Hand tools for quick job--what local retailer

[mudflap]

That's incredible--I don't know how your NAPA stays in business. Unless they're selling almost exclusively to commercial accounts, e.g., garages.

Thats it.. And they are only open til 5pm on weekdays ..So they have no desire to do business with weekend warriors, and driveway daves.

 

[rlitman]

Thats it.. And they are only open til 5pm on weekdays ..So they have no desire to do business with weekend warriors, and driveway daves.

It's not just Napa. Most parts shops get more than half their business from commercial sales.

 

[Yarpo]

The OP asked which store could he go to on the weekend to find a decent replacement ratchet for an urgent DIY task.

...and some of you are suggesting shopping Ebay for a deal on a used SO ratchet. How is that supposed to help the OP if he get's into an urgent bind and needs to complete his task?

I still say the best "store bought" ratchet value that's available locally will be Pittsburg Pro. (quality and price). They really have improved significantly
as evidenced by 4.5 star reviews. ...and I'm not even a HF "fanboy.

The OP came up with a hypothetical and the thread conversation flows and moved elsewhere, in this case price comparison. Hes referencing buying a 65 dollar Carlyle, and I simply offered a price comparison as did others, and why I wouldn't buy "x" ratchet at that price. Besides, I had already offered my local store options earlier in the thread, and to boot he asked where to buy said 65 dollar snap on ratchets which is why they where linked, it wasn't a suggestion in regards to the original topic, but to the conversation that developed. Not sure why I had to post this to clarify but...I guess a lot of people don't read through the threads and probably think I'm some Snap on throat ramming ******* which I'm anything but.

 

[Al Borland]

Quick and dirty cheap tool to finish a job?
Home Depot Husky, or Horrid Freight for a composite ratchet.

 

[BillK]

Wal Mart

 

[Psychwarfare]

I might go get a HF composite ratchet this weekend, despite being heavily stocked on ratchets.

If I needed a tool to get the job done quickly, I'm probably going in this order:

1) Lowes for CM...I'm a fan boy
2) Pep Boys or Advance Auto
3) HF...its 20 mins away
4) HD...I'm not a fan of Husky
5) Walmart...24 hrs

 

[IndyGarage]

Walmart sells Stanley ratchets cheap. They work fine and will get you through most any job. I have a couple of them in my box and I don't hesitate to use them regularly.

 

[JulianMorrow]

The OP came up with a hypothetical..Hes referencing buying a 65 dollar Carlyle <snip>

My God, this is getting tiresome. Nowhere on this thread did I tell anyone to buy a $65 Carlyle anything. Here’s what I posted:

I don't think $65 is a lot of money for a quality ratchet. How often do you buy a ratchet? But if you think the HF ratchet (Pittsburgh?) is the same quality, then ok.

If you read this entire thread (did you?), I also posted a link to a $25 Carlyle ratchet. In a pinch, you could buy that ratchet on a Sunday afternoon at your local NAPA. Nevertheless, I just bought three new ratchets, including a $65 Williams. It’s incredible that people here are throwing hissy fits over spending $65 on a ratchet.

 

[Rabid Badger]

My God, this is getting tiresome. Nowhere on this thread did I tell anyone to buy a $65 Carlyle anything. Here’s what I posted:



If you read this entire thread (did you?), I also posted a link to a $25 Carlyle ratchet. In a pinch, you could buy that ratchet on a Sunday afternoon at your local NAPA. Nevertheless, I just bought three new ratchets, including a $65 Williams. It’s incredible that people here are throwing hissy fits over spending $65 on a ratchet.

What's tiresome is you somehow still not understanding the fact that people aren't objecting to spending $65 on a ratchet. People are objecting to spending $65 on an import ratchet when you can get one more or less equal to it for $15.

Just in case that didn't sink in:

People aren't objecting to spending $65 on a ratchet. People are objecting to spending $65 on an import ratchet when you can get one more or less equal to it for $15.

 

[Rabid Badger]

I often wonder why Tekton gets a pass on here. I know their customer service/warranty is really good. I know some of their screwdrivers and pliers are USA. But everything else is HF at double the price..

