1/2 drive in 3/8 size ratchet

[Shoreline_]

I know snapon and others make a 3/8 drive in a 1/4 ratchet what about 1/2 in a 3/8?

 

[WhataTool]

This is pretty indestructible: https://www.amazon.com/Astro-Tools-91210-Nano-Ratchet/dp/B01JBNLW1W/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[jptbay]

Powerbuilt Protech or Tone have very compact heads.

 

[kngelv]

Koken make great 3/8 in a 1/4 size. Not sure if they make them with 1/2 in 3/8.

James

 

[tamaraw]

Koken make great 3/8 in a 1/4 size. Not sure if they make them with 1/2 in 3/8.

James

They do not.

 

[tamaraw]

I know snapon and others make a 3/8 drive in a 1/4 ratchet what about 1/2 in a 3/8?

Yes, there are some out there, albeit not as common.

Hazet 916K (legacy 30 tooth) and 916HPK (HiPer 90 tooth)

Beta 920/55X (the only round head on this list!)

Proto J6008RK rebuild kit (discontinued), drops in to pretty much any Proto pear head. I used one on an early Plomb pebble ratchet.

Tone RH4CHS (stubby), RH4FCHS (stubby flex), RH4CH (regular), RH4FCH (regular flex), RK-RH4CH rebuild kit fits any Tone pattern ratchet (ex: blackhawk, powerbuilt)

Snap-On SF710, SF710A, SF720, SF720A, SF730, SF730A, maybe others? All 20/30 tooth afaik. Rebuild kits pop up occasionally but you would have to bore a regular 3/8 bottom plate larger if you were planning a conversion.

Astro 91210

Heyco Talenta 50-40-10 (has integrated spinner similar to their Vericat line)

A little more discussion over in this thread: https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/the-1-2-square-drive-thread.536126/#post-10797745

 

[3baygarage]

I know snapon and others make a 3/8 drive in a 1/4 ratchet what about 1/2 in a 3/8?

They did years ago.

 

[shoggoth80]

I'll toss a vote in for Astro. Bought one for my coworker. 1/2 head in 3/8 body. Can't recall the model number.

 

[mikey03]

I know snapon and others make a 3/8 drive in a 1/4 ratchet what about 1/2 in a 3/8?

they used to make one but don’t anymore. The old ones you can find on eBay pretty cheap but there 30 tooth or something real low since there like 30 years old.

idk how useful it would be tbh. Unless your trying to skip 3/8 drive and just run 1/4 and 1/2 drive which I heard people used to do then why not just use a 3/8 ratchet?

at the lower end of 1/2 half they overlap with 3/8. At the middle and upper end of 1/2 you won’t be able to get enough torque with a tiny ratchet. And what kind of huge fastener like 27 mm will have room for a 1/2 drive socket but won’t have room for a regular 1/2 ratchet to go with it?

3/8 goes to 24 mm

the reason why 3/8 in 1/4 is useful to me is because there’s lots of special sockets like torx and male hex where they don’t overlap with 1/4. So if you got a real tight access you can’t just drop down to 1/4 drive with a 1/4 ratchet so you use your 3/8 sockets and run them on the 3/8 on 1/2 body.

 

[Shoreline_]

I don't mind picking up a used snappy one. But for the money I can get an astro. I worry about replacement kits from snapon. Not that my application requires much torque but if I buy a used one and the action is ******, I want to be able to throw a kit in it ya know.

 

[mikey03]

I don't mind picking up a used snappy one. But for the money I can get an astro. I worry about replacement kits from snapon. Not that my application requires much torque but if I buy a used one and the action is ******, I want to be able to throw a kit in it ya know.

The snap on one is only 30 tooth I played with one once and I didn’t like it tbh

 

[Shoreline_]

The snap on one is only 30 tooth I played with one once and I didn’t like it tbh

It's okay I don't need 1,000 tooth count. **** I still used my F732 almost everyday working on cars. The million tooth count is just marketing hype. Same with back drag.

 

[bonneyman]

Here's a Bonney I made recently. 1/2" drive gear in a standard 3/8" body. Could also work in the home-made stubby 3/8"er shown.

