3/8" flex head recommendation
- Thread starter newbie12
- Start date
Carlyle
I love the 72tooth locking flexi, such a compact head and quality made .
links below for 72tooth and 90tooth flexi's long and short locking and non locking >
https://www.napaonline.com/p/CHQR38F90
https://www.napaonline.com/p/CHQR38FL90
https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/CHQR38NLFL
https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/CHQR38LFQR
https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/CHQR38LFLQR
I love the 72tooth locking flexi, such a compact head and quality made .
links below for 72tooth and 90tooth flexi's long and short locking and non locking >
https://www.napaonline.com/p/CHQR38F90
https://www.napaonline.com/p/CHQR38FL90
https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/CHQR38NLFL
https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/CHQR38LFQR
https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/CHQR38LFLQR
DTuck
Well-known member
Quality far surpasses the Gearwrench. The Carlyles are by far the best ratchet for the money on the market. IMHO.
I personally love the snap-on locking flex. They can be used locked to a detent angle or can be used unlocked where they move freely.
https://store.snapon.com/Dual-80-17...king-Flex-Head-Ratchet-ndash-Red-P890296.aspx
https://store.snapon.com/Dual-80-17...king-Flex-Head-Ratchet-ndash-Red-P890296.aspx
Can i buy carlyle anywhere else? Those 90 tooth are only available in store, I need to ship them to me in aus eventually
buffalobill
Well-known member
Carlyle or sk with bent handle.
Do you find the bent handle useful? I have an old SO 30 tooth that I acquired many years ago. I have tried to use it many times over the years and always found it to be awkward to use.
buffalobill
Well-known member
My sk bent handle is great, I thought it would ****, I have been dead wrong. If you pull the handle all the way back, you can grab just the head to twist, or you can palm the bottom of the handle and twist the middle, sort of like a speed crank.
I thought I would run into situations where the non locking flex joint would be a problem, but it hasnt, it's pretty much my go to 3/8 ratchet.
I did just pick up a carlyle 100 tooth roto head ratchet for work, we will see how it compares. So far I like the carlyle stuff better than my sk....
I thought I would run into situations where the non locking flex joint would be a problem, but it hasnt, it's pretty much my go to 3/8 ratchet.
I did just pick up a carlyle 100 tooth roto head ratchet for work, we will see how it compares. So far I like the carlyle stuff better than my sk....
Speed-Racer
Well-known member
- Joined
- Aug 25, 2008
- Messages
- 731
One of the best is a Snap-On Flex with the classic hard handle. You can order from Snap-on directly or a local dealer. A lot of professionals use this everyday and it lasts. I also like the Williams B-54 ratchet, but it can be hard to find.
buffalobill
Well-known member
Hate to say it, but my favorite store (napa), has found tools that I will step right over SK for. The price is right, the quality is there, and around here, the selection is good.
I am just a DIYer not a pro but I recently bought the long handle flex head 3/8 and 1/2 Harbor Freight and they are a good value with the 20% off coupon. Seems as good as the 3/8 flex head Cornwell that I have. Lifetime warranty, 72 teeth, non locking.
Wamsutta
Well-known member
Snap-on FHLF80A or FBHF80A is what I'd recommend.
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How does it far surpass the gearwrench?
I also have both and would put them on par with each other. Are you cutting them in half and testing the steel? They both are smooth, both feel great in my hand, and both have high tooth count. In which areas are you seeing quality FAR surpassing the other?
Wamsutta
Well-known member
I would say Snap-on far surpasses both the Gearwrench and the Carlyle. Big fish eats little fish; bigger fish eats big fish.
mudflap
Well-known member
In this case the Big fish just costs more to feed..The smaller fish are outrunning it, and doing more for less.. I have a few of both..My Carlyle rats are smoother, and have less back drag than my Gearwrench do...and the heads are more compact... Plus none of my GW have QR...so dont know why i even bought them..
Not sure if this is a black friday price or not. But 89 bucks for the 4pc 120xp gearwrench set. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00BTEXPDK/?tag=atomicindus08-20
That's very tempting
Also have the 84T set for ~80 dollars, I almost bought it and I don't need anymore ratchets
Isn't the b54 only 36 tooth, how do you find it's smoothness
Wamsutta
Well-known member
But the scenario was comparing two quality "middle" of the road type tools
Don't ever try a genuine Snap-on dual 80 ratchet; all of a sudden, "middle of the road" won't cut it anymore.
I think the Carlyle flex ratchet is a top quality ratchet and for the price can't be beat. The matco flex head is a bit thinner so that has that going for it over the carlyle, but both are better than the snap on ones I've held and the Snap On's aren't available with a long of handles as the Carlyle and Matco
plinker
Well-known member
There are fake ones available?
No experience with the finer tooth Carlyle ratchets, Their other tools are nice though. My go to ratchets are a mix of Gearwrench/Napa/Husky/Matco/Armstrong 60-88 tooth ratchets.
I've been using the 16" Matco flex head a lot lately. My preference was the 12" Armstrong locking flex until I got the Matco.
Carlyle, hands down. Gearwrench doesn’t even come close.
I still use my ergo-handle Craftsman 3/8 flex ratchet (Made In USA) and it’s worked flawlessly for 10 years. I have the regular 3/8 flex ratchet (Made in China) that works great. I usually keep that one around for dirty, greasy jobs and it’s taken some abuse and still works great. Even though most people here get raging hard on’s for Snap On and German tools, there’s nothing wrong with Craftsman. It’ll do that job just as well as anything else.
I still use my ergo-handle Craftsman 3/8 flex ratchet (Made In USA) and it’s worked flawlessly for 10 years. I have the regular 3/8 flex ratchet (Made in China) that works great. I usually keep that one around for dirty, greasy jobs and it’s taken some abuse and still works great. Even though most people here get raging hard on’s for Snap On and German tools, there’s nothing wrong with Craftsman. It’ll do that job just as well as anything else.
stg454
Well-known member
I really like my Snap-On ones. I have both straight and bent handle models.
Flinter987
Well-known member
I love my Matco 88! It's my goto.
I work 5 days a week as an Emergency Vehicle technician, I use a snap on ratchet multiple times a week...
Yet middle of the road still very much does it for me. Being mobile there's no need to fill the work box with a full array of Snap on tools, when I lose/leave it in a truck or it goes down the floor drain in a station and I can't recover it, I'm not out 100 dollars. I like the Snap on ratchets we have, but I very much get by with the majority of my ratchets still being middle of the road
ive had my cornwell swivelhead set going on 7 years now. never had an issue out of any of them. the 3/8's one got used daily for about 5 years,but the new job supplies all the tools so its at home in the garage now.It still stays plenty busy at home maintaining my 8 vehicles lol
I absolutely love my Armstrong 11-994 locking flex head but I was just looking around and they're listed as out of stock. If Armstrong isn't making them anymore that really *****, that ratchet's great and I really like their squarish handles.
JohnDeere1
Banned
Carlyle or snap on or matco all great
buffalobill
Well-known member
No, carlyle isn't gearwrench /apex, napa sourced their carlyle line from their own suppliers. I've used gearwrench stuff before, I'd compare gearwrench more to craftsman, kobalt, or evercraft, napa's economy line.
buffalobill
Well-known member
I've used gearwrench stuff before, it's ok. I like my old KD and napa hand tools better, though. I always compared gearwrench to other homeowner and economy brands, especially with them getting away from Taiwan and going to china.
Fwiw, I don't really like apex tools, I have a matco breaker bar in 3/8 drive that's always good for a laugh, and although I like my 1/4 drive extended hard handle 88t ratchet, it's rough and locks up sometimes.
Rarified27
Well-known member
If you're open to non-truck brands, the new Duralast 72t 3/8 flex head at AutoZone is nice, particularly when you consider it was less than $30. I'm not a pro, but have had it for about a month and zero issues, after using it almost every day. Way smoother than a would have expected.
Being fair though, I've always loved the SK ratchets and their round heads might have a low tooth count, but the arc swing has never been an issue for me.
Being fair though, I've always loved the SK ratchets and their round heads might have a low tooth count, but the arc swing has never been an issue for me.
buffalobill
Well-known member
It's hard to not like sk ratchets.and it's hard to not enjoy Taiwan making decent stuff for the right price.
hangfirew8
Well-known member
I've been looking for a quick release, long/straight handled, small headed locking flex head for a while now, since my long handled Apex/Allen floppy head flipped and flopped its head and made a hard job even harder by not staying on the bolt head. I have yet to find a purpose for this thing where it actually works. I had to use another rod to keep it on its task.
Bent handle flex head literally won't fit where I'm using it (straight shot down between S-Belt and inner fender).
This morning I ordered the Carlyle, thanks to you bunch of enablers. For some reason I got another $5 in rewards money to use against it, well, I did buy $50 of wipers for my fleet last month, but I got $5 back then, too.
https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/CHQR38LFLQR
Bent handle flex head literally won't fit where I'm using it (straight shot down between S-Belt and inner fender).
This morning I ordered the Carlyle, thanks to you bunch of enablers. For some reason I got another $5 in rewards money to use against it, well, I did buy $50 of wipers for my fleet last month, but I got $5 back then, too.
https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/CHQR38LFLQR