1/4" you say?
When it was still available Husky 66604 would have been /Thread, even though it's more of a ratchet in bit-driver clothing.
I used to work on aircraft with Qantas, and we had colleague that used to bring about 10 - 20 of these back every time he went to the US. He would sell them out by the end of the day on his return to work just to people that had borrowed ones from other colleagues that had already bought them after previous trips.
1/4" and 5/16" bit driver, ludricrous POE, 1/4" square driver adaptor - and impossibly strong. I had to dislodge one I accidentally managed to get it jammed into a "no access to the reverse lever" scenario with a 4lb hammer and it's still in perfect working order even after another few years of regualar (inc. trade) use.
The VIM HBR5 looks to be an identical replacement, but quality unknown. I generally
hate 1/4" bit drivers, but that Husky 66604 is so versatile and strong it's ended up being my all time favourite tool.
For a more conventional ratchet, the Snap-On items are still quite good (last bought ~5 years ago), but very hard to justify the price premium. They do take quite a while to "bed-in" and spin freely if buying the sealed head ones though.
Stahlwille and Bahco ratchets don't do much for me. Both are strong as an Ox, but feel sloppy and imprecise in use IMO. My Stahlwille ratchets (bought new ~12 years back) used to not engage properly and spin out too annoyingly often and leave me with sore or bleeding knuckles (back when I had tradie hands).
I would probably buy a Gearwrench set. I haven't actually owned a square-drive ratchet of theirs, but their reversible ratchet ring/combination spanners are excellent and normally if a company can mange to do them well a standard ratchet is a doddle...
Kinchrome is overpriced junk.
Agreed - with the following exceptions:
1) Their sockets are insanely strong for some reason. I have seen standard (silver, non-impact) 1/2" drive sockets adapted down from high-torque 3/4" air impact guns and they just keep going (Heavy Diesel applications, not on aircraft thank fark!). Old snap-on Impact sockets would've easily cracked or probably exploded in the same conditions, and the newer Snap-On ones just gradually blow out in the socket hex.
2) Kincrome hickory-handled mallets and hammers are excellent.