 

[Samuel D]

Hazet 916K (legacy 30 tooth) and 916HPK (HiPer 90 tooth)

Yeah, I have that 916HPK. Probably the most modern option. Not bad at all, although I’ve only had it a little while and am probably still in the honeymoon period. Photo of mine and a couple of initial impressions here:

Show your new tool arrivals

Thanks for the offer. No FB for me though. i posted the direct link to it so you dont need fb to see it Thanks for posting that. Compared to other tool catalogs, it's disorganized and the part numbers are almost random, but it's still leagues ahead of their awful website. I think it's a...

www.garagejournal.com

 

[tamaraw]

Yeah, I have that 916HPK. Probably the most modern option. Not bad at all, although I’ve only had it a little while and am probably still in the honeymoon period. Photo of mine and a couple of initial impressions here:

Show your new tool arrivals

Thanks for the offer. No FB for me though. i posted the direct link to it so you dont need fb to see it Thanks for posting that. Compared to other tool catalogs, it's disorganized and the part numbers are almost random, but it's still leagues ahead of their awful website. I think it's a...

www.garagejournal.com

I have been wanting to get one of those for a while, just keep getting sidetracked with other stuff.

@Shoreline_ If you are concerned about availability of parts in the long term, Hazet is the way to go.

 

[Etchase]

With a little filing of the selector plate and a thin retainer ring you can put a NB 1/2 inch into a 3/8. The 3/8 will fit in the 1/2 inch handle, but benefits from use of a spacer.

 

[Retired dozer fixer]

Why???

 

[mikey03]

Why???

Yea good question tbh. Using 3/8 in a 1/4 size makes sense to me

you might only be running 3/8 without any 1/4 in a mobile kit and if using smaller sizes like 10mm you don’t need a full 3/8 head and anvil for power

you might be running specialty sockets like hex bit and torx that you only have in 3/8 drive

But 1/2 drive in a 3/8 body? If you’re on the low end of 1/2 drive like 10mm to 15mm you already got 3/8 sockets that will fit a 3/8 ratchet and should cover tight access. There isn’t really specialty 1/2 sockets on the lower end you need tight access.

only real reason I can think of is if you are trying to avoid 3/8 drive and just do a 1/4 and 1/2 mix but honestly I don’t think many people doing that these days

 

[liliysdad]

Like others, I can’t see a single purpose in doing this other than “because I can.”

 

[bonneyman]

Like others, I can’t see a single purpose in doing this other than “because I can.”

Yeah, that's why I did the Bonney. Just to prove it could be done. I'm probably going to switch it back to straight 3/8" drive as I have more need for that kind of ratchet.

 

[Fedwrench]

Hey, I know it's not a dedicated 1/2 drive ratchet in a 3/8 drive body ratchet but, Astro recently released their 1/4 & 3/8 drive NANO Socket adapter sets. Included in each set is either 1/4 square drive/11 mm hex drive base or a 3/8 square drive/17 mm hex drive base by 1/2 square drive male adapter that could give you a wide range of options from the small VIM FRW11 wrench to the larger NANO handles.
Additionally, Hazet offers this ratchet:

Hazet 916HPK Fine Tooth 1/2" Drive Reversible Ratchet, Short

Hazet 916HPK Fine Tooth 1/2" Drive Reversible Ratchet, Short - high quality German engineering at the lowest price. Free same day shipping available.

www.kctool.com

 

[65k10]

I guess for the people asking why such a ratchet would be desirable, for me it's mostly a space saving measure for portable tool sets. Like for a tool set I keep in one of my tractors you will need 1/2 drive for larger fasteners, but for the smaller fasteners you might be handling during field repairs or adjustments, 1/2 drive sized sockets are usually just fine and all you really need is a 3/8 drive sized ratchet. A 1/2 drive anvil on a 3/8 drive sized ratchet allows me to save on space in the tool bag by just having to carry 1/2 drive sockets and extensions. Outside of that application, they are not terribly useful other than occasionally being handy for being able to run down a large fastener in a small space where power tools do not fit.

 

[plinker]

8pt/pipe plug sockets, tap sockets, low torque applications for regular & bit sockets. I use the one I have often enough to warrant having it. I had found some torque wrench repair kits that convert from 3/8 to 1/2 drive several years ago, Armstrong kit # 64-091 / 796AR-91 . They fit the 36 tooth Danaher era ratchets. https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/threads/1-2-in-3-8-ratchet.385507/#post-7479747

A 12" locking flex would be nice at times, but more so "because I can". 36 tooth or less kinda limits it for some uses. Heavy truck repair is one place where it would be handy to have IME.

 

[pfbz]

My Tone RH4FCHS is awesome! 1/2" in 3/8" body.

Super compact, great feel and quality, made in Japan, lifetime warranty, and reasonably priced...

