New Hazet ratcheting wrenches vs used Snap-On vs something else?

[Monte]

 

[M6erfan]

I have them. They're pretty poor if im honest. The lever is pressed on so it can get lost and they're super coarse.

Other than touting German made and having really thin open ends they really have no point. GW 120XP, Carlyle, HF Icon (to name a few) are all roughly half the price for a better product.

Parts are also non-existent for the NA market. The last thing I don't like is they also offered XL and stubby versions then quickly discontinued them. Makes me question how long they'll stand behind the products.

For a German tool company in NA Gedore is a distant third to Hazet and Stahwille. My opinion anyway.

Interesting. Appreciate the info. Those Gedore's look great (I like that they're serviceable) but you definitely have me reconsidering them. Surprising in a way though, the Gedore tools I do own are extremely well thought out and built.

 

[Mr_B]

The gedores with the cover plate have awfully thick rings and pretty high back drag .
I too like idea of easy service but not at cost of usability .
Same as the snappy ones, ring bit better on those but man are they chunky around switch sides which then means you hit obstructions sooner thus loose swing arc .
Compact head and low back drag is a must on these tools for maximum usability, coo bling factor and marketing numbers best ignored .

 

[Skin]

Interesting. Appreciate the info. Those Gedore's look great (I like that they're serviceable) but you definitely have me reconsidering them. Surprising in a way though, the Gedore tools I do own are extremely well thought out and built.

You have the king of German/Euro tools above you posting pictures of his Snap-on. Should tell you something.

 

[JiminAZ]

The surrounding band of metal on the ratcheting mechanism on the new style Snap-On is about as thin as you'll see.

 

[mr.lemons]

You have the king of German/Euro tools above you posting pictures of his Snap-on. Should tell you something.

That German made reversible ratchet wrenches are only available in metric so he had no choice but to go to the dark side for af?



Only joking. I would very much like a set of the Snap on.

 

[Mr_B]

The surrounding band of metal on the ratcheting mechanism on the new style Snap-On is about as thin as you'll see.

On the very end of ring yes but the straight bulk at sides of switch is ridiculous ...

 

[dnschmidt]

LXCam, well of course you love the TOPTUL. Why wouldn't you. Great tools that I sold at a great price. Problem is that TOPTUL didn't have the balls to compete in the American Market and with HF ICON, and many others entering the market such as Capri with top of the line Taiwanese tools it too late now.

 

[JiminAZ]

On the very end of ring yes but the straight bulk at sides of switch is ridiculous ...

Yep, that's the tradeoff they made. All the pawl stuff is in that bulk. At least you have a hope of getting in a tight spot with it.

Bottom line is the reversible ratcheting wrench is useful but not the end all. Have other tools for the occasional tight spot. Meantime I'm happy with my Facom/Proto sets.

 

[Mr_B]

Yep, that's the tradeoff they made. All the pawl stuff is in that bulk. At least you have a hope of getting in a tight spot with it.

Bottom line is the reversible ratcheting wrench is useful but not the end all. Have other tools for the occasional tight spot. Meantime I'm happy with my Facom/Proto sets.

It not because of the pawls as you can clearly see by all the ratchet rings with pawls and switch same position from other makers, Facom being good example of good slender design throughout box end .
main reason for bulk on snapon is due to cover plate design and retaining screws and required threaded holes, If you look at one still seems a reasonable amount of material could of been removed taper it down into handle sooner or looked into clip retainer for cover plate .

 

[M6erfan]

For me it doesn't really matter, I have the Armstrong 54-609 DBE set. Great wrenches but if/when they break I'm SOL on warranty.

 

[JiminAZ]

It not because of the pawls as you can clearly see by all the ratchet rings with pawls and switch same position from other makers, Facom being good example of good slender design throughout box end .
main reason for bulk on snapon is due to cover plate design and retaining screws and required threaded holes, If you look at one still seems a reasonable amount of material could of been removed taper it down into handle sooner or looked into clip retainer for cover plate .

