As far as that Tekton flex head ratchet is concerned, can anyone explain to me the benefit of that wacky bent handle? Seems counterproductive to me.
Until this thread I don't recall even seeing such a tool. I have been curiously researching them since this thread started and I still don't "get it"??
The bent handle type are called "spark plug ratchets"
I don't own one, but I have used them in the past and liked it. The bend is technically just to clear obstructions but I remember it being a help when using it as a speeder.
Dangit. Now I'm gonna look for one on the truck when Mr. Snappy comes by.
I've been looking at ratchet lube options too lately and there are some interesting options being put out there.
My dad would have used whatever tub of lithium grease he had open at the time. Pretty much my closest equivalent would be the waterproof teflon grease I use on wheel bearings, which would have probably been my first thought.
But some people suggest the even thicker teflon lube for poly bushings.
Yet others have suggested straight anti-sieze, since there isn't really any shear load or high speeds, and since it's typically lighter consistency than grease supposedly the back drag goes way down and the ratchet action gets more crisp. I think my Bahco is getting that treatment the next time I run across my tub of copper anti-sieze and I will go from there.
Taking that even further is the dry lube folks suggesting graphite or the like.
Some have suggested skate or chain lubes as a compromise between the dry and wet camps.
And one tool guy online actually suggested wax, but only with certain types of pawls and springs.
Also, if you want your eyes to water, look up some of the medical grade all titanium ratchets. Sometimes they are called MRI safe or non-magnetic. Those puppies are generally over a grand up to @$20k.
Snap on recommends Super Lube in their dual 80s. On Garage Journal there is a strong following of Permatex Red engine assembly lube. I will say it does a good job but it will leak out of the ratchet for months and get everywhere in your tool box. I don't even want to think of the mess anti-seize would make.
On old coarse tooth stuff like craftsman a thick grease is my go to. I can't stand the metallic clanking of a dry coarse ratchet so I often take them from co-workers and stuff them full of whatever I have around (usually a Moly multi-purpose grease) when they aren't looking. They freak out when their tool suddenly works so much better.
Ordered a new ratchet thanks to you all. Finally get the valentine's day gift I have always wanted.
I made a purchase too. I did find an "unused" tri wing 3/8ths craftsmen on eBay which was on my original radar. Can't beat nostalgia. But I am rethinking the rest of my future collection to include both a short and long bent handle 3/8, a power ratchet and when I build out the 1/2in that Bahco looks nice. I like the Wera too but seems like not all sockets work well with it. Now I am wondering if I really need both large 3/8ths and large 1/2in collection. It seems as though a majority of examples have been 3/8ths. I need some garage and estate sales to hit this spring.
I have seen several references to the Wera ratchet here. I bought one because it looked awesome and had that super thin head that seemed so useful.
Here is why I disliked it and relegated it to the toolbox junk drawer. The head is non serviceable. The unit is swaged together and can't be disassembled. This means you also can't lube it and it felt dry from day one and had a lot of back drag. I soaked it in oil overnight a few times to no avail.
Also that neat looking lump on the handle is really heavy. It is a lot of mass to swing around and it just felt awkward to me. After I break a fastener loose i usually reposition my hand closer to the head so i can ratchet with my wrist. With the Wera it had so much mass on the end it was problematic
The two Tekton rachets I ordered a few days ago showed up. Super psyched about both—the "spark plug" ratchet has detents on the flex head so it stays in position, and the tooth count/sound of the mechanism is great. Still not sure I'll use it all that often, but I tend to get myself into odd wrenching situations so I look forward to it saving the day.
The low-pro 1/2" is absolutely beautiful, feels awesome in the hand, and it makes the most pleasing sound when it ratchets. The recessed release button is super smart as well. I don't know the tooth count on my old craftsman units but if we're comparing via sound alone I'd have to guess something like... 5? Can't wait to take something apart now.
In reply to GTwannaB :
nowadays it's pretty hard to even find a bad ratchet as the quality gap between import and domestic tools has shrunk dramatically.
