What's better round head or tear drop ratchets??

[Spannersphere]

I'm looking at ratchets what's better sk round or Williams tear drop quick release or sealed. Hmm

 

[Chadwilliam1]

slow down grasshopper.

 

[lwlobo]

The round head vs. pear head debate is unending. It's one of those wave/particle type of things. Since this debate can never really be resolved, eventually you'll want to have both.

In the mean time, and to start off with, I say you can't go wrong with SK or Wright round heads.

Good luck.

 

[Skin]

The biggest down side to round heads for me are the facts that most styles cant be reversed with one finger like a lever on a tear drop and they're fat simply due to the nature of the design. Other than that its more or less personal preference.

 

[TwoInch]

The biggest down side to round heads for me are the facts that most styles cant be reversed with one finger like a lever on a tear drop and they're fat simply due to the nature of the design. Other than that its more or less personal preference.

ive never had an issue flipping b-52/s-52 williams, or Cman RHFTs with one finger/thumb. dont have to hold the socket for them to switch generally.

 

[GYPSY400]

It's a matter of personal preference.. I prefer pear heads.. Although 1 problem I run into occasionally is that if something is rubbing on the back of the ratchet ( tight access) it changes the direction. I have Snap-on ratchets at work and Mastercraft and stanly stuff at home.

 

[reptilezs]

round heads a little more compact but i prefer tear drop. i have both

 

[woody 73]

Grasshopper I sent you a pm but let me review again for you in case you missed it:

Which is better Ford or Chevy?
which is better stihl or Husky?
which is better frosted flakes or corn flakes?

Start looking on CL and go to a few Garage sales and pick up a few used ratchets, just last week I bought a small metal green sk box for $5.00 dollars and it had 6 sockets and a sk ratchet so you should be able to pick up a few good ratchets on a small budget.

Then spend sometime and start using them, only then will you get a better feeling for the "The better one".

Remember ask 100 people and you will get 100 different answers...

 

[Nanashi]

It's all about preference. Round heads are slightly wide side to side and switching direction can be slightly harder. But the swivel very nicely and can even be used like a driver. Tear drop seem to be more stable and some like the directional switch better but the don't swivel like a round head which the round head has the advantage here. The round head has a disadvantage in tight space though where the wide head won't squeeze into. I use a round head and love it.

 

[Fedwrench]

Some guys like blondes, while others prefer red heads, some people swear by 12 point sockets, while others only use 6 point sockets,
Like with many choices, it's one of personal preference. I have and use both styles. Often some pearheads will have a lower profile and offer improved access. Additionally, round head ratchets have teeth cut into the ratchet handle head. Sometimes these teeth may strip or get damaged rendering the ratchet unrepairable. Whereas, only the guts fail on a pear head that can be easily replaced depending on brand.
Buy what you can afford, what feels good in your hand, and try different brands.

 

[Monte]

 

[Pig In A Poke]

which is better stihl or Husky?

Stihl all day long.

Sorry I could not help myself, proceed.

 

[thebeekeeper1]

Stihl all day long.

Sorry I could not help myself, proceed.

No kidding. Though I do have to say, Husky makes a perfectly cute saw these days.

 

[willhollin]

Better to have some of each.

 

[cole_CT]

Stihl all day long.

Sorry I could not help myself, proceed.

+1 on that

Anyways,
I like round heads because they (sometimes) have a thumb wheel on the top for getting a little bit more leverage than turning a fastener with bare fingers. Other than that, though, I prefer my high tooth pearhead ratchets. I think they are easier to switch directions, are more stable, easier to take apart and fix, and feel a little better in hand. Just my 2 cents

 

[#1SomeGuy]

The one that gets the job done...

 

[cole_CT]

The one that gets the job done...

Jus' try 'em both!

 

[1982fxr]

Grasshopper I sent you a pm but let me review again for you in case you missed it:

Which is better Ford or Chevy?
which is better stihl or Husky?
which is better frosted flakes or corn flakes?

Start looking on CL and go to a few Garage sales and pick up a few used ratchets, just last week I bought a small metal green sk box for $5.00 dollars and it had 6 sockets and a sk ratchet so you should be able to pick up a few good ratchets on a small budget.

Then spend sometime and start using them, only then will you get a better feeling for the "The better one".

Remember ask 100 people and you will get 100 different answers...

eat some bacon and eggs, then throw the Stihl in back of your Chevy

 

[trout]

Stihl or Husky? Is that really a debate?

 

[woody 73]

I think Fedwrench said it best "Blonds or Redheads"... Say I hear good things about husky in truth I own several stihl saws but I would like to try a husky.

I had a chance to buy a used Dolmar for $75.00 dollars but that poor thing was leaking all over the place; it looked like the guy beat the living **** out of it just for fun and he looks at me and says..."all those German saws leak like that". Maybe a little leaking but not the whole bathtub leaking.

 

[AmericanPreferred]

To me the biggest issue with round heads is that once the teeth inside the round head are worn out the ratchet can't be rebuilt. A tear drop can usually always be rebuilt. I like quick release most of the time, cause I can easily get the socket off the ratchet with oily hands. I have a SK round head palm ratchet that can be reversed with one hand, engages about 16 teeth per click that I like a lot. I have pretty much stayed away from Williams since they started using boats.

 

[SuzukiGS750EZ]

I prefer teardrop and its all I own. I dislike the SK ratchets. Personal preference I Guess. I prefer quick release, but if its got a decent detent, I don't mind not having it.

 

[AmericanPreferred]

I'm a pretty big fan of the SK round head ratchets. They're a basic design, but they're very strong and they have little back drag.

The quick-release Williams ratchets are made in Taiwan, if that matters to you. They're course tooth and identical to Blue Point ratchets. I don't like them very much, but I do like the 60-tooth Taiwanese Williams ratchets.
http://www.toolsdelivered.com/Willi...ols-3-8-Inch-Drive-Chrome-Ratchet-Drive-Tools

I don't like the Williams USA teardrop ratchets. They use a 36-tooth mechanism that was previously used in Snap-on 36 tooth ratchets. I've owned two new ones and they had so much back drag that I didn't like using them, so I sold them.

I like the round head Williams USA ratchets. I recently bought a 10" long 3/8" drive.
http://www.toolsdelivered.com/Willi...ols-3-8-Inch-Drive-Chrome-Ratchet-Drive-Tools



How often have you seen round head ratchets with the teeth in the head worn out? I've bought and sold many ratchets and I can't remember a single one I've had where the teeth in the head were too worn to work.

I have had some where the overall machining in the head is worn so the mechanism can move around a little, but they were very old.

In theory it could happen, but it seems more like a theoretical issue than something that happens in the real world very often.

Any use is equal to wear on the teeth, once this wear occurs it is irreversible with this type design. It can never be like new again. Not the case with a teardrop. I have seen several worn out round heads. More often I have seen one or two teeth partially broken so it will slip when you least expect it. Either way its a paper weight.

 

[AmericanPreferred]

Hmmm...

Again, I've bought many, many (in the hundreds) of ratchets. I've personally never seen one with broken teeth in the head. The broken teeth (and I've seen many) are always on the pawls, not the teeth in the head.

In the same vein, pearhead ratchets can wear where the gear rides in the ratchet handle allowing movement of the gear. That can't be fixed, either.

Again, I think you're getting into theoretical problems that aren't too common except on very old ratchets. Take care of your ratchet and either design will last many, many years.

Hundreds really? I thought I was bad. It happens all the time to regular people that don't have a different ratchet for every day on the year. How many round heads to see marketed to the professional wrench for day in day out use? There was a time when round heads far outnumbered tear drops, not anymore, there is a reason for this.

 

[trout]

I would think that properly designed round head ratchets would use a harder metal in the handle causing the pawl to wear and not the irreplaceable teeth. I've never hand any of my SKs fail.

 

[AmericanPreferred]

Technically sk is right, the pawl usually breaks first, immediately followed by it being trapped between the softer teeth in the head and the rest of the pawl, which causes un-repairable damage to the handle. Round head by any brand is an inferior design. I don't know a single pro wrench that uses a round head as their go to ratchet.

 

[AmericanPreferred]

But you are missing the point, one is better, just because you sell the other kind does not make them better. And neither of those SK's you put kits in are like new again. They may be nearly like new. It is really simple, teeth are wear items, one design allows all the wear items to be replaced, the other does not. One will wear out, the other not.

 

[FiendFX]

I have both. But i use my roto ratchet more

 

[d.mcfarland]

What's _____ ? .... Better for performance or better in personal opinion? Well either way it comes down to personal preference!

 

[TJJP77]

I recently started getting into the older Williams B-52/S-52 double-pawl ratchets. These are really robustly constructed ratchets with an exquisite mechanism in spite of the relatively "low" tooth count by today's standards.

I also have a thing for the Craftsman/Easco/KD/Master Mechanic RHFT dual-pawl ratchets and have a number of those as well. While the design of the ratcheting mechanism is basically the same as the Williams, the Easco/Danaher clones are a bit sloppier (in my opinion) due to the way the ratchet is retained in the handle by a simple circlip vs the threaded ring which more positively locates the "guts" of the ratchet. The fact that the Easco/Danaher clones were probably built to a lower price point than the Williams also has an effect on the overall precision of the ratchet.

Having said that, I also have a number of tear drop ratchets, such as the Craftsman thin-profile (USA made) and the newer "professional" series. My thin-profiles probably see the most use since they are in my portable kit that I pop out when doing a quick project and they certainly are nice ratchets.

