correct angle. At the wrong angle, my nail just bends flat, as it still takes a fair bit of force.

If you can unclip the bit (by pushing it the first millimetre or two) it does indeed then come out very easily, and perhaps one time in ten it feels easy to achieve – as easy as it looks on the video. The rest of the time I still found this awkward or hard. Perhaps our test example is more firmly sprung than it should be. It's certainly sprung harder than is necessary.

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It's not that easy to pull the bits from the holder either, and there's no way to poke these out as they sit in blind holes. It's best to lever them out sideways like rotten teeth, bending the plastic out of the way. It's tough and flexy plastic, so that causes no issues. At least they're not going to fall out and get lost, I suppose.

Prestacycle calls this part a 'stand', and it certainly works well as one, but why does a small, portable tool need a stand in the first place? I'd much rather see a slim, flat design that minimised bulk in a bag or pocket. This one is unavoidably a chunk whether attached to the tool or not.

It comes with 3, 4, 5 and 6mm hex bits, a T25 Torx and a Phillips head screwdriver, which is a decent selection. You can of course add whatever 1/4in bits you need, or easily replace them when they wear (though they're strong and well cut), which is a big advantage of a ratchet handle like this. The downside (over a regular multi-tool) is that small separate parts can be dropped and lost.

Value

At £18, this is well priced – it's much cheaper than the alternatives I mentioned above. The Lezyne Ratchet Kit is £40, for instance (though it includes an extension, has more bits and functions, and comes in a case), and the Wera Zyklop Bicycle Set 9 is £53.99. That has a fine-tooth mechanism, nine bits and is rated up to 65Nm, and also comes in a suitably slim holder.

To sum up, while this is less easy to use, it's also less than half the price.

Overall

The quality here feels good and the price is attractive. An easy way to eject the bits would seriously improve it, however – especially when your hands are wet or dirty – and a slim and packable holder, rather than a round stand, would make more sense. Nevertheless, for the money this is good; micro ratchets like this can be really useful.

Verdict

Strong and well made, but a few small tweaks would make it far easier to use