Today there are many types of wrenches.
To find the right one, you need to look at the job you have at hand.
Let us take a look at a ratcheting wrench.
They are gaining in popularity every day due to their versatility in the work place and at home.
You get a lot more power or "force" out of the wrench than your standard wrench that you have to pull off and reset every time it needs to move.
This increases productivity of the person performing the job and helps with work flow.
Now let us take a look at the ratcheting wrench itself.
There is a body of the wrench, a geared unit and a switching assembly at one end.
The switching mechanism is designed to when you need to switch to the opposite direction, you move the switch and it engages a different side of the geared unit.
There is a small spring that puts force to the engaging member so when it engages, the other direction slips.
There are non switchable ratcheting wrenches however they tend to be more expensive because instead of just one wrench, you have to have a set of them including many sockets.
However, the pro side is with less moving parts on the wrench there is less to break.
They are made without the switching assembly but rather just a spring loaded engaging member on one side of the geared member.
To switch it, you just remove the wrench and flip it over.
When choosing a wrench it comes down to your preference and how much you want to spend.
Be sure you always select the right tool for the job you are getting ready to perform.