When I go to loosen something I anticipate to be very tight or obviously rusted, I always go for my 1/2" drive flex-head Craftsman RHFT since I feel (perhaps erroneously) that the dual-pawl mechanism has the least likelihood of slipping or stripping under a heavy load. I've seen too many single-pawl mechanisms (admittedly usually low tooth-count/low cost ratchets like the standard Craftsman RP) fail to have a ton of confidence in them being able to handle a heavy strain. I also get that a more expensive tear drop ratchet (such as a Snap-On) is going to be made a lot better and can probably handle the stress just fine - problem is that SO is generally out of my price range.

Bottom line - go check out some ratchets and see what you like. Either of them will probably serve your needs just fine.

 

[hallboyone]

A unique feature to round heads is a double pawl design. This allows for the strength of a 36 tooth ratchet to be combined with the connivence of a 72 tooth design. I don't think that that can be done with a tear drop design.
This is my favorite ratchet so far.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001HWCPFS/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[Conductor562]

Proto J5257F

 

[Skin]

A unique feature to round heads is a double pawl design. This allows for the strength of a 36 tooth ratchet to be combined with the connivence of a 72 tooth design. I don't think that that can be done with a tear drop design.
This is my favorite ratchet so far.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001HWCPFS/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Not all round heads have 2 pawls that engage at once and likewise coarse tooth ratchets are not inherently stronger. Its all about contact area and generally speaking fine tooth ratchets usually have more so usually coarse tooth ratchets are actually weaker.

 

[hallboyone]

Not all round heads have 2 pawls that engage at once and likewise coarse tooth ratchets are not inherently stronger. Its all about contact area and generally speaking fine tooth ratchets usually have more so usually coarse tooth ratchets are actually weaker.

Pardon my arrogance but it isn't friction that keeps the ratchet from slipping, it is the pawls teeth catching on the ratchets teeth (n the case of roundheads). If friction does not keep it from slipping then surface area doesn't matter, right.
Any way, it's a mute point because if you use the tool right (no striking or cheater bars) then it is very unlikely that either tool would slip until the teeth ware down. Since fine teeth ware faster (or they reach the end of there live faster) they slip first. All this to say that perhaps 'stronger' wasn't the word I was looking for. Perhaps 'longer between rebuilds' and 'tougher' is more what I was going for.

 

[4x4gearhead]

I use pear/teardrops more due to the fact they fit in better on a lot of things. I do however, have quite a few of both. When tight fit isnt an issue I will just as likely grab a round head out of the box, but for most of my work its pear head/teardrop. It is absolutely a personal preference thing and no one will have the right answer for you. I'd suggest trying one of each and see which one suits you better.

 

[Skin]

Pardon my arrogance but it isn't friction that keeps the ratchet from slipping, it is the pawls teeth catching on the ratchets teeth (n the case of roundheads). If friction does not keep it from slipping then surface area doesn't matter, right.

It is friction/contact area though. The harder you pull the more pressure you put on the contact area between the pawl and the drive gear.

For the most part I agree it doesn't matter unless you abuse your tools but with these new foot and a half or two foot ratchets the truck brands have; I do think it matters in those instances.

 

[Hiball]

@ Stephen9666.. Its Not Worth it, I know ive been there.. This place is much more enjoyable when you learn to Ignore the Arguments.

I Agree 100% though, I have bought 100's of Round head ratchets via Auctions, Ebay, Classifieds and you very Rarely come across a SK or Wright with issues and Cant ever remember seeing one worn out inside the Ratchet body. Ive seen my fair share that where completely filled with Grime/Dirt and it would affect performance, But never one that was Worn out.

@ OP

I Probably own 70/30 in regards to Round versus Pear shaped, It really doesn't matter to me, My wrenching doesn't require me to work at a pace where I need to know which way my ratchet is Headed simply by looking at the selection lever. I fully capable of spinning the Drive and determining what the next step is, Buy a couple of each and see what tickles your fancy.

 

[Farmall450]

Grasshopper I sent you a pm but let me review again for you in case you missed it:

Which is better Ford or Chevy?
which is better stihl or Husky?
which is better frosted flakes or corn flakes?

Start looking on CL and go to a few Garage sales and pick up a few used ratchets, just last week I bought a small metal green sk box for $5.00 dollars and it had 6 sockets and a sk ratchet so you should be able to pick up a few good ratchets on a small budget.

Then spend sometime and start using them, only then will you get a better feeling for the "The better one".

Remember ask 100 people and you will get 100 different answers...

Exactly, and if you wanna pass on a deal

 

[sparky5982]

... I don't know a single pro wrench that uses a round head as their go to ratchet.

Professional CNC Mechanic here. My go-to ratchets are Wright 3/8" and 1/2", and Gear Wrench 1/4" roto-ratchet. All round head.

 

[thesilverone]

I just cleaned/relubed 3 round head ratchets tonight and none of them had any damage.