Matco rebranded Titan tools 1/2 flex ratchet for a time so that kind of tells you something. I own a couple snap-on's, old craftsman some Pittsburgh pros which are good for the money, SK lp90 3/8 which is nice as well.
My newest favorite ratchet series is probably going to be the tekton 90t. I have 4 of them so far and they are probably he highest quality ratchets you can get under 100 bucks, haven't found anything I don't like yet unless you want comfort grip.
This little bugger is the handiest however....
https://www.harborfreight.com/14-in-38-in-drive-long-reach-dual-flex-head-ratchet-67994.html
It's the thinnest ratchet head I've ever seen and it's long and sturdy. I did my SR water pump without jacking up the side of the motor with a set of stubby sockets if that tells you anything.
Also my new favorite powered ratchet is my M12 long head, it's expensive but damn if it isn't fun to use.
Between that and my M12 stubby which rips lugs and suspension bolts off I rarely use a regular ratchet
I've got a course tooth Craftsmen 1/2" drive ratchet, probably 20 years old or so now, and it's always had a sort of clunky action and general feel of not-so-greatness. This thread has me thinking that I should clean & lube the ratchet mechanism, maybe with a little Lubriplate Aero lithium grease, when I find a minute. It would be nice if that was the sort of fix that made that ratchet work better.
I don't know if anyone wants it, but I found a couple more or my ratchets and got in a couple of Stanley Proto Blackhawk ones I was curious about so here's an update.
So, back to the lineup:
You can see the Nepros in there below the Snap On, with the Blackhawk below it. The Nepros is every bit as nice as the Snap On, plus it's a tiny bit smaller head and has a recessed lock button that the Snap On does not, but it lacks the lock on the head angle and the tension there is via an obvious plastic button of some sort instead of metal.
Fit and finish on both is great:
The big surprise here is the Blackhawk. Based on comparison to my existing T-one ratchets I am positive that's who is making them. They apparently compare to the regular head T-one wrenches, and not the tiny 3/8 on a 1/4 or 1/2 on a 3/8 compact head models, but that's still pretty tiny and not at all bad.
Blackhawk, Nepros, and Snap On:
As you can see the head on the Blackhawk is tiny, but what you can't see is how solid and positive it is. It's a great, reasonably priced ratchet.
The Blackhawk 1/2" I bought didn't have the locking button that my T-one hollow handle does, but when you put the two of them together with the 3/8 Blackhawk it's obvious that the same people made all 3:
I prefer the very slight texture on the T-one to the full polish of the Blackhawk, but they are both great tools.
All my 1/4" ratchets have locked up. I don't use them very often, but the 3 I have are all now non-ratcheting...had to use the 3/8" to 1/4" ratchet last weekend to do some maintenance. All of my ratchets are 30 year old Craftsman stuff and have been getting louder and less smooth, so this thread got me thinking about some new ones.
I ordered some 90 tooth Kobalts from Lowes. A 3 ratchet set with one of each drive size, a 1/4" flex head, and a 3/8" flex head long handle. They appear to be serviceable if needed. Got them for $88 & change (the 2 flex handles were on sale and I took the extra 10% veterans discount on all of them!). Picked them up this evening and they feel comfortable and operate smoothly. I'll have to find something to work on this weekend...
Meanwhile, I need to order some service kits for the Craftsman ratchets. The oval/pear headed ones look to have a wire clip that can be squeezed to open up the head, but the round head ones aren't obvious as to how to open them up, any guidance?
In reply to secretariata :
Mine have a spiral ring on one side that you can take off and the guts drop through the other side.
In reply to secretariata :
I looked closely at my remaining round head 3/8 Craftsman and there appears to be a clip that is accessed from the handle side of the head on the bottom of the ratchet. Looks like some very fine needle nose pliers might get it. I think after my rebuild kit gets here and I successfully rebuild the oval head one, I'll clean that one up and lube it.
Not a bad deal if needing an electric wratchet........
