It's not just the ratchet that is bulky. It's the shaft that is bulky as well, which is necessary to accommodate the bit at the end. I inherited a screwdriver with this type of shaft, and it just doesn't work for a lot of screws due to clearance issues. As a result, I have a set of normal screwdrivers, which makes the one with changeable bits totally redundant for all but the most esoteric bits.