What is the best ratchet?

"Urambo Tauro" (urambotauro) 08/01/2015 at 11:57 • Filed to: tools

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What ratchet helps you get your wrenching done?

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For years, I have been using the plain old Craftsman 44808.  drive, 36-tooth gear.

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Last year, I found myself fascinated enough to buy Kobalt’s 409431 Double Drive Extendable ratchet.

Its specialty is in the way the socket can be turned by twisting the handle. It’s gearing allows the socket to keep turning in the desired direction !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! (“righty-tighty, lefty-tighty”). It features a 72-tooth gear, which is a big improvement over my Craftsman. It also has a lifetime guarantee, which is always desirable.

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As I keep wrenching on my car, I really feel the need to get a flex-head ratchet. I also think I want a 72-tooth gear, but those direct drive gearless ones sound interesting, too.

I’d like to hear from you. What ratchet do you use? What kind of special features do you look for in a ratchet? Did you buy any that did not meet your expectations?

EDIT: Please post product numbers, pictures, or any other info you might have.

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UPDATE: Thank you all for your replies. The other day, I visited the local Sears to see their ratchets in person. I almost bought a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! long handle flex head, but changed my mind when I counted only 36 teeth. On my way home, I stopped at another store and picked up a !!!error: Indecipherable SUB-paragraph formatting!!! long handle flex head ratchet with the 72-tooth main gear, for under $20. It has a spring-loaded ball to help lock the flex head in position, and a guarantee.

BReLp7dzHM3ytYsE > Urambo Tauro 08/01/2015 at 12:02

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This is the best kind of ratchet

In case you're rusty: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?ter…

Frank Grimes > Urambo Tauro 08/01/2015 at 12:23

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I really like my harbor freight ratchets I bought a composite one because it seemed good quality and because it has more teeth and therefore less degrees of turning before it turns the nut It drives me crazy how sloppy all of my craftsmen ratchets are.

I also have a harbor freight swivel one like in your photo with red and black handle and I cant find anything wrong with it seems really well made and will have to see how long it lasts. BTW craftsman wrenches suck! sloppy gears and they break super easy.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Urambo Tauro 08/01/2015 at 12:37

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My preferred ratchets are the snap-on ones with the black/red handle just like in your photo, except with a straight handle. I have them in fixed and flexed head; 1/4”, 3/8”, and 1/2”.

Urambo Tauro > Frank Grimes 08/01/2015 at 12:39

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A long time ago, I wouldn’t have considered anything but Craftsman; I’ve only had one Craftsman socket break. Almost everyone seems to offer a lifetime warranty these days. It’s probably not marketing BS, but an improvement in manufacturing. Harbor Freight is often the butt of quality jokes, but their Pittsburgh Pro tools seem to hold up.

Busslayer > Urambo Tauro 08/01/2015 at 12:45

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I like my Craftsman. Not for the quality, which isn’t bad, but for ease of replacement. I have a Sears a couple minutes from on home. You walk in the door with your busted ratchet and they hand you a new (OK rebuilt) one from a box at the register. No questions asked, not even receipt.

Urambo Tauro > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 08/01/2015 at 12:46

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Do you find that the flex-head feature renders the fixed-head ones obsolete?

As quality improves across all brands, are Snap-on tools still worth the price premium?

Urambo Tauro > Busslayer 08/01/2015 at 12:53

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I once had the tip break off of my Craftsman needle-nose pliers. But the tool was so old, the printed-on brand and item # markings were gone. They were part of a set that included arc joint pliers (Channellocks), so I brought those along to let them compare the patina and grip material and confirm that I had an actual Craftsman product.

They didn’t give me any trouble at all. In fact, when they saw the grip material was wearing away on the arc joint pliers, they offered to replace them too. I almost declined, but couldn’t come up with a good enough reason to refuse.

dieselectric > Frank Grimes 08/01/2015 at 13:14

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For many years I swore by Craftsman and a hand-me down Snap-On 3/8” rachet that I used. And then one day I went to Harbor Freight and bought the “swivel head” ratchet that has a round profile. I keep waiting for it to break, but it just doesn’t, and the swivel feature is just super handy, as you can turn it 90 degrees and spin bolts off quickly.