Am I going to put final torque or break loose a tight bolt with it? No... But for backing off a bolt in a tight clearance situation, fantastic.




In comparison to my KoKen 2726ZB-3/8 (3/8" in 1/4" body)

 

[pfbz]

If compact head but not necessarily compact handle is desired, Astro 91210 is also awesome and a no-brainer at $14. Also lifetime warranty and GREAT balance/feel on the Astro ratchets.

I don't have a good stand-alone picture of it, but it's the second one from the left in the picture below between a Koken 4725Z and the above Tone RH4FCHS. You can see how much smaller the head is than the Koken 1/2", which is already very small compared to most 1/2" ratchets.

 

[mikey03]

Snap on makes a real short flex handle 1/2 socket but it’s a full 1/2 size head and anvil and honestly not sure what that’s useful for. Prob would be more useful as a 1/2 in 3/8 body which I also don’t find too useful but it’s tools and tools are good to got options.

 

[KnurledNut]

I guess for the people asking why such a ratchet would be desirable, for me it's mostly a space saving measure for portable tool sets. Like for a tool set I keep in one of my tractors you will need 1/2 drive for larger fasteners, but for the smaller fasteners you might be handling during field repairs or adjustments, 1/2 drive sized sockets are usually just fine and all you really need is a 3/8 drive sized ratchet. A 1/2 drive anvil on a 3/8 drive sized ratchet allows me to save on space in the tool bag by just having to carry 1/2 drive sockets and extensions. Outside of that application, they are not terribly useful other than occasionally being handy for being able to run down a large fastener in a small space where power tools do not fit.

@65k10 ’s comment above is the reason why I keep a compact 1/2 in my portable kit.
I also find them handy for low torque use on large fasteners, like filter housings or my digital torque adaptor which is 1/2 drive.
I still use the low profile O’reilly adaptors for some applications. Those things are incredibly handy and I love the spinner disk when hands are oily.

 

[Callelle]

Snap on makes a real short flex handle 1/2 socket but it’s a full 1/2 size head and anvil and honestly not sure what that’s useful for. Prob would be more useful as a 1/2 in 3/8 body which I also don’t find too useful but it’s tools and tools are good to got options.

I use mine to be able to get more / easier rotation after I break a fastener loose, than say my 36" Matco.

 

[AEAdam]

deleted

 

[jblnut]

This makes me wonder, when we see toolboxes here, how many of the tools do guys actually use? I think I only ever use 2 or 3 pairs of pliers. Guys talk about the tools they HAVE. I’m more interested in the tools they actually USE.

In my box I’d rather have 100 tools I don’t need than not have the one I need

As far as the original question of a 1/2” head in a 3/8” body I can’t seem to come up with a single time I’ve wished for that. If I need something like that I grab a 1/2” stubby. Of the fastener is large enough to need a 1/2” drive socket it will likely need a 1/2” drive tool that can take the torque of loosening or tightening the fastener.

I have a drawer of custom bent ratchet extensions and other do-dads that I’ve fabricobbled over the years that get dug through quite often. Around a blind corner ? Yup make a tool that fits. Facing down with 1/2” of room for a tool with access from above only ? Take a ratcheting wrench and cut it to fit and weld a socket to the end and stick an extension on. Lots of problems can be solved with a little creativity.

Lots of problems could have been avoided if the damn engineers and designers actually work on the stuff in the same way we do instead of clicking it all together like a computer game and not giving regard to us lowlys that have to work on it once it’s a rusted up broken mess.

 

[KnurledNut]

I feel the same about 3/8” in a 1/4” body, tbh.

I can say, I use my 1/2” flex stubby a lot. I actually don’t have a “standard” length 1/2” drive ratchet. It’s the stubby or the mighty SHLF80. And I do have bit sockets, specialty sockets in 1/2”. Even starting lug nuts, I’ll use that stubby.

So I’ve brought up this point before and been yelled at for it. Someone please tell me what a 3/8” drive in a 1/4” body does that a stubby doesn’t do? (And please don’t say head height. Head height, in my experience is a GJ made up problem).

Right now, I feel as tho I’d like to have a THLF72 in 3/8 drive. Maybe mine are “worn in”, but they are very nice, smooth, low back drag ratchets. But this is extreme low priority for me.

Reiterating: I use and recommend the extreme lengths of ratchets. I recommend starting with long flexes, then choosing stubbies asap. I don’t own a 1/4” stubby because my T72 is plenty small enough. I also like, but don’t often use the XL ratchets (FLL80). I would buy (did buy) that before the F80.