I bought the AC Delco version a few months ago and love having it so far.
Well, the rebuild kit for my round head fine tooth Craftsman 43781 costs as much as a decent quality new ratchet. It still works fine, but the mechanism is showing some "looseness" if you grab it and wiggle. I may just get the rebuild kit anyway, as I like that ratchet.
Jumper k bells let d me know if you want to sell that wera. May be interested in it depending on the price.
I’m a little disappointed that nobody has recommended the adjustable ratchet hammer.
Under $15 at Tractor Supply! https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/olympia-10-in-adjustable-wrench-with-1-2-in-drive-ratchet?cm_vc=-10005
Just dropping in a last few photos to close the loop on some of the tiny body 3/8" ratchets for close quarters work since I rounded up the two primary examples (or my wife found one while I was out of town this week.)
So I have already posted a picture of the Nepros ratchet next to the Snap On, here's the Nepros next to the Nepros compact head:
And if that's not tiny enough, the T-one compact next to the T-one and the Snap On:
Snap On dual 80, Nepros, Proto Blackhawk (T-one), Nepros compact, T-one compact:
How topical. My old beater 1/2" ratchet I got from my father-in-law locked up on me last night. Thought I was in for a new one.
Inspired by this thread I just went out and took it apart:
It's a Thorsen brand, and is totally nothing special. Nothing was obviously wrong, so I cleaned it out with some acetone and packed it with some lithium grease. Seems fine now.
As long as we're sharing pics of cool wrenches, here's a neat one I picked up a while back:
It's a combination ratchet/spud from Proto tools. I bought it when I was doing a bunch of industrial pipe flange installation, and it works pretty awesome for that. I wish it had a quick release button - the sockets tend to either fall off or get locked on crazy tight. I may have to look and see if Proto offers a different mechanism I could swap in. I'd probably use it more with the QR.
One time I dropped that wrench off a machine from about 8 ft and it hit the concrete point-first. Blew a hole about 2" dia by 1" deep in the concrete!
I'm still sniffing around one of the Ko-Ken ratchets I found on eBay when I was inspired to browse there thanks to this thread.
Apparently they're kind of the Japanese Snap On, just wondering if anybody has any experience with this brand?
As I understand it, the Japanese stuff is kinda:KTC Nepros >/= Koken Z-Eal > Tone > regular Koken > regular KTC. Both of the first two are Snap On caliber, though some parts are better or worse individually.
Biggest thing about Koken is that while they pretty much only do ratchets and sockets, they do all the crazy versions of ratchets and sockets that you can't easily get anywhere else. For example, I think I have a 10" or so Koken ratchet extension that has a screwdriver handle on it on the ratchet end and a flex joint in the middle that lets it work like a short handle breaker bar plus extension. I hardly ever need that tool, but when it is the right tool it's the only tool. I think I have a set of plastic covered lug nut sockets from Koken too, with the thinnest walls of any impact socket ever. Supposedly their version of the impact screwdriver is pretty much the gold standard too.
TVR Scott, my understanding is that Thorsen round head is fairly well regarded among old tool guys as one of the best of the type. They are known for taking a lot of abuse for a long time and still clicking along.
mtn said:Jumper k bells let d me know if you want to sell that wera. May be interested in it depending on the price.
I’m a little disappointed that nobody has recommended the adjustable ratchet hammer.
Under $15 at Tractor Supply! https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/olympia-10-in-adjustable-wrench-with-1-2-in-drive-ratchet?cm_vc=-10005
I don’t need more tools right now, but supposedly, the TSC down the road has these in stock for under $5 right now. I foresee a trip there this evening
My sentimental favorite, a 1/4" drive Snap-On MV 70 (military issue, 1950's era) still works great.
My dad almost certainly swiped it from the ship when he was in the Navy.
My only complaint with the Tractor Supply ratchet and the reason I keep not buying it is that its a 1/2" drive. Most all of my wrenching (ratcheting?) is done with 3/8".
Unless I am not seeing it, Ill wait till its available.
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