I wouldn't go that far. Almost all of Tekton's current tools are good to excellent. Harbor Freight has some good tools, and they are improving rapidly, but they aren't on par with Tekton across the board.

 

[Yarpo]

My God, this is getting tiresome. Nowhere on this thread did I tell anyone to buy a $65 Carlyle anything. Here’s what I posted:

No, you asked what the big deal was spending 65 dollars on a quality ratchet was, what we're getting at is as follows. Badger is saying you can buy other quality import ratchets for cheaper, and I referenced prices in the other direction, buying Snap on for same/similar prices. If you dont want to compare prices of tools, then I suggest not adding dollar amounts to posts, or hell even posting threads, because there's few metrics to compare, and one of the most important is Quality -> Cost ratio, so it'll come up every time.

THIS! Down below. See that? Ya?

What's tiresome is you somehow still not understanding the fact that people aren't objecting to spending $65 on a ratchet. People are objecting to spending $65 on an import ratchet when you can get one more or less equal to it for $15.

Just in case that didn't sink in:

People aren't objecting to spending $65 on a ratchet. People are objecting to spending $65 on an import ratchet when you can get one more or less equal to it for $15.

Thank you.

 

[JulianMorrow]

People aren't objecting to spending $65 on a ratchet. People are objecting to spending $65 on an import ratchet when you can get one more or less equal to it for $15.

Let's just put this to the test: What $65 Carlyle ratchet did I tell you to buy. What was the model number and what drive size was that again. Post that info right here. We both know you can't.

Now here's your red pill:
1. I never told you to buy a $65 Carlyle ratchet.
2. I sent you a link to a $25 Carlyle ratchet.
I also stated the following:
3. "if you think the HF ratchet (Pittsburgh?) is the same quality, then ok".

And anyone here can search back through this thread and verify all three items above.

 

[Citation]

Husky's GW clone ratchets would probably be my first choice. After than perhaps Tekton/Kobalt/the Walmart ratchets that appear to be from the same factories. Really, I bet the Bluehawk I got when Lowes was dumping the tool sets for $4 would actually do most of my 3/8 standard ratchet work sufficiently well.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Blue-Hawk-26-Piece-3-8-in-Drive-Multi-Driver-Socket-Set-with-Case/4640673

Don't get me wrong, these are low end tools but even low end will often be sufficient. The biggest issue with the set is the limited range of socket sizes. I have this set and another similar one that came with 1/4 sockets but, if you only use the set, you have to use an 3/8 to 1/4 drive adapter instead of a smaller ratchet. That often means the tool is too big to fit.

Anyway, if you just need to get the bolts off I think you would find almost any ratchet would be sufficient.

 

[Coach James]

Let's say you're a DIY weekender working on your car. You break a ratchet and don't have a replacement. You need to finish the job today--it's your daily driver and it's Sunday afternoon. You don't have enough time to order online. Where would you buy that tool via your local retail options. …..

Within the parameters given above, my first stop would be Autozone. They are the closest tool seller to my house and have open stock on sockets, wrenches and other hand tools.

Second choice would be O'Reillys. They have open stock as well, but not as close to my house.

No HF or HD within 35 miles of my house. Advance here does not carry much in hand tools. Lowes does not have open stock nor does Wal Mart. NAPA is closed on Sundays.

Citation mentioned a Bluehawk ratchet. I have a Bluehawk 1/2" ratchet that has worked fine for a few years now. It has the smallest head of all my 1/2" ratchets so it is my go to for suspension work.

Coach

 

[Yarpo]

Let's just put this to the test: What $65 Carlyle ratchet did I tell you to buy. What was the model number and what drive size was that again. Post that info right here. We both know you can't.

Now here's your red pill:
1. I never told you to buy a $65 Carlyle ratchet.
2. I sent you a link to a $25 Carlyle ratchet.
I also stated the following:
3. "if you think the HF ratchet (Pittsburgh?) is the same quality, then ok".

And anyone here can search back through this thread and verify all three items above.

Man you're so disingenuous its hilarious. Are you bored or just trolling? The conversation you had with Rabid badger, on PAGE 2 of this ******* thread, references a 62 dollar, fine tooth 3/8th drive ratchet

I was going to say Napa because they're just 5 blocks from my house but then I looked at their site and saw they want $62 for a Taiwanese fine-tooth 3/8 ratchet.

I'll go to HF and get a Taiwanese fine-tooth 3/8 ratchet for $15 and get a free 6" magnetic parts tray while I'm at it.

https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/CHQR3890 (THIS ONE, HERE)

You then go on to defend spending 65 (rounded up BY YOU, nobody else) on a ratchet, see here.

I don't think all import ratchets are the same. There are some quality tools that come out of Taiwan--Tekton, Carlyle, and a lot of the old Craftsman were forged in Taiwan.

You'll easily drop $65 taking your wife/gf out to dinner. But $65 on a quality ratchet is unreasonable? Don't understand this, unless you think there's no difference between Tekton/Carlyle and a cheap wrench. If you're thinking HF Pittsburgh line, you'll spend more than $15 on that--unless you buy a plastic coated ratchet.

or here.

I don't think $65 is a lot of money for a quality ratchet. How often do you buy a ratchet? But if you think the HF ratchet (Pittsburgh?) is the same quality, then ok.

Again, disingenuous or arguing in bad faith...either way, you didn't specifically say the words "go buy that ratchet", you just defended spending 65 dollars on a hypothetical ratchet, until your position and argument fell apart when confronted with cheaper alternatives, or equally as expensive better alternatives. You just dont really wanna converse real ideas and topics, just semantics which is clear. Enjoy your new ratchets, with them you wont need to be playing in pretend hypothetical land and this conversation can be avoided, since you didn't seem to enjoy having it anyways.

 

[JulianMorrow]

Man you're so disingenuous its hilarious. Are you bored or just trolling…on PAGE 2 of this ******* thread —snip—

While reading the tantrum above, one glaring problem sticks out. I didn’t link to that specific ratchet, nor advocated buying that specific ratchet. I was speaking in general terms regarding a $65 ratchet. I recently bought a $65 Williams ratchet, as stated in another recent thread.

My link in this thread was to a $25 Carlyle ratchet, which you conveniently ignored. Here it is.

You do know that you can buy a 3/8" Carlyle teardrop ratchet for $25, right.
https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/CHQR38TD

I think we’re now at the point where you slam your bedroom door and don’t speak to anyone for three days.

 

[ssdave]

It takes a special kind of person, and some persistence, to try to win an argument about cheap ratchets on the internet!

 

[PhantomEB]

Hands down the Craftsman.

I am a fan of the better bang for the buck tools. Don’t need the **** but don’t need the SnapOn, etc.

I am Biased though, tool box is full of Craftsman, Mastercraft Maximums and IR Air tools.

 

[JulianMorrow]

Hands down the Craftsman. I am Biased though, tool box is full of Craftsman, Mastercraft Maximums and IR Air tools.

I own a lot of old Craftsman (U.S.A), but I'm worried about the brand now.
In regard to the new Craftsman ratchets, I don't care for the flat handle. That just doesn't feel comfortable in my hand. That's why (in this hypothetical) I'd probably go to NAPA first.

 

[JulianMorrow]

It takes a special kind of person, and some persistence, to try to win an argument about cheap ratchets on the internet!

Dave, I’ll admit it’s ridiculous to have a huge cat fight over a ratchet. We’re back on the schoolyard, where no one is backing down over a trivial disagreement. And I’m just as guilty of that as the other guys. But thanks for saying the above in a nice way.

 

[hangfirew8]

This was supposed to be the year I either didn't buy more hand tools, or only upgraded to snooty brands. Carlyle being my new entry level. It was also supposed to be the year I could chill during the Winter because I was all caught up on maintenance.

Then everything started breaking. And the budget got tight.

Then I got a great deal on a GW 1/2" drive 84t Metric socket set no skips 10 to 24mm for $40.00. Less after SWY. The sockets are shorter than my Cman 1/2's which means I can use them in more places.

I also got a HF Pitt Pro Composite 3/8" ratchet for $8 on sale & coupon. I just used it this morning. Nice to grab something not cold in a 30-40 degree garage. That tool has become the "Ratchet of the Winter 2018-2019".


-HF

 

[JulianMorrow]

I also got a HF Pitt Pro Composite 3/8" ratchet for $8 on sale & coupon. I just used it this morning. Nice to grab something not cold in a 30-40 degree garage. That tool has become the "Ratchet of the Winter 2018-2019".

I'm surprised you don't wear gloves when working on your vehicles. I bought some cheap mechanics gloves (Husky) & cut off the fingertips. That way I can still 'feel' when I need to & protect my hands. I think you can also buy 'fingerless' mechanics gloves, which is basically the same thing.

 

[DFB]

I also got a HF Pitt Pro Composite 3/8" ratchet for $8 on sale & coupon. I just used it this morning. Nice to grab something not cold in a 30-40 degree garage. That tool has become the "Ratchet of the Winter 2018-2019".-HF

HF Composites are my new favorites also. Good grip, especially with wet hands or with gloves on, a smooth quiet action, chance of inadvertent arcing over on in frame motorcycle battery work is virtually nil, and up at the farm one of the last I like to see is a nicely chromed ratchet out in the gravel or wet grass.

I had a big laugh one day on a different group forum where one poster was trying to tell people his old Craftsman was better because that was made of metal and these were made of "plastic"

 

[hangfirew8]

I'm surprised you don't wear gloves when working on your vehicles. I bought some cheap mechanics gloves (Husky) & cut off the fingertips. That way I can still 'feel' when I need to & protect my hands. I think you can also buy 'fingerless' mechanics gloves, which is basically the same thing.

I do wear gloves, usually 6 or 8 mil plastic, which retains good feel and protects from oils but still lets a lot of cold through. But even then they can get in the way.

Like my work yesterday, I had to remove some 10mm head bolts from an ATF filter cap on my Honda transmission (not a commonly serviced part)... located under the brake junction, and an inch or so away from a bulkhead. I could only touch the bolts with my fingertips or a low profile 1/4" ratchet & low profile socket. I had to remove my 6 mil gloves, not enough precision or feel. After I dropped one bolt down into the abyss, the gloves came off for the rest of the job.

Mechanics gloves rarely work for me because my hand size and shape is not in their catalog. I have one pair that fit well but I'd hate to cut the finger tips off. The backs are padded and I wear them when I'm doing hard pulls on rusty suspension work (or the like) in case I bang my hand. Otherwise as sturdy gloves they just get in the way.

Oil changes and other easy work, sure gloves stay on for the whole job.

 

[hangfirew8]

HF Composites are my new favorites also. Good grip, especially with wet hands or with gloves on, a smooth quiet action, chance of inadvertent arcing over on in frame motorcycle battery work is virtually nil, and up at the farm one of the last I like to see is a nicely chromed ratchet out in the gravel or wet grass.

I had a big laugh one day on a different group forum where one poster was trying to tell people his old Craftsman was better because that was made of metal and these were made of "plastic"

Ha! I've done some "inadvertent arc welding" now and then with ratchets and wrenches over car batteries. I was just thinking about that yesterday as I pulled the battery with the HF composite. Which, I think, is technically fiberglass over steel.

Now that I've had 72 teeth ratchets it's hard to go back. The old CMan's are still in the box but mainly for sentimental reasons. They got a lot of work done back in the day, but are now backups.

 

[kctyphoon]

Whatever is closer.. who cares..

 

[DFB]

Whatever is closer.. who cares..

 

[bmwpowere36m3]

Let's say you're a DIY weekender working on your car. You break a ratchet and don't have a replacement.

You only have one ratchet? Can't make due with a wrench? I avoid these hypothetical situations with quality tools.

Whereas you need a part Sunday afternoon to get your DD running I can believe...

 

[JulianMorrow]

You only have one ratchet? Can't make due with a wrench? I avoid these hypothetical situations with quality tools.

I went for a long time with just three ratchets: Craftsman 1/2", Craftsman 3/8" (both roundhead tri-wings), and a Stanley 1/4". All three were 30 year old ratchets--given to me by a decent, hardworking stepfather. I used them a lot when I was young & broke. But after I started making good money in IT, I usually hired out any mechanical work. Now that I'm close to retirement, I'm working on cars again--more as a hobby.

The hypothetical was just to see where you'd buy hand tools in a pinch, if you had to buy locally.

 

[bmwpowere36m3]

I went for a long time with just three ratchets: Craftsman 1/2", Craftsman 3/8" (both roundhead tri-wings), and a Stanley 1/4". All three were 30 year old ratchets--given to me by a decent, hardworking stepfather. I used them a lot when I was young & broke. But after I started making good money in IT, I usually hired out any mechanical work. Now that I'm close to retirement, I'm working on cars again--more as a hobby.

The hypothetical was just to see where you'd buy hand tools in a pinch, if you had to buy locally.

In a pinch I'd use one of the other "non-broken" ratchet/socket combos, wrench, adjustable, etc... to get the job done. Then look for a quality replacement.

 

[rattler459]

I was going to say Napa because they're just 5 blocks from my house but then I looked at their site and saw they want $62 for a Taiwanese fine-tooth 3/8 ratchet.

I'll go to HF and get a Taiwanese fine-tooth 3/8 ratchet for $15 and get a free 6" magnetic parts tray while I'm at it.

Hate to say it but the first person to mention price of the Carlyle was you.

I personal don't like digging through the entire stock of ratchets at harbor freight to hope to find a good one.

My box is a mix of husky, craftsman, tekton, carlyle, and harbor freight for ratchets / breaker bars

 

[rattler459]

Whatever is closer.. who cares..

exactly, for me I have all of the named places with in 20 minutes drive from me.

 

[JulianMorrow]

In a pinch I'd use one of the other "non-broken" ratchet/socket combos, wrench, adjustable, etc... to get the job done. Then look for a quality replacement.

Well, we can't trap you, lol. Up until recently, I was fairly dependent on my 1/2" ratchet--most of my sockets were also 1/2". In this scenario, I could go to a 3/8" ratchet with 3/8"-->1/2" adapter. But you lose a lot of leverage & torque that way. For me, that dramatically increases the chances of stripping a fastener. This was meant as a DIY weekender problem. It wasn't directed at some mechanic (or wanna-be mechanic) with thousands of dollars in Snap-on and Mac tools in his garage.

For most of us, buying a new ratchet isn't like buying a new car. As many on this thread pointed out, you can get reasonably-priced quality tools when buying locally--if you know where to look.

 

[Ilikeike]

I can see the Home Depot shopping center from the corner, so Husky it is.

If the Ace was closer,I'd go there, they still have Craftsman.

 

[JulianMorrow]

I can see the Home Depot shopping center from the corner, so Husky it is. If the Ace was closer,I'd go there, they still have Craftsman.

Husky was at the bottom of my list. I have a friend with some Husky tools that break on him. Does Home Depot keep Milwaukee hand tools in stock anywhere? I know they carry the Milwaukee impact wrenches. I haven't been tool shopping there in awhile. Milwaukee hand tools would be a much better option.

 

[Ilikeike]

Husky was at the bottom of my list. I have a friend with some Husky tools that break on him. Does Home Depot keep Milwaukee hand tools in stock anywhere? I know they carry the Milwaukee impact wrenches. I haven't been tool shopping there in awhile. Milwaukee hand tools would be a much better option.

I'm mostly only buying SK and SO tools for home now, But if I needed something on Sunday right this minute like the OP was asking, I wouldn't really care what it was, Milwaukee would probably be better for sure, but Husky is cheap and HDepot is 3 minutes from my house.
I doubt the tool would see the inside of my tool box when I was done.
I'd order up a nice new US made tool if it was something I'd use again.

 

[rlitman]

You talked about them, at least show some pics.

Sent from my SM-G965U using The Garage Journal mobile app

Sure. Sorry it took so long.