I bought my F80 on eBay, challenging myself to buy the cheapest one available. (It was less than $50 shipped). I did the aluminum foil trick on the chrome and intended to rebuild the head with a repair kit I had on hand. But it felt very nice as is. So I disassembled it, cleaned the bejesus out of it and reassembled it. Now it’s quiet, silky smooth, light back drag, obviously worn. But tbh, I don’t use it much. It’s heavier than a stubby, so not as fast for low torque work and not long enough for higher torque.

sorry I went off topic there a little bit.

View attachment 2341708
Here’s my drawer of ratchet shame. Not sure what I was thinking with all these HH ratchets. I guess I kept buying them thinking they would grow on me. They did not. I actually prefer the soft grips In my other box. Ignore the red line lower right. The ones I crossed out I NEVER use. Not easy to tell but the T72 I crossed out is a QR model that just doesn’t work right. I replaced the guts and it’s still not right. The gear rocks in the head and binds somehow. I need to call CS, and just send it back.

The USAG was an Italian made round head I bought for the male members of my wedding party, 30 yrs ago, and have never once used for no reason. Still have the cardboard box for it.

The F50CSA 3/8” spinner handle is one of my favorite tools. It has a recess in the back end and I often put my stubby in there.

This makes me wonder, when we see toolboxes here, how many of the tools do guys actually use? I think I only ever use 2 or 3 pairs of pliers. Guys talk about the tools they HAVE. I’m more interested in the tools they actually USE.

There is no “one size fits all” with tools. What works for your limited DIY use is not going to cut it for a pro wrencher, a millwright, a heavy equipment mechanic or any number of other tool users in the broad spectrum of applications.

That’s the great thing about having such a wide variety of tools on the market. We have options.

Maybe try to be a little more open-minded instead of always telling us we are all doing it wrong.

 

[bonneyman]

@65k10 ’s comment above is the reason why I keep a compact 1/2 in my portable kit.
I also find them handy for low torque use on large fasteners, like filter housings or my digital torque adaptor which is 1/2 drive.
I still use the low profile O’reilly adaptors for some applications. Those things are incredibly handy and I love the spinner disk when hands are oily.

It's why I keep a supply of add-on spinner discs for 3/8" ratchets. Easy to pop on and off, and really makes spinning off nuts easy when hands are slick.

 

[Samuel D]

Maybe try to be a little more open-minded instead of always telling us we are all doing it wrong.

Oh come on.

It’s nice to hear an opinion around here now and then.

Critical thinking about using tools is in short supply. I don’t see why we should discourage it.

 

[Shoreline_]

Why???

Because I come across a lot of filter bowls with 27, 30, 36mm hex drives. I dont want to carry more sockets. I already have these sockets for normal fasteners. A small / lighter ratchet would ease holding the drain pan with funnel, and the tool while im trying to spin off the bowls. You understand, you seem to be a retired dozer fixer.

Im not really looking for a different solution. Just a 1/2" dr in a 3/8 body.

Thanks everyone else for the replies.

 

[mreisner]

As much as I like to ***** about Automotive engineers, especially the ones working for Ford, and it seems like a lot of times AG Engineers top them all. I've got a drawer full of ratchets and everyone wants in a while still running into a situation where nothing is exactly right. I probably have 40 different ratchets.

 

[oscarsnapkin]

I bought this one off the truck when I was a kid back in the 90’s. I picked up a second one years later that I later sold. I believe this has been discontinued for quite some time, but I could be mistaken.

 

[AEAdam]

That’s the great thing about having such a wide variety of tools on the market. We have options.

Maybe try to be a little more open-minded instead of always telling us we are all doing it wrong.

Is that what I do? I tell people what they are doing it wrong? That really *****.

I didn’t know you felt that way (including all the others who liked your post and the possibly many more). Not sure what I’ll do differently moving forward.

Honestly, I spend some time on GJ posts. I post a lot of pictures and try to be relevant. If the take away message is “all of you are wrong” I’m doing a really **** job communicating and should do something different with my free time.

Thanks for telling me how you feel.

 

[pfbz]

Look, the reality is that plenty of cars were repaired for decades with a set of craftsman raised panel combo wrenches, a few screwdrivers, a 36 tooth ratchet and a handful of sockets...

No flex-stubby-nano-micro-macro-90_tooth-ratcheting-anti-slip stuff, the job just got done. Sometimes you headed to the grinder to modify a tool to work, or cobbled together something to give you access in a tight spot.