If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent > Urambo Tauro 08/01/2015 at 13:24

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I probably get the most mileage out of my ratcheting wrenches. All the ease of a ratchet, (most) of the clearance of a wrench.

DoctorNine > Urambo Tauro 08/01/2015 at 13:36

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I have Mac Tools, Craftsman, and Snap On ratchets. My advice would be to get the kind with a plain handle. No rubberized grips. Those are a pain when you get a load of hot crankcase oil on them. The plain are a lot easier to clean off. Also, get both plain and quick release types. The quick release is generally better, but there are times that tight quarters make them inconvenient. Last, the higher the tooth count, the smaller the swing angle, which can be a lifesaver in some cases. If you have a pneumatic source, a very small air powered ratchet is a killer too.

Bandit > Urambo Tauro 08/01/2015 at 13:38

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I have a bunch of Craftsman ratchets from the 60s that I use... They’re crazy durable and still have that warranty.

Urambo Tauro > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 08/01/2015 at 13:38

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Ratcheting wrenches are amazing. I sprung the extra $ for flex-head and reversible features. Limited range of sizes, though.

Urambo Tauro > Bandit 08/01/2015 at 13:49

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On my home from work one day, I saw something shiny by the curb. I turned around and picked up a scarred Craftsman 43785 ” ratchet. I brought it home, but it didn’t seem to want to turn. I took it apart, cleaning everything and applying new grease. It works just fine now.

I don’t know when they stopped making these, but back in those days they came with an oil port for lubricating. The main gear has only 24 teeth; not very useful, compared to today’s ratchets. But it gives a very solid, satisfying click when you move the large directional lever.

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > Urambo Tauro 08/01/2015 at 13:57

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Craftsman came out with a professional-series fine tooth ratchet a few years ago that I’m really fond of, but I like my old SKs. And I hate, hate, hate, hate, HATE flex heads. God they’re awful.

Urambo Tauro > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 08/01/2015 at 13:59

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And I hate, hate, hate, hate, HATE flex heads. God they’re awful.

Why? Do they get loose and flop around?

Bandit > Urambo Tauro 08/01/2015 at 14:00

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I use that kind all the time

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > Urambo Tauro 08/01/2015 at 14:44

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The ones I’ve used, yeah. Some of them lock with a button, but most of them just use friction and lock in on notches forward and back. So you’ll be trying to turn it and the head flops back and you bang your knuckle on something. A guy I used to work with always used one, and when I was helping him with something he’d hand me this flex head 3/8 ratchet thats as long as a torque wrench and I just loathed that tool. I’d like to put it in a bag, throw the bag into a river, and hurl the river into space.

Urambo Tauro > That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms 08/01/2015 at 15:04

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The ones I’ve used, yeah. Some of them lock with a button, but most of them just use friction and lock in on notches forward and back. So you’ll be trying to turn it and the head flops back...

That sounds frustrating. Any particular brands you’d like to point out? It looks like some Snap-on ones have a screw at that joint that can simply be tightened...

Jayvincent > Urambo Tauro 08/01/2015 at 15:23

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I find the one within reach is worth two in the box.

That Bastard Kurtis - An Attempt to Standardize My Username Across Platforms > Urambo Tauro 08/01/2015 at 15:35

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I believe that particular one was a Craftsman. Lots of brands have that screw to be tightened, though I’ve read about them not helping a ton. Snap On is probably good, since they’re Snap On...even if something seems like a bad idea, I assume Snap On is going to do it correctly, you know?

Right now, my go to ratchets are a pair of old SKs I got from my grandfather, they don’t look like anything special, and they’re not a particularly fine tooth, but they’re rugged and they never seem like I’m about to break them. Plus I have a 1/2 drive SK breaker bar which is probably my favorite tool I own...it has a 1/2 hex on the end of the handle so in a pinch you can use it as an extension to make an even longer breaker bar if you need it.

And honestly, the Harbor Freight stuff has come a long way. I have a HF impact gun and air ratchet, and they’re fantastic. Not fantastic for the money, just fantastic full stop. Their hand tools have always been okay, and they have a lifetime warranty, which is good because you’re going to break some of them, haha.

AMGtech - now with more recalls! > Urambo Tauro 08/02/2015 at 00:30

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Mostly, but fixed is still occasionally preferable. Though if you’re not doing this professionally don’t bother getting fixed unless you just don’t like flex.

Sort of. Snap-on usually has 80 tooth ratchets which occasionally get you that extra degree or two when it counts. They’re usually just a bit longer than competitors which is more advantageous than otherwise. But most of all, the best part is that if and when something breaks I know my snap-on dealer will be by within a few days and he will warranty the tool which saves me valuable time and untold hassle. But again, if you’re not doing it professionally, don’t bother. I’ve found Gearwrench makes some ratchets that are very similar to the snap-on ones at a fraction of the price with no perceptible difference in quality.

MM54 > Urambo Tauro 08/07/2015 at 19:53

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I have an SK set of SAE sockets and it’s a fantastic set. I’ve used other brands but none of them feel as sturdy. I need to pick up a set in metric too, but, as good tools are, they’re pricey.

Chairman Kaga > Urambo Tauro 08/25/2015 at 12:03

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I only have the Craftsman 808 too. I’m actually on my third one. The first came with the mechanic’s tool set I bout about 15 years ago. One fateful day the ratchet stopped ratcheting. I took it to Sears and they pulled one out a drawer and handed it to me.

That one lasted a few months. I dropped it on the garage floor and the selector toggle broke.

Took that one back and was given a brand new one off the shelf. No questions asked.

I’d like a really nice 3/8 drive ratchet, and my brother in law’s dad is a Snap On dealer, but as a hobbyist with limited means I just can’t justify spending $120+ on a hand tool.

Chairman Kaga > Busslayer 08/25/2015 at 12:04

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Last time they didn’t have any rebuilt ones so I was given a brand new ratchet, right off the shelf.

Nice.

Urambo Tauro > Chairman Kaga 08/25/2015 at 12:30

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That one lasted a few months. I dropped it on the garage floor and the selector toggle broke.

Same thing happened to me. The replacement they gave me was identical except that it was about an inch longer.

jordang1028 > AMGtech - now with more recalls! 08/25/2015 at 12:55

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I can also vouch for the Gearwrench products. I haven’t used the ratchets but I have two sets of ratcheting wrenches that are great quality and super affordable. As far as Craftsman, I have broken a socket or two and a ratchet, although I was using a 3/8” ratchet as a breaker bar, so I can’t blame the tool there. Regardless, everything was replaced free of charge or questions at my local Sears. Until I become a whole lot richer I don’t personally see the need for Snap-On, MAC, or Matco price premiums.

ESSSIX GmbH - Accountant/Wagon Thumper > Urambo Tauro 08/25/2015 at 13:11

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the one with the most teeth...

Meatcoma > Urambo Tauro 08/25/2015 at 13:22

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This one is clearly made of sub par materials!

Mustafaluigi > Urambo Tauro 08/25/2015 at 13:44

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I’ve become a fan of Tekton. Most of their tools are the same design as HF tools but those few extra dollars they cost go directly to quality control. People assume because its the same design or looks like its the same tool it comes from the same batch but its amazing how just a few extra dollars per tool at the manufacturing level gets you better material, better quality and an overall better tool. Plus if you ever have an issue their Lifetime warranty is pretty tits. Sometimes all they ask is a picture and a receipt and they will send you the tool right away without having to send them your tool.

Urambo Tauro > Mustafaluigi 08/25/2015 at 13:55

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I have some other Tekton products in my toolbox, and have only had to cash in on one puller that had its ass kicked by a stubborn FWD axle. Their quality has otherwise been more than sufficient.

Tekton is a Michigan Industrial tools brand, and I have an old MIT set of SAE wrenches with a new Tekton MM set to accompany them. I had to get rid of my old off-brand MM wrenches when I discovered the open ends were mis-cut (mis-forged?).

newsmctado > Urambo Tauro 08/25/2015 at 13:57

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“Ratchet” is Jamaican slang for a folding knife carried by young gangsters. Or as Jimmy Cliff would say:

Walking down the road,
With a ratchet in your waist
Johnny too bad, Johnny too bad

Walking down the road,
With a blade in your, with a blade your waist
You’re too bad Johnny, too bad Johnny, too bad Johnny

With your blade a picking, switchblade licking,
Too bad

With you licking and sticking, blade come picking,
Too bad, that’s what they say about you
With your blade come licking, licking, sticking,

That’s what they say about you
Licking, sticking, too bad

Quattro-luvr, Powered by Datsun & Stinger > If only EssExTee could be so grossly incandescent 08/25/2015 at 14:33

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I thought these were a marketing fad when they came out.

Boy was I wrong. They are amazing.

Phil Swantek > Urambo Tauro 08/25/2015 at 23:58

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Let me tell you a quick story on how I went from really crappy, to very very good tools. For free.

When I bought my BMW in 2010, I went to the Home Depot and bought their very cool looking 100 and something piece Husky “Dark Chrome” mechanics tool set to work on it. It had 1/4, 3/8, 1/2, metric and standard and was made up of actual sockets, not the interchangeable screwdriver tips they generally pad their numbers with. Now, the sockets are unbelievable, 5 years, a completed car restoration, and countless hours of use later, I have never broken one. Even using them in the impact gun. The ratchets on the other hand, were utterly horrible. Thankfully there is a lifetime warranty on husky tools, so I called the number and learned the terrible truth. They were Stanley tools, rebranded. The miracle however, was the fact that they had lost their contract and were only replacing what they had left. So they sent me all new Stanley ratchets, and of course, these all broke within two months. As I said, I use these a LOT. The next time I went into the store, and after informing some ignorant store employees about their own policy, I walked out with three brand new husky ratchets. These were from the new contract, and I am unsure who makes them, but they know how to make a tool. These things are bulletproof, polished steel handles, extra long for torque, and they giggle when I put a 6 foot breaker bar to loosen an axle nut. Long story short, I’ve used the snap-on’s and Matco’s. There is no noticeable differences. In my humble opinion, for the price, these are absolutely the best tools on the market.

http://www.homedepot.com/p/Husky-3-8-in…

Urambo Tauro > Phil Swantek 08/26/2015 at 00:14

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Stanley is one of those names that has been around for so long that I want them to be good, but lately when I look at their tools, there is something cheap about them that’s hard to put into words. I was aware of the relationship between DeWalt and Black&Decker, but I didn’t know about Husky and Stanley. (The connections are even more tangled up when you do some Googling...)

Funny thing is, whatever we’ve managed to find out about which brands to trust may be obsolete in a year or two.

Current Husky tools definitely appear to be up to the task. Those HDX tools you see at Home Depot, though... I wouldn’t touch them with a 39½ foot pole.

TulsaMtnBiker (OkieRising) > Urambo Tauro 08/26/2015 at 14:21

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Best ratchet I’ve used to date. Love this thing, I’ve used it on all my vehicles. Expensive but the number of times this has saved me is countless.

Link: https://store.snapon.com/Dual-80-Techno…

Urambo Tauro > TulsaMtnBiker (OkieRising) 08/26/2015 at 14:26

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What’s your opinion on the bent handle feature?

TulsaMtnBiker (OkieRising) > Urambo Tauro 08/26/2015 at 14:57

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To sum it up: LOVE it.

It has allowed me to work in tight spots a normal ratchet would never fit.

Urambo Tauro > TulsaMtnBiker (OkieRising) 08/26/2015 at 16:49

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Just want to make sure we’re talking about the same thing: I’m asking about the solid bend in the handle, not the flexing hinge. Does the bent handle make a noticeable difference?

TulsaMtnBiker (OkieRising) > Urambo Tauro 08/26/2015 at 17:56

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Yep, we’re on the same page. That said, the bent handle and the flex head are definitely a combo when working in tight areas.