Flexible socket extension drives

The ones I have use a double spring, 'clockwise and anti clockwise' so the springs can lock in either direction.

What about a set of ball-end (round-end) Allen keys? For example:

I've never seen a set with the short arm round-headed for use where there's limited access above the Allen head bolt as well as to the side.

For the problem I had, they probably wouldn’t work. The access was really restricted- almost like key hole surgery.

Ah, that would work.

Perhaps the one I noticed the note on was a cheapie.

If a flat ratchet drive is too tall too gain access I have on one occasion used just the hex bit & an open ended spanner -

Access was too tight. *I could hardly get my fingers into the gap to guide the bit into the bolt. Even my wife, who has very small hands, struggled.

Hopefully, I won’t need to repeat the exercise. My question was more out of interest.

• it was the gap between a vehicle door mirror and the cover. I needed to twist the whole assembly but the securing bolt was too tight. AFAIK, it is intended that you can twist the body to get the basic position right. The bolt is, supposedly, accessible when the mirror is tilted down. At least, that is the theory.

Doing some car stuff recently, it seems like some bolts were designed to be turned with an electric ratchet with a right angle head. ie there was enough space to get the socket on there, but if using a manual ratchet there wasn't enough space to turn the handle even one click on the ratchet, let alone a spanner. With the electric the body is a bit fatter but you just press the button and go.

Milwaukee M12 series seems to be the popular one, but I bought a Parkside one from Lidl for £35 (including battery and charger) and it's probably my best recent tool purchase in terms of how much easier it made the job.

Theo

Once I had the Allen bit in the bolt, with a universal joint at the bit end and a 100mm or so extension, I was able to use a racket ( all in the kit I bought ( although I had them all at home, just not to hand) ). I only needed the slightest of turns, I doubt 1/8.

Parkside / Lidl tools are surprisingly good for the price and certainly good enough for general DIY use.

Yes, I've recently bought a whole set of Parkside 12v tools, drill/driver, circular saw, angle grinder and jig saw. All use the same batteries so I can use just one charger and have batteries ready to use when I need them. Also, the 2.4Ah batteries are slim, same diameter as the drill handle, which I like better than a big mushroom on the end. I have some 4Ah batteries too.

The drill driver is excellent (I have two of them now, one for home, one for boat), auto-locking chuck, brushless motor, nice zip case, etc.

They are more freely available in France which is where I bought them all, on-line, delivered to a local locker (as I'm on a boat here I don't have a 'real' address for deliveries).

(Even I) have never quite been able to justify one of those - neat though they are. I generally get by with spanners and bits, and the right angle and offset attachments for a Bosch screwdriver has paid for itself a few times over: