Learn me ratcheting wrenches

These are the one thing I look for during Shopping Season.

Personally, I've got a set of the cheap HF non-floppy, non-reversible type, a set of floppy non-reversible Gearwrench and a set of short non-floppy, non-reversible Gearwrenches. Metric only for the shorties, metric and SAE for the others. The ones I use the most are the full length floppy ones. I really like being able to have the wrench at a couple of degrees to the plane of the bolt, it almost always gives me more swing range. My floppies don't lock into a certain angle, which I prefer over the locking ones that my boss has.

You do have to plan ahead so you don't back yourself into a corner as Senor Balls says, but I've never actually managed to cause myself a problem.

I've also got a set of Husky ones with that weird splined shape to grab the bolt as in the first pic. Maybe they're Craftsman, they're black. They feel crude and I don't trust the splined thingy. They were a Christmas present and I've never really used them.

I will add that you definitely want the "fine" mechanism with 70 or so teeth vs the cheappy course mechanisms that the very low end Craftsman and Harbor Freight offer. The course mechanism ones are beyond useless.

I have all three variants as well, flex head, 15 degree offset head with lever, straight body. They all have their purpose, but the 15 degree offset with lever is my favorite. The flex heads are too bulky, and the straights are knuckle busters (but I did heat and bent a straight into a ~25° and that was awesome)

Now that Craftsmans are made overseas, get the Gearwrench or the Harbor Freight or the Duralast, or whatever you can get for the right price and convenient on warranty as they are somewhat fragile as noted, as they are really all the same.

I have some HF ones, but only the super cheap ones. I will say they have come in handy, perfect for doing brakes, etc. Nicer is usually better and I wouldn't turn down a nicer set, but I have actually gotten use out of these!

I have a set of the Craftsman metric. Love them. When I looked to buy a set I figured out that the type you turn over to reverse are flat and therefore difficult to use unless the area is open. The Craftsman have a switch for reverse and are built with the same angle as most combination wrenches. Much more usable. I use them whenever possible over a ratchet unless I need the height of a ratchet with or without extension.

I got the GearWrench non-reversible set with their SEMA promotion ($20?! heck yes!). I've been reasonably pleased with them except that 1) I probably shouldn't wail on them and 2) I really needed these to include an 11 mm for my ghetto intake.

I own the OG Gearwrench fixed-head, non-reversing, the new Gearwrench fixed-head reversing, and the Gearwrench flex-head non-reversing.

I've gotten the fixed-head non-reversing stuck twice to where I'd have to sawzall the bolt shank to get the stupid wrench back out. I never use them now.

So, first set, get the fixed-head REVERSING ones. I prefer Gearwrench, but the Craftsman and Husky are both nice as well. The cheap ones like HF are too bulky and have too few teeth in the ratcheting mechanism. Second set, get a floppy-head, they are also very useful.

FYI - Gearwrench has been doing stupid-pricing blowout sales for over a year now. Your favorite FLAPS should have some smoking deals on sets.

The 10mm floppy headed Gearwrench is absolutely the single most often used tool that I own.

The type that you flip over to reverse is bad news. Particularly when you are enthusiastically backing that nut/bolt out until it hits something and you need to run it back down a little. Uh-oh! Your ratcheting wrench will not run backwards, and is in the way for another oen end wrench to get in there to do the job.

Get the type that has the reversing lever you throw with your thumb. Then you don't ever get stuck.

I have a set of Blackhawk/Proto non-floppy reversibles at work and they are absolutely amazing. I've done really stupid things with them and have never blown one up. They are the most used tool in my box (apart from maybe my Knipex Cobras) and as such I abuse them 5-7 days a week for 3.5 years in a Industrial Maintenance type setting.

I've had non-reversible Gearwrench branded ones in the past and I will mirror Jumper K. Balls and foxtrappers sentiments; Bad news all around. The mechanism and feel is nice on them, but I've backed myself into more than a couple corners with them. If you've got the scratch, spring for a reversible set.

Kylini wrote: I got the GearWrench non-reversible set with their SEMA promotion ($20?! heck yes!). I've been reasonably pleased with them except that 1) I probably shouldn't wail on them and 2) I really needed these to include an 11 mm for my ghetto intake.

I may have an 11mm if you want it.

Gearwrench is probably your best bet here. Other than that, flavor of Husky or Kobalt from LowesDepot. Can't argue with a lifetime guarantee.

My Craftsmen ratcheting/elbow wrenches have come in handy too many times (though I wish they were reversible). The offsets I have are nice too. I need some floppy head, reversible ones to complete things I guess.

I have the gear wrench ones.. in both metric (for my cars) and standard (for work) and both have been wonderful additions to my tool bags

Keith Tanner wrote: These are the one thing I look for during Shopping Season. Personally, I've got a set of the cheap HF non-floppy, non-reversible type, a set of floppy non-reversible Gearwrench

I've got those same ones in SAE and metric. I only have one thing to say about them:

Best.

Tool.

Ever.

Had the SAE for several years... used them for the extra leverage and they just keep going.

Enough that I find myself digging through the wrench drawer looking for what I want in a gear wrench and putting aside 3 of the non-gear wrench versions in the same size while looking. Organization is NOT my thing.

NOHOME wrote: Enough that I find myself digging through the wrench drawer looking for what I want in a gear wrench and putting aside 3 of the non-gear wrench versions in the same size while looking. Organization is NOT my thing.

I would hate your wrench drawer.

The rest of my life can be as chaotic as it wants, but my tool box is frickin crisp. I have not lost a tool in the last 4 years of full time pro wrenching

I love my 8-19 ratcheting more than any other set in there though

I actually can't stand gear wrenches, but I guess I might be the only one. Much like sockets, I don't understand why most are 12-point and I seldom have a use for one. I inherited several sets from my dad, all sorts of sizes and brands, and I almost never think about using them.

I'm on my 4th set.

Straight Gearwrench, decent but fragile. I broke all the common sizes. The straight heads made them difficult to use, I wouldn't buy straight ones.

Floppy head Stanley, horrible idea. I hated them and gave them away. You can't put much pressure on them without the head trying to flop everywhere.

Northern Tool, offset, switchable. Great idea but poor execution. They would reverse themselves if you spun them too fast. It is a hateful thing for a wrench to reverse itself when you hand is buried in an engine bay. Those things caused many swear words to emit from my mount. For what it's worth, Kobalt uses the same reversing mechanism. They got a pass when I was looking to replace the Northern wrenches.

Husky, offset, switchable. The perfect combination. Works flawlessly. They are now the first set of wrenches I grab out of the box.

I have ancient S&K that came in a rolling toolbox with a locked drawer (bonus!), gear wrenches I bought because a swaybar endlink broke on a road trip and a set of Matco floppy head long handled beauties that are absolutely amazing. They were god-awful expensive but they are useable everywhere and I can basically do anything in a junkyard with those and a screwdriver. No one else makes (markets) the exact ones but Matco so that's who I went with, if I can screw up the courage to spend it again I'm going to get the stubby version this spring.

I'm not a professional Wrench so $450 for wrenches is ridiculous.

Best tool ever.

Mine are the Gearwrench floppy heads. It's so easy to flip them to reverse them that I never miss the switch lever.

Started with a set of Gearwrench one-direction straight head. Went through 2 7/16" wrenches under warranty. Then got the angled Craftsman with the lever, which I prefer. No directional problems and I can get my knuckles under the wrench. They seem to be lasting longer, as well.

i have them from several different brands in several configurations. i don't see much if any quality dropoff from gearwrench to any of the cheaper brands. i bought my dad some of the "goodyear" branded ones from costco and he has yet to kill them, and he gorillas everything.

i like the floppy head ones but not for primary set. the straight on ones are nice for some things, but for others the slightly offset ones with the switch on them for direction are a must.

I love them. At work we have the Snap-on ones with the lever to change direction which comes in pretty handy. I just got done reading Garage Journals review of the SK X-Frames and I think they're going to be the next purchase for my personal kit because:

1) They're 6 point and I've rounded off enough heat shield bolts to last me a lifetime.
2) They're also supposed to have an insanely strong super fine ratcheting mechanism.
3) Made in the USA

That is if I can find them in stock anywhere. It does come with the trade-off of the wrench not being offset which sort of sucks but since it's not reversible I can understand it.

Gear wrench 20 piece

Gear wrench 32 piece

Seats has some good deals on the zero offset/non reversible ones. I'm going to get the 32 piece kit for the stubbies. I have their reversible ones and they're great.

ive had my bluepoint set with non flexy heads and no curve for 8 years, i love them. i also love the fact they have a flippable lever versus having to flip it over to change direction.