That said, i really enjoy having some choices and tools that make the job easier and more pleasant. Just today, I used my semi-fancy mountain wrenches, my Koken 2726ZB-3/8 with a nut-grip 13mm and Koken spinner, AND my Tone RH4FCHS while working on my 911, all made the work faster and with less cursing. Could I have gotten it done with the craftsman top handle tool box I had in 1980? Eventually.

 

[KnurledNut]

Is that what I do? I tell people what they are doing wrong? That really *****.

I didn’t know you felt that way (including all the others who liked your post and the possibly many more). Not sure what I’ll do differently moving forward.

Honestly, I spend some time on GJ posts. I post a lot of pictures and try to be relevant. Honestly, if the take away message is “all of you are wrong” I’m doing a really **** job communicating and should do something different with my free time.

Thanks for telling me how you feel.

The problem with communicating through written word online is that context and feeling is often lost. Go back and read your post here. It starts and ends challenging everyone. You even mentioned that last time this same challenge ended up with getting yelled at. So why poke the tiger again, and with a question that is really not what the OP was inquiring about?

So I’ve brought up this point before and been yelled at for it. Someone please tell me what a 3/8” drive in a 1/4” body does that a stubby doesn’t do? (And please don’t say head height. Head height, in my experience is a GJ made up problem).

Quite a number of your posts convey a confrontational tone, often correcting members that are not wrong, because of your personal preference. Are you not aware of this? Perhaps its just your personality IRL? Just because a statement is prefaced with the word “respectfully”, doesn’t mean its gonna be accepted well.

If I hurt your feelings, I apologize.
I have had some members here line me out when I was being too much. Some were plain rude or obnoxious for whatever reason, which some of those are no longer welcome here, but some were well intended and that has helped me reel in areas where I can improve, not just here as KnurledNut, but in real life.

 

[pfbz]

This makes me wonder, when we see toolboxes here, how many of the tools do guys actually use? ... Guys talk about the tools they HAVE. I’m more interested in the tools they actually USE.

Excellent point. While I see nothing wrong with others collecting tools just because they are pretty and they enjoy looking at them (live and let live), that's not me...

I appreciate the aesthetics of nice tools and a well laid out toolbox, but for me, much of it is about doing a higher percentage of work myself and farming out less of it to "pro's", and sometimes specialty tools helps compensate a bit for the fact I'm working on quickjacks or jackstands instead of a full height service lift and do this all as a hobby, not as a profession.

That said, you motivated me to take a few pictures of some specialty setups I used just today as mentioned above.

The project car is a 1985 911 Turbo. Lots of things being done, but today was working on lower valve covers and refilling the transmission among other things.

Relatively new tools that made my life notably easier included:
Tone RH4FCHS micro 1/2" flex ratchet
Koken 2726ZB-3/8 micro 3/8" flex ratchet
Tone RH2FHX 1/4" flex head ratchet
Koken 3/8" spinner
Tone nut-grip 13mm 3/8" socket
Astro 13mm 1/4" drive flex socket
Stahlwille locking 1/4" extension
Astro nano 13mm socket 1/4" drive
Astro nano 20mm socket 3/8" drive
Astro nano 17mm wrench for nano sockets







The valve covers use very low torque, and need to be staged sequentially to prevent leaks (5->10->18 ft-lbs). Very low torque obviously, but also very sensitive to being done correctly.

The turbocharger and plumbing limits access to several bolts, especially if you want to try and get a torque device on the nuts... Tone micro 1/2" ratchet connecting to the torque adapter, then adapted down to my locking 1/4" extension and an Astro 13mm socket, which were slim enough to snake through the very small clearances to get a semi-straight shot to some of the nuts.



Although more convenience than necessity, it was sure nice to use the Koken nut-grip 13mm socket in 3/8" drive to get most of the the valve cover nuts started. Spinner made it even easier. You sure as hell don't want a 18" long 3/8" ratchet for this job.





Transmission fill hole has relatively little clearance. No way you could fit a conventional socket and ratchet combo in there. A conventional ratcheting wrench doesn't have the angle. A mountain wrench would have done the job as well, but damn the Astro nano setup is nice!!!




I likely could have done the entire job with nothing more than a pair of 20 year old 13mm and 20mm Craftsman raised panel combo wrenches, but I might still be out there working on it turning certain nuts 1/16" of a turn at a time (and enough money in the swear jar to buy another wrench or two), and my valve covers would probably start leaking.