Yes but so what, they still work. I used one last week to take off hydraulic lines on a payloader with an 18" 3/8 breaker bar.
Who makes the longest 1/2” ratchet
- Thread starter Big Bad Jon
- Start date
Mine is a Matco 30" flex head (steel handle) and it hasn't cared much what I've done to it
Retired dozer fixer
Well-known member
Pal, you’re in 3/4” drive territory to keep your teeth intact. If you need that much torque seriously consider this. Sure you can just put a pipe on any ratchet and make it over 3 feet long or more but you’re looking at **** going sideways really bad fast. Worked on heavy equipment all my working career, trust me I know
Trust me, few weeks ago I couldn't sell an apprentice on this exact same principle & instead he blew up his 1/2" Impact to feel real smart about all of it, I suppose
People simply want to do silly things
agreed with all of this. last week we were about 20 miles from home and ruined a tire on our planter. we need to remove the hub to remove the tire as the hub was supported on both sides of the rim and tire. we grenaded the 1/2 breaker bar i keep in the service truck. it was the heavier type with the fork on the drive end vs the handle. the handle broke just outside of the fork. went and borrowed a shorter 3/4 drive ratchet from a guy down the road. it broke free easily.
long story short. the thicker and heavier material in 3/4 sockets and drive tools make them stronger than 1/2 drive. unless you see it you don't understand. and yes, exactly the same reasons made me jump from 3/4 to 1 inch drive stuff. i grenaded two 3/4 ratchets on a project. i guy in a dealer service truck pulled up with a 1 inch impact and completed the project in minutes. the cost of the service truck was more than the cost of an earthquake 1 inch impact and a set of truck sockets. i had both the next time a was near a hf.
i get it that not everyone needs 3/4 drive stuff but when you need it there is no real substitute for the next larger drive size.