Hey guys, im in school right now for Freightliner Mechanic and ive been slowly buying tools for a few months everytime i see something good on sale i go for it. I bought a 4 set of gear wrenches from sears for 104$ TOTAL!! each set at sears sells for 119$, i dont understand why it was so cheap lol but not complaining, also got a huge screwdriver set online for 30$, bought some impact sockets, adjustable wrenches, and some pliers. Right now im looking for Ratchets to buy , i have read that the ratchets at sears (in canada) are not the greatest. I am a student so i dont really have the money for Snap-on unless i absolutly have to. Ive looked at Huskey and Mastercrafts maximum sets, they dont seem to bad. I just can't decide lol. Also for power tools i think im going to go with DeWalt. Thanks guys.
Need ideas.
- Thread starter Alex7799
- Start date
crewchief888
Well-known member
IMHO ratchets are where to spend a few bucks on.
cheap ratchets seem to fail at the worst times.
most of my commonly used ratchets are SO, followed by matco, SK, mac, duralast, and proto.
if i was inclined to buy a new ratchet ( i'm not)
i'd be looking at price/availability vs ease of replacement/warranty.
nothing ***** more than having a shiney new tool, break it, and have to wait for a replacement or repair.
if i could only have 1 ratchet in each drive size heres my choices
1/4 std length, non flex
3/8 long flex head
1/2 18" non flex
3/4 longer the better
add a 24" 1/2" dr breaker
15"-18" 3/4" dr breaker
just my $0.02
cheap ratchets seem to fail at the worst times.
most of my commonly used ratchets are SO, followed by matco, SK, mac, duralast, and proto.
if i was inclined to buy a new ratchet ( i'm not)
i'd be looking at price/availability vs ease of replacement/warranty.
nothing ***** more than having a shiney new tool, break it, and have to wait for a replacement or repair.
if i could only have 1 ratchet in each drive size heres my choices
1/4 std length, non flex
3/8 long flex head
1/2 18" non flex
3/4 longer the better
add a 24" 1/2" dr breaker
15"-18" 3/4" dr breaker
just my $0.02
guitardedhero
Member
I'd look into the craftsman thin profile set as well. It's on sale for $80 quite often, it's $90 right now. Very fine ratchets for the $$ 1/4, 3/8, & 1/2.
Sureshot
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Cheap screwdrivers are pry bars for me. Look for quality rather than quantity for the money. I have a 14 pce set from Jet that I really like.
One of my favorite items is my rechargeable worklight from Bayco. It has a magnet in the end and one in the middle. Can be used in worklight or flashlight mode. Also comes with vehichle charger. I would like to get a couple more to keep in the vehichles.
I have had a set of Sears ratchets sincethe early 80's but not sure of the quality now.
I prefer Rigid and Dewalt for cordless tools. I have had some trouble with some Dewalt stuff and it soured me.
Small parts are easier to round off and seem to be the most grief so I tend to but better quality for the smaller stuff and let it slide as size goes up.
Where are you located?
One of my favorite items is my rechargeable worklight from Bayco. It has a magnet in the end and one in the middle. Can be used in worklight or flashlight mode. Also comes with vehichle charger. I would like to get a couple more to keep in the vehichles.
I have had a set of Sears ratchets sincethe early 80's but not sure of the quality now.
I prefer Rigid and Dewalt for cordless tools. I have had some trouble with some Dewalt stuff and it soured me.
Small parts are easier to round off and seem to be the most grief so I tend to but better quality for the smaller stuff and let it slide as size goes up.
Where are you located?
Wrenches of Death
Well-known member
There are some pretty damn good bargains out there on USED >>previous model<< Snap-on ratchets. A big chunk of the people out these absolutely believe that they have to have the latest and greatest 80/88 tooth ratchets to be able to do the task at hand.
Remember, these tool companies are selling products, that with proper care and maintenance, will last several lifetimes. Unless you can keep convincing your customer base that their kids will go hungry and their wife will leave them unless they buy this year's "new and improved" model, sales drop. That's why they spend so much on marketing.
I've seen a number of the Snap-on SL71* series and F7x0 series, and the Mac VRxxx and XRxxx series ratchets go for next to nothing on Ebay. These are still tools that in good condition will work just as well today as twenty or thirty years ago.
I've got over a half a dozen 30+ year old Snap-on ratchets that are still working just great and have kept my fat *** well fed over the decades. Do I own any fine tooth ratchets? Sure. The most modern design ratchet I currently own is fifteen year old 72 tooth 1/2 SK.
My go to ratchets are my old faithful ones. In the rare instance, if I find that I can't get a bite trying to swing one, I grab a fine tooth one. I really don't think that there is an appreciable difference between a 45-60 tooth ratchet and the 72-80 tooth ratchets in real world vehicular applications. Will I run out and buy a new Snap-on 80? No, I won't. I can't see spending a hundred dollars for a ratchet that won't make me any more money than the long since paid for ratchets I have here now.
You're working on HD trucks, not under the dash of a Mini Cooper. I've be very very surprised if you were unable to fix everything on that truck with 30 to 45 tooth ratchets, from 1/4" drive up to one inch drive. Seriously. If you luck into a couple of higher tooth count ratchets for decent money as time passes, grab them. You'll want several of each size anyway.
If you're dead set on new, spend a few yours researching the US made Williams ratchets. Great quality, decent price.
WoD