Schroder 4.007.0 Ratcheting 4-1/2-Inch Tap Wrench, 3/16-Inch to 5/16-Inch Drive

So much better than the standard garbage tool that comes with every kit. This grasps the tap securely and you can easily start it while keeping everything square to the surface, speeds everything up. Very nicely made, feels solid.

we use this in a production line environment. holds up nicely.

I was a machinist for a great number of years, and I suppose due to my previous experience in that field I'm frequently creating or modifying (or repairing) things at home. I have used a whole smorgasbord of tap wrenches and die handles, and I can say with some authority that THIS (3-1/2") ratcheting unit is the bee's knees. Made in Germany, the design, construction, fit & finish and execution are on par with what you'd expect from a German-made tool. Which is to say, top notch. By far and away superior to any of the look-alike knock-offs (and you know what I'm talking about). If you purchase this, the only reason you'd ever have to buy another is because you've misplaced it- or, like in my case, you're so impressed with the 3-1/2" model that you just put the 4-1/2" model into your shopping cart for those larger taps or easy-outs. Buy it- you won't be sorry. And stay away from the knock-offs.

Good value

When you take it out of the box you can tell right away that it is a German tool, not Chinese or Indian. It is heavy, well-finished, and has the feel of quality.That being said, my use of the tool is very limited so far. I am a cyclist, and wear SIDI cycling shoes with cleats and a replaceable heel pad. The heel pad is held on by a small screw. The heel pad wears down, and if you don't stay on top of it, the top of the screw wears down. First, you try a flat rubber band and a Phillips screwdriver, but that rarely works. Then, you get out the 7/64 drill bit and a #1 screw extractor. Sure, I could use a Vise-grip to turn the screw extractor, but why not do it right, with a tap wrench? There's a reason it gets forty 5-star reviews; and only one 1-star review.I could not justify a $60 FMT brand tap wrench, but none of us needs an $8 POS tap wrench.

It works, does what it's supposed to, but you won't want your coworkers and machinist seeing you using it. Machinist looks like something did back in middle school. Burrs everywhere and those are sharp. Tappers are ugly. Kinda like the girl you have fun with ,but you don't want to show off to your friends and family.

Well made and does what it says. Good fit and finish and smooth action on the ratchet. The description doesn't explain that there is also a NON-ratcheting setting, so you can use it like a fixed-handle tap wrench. It was too small to fit the 6 mm STI (Heli-Coil) tap that I bought it for, but it does fit a standard 6 mm tap. Would be perfect if it came with a protective case. The sliding handle comes taped to the shaft and could go missing in your tool box. I'd buy other sizes, but would want to have a dedicated drawer in my tool box for them if I did so.

Not any better than a $10-12 version sold elsewhere on Amazon and, in fact, looks identical to those.The wrench is shiny and hefty, but is lacking in both design and quality.1) It is designed for wide range of taps (M3 through M8), but for the smaller sizes, especially M3 or #4, it is too heavy and may skew the threads, or ruin them altogether in softer materials. The knurled section could be helpful for precision work, if it was near the bottom of the wrench, not where the palm is.2) The T-handle, as many noted, is lacking a center detent and slides freely.3) Quality-wise, fit and finish, I have hard time to believe that this one is "made in Germany". It really looks and feels no different from identical looking wrenches sold by Drill Warehouse and any number of lesser known outfits. By comparison, my General Tools or Gyros tap wrenches (seemingly made at the same factory in India), appear to be better machined and finished, and in general just look and feel nicer.4) If buying this wrench for its ratcheting mechanism, then you should know that it only has 8 teeth, which means that it requires an arc of 45 degrees to engage on each rotation. I can't recall seeing an 8-tooth ratchet anywhere these days, this one looks like a relic.All in all, I am not sure what the positive reviews are raving about, this was just a plain waste of cash.

This is a handy tool and it saves us from having a bunch of special long taps. You can get the extended reach now with standard length taps.