3/8 Gearwrench Flex Stubby came in...84 tooth...

EmptyWallet · Jul 23, 2012

Nice little surprise. My Gearwrench Flex Stubby came in from Amazon today, and marked on the back near the selector switch it says "84 Tooth".

I guess they're rolling them out. Pics to follow. I haven't had a chance to compare it to my 60 tooth stubby to see if there is a difference.

Jason280 · Jul 23, 2012

Nice, I may have to pick one up!

EmptyWallet · Jul 23, 2012

Maybe this is why Cripe has been blowing out the GW ratchets lately. GW is making room for these in all flavors.

Hiball · Jul 23, 2012

Did you purchase from Amazon directly or one of there Retailers?

EmptyWallet · Jul 23, 2012

From Amazon directly.

EmptyWallet · Jul 23, 2012

Picture attached.

SMKS · Jul 23, 2012

Wow, interesting. I'd read they were upgrading, but I haven't heard of anyone getting the 84 tooth version until now.

Can you provide a link?

I wonder if GearWrench will be like Armstrong where only some of them will be upgraded beyond the current 60 tooth.

EmptyWallet · Jul 23, 2012

This is the exact one, except mine was from amazon and not a third party.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0014ZXVVA/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Fedwrench · Jul 23, 2012

stephen9666 said:
I wonder if GearWrench will be like Armstrong where only some of them will be upgraded beyond the current 60 tooth.

The guy in Gearwrench's SEMA booth last year said that they switching their whole line up of ratchets from 60 to 84 teeth. Of course, he also said that the 84 tooth models would be out 1st quarter 2012 too. :dunno:

Mr Ratchet · Jul 23, 2012

They must be switching them all over. I have a GW 3/8" flex bent handle on order. I got it through Amazon with Tool Fetch as the supplier. I got an email from from Amazon stating it has not shipped. I called Tool Fetch today and they said the part number had changed. He said he will call me back once they figure out what the change is and was waiting on someone from Armstrong to call him back. I told him that it's the tooth count what changed and it's a GW and not an Armstrong. He said that's who their contact is for the GW ratchets.

gsmornot · Jul 24, 2012

I wouldn't worry too much if you get 60 or 84. If I understand correctly, as you move up in tooth count the difference or gain gets proportionately smaller. In other words, 30 to 60 is a greater gain than say 60 to 90. I know it's not 90 it's just an example to prove the concept of reduced gains as you move up the scale.

beelsr · Jul 24, 2012

gsmornot said:
I wouldn't worry too much if you get 60 or 84. If I understand correctly, as you move up in tooth count the difference or gain gets proportionately smaller. In other words, 30 to 60 is a greater gain than say 60 to 90. I know it's not 90 it's just an example to prove the concept of reduced gains as you move up the scale.

sure is...
30 to 60 is 100% more teeth.
60 to 90 is only 50% more teeth.
84 is 40% more teeth than 60.

Robbie UK · Jul 24, 2012

Anyone got the part numbers for the new tooth count?

dudutzu905 · Jul 24, 2012

gtlaw said:
it matters even less with a stubby ratchet.
personally I would swap the gear, and pawl in a longer GW ratchet if you have one

would be interesting to see if the new gear fits in the older ratchets

Mr Ratchet · Aug 8, 2012

Got my back ordered GW bent handle flex today. Just like I thought, with the 84 tooth count. It's lazer etched like Empty Wallets stubby.

This one is replacing a CM bent handle flex. It hasa lot more teeth and head positions. The CM aslso has a quir relese which i'm not fond of. The GW also has less play in the head and in the gera it's self.

MadMark · Aug 8, 2012

OOooohhh, que ****

Chamkila · Aug 8, 2012

Do they make a 1/4" flex

Jim85IROC · Aug 8, 2012

Yes, I have one. I don't know however, if they make it in >60 tooth yet.

Mr Ratchet · Aug 9, 2012

dudutzu905 said:
would be interesting to see if the new gear fits in the older ratchets

Since I had the new 84 tooth apart for a lube job of Sil-Glyde. I also opened up the 60 tooth GearWrench and the 60 tooth Armstrong Maxx. As I thought, the gear and pawl fit right in and worked fine.

Katok · Dec 26, 2012

Robbie UK said:
Anyone got the part numbers for the new tooth count?

I've been reading on GW 84T ratchets (part numbers were similar to 60T only with affixed "F" after the part num. so the link above is for 60t. If you want the 84t you should be looking at 81212F.

Anyway, I've been looking for a review on these, could you drop some insights on how these bad boys hold up ESP on > 150 ft/lbs of torque (of course not from stubby ones but mainly on 3/8 flex drive.). Thanks in advance.

txst · Jan 8, 2013

I bought both a 81211F 3/8" drive and a 81304F 1/2" drive 84T ratchets due to their slim heads and the reduced swing arc for the ratcheting mechanism. The 3/8" wrench locked up when I removed it from the packaging and tried to rotate the mechanism. I took it apart to lubricate it and what happens is that the pawl drags on the gears, moves the direction selector and the pawl wedges halfway between the two positions and locks up. I thoght it was weird that the wrench was faulty right out of the box, so I removed the 1/2" ratchet from it's packaging and it appeared to operate smoothly. I tried to tighten a bolt with it, and then it locked up as well - same issue as the 3/8" ratchet.

I have a few Gearwrench tools, and overall I have been happy with the value (quality vs. price). These ratchets were real pieces of junk, though. They obviously have a design and/or manufacturing problem. Highly disappointed and they were returned.

dudutzu905 · Jan 8, 2013

^^^ if you used too much or too thick grease/lube they will do that, try something really thing like oil...

SMKS · Jan 8, 2013

Oil them and use them and see if that helps. I had a GW ratchet that did that, but only when I first used it. After just a little use it was working fine.

Edit - I now see you returned them.

txst said:
what happens is that the pawl drags on the gears, moves the direction selector and the pawl wedges halfway between the two positions and locks up.

On lots of ratchets the direction selector moves when it ratchets. I'll have to check on my Armstrong 88 when I get home, since it has the same mechanism. I'm not sure the direction selector moving indicates a problem.

losabio · Jan 8, 2013

txst said:
what happens is that the pawl drags on the gears, moves the direction selector and the pawl wedges halfway between the two positions and locks up.

Sounds like the CM Premium 84T ratchets. I really wanted to pick up one of the 3/8 CM Premiums, and was scared off after reading multiple reports of the pawl jamming up the ratchet as you've described.

I've had good luck with the GW 60 ratchets and the one Matco 88 I have. It's weird that there would be problems with the 84T designs.

Hiball · Jan 8, 2013

losabio said:
Sounds like the CM Premium 84T ratchets. I really wanted to pick up one of the 3/8 CM Premiums, and was scared off after reading multiple reports of the pawl jamming up the ratchet as you've described.

I've had good luck with the GW 60 ratchets and the one Matco 88 I have. It's weird that there would be problems with the 84T designs.

I've had the same issue with Matco 88's, No rhyme or Reason on why it happens. A quick disassembly wipe down and re installation remedies the problem, and No it don't use heavy grease. It doesn't happen all the time, nor often but on occasion it just locks up.

txst · Jan 9, 2013

