SledDriver
Member
An interesting comparison of various ratchets. Seems that the Gearwrench is superb value.
Project Farm ratchet comparison - Icon/Snap-On/Tekton etc
- Thread starter SledDriver
- Start date
An interesting comparison of various ratchets. Seems that the Gearwrench is superb value.
Chrome Vanadium Cody
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 25, 2021
- Messages
- 663
Tough thing with these videos is a ratchet’s performance can be so different brand new vs broken in. I have some that really smoothed out after a bit of use, others that just stayed clunky
humpty
Well-known member
I would have put more effort into all the ratchets being a bit more similar in size, style, etc.
But overall it was an entertaining video, which is Todd's goal.
But overall it was an entertaining video, which is Todd's goal.
d.mcfarland
Well-known member
It's also hard to compare longevity, comfort, ease of warranty, etc. They are purely for entertainment as humpty mentioned.
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
He does a good job as amateur tester.
Not sure about other brands, but in the past you could count on big sales/discounts on Craftsman ratchet and socket sets around Father's Day and Christmas. The old Made in USA stuff was a good Bang for the Buck.
Plenty of valid takeaways from this video. Icon is trying real hard to be a Snap-on clone and mostly succeeding, especially at the price point. Super cheap ratchets can bust at 55ft lbs, which explains why I've broken all of those. Gearwrench is more legit than I previously gave them credit for.
I'm hoping he does another, I'd like to see GW 90T vs 120XP, and Koken.
I'm hoping he does another, I'd like to see GW 90T vs 120XP, and Koken.
The old Craftsman RP ratchets were atrocious, made in the USA or not.
justintendo
Well-known member
Absolutely. Great sockets and bit holders...poor ratchets other than the round head fine tooth.
hailwood1965
Well-known member
- Joined
- Nov 28, 2014
- Messages
- 163
I still have a set of the old stainless Craftsman ratchets. I work on Japanese motorcycles for the most part and typically I only use 1/4 drive stuff until the torque wrench comes out.
Interesting. Back when they were all I could afford, got a lot of work done with Craftsman RP's. Only had one fail, a 1/4" drive. Lowe's replaced it. Have several ratchets now, including Snap-On. These days, my go-to is a Gear Wrench 120xp.
1Garageman
Well-known member
I have seen a lot of Gear Wrench tools on sale off and on, but have never tried them. I am defiantly going to be interested in them now.
Like all the PF videos, I appreciate them as data points but place little value on the overall conclusion. The conclusion is inherently limited by the factors he chose to test. That doesn't mean I don't enjoy them though.
Lots more factors drive my ratchet choice. Do I want a stubby, regular or XL? Do I need the thinnest in terms of height or is narrowness more important? Steel or comfort grip? Knurled or not (though the answer is always "yes please")? Should it be solid, flex, locking flex or roto? What about all my 3/8" drive square in 1/4" body ratchets? If swing is so important, why no 120xp?
I was surprised by his Williams B52a result - I have that ratchet and it has noticeably less backdrag than anything else in my toolbox. Maybe Williams doesn't have the best tolerances and I just got lucky? Or perhaps its something more basic like his happened to have old or no lube?
Speaking of which - that B52a won't win any beauty contests, it's like they don't finish polishing them. Should that factor in? If so, give me a Proto every time. They're finished like jewelry.
Finding the best ratchet of all time is an impossible task. Seriously. I appreciate the data though!
Lots more factors drive my ratchet choice. Do I want a stubby, regular or XL? Do I need the thinnest in terms of height or is narrowness more important? Steel or comfort grip? Knurled or not (though the answer is always "yes please")? Should it be solid, flex, locking flex or roto? What about all my 3/8" drive square in 1/4" body ratchets? If swing is so important, why no 120xp?
I was surprised by his Williams B52a result - I have that ratchet and it has noticeably less backdrag than anything else in my toolbox. Maybe Williams doesn't have the best tolerances and I just got lucky? Or perhaps its something more basic like his happened to have old or no lube?
Speaking of which - that B52a won't win any beauty contests, it's like they don't finish polishing them. Should that factor in? If so, give me a Proto every time. They're finished like jewelry.
Finding the best ratchet of all time is an impossible task. Seriously. I appreciate the data though!
It should give you a general idea about which manufacturer makes good ratchets. You don't have to choose that specific model Todd tested. I'm sure there are plenty of others in their repertoire. That doesn't mean X manufacturer always makes good ratchets and Y is always bad, but you get the idea.
Professional Tool User
Well-known member
The problem I have with PF's tests is that those torque numbers at failure are meaningless. Unless you really beat on the ratchet to loosen a seized fastener, you're not going to hit those numbers. Under normal use, it's not that easy to break a ratchet.
I like PF's videos but they have always been just entertainment for me like many other videos I watch on YT. Sure his videos & others can have good useful info but I always take it as a grain of salt.
For some reason I find it harder these days to absorb the info he's saying. I don't think he's talking any faster than his older videos but I have trouble paying attention to his videos lately. It's just me of course I'm sure, just wish he would slow his roll a bit. Most of the time I just rewind the parts that I missed & wanted to see or just look at his results charts.
I wanted to see Nepros & see him break one.
For some reason I find it harder these days to absorb the info he's saying. I don't think he's talking any faster than his older videos but I have trouble paying attention to his videos lately. It's just me of course I'm sure, just wish he would slow his roll a bit. Most of the time I just rewind the parts that I missed & wanted to see or just look at his results charts.
I wanted to see Nepros & see him break one.
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
I have 3/8" that is 55 years old ! Still gets used a lot !
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
Those never caught on ! Too expensive for their customer base.
theoldwizard1
Well-known member
I had a 3/8" flex head fail about 20 years ago. I should have got a rebuild kits the replacement was not as nice.
LoL and here I am watching his videos at 2x speed because I find them too slow and repetitive otherwise.I like PF's videos but they have always been just entertainment for me like many other videos I watch on YT. Sure his videos & others can have good useful info but I always take it as a grain of salt.
For some reason I find it harder these days to absorb the info he's saying. I don't think he's talking any faster than his older videos but I have trouble paying attention to his videos lately. It's just me of course I'm sure, just wish he would slow his roll a bit. Most of the time I just rewind the parts that I missed & wanted to see or just look at his results charts.
I wanted to see Nepros & see him break one.
You know you can multi-quote right (hit +Quote button on each post, scroll down to quick reply box, hit Insert Quotes (below box), pick ones you want, and insert them).
I have a drawerful of them too. I’ve used them a lot over the years. They still ****.
By editing, he crams too much info in too fast. Talks like a tweaker or has 15 cups of coffee before making a video. Not really a bad thing & I don't mind him, better than dragging *** though like some people. Maybe I'm starting to get ADD.
engineer2
Well-known member
Next he should talk about parts availability and how to get repairs.
dnschmidt
Well-known member
I don't consider these tests meaningless but ratchets are sort of tools of personal choice and feel. Every one of them will turn a bolt. I don't live in the North anymore but the Harbor Freight plastic ratchet would be most welcome if you're working outside in winter and I know damn well these can take more torque than he measured. My favorite all time ratchet is the Williams B52 regular and the B54 (Not sure if this is the correct part number) flex head version of the B52. I don't care what these tests say I've used these for 50 years and never had a failure. Ratchets are not cut and dried. It's all in how they feel to you.
KnurledNut
Well-known member
He is taking requests for round two in the comments.
120XP, Snap-on FZERO, Koken, and Stanley are already in the board.
Id like to see Matco 88t, Cornwell 120t, and the original SK roundhead.
It would also be fun to throw one old brute vintage ratchet in the test, like the Thorsen 77 open gear, or an old Williams B52.
Edit:
@dnschmidt
I was typing when you posted. Great minds think alike!
And yes, its B54 for the flex.
I have a theory they designed the necked down portion of the handle to yield/bend before the mechanism sheared/broke. I have seen a handful of 3/8 and 1/2 with bent handles that still worked fine.
120XP, Snap-on FZERO, Koken, and Stanley are already in the board.
Id like to see Matco 88t, Cornwell 120t, and the original SK roundhead.
It would also be fun to throw one old brute vintage ratchet in the test, like the Thorsen 77 open gear, or an old Williams B52.
Edit:
@dnschmidt
I was typing when you posted. Great minds think alike!
And yes, its B54 for the flex.I have a theory they designed the necked down portion of the handle to yield/bend before the mechanism sheared/broke. I have seen a handful of 3/8 and 1/2 with bent handles that still worked fine.
Bockscar
Well-known member
We must remember that he buys all these out of his own pocket
As well as YT money & his Patreon supporters.
But yeah, no sponsored freebies. He won't be able to please everyone with the brands he tests but he does a good job IMO.
C'mon Nepros!
I wonder if he's familiar with them? He doesn't seem to be big on testing Japanese brands, I know he has though.
Kurt4440
Well-known member
I saw the video a few days ago and promptly ordered a gearwrench ratchet. I have more than 40 ratchets, but, I forced myself to buy another ratchet as required by the Garage Journal bylaws.
FYI my Milwaukee M12 ratchet has 0 back drag.
FYI my Milwaukee M12 ratchet has 0 back drag.
General Geoff
Well-known member
At 2500 patreon supporters and 660,000 views in four days on his most recent video, I think he qualifies as a professional tester now
He's basically a youtube version of Consumer Reports, focusing on tools and DIY supplies.
Lt CHEG
Well-known member
To me that GearWrench ratchet failed as soon as it bent like that. Just because he straightened it out doesn’t mean that it’s just as good as before. Frankly the fact that the handle bent so readily before the drive system failed would not be an indicator of quality to me. I enjoy his videos and generally watch all his new ones within a couple days of release. I generally like his testing and methodology, but sometimes come to different conclusions (such as in this case about the GearWrench ratchet) but that’s ok. He has become one of my favorite you tubers.
He needs some more German ratchets, Stahlwille and Hazet.
nbpt100
Well-known member
I like his videos and you can get some good info from them. In this video the angle test was interesting and a good comparison. Clearly the more narrow the shaft you can pick up a little more rotation. It is Something to consider. The back drag test was good but as some one said it would be better if the tool as broken in and well lubed. I question how much lube some of the cheaper ratchets come with. I recall some posts here in the past where people have opened up new tools and they were dry.
The failure test is not practical for several reasons. They all fail well past where they were designed to handle. It is a ratchet not a breaker bar. Plus it is only one data point. If you did the same test on a sample of 30 you may get a very different picture. There are a number of You tube videos where some guy puts a pipe on a ratchet and tried to see at what torque it explodes. People seem to like those tests wile they are not very relevant to how useful a ratchet will be.
The angle and back drag tests are more relevant. Of coulse the physical measurements are relevant.
How well a tool feels in your hand is very personal. As said by others before me you can not tell anyone how it will feel to you.
The failure test is not practical for several reasons. They all fail well past where they were designed to handle. It is a ratchet not a breaker bar. Plus it is only one data point. If you did the same test on a sample of 30 you may get a very different picture. There are a number of You tube videos where some guy puts a pipe on a ratchet and tried to see at what torque it explodes. People seem to like those tests wile they are not very relevant to how useful a ratchet will be.
The angle and back drag tests are more relevant. Of coulse the physical measurements are relevant.
Yes indeed.
Yes, my first socket set was a USA made Craftsman with the famous 36 tooth ratchet. That ratchet is probably the most popular ratchet in North America. The same design for decades and Sears sold tons of them. At the time I thought they were great ratchets. I still own that set and only the 1/4" ratchet has ever broke. They work and I have them now as back ups and as loaners. I since have upgraded to a variety of different ratchets for different scenarios. My go to is a 72 tooth roto ratchet.
How well a tool feels in your hand is very personal. As said by others before me you can not tell anyone how it will feel to you.
I did like the angle test in large part because the test would include slop as part of the measurement. I've seen a lot of tests bragging about the high count/small angles between teeth but they ignore the slop in the mechanism before the first tooth engaged. Thus you could have a 32T ratchet that has, effectively, the same minimum working angle as a 100T if the 100T needs 5* of rotation just to move past the system slop.
These tests are mostly useless to me. They're interesting to watch but that's it. My first Snap-on Dual 80 had a lot of back drag when new. After a month of use it broke in and now the back drag is almost non-existent. I have some GW 120xp ratchets but only use them on extremely dirty jobs. They're decent ratchets but I hate the detents and loose joints on the flex.
I think GW makes good ratchets for the money but I don't like feel to them like my Snap-ons and SK's. I know it's hard to test ratchets that have been well used but that test would be a great one to watch.
I think GW makes good ratchets for the money but I don't like feel to them like my Snap-ons and SK's. I know it's hard to test ratchets that have been well used but that test would be a great one to watch.
Am I the only who thinks ratchet manufacturers are getting out of hand with tooth count? I'm fine with 72-90 teeth. Heck I was fine with 60T & even my old 36T, haha. 100 teeth & more seems unnecessary to me. Like everyone is playing the more teeth the better game. How far will they go?
demarpaint
Well-known member
Entertaining, and I occasionally watch his videos, but this one is basically useless IMO. If you're breaking the anvil you're using the wrong ratchet. Match the ratchet to the job, or break out a breaker bar.
Fedwrench
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I think the Project Farm dude is one of those people where you either like him or hate him. 
There doesn't seem to be a middle of the road section. He's not the only person on You Tube to test ratchets. Client Graphics and others have ran similar tests. I don't think there's a perfect ratchet test video because as others have mentioned, the tests leave out the human element of how the ratchet feels in your hand and how you feel using it. The video is creative, informative and entertaining though. 
The compact head Gearwrench ratchet tested has grown to be one of my favorites just because of the way it feels in my hand. I look forward to part 2 
There doesn't seem to be a middle of the road section. He's not the only person on You Tube to test ratchets. Client Graphics and others have ran similar tests. I don't think there's a perfect ratchet test video because as others have mentioned, the tests leave out the human element of how the ratchet feels in your hand and how you feel using it. The video is creative, informative and entertaining though. The compact head Gearwrench ratchet tested has grown to be one of my favorites just because of the way it feels in my hand. I look forward to part 2 I said it in another post, and I have said it before… I broke so many raised panel Craftsman ratchets, that the only place that they are allowed in my garage is the give away drawer. Not just the mechanism… I ripped the anvils off of so many of them… from all different series over decades… the metallurgy was atrocious.
I finally upgraded from them, and never looked back.