Recently upgraded my ratchet collection

[kage860]

For 1/2” inch i have a breaker bar and die hard flex head. For 3/8 I have the long ktc roto head and die hard. For 1/4” I have another die hard and pittsburgh pro roto. I think Im set for a while. Please dont post any awesome ratchets for the next 5 or so years

 

[TailGunner3000]

I recently purchased that set of ratchets on sale at a great price from Advance Auto to replace some Gear Wrench flex heads that "mysteriously vanished" from my travel box. So far, I've been very pleasantly surprised.

 

[Professor Gascan]

I picked up the 3/8 and 1/2 drive Diehards a few months ago just before the price jumped. Finally put them to some real work last weekend doing a timing belt on my car and they performed great, and I was glad to have them. My only nitpick, and it's not that big a deal, is I couldn't get the 1/2 head as tight as the 3/8.

I also have that HF roto head and it's my go to ratchet for working on my motorcycle. Really nice for all the small low torque fasteners.

 

[Hakeem]

Those KTC ratchets are some of the most slept-on ratchets around, IMO. Tiny head and pleasant ratcheting action … I love mine. Great choice.

 

[1982fxr]

Diehard like the batteries?

 

[General Geoff]

For 3/8 I have the long ktc roto head

one of my favorite ratchets! KTC really knocked it out of the park with them.

 

[mikey03]

these ratchets are made in Los Angeles in Nakatomi Plaza

 

[ecotec]

Diehard like the batteries?

Yes. The brand was sold off years ago from Sears to Transformco then to Advance Auto Parts.

 

[jblnut]

Didn’t know Diehard still existed. They look like nice ratchets !!

Here is a set of Stark impact sockets I recently acquired. I stuck my favorite 1/2” Craftsman ratchet in there for scale.

 

[bonneyman]

these ratchets are made in Los Angeles in Nakatomi Plaza

Of course! How do you think John McClane got out of that elevator shaft?

 

[AEAdam]

Nice looking collection. Your decision to start with long flex heads rather than non flex std length ratchets was SMART.

Do yourself a favor and pick up a 3/8” stubby and a small 1/4” drive ratchet. These don’t have to be anything fancy. I like the way stubby flexes fit my hand. The other benefit of the flex head stubbies is your ability to reduce the moment of inertia even more, to allow your ratchet to go even faster.

If you’ve ever watched a figure skater do a spin, you can see moment of inertia at work. When their arms are outstretched they spin slower. When they tuck in, they spin faster. Don’t believe me? Go out to your garage and do some spins on your brake creeper!

Speed isn’t just about saving time. Sometimes I’m in a position I want to spend as little time in as possible. Maybe it’s my back, maybe it’s a hot engine, maybe oil is dripping everywhere.

Stubbies get some love on GJ, but in my opinion not enough. I even have a stubby 1/2” drive and I love that for all the same reasons.

My advice- start exactly where you did with long flex heads ratchets (in all drive sizes). Then choose stubbies. That’s a good automotive starting place in my opinion.

 

[1982fxr]

these ratchets are made in Los Angeles in Nakatomi Plaza

If I ever buy any I will have Ellis negotiate on my behalf.

 

[Professor Gascan]

I agree with everything said above. My stubby 1/4 and 3/8 are my two most used ratchets.

After breaking a fastener free with the longest ratchet that will fit I have one of the stubbies ready with another appropriately sized socket to spin it off. It's also a good reason to use the 12 point sockets that don't get much love round here.

Having various long and short ratchets really helps avoiding having to mess with however many things just trying to get to the part you're actually trying to fix.

You can really spin out nuts and bolts pretty quick with the stubby by putting it between your middle and pointer finger and giving it a kind of guitar strumming motion knocking it back and forth. Inertia being the correct term for it that I wouldn't have thought of.

The ratchet on the left is a HF 1/4 flex head that I chopped and the 3/8 is a Power Torque that I bought at O'reilly auto. Neither were more than 20 bucks and both have 72 teeth and pretty low backdrag. They're both way handier than you'd think and a great option to have around.

 

[Professor Gascan]

If I ever buy any I will have Ellis negotiate on my behalf.

1982fxr, bubby, he's your white knight!

 

[1982fxr]

1982fxr, bubby, he's your white knight!

Sniiiiiiiffffff

 

[Al Borland]

these ratchets are made in Los Angeles in Nakatomi Plaza

"Welcome to the party, pal!"