Good point.

 

[geo9]

I would consider the Facom wrenches too

Edited to add: Here's a video of their inner workings (if I am allowed to do that please)

 

[pizza]

bumping this instead of starting the 800th reversible ratcheting combo wrench thread

i'm in the market for good metric and sae sets.

at first, i was thinking of getting facom 467B. nice looking wrenches, and the removable retention clip could be useful maybe.
but facom seems harder to get for a good price in the US, and idk how warranty works for it.

then i thought proto taiwan sets with spline (black chrome):
https://www.zoro.com/proto-ratcheting-wrench-set-pieces-13-jscvm-13s/i/G1193717/
https://www.zoro.com/proto-9-pc-black-chrome-ratcheting-wrench-set-jscv-9s-jscv-9s/i/G2528592/
basically the same as facom but no clip.

i can get them both for $257.97 (explained below).

but what the heck, i'll treat myself to something fancy like poto usa. can anyone talk me out of it? lol

proto 14pc metric usa chrome spline JSCVM-14SA
https://www.zoro.com/proto-ratcheting-wrench-set-pieces-14-jscvm-14sa/i/G4811703
proto 11pc sae usa chrome spline JSCV-11SA
https://www.zoro.com/proto-ratcheting-wrench-set-pieces-11-jscv-11sa/i/G4825484

i understand they were priced lower in the past, and zoro also used to be more generous with coupons. but oh well.

this week, they're discounted about 10%.

next, i can stack the 10% off email subscription coupon.

also, chase freedom CC gives 5% cashback on paypal purchases atm.

so that's

$304.04 -> $273.64 -> $246.28 -> $233.97
and
$250.59 -> $225.53 -> $202.98 -> $192.83

(orig -> current sale -> 10% code -> 5% cash back)

or $426.80 for both sets.

i also thought about used snapon SOXRR sets on ebay, but idk.
used snapon holds value too well.
also, for warranty, i'm not interested in having a "relationship" with a tool truck guy.
i didn't even know what a tool truck was before this forum.
wouldn't i technically have no warranty, and it's pretty much at their discretion?
and if i call or email snapon directly for warranty, is it true that they'd try to get me to go to a local dealer?

anything else i should consider? sk x-frame is also cool, but i think i want offset/reversible.

thanks

 

[richfinn]

https://www.primetools.co.uk/produc...e-reversible-ratchet-combination-spanner-set/

I keep looking at this set and wondering why so cheap??

The switch is different to anything I've seen before

Made in Germany!!! (according to another source)

 

[Mr_B]

they made in taiwan and probably by kabo looking at push through button.
Lo of people disappointed with them, no experience with them myself though .

 

[richfinn]

they made in taiwan and probably by kabo looking at push through button.
Lo of people disappointed with them, no experience with them myself though .

I thought they looked like too much of a bargain

I've never really been a fan of ratchet wrenches to be honest, I have a few including a Wera and some Halfords pro (probably gearwrench)

They are always just a bit too bulky working on european cars, Good for some serpentine belts and awkward gearbox bolts sometimes I suppose

I'll give it a few years until they get them slimmed down a bit more

 

[Skin]

bumping this instead of starting the 800th reversible ratcheting combo wrench thread

I dont think the USA Proto's offer anything over the myriad of high quality Taiwan offerings other than feeling good that you bought a domestic product. I wouldnt buy the Taiwan Protos simply due to them being black which is about the worst color for a hand tool unless your goal is to lose them.

The Snap-on's on the other hand have arguably the best open ends of any combo wrench in existence, are longer, have slightly thinner heads, and can be opened for disassembly and cleaning (no replacement parts though).

The only real downside to the Snap-on models is they made the lever a bit too low profile so if you have numb fingers or greasy hands with no fingernails you might get annoyed occasionally.

If you have a HF go check out the Icon ones. For $120 after coupon I really dont think you can go wrong. If they have to be USA made then I do think the Snap-on wrenches are worth the price (~$300-ebay).

 

[pizza]

another though: any reason to not get spline?

they're grabbier than 12pt, right?

 

[Skin]

Spline are good and bad. If the tolerances are tight they grip extremely well and will do torx and triple squares in a pinch. The bad is that they can bite into corrosion so much that the fastener can get stuck in the wrench. Not terrible if the wrench is reversible so you can just unstick it but I've cursed at my non-reversible extra longs that have spline for this reason.

I'd argue the real world advantage of being grabbier. Honestly if you want maximum contact for corrosion get some ultra low profile 6pt through sockets for the ratcheting wrench. 6pt is still better than spline. If the fastener is so corroded a 6pt just rounds it over spline will round as well so in either case you'd need to beat on the next size down.

 

[rattler459]

bumping this instead of starting the 800th reversible ratcheting combo wrench thread

i'm in the market for good metric and sae sets.

at first, i was thinking of getting facom 467B. nice looking wrenches, and the removable retention clip could be useful maybe.
but facom seems harder to get for a good price in the US, and idk how warranty works for it.

then i thought proto taiwan sets with spline (black chrome):
https://www.zoro.com/proto-ratcheting-wrench-set-pieces-13-jscvm-13s/i/G1193717/
https://www.zoro.com/proto-9-pc-black-chrome-ratcheting-wrench-set-jscv-9s-jscv-9s/i/G2528592/
basically the same as facom but no clip.

i can get them both for $257.97 (explained below).

but what the heck, i'll treat myself to something fancy like poto usa. can anyone talk me out of it? lol

proto 14pc metric usa chrome spline JSCVM-14SA
https://www.zoro.com/proto-ratcheting-wrench-set-pieces-14-jscvm-14sa/i/G4811703
proto 11pc sae usa chrome spline JSCV-11SA
https://www.zoro.com/proto-ratcheting-wrench-set-pieces-11-jscv-11sa/i/G4825484

i understand they were priced lower in the past, and zoro also used to be more generous with coupons. but oh well.

this week, they're discounted about 10%.

next, i can stack the 10% off email subscription coupon.

also, chase freedom CC gives 5% cashback on paypal purchases atm.

so that's

$304.04 -> $273.64 -> $246.28 -> $233.97
and
$250.59 -> $225.53 -> $202.98 -> $192.83

(orig -> current sale -> 10% code -> 5% cash back)

or $426.80 for both sets.

i also thought about used snapon SOXRR sets on ebay, but idk.
used snapon holds value too well.
also, for warranty, i'm not interested in having a "relationship" with a tool truck guy.
i didn't even know what a tool truck was before this forum.
wouldn't i technically have no warranty, and it's pretty much at their discretion?
and if i call or email snapon directly for warranty, is it true that they'd try to get me to go to a local dealer?

anything else i should consider? sk x-frame is also cool, but i think i want offset/reversible.

thanks

I have the black spline made in taiwan, the chrome taiwan with the 12 point, the dewalt 12 point made in taiwan which is the older style which are the same as the chrome made in taiwan proto, and the us made spline protos.
I actual love all of them. the us made are strong feel good in the hand but the ring is thicker than the made in taiwans. where it was the most notice able was when I upgraded to the us protos I went to loosen the battery cable clamp on the wife jeep and the ring is just a little to thick to slip in and ratchet with out prying it under and on. the taiwan protos slip on no problem at all.
I do feel that the us protos open ends are most likely stronger overall then the taiwans though.
I don't think you would be disappointed with any of the proto wrenches. if you can find the older dewalt or be able to verify that the ones you are getting have the asd open ends you would all get a very good set for less than the cost of the protos.

 

[rattler459]

I forgot to add that the us protos are longer than the taiwan protos if that makes a different to you

 

[pizza]

well **** it

i just ordered the proto usa 11pc and 14pc sets

 

[ssdave]

....

 

[Mr_B]

always good buy usa ....
some of the ICON long ring ratchet wrenches are an option and price not too bad with 20% or better coupon .
I have the long pattern combo's and ratchet double box ends and they standing up to daily use and with warranty I likely swap out common used sizes if do get issues in few years .

 

[mn700vforce]

I have a set of Armstrong’s but if I had to replace them I would consider the usa made Williams SUPERCOMBO
https://www.toolsdelivered.com/will...ing-supercombo-combination-wrench-set-10-19mm

 

[Mr_B]

^
I wouldn't
rings well too bulky for good usability, you get facoom 12pc set for that money .

 

[Skin]

^
I wouldn't
rings well too bulky for good usability, you get facoom 12pc set for that money .

The ratcheting box width is actually very comparable to other brands. They just appear thicker because the ratcheting ring is so thin. They are notably thicker in the depth dimension though.

 

[Mr_B]

^
they are thicker, I got them in the shop and can compare to facom and ring is bulky, it even slightly bulky compared to ICON combo set .
They good sturdy wrenches but lot of scenarios they won't fit hence why I got a facom set .

 

[Skin]

^
they are thicker, I got them in the shop and can compare to facom and ring is bulky, it even slightly bulky compared to ICON combo set .
They good sturdy wrenches but lot of scenarios they won't fit hence why I got a facom set .

I have them too. They are a hair thicker but for the most part what you're seeing an illusion because of the way that the ring is hidden by the beam forging on the face. This makes them appear much larger when in actuality they really arent much larger than most others.

Mic to the box ends ends

Williams 10mm 21.4mm
Facom 10mm 20.3mm

Williams 12mm 23.5mm
Facom 12mm 23.1mm

Williams 15mm 28.5mm
Facom 15mm 28.3mm

Williams 17mm 31.9mm
Facom 17mm 31.6mm

So at worst they're .5mm or twenty thou wider against any given obstruction. Thats not a number that makes them "bulky" vs not bulky. If you actually believe that then the Facoms are "bulky" compared to the revised SOXRRMs because they're thinner than the Facoms in just about every size by 1mm.

The depth is more noticeable with them being 1.5-2mm thicker than most other wrenches.

 

[Mr_B]

It not just about measure at one point for bulk as the selector and pawl area is wider too which limits swing arc against obstacles as the diameter around the arc of the ring hits the bulk of the pawl area quicker, while the soxrrm have a slim ring it not for much of the circumference due to rebuildable design with screws .
soxrrm are not quite as great in tight scenarios because of this but for what they achieved from serviceable design to overall size compared to earlier design is great .

 

[Ralf11]

what do the Japanese have?

nothing?

 

[rattler459]

I think you will like them Pizza

 

[Kasal]

oh, well on Wednesday a set of Usag will be delivered. I bought it without first seeing myself passed by here, they had been in my Amazon basket for a while and finally I pulled the trigger, I hope they don't disappoint me, I'm happy with my other Usag tools.

 

[Mr_B]

usag same as the facom and they very nice, one of my favourites due to slender design, nice mechanism, ergonomics and quality soft satin durable chrome finish .
stop ring is a good feature too .
Long pattern would be nice and surprised they not done that yet !

 

[zktk01]

These are a very good deal if they are Made in USA
https://www.toolsdelivered.com/will...ing-supercombo-combination-wrench-set-10-19mm

I bought a couple individual wrenches, but they do not say made in USA on them.
The website indicates they may be made in USA.

 

[colin39]

I will stick with my facom 440's 5 years old and still perfect [emoji106]

Sent from my IN2023 using The Garage Journal mobile app

 

[Monte]

You have the king of German/Euro tools above you posting pictures of his Snap-on. Should tell you something.

trying to ascend the Snap-On throne too

That German made reversible ratchet wrenches are only available in metric so he had no choice but to go to the dark side for af?

maybe that´s the reason....

Only joking. I would very much like a set of the Snap on.

They have a nice smooth ratcheting action, thin walls, and lifetime warranty ...so you only have to buy one set in your life....

 

[dacan23]

The Wera Joker wrenches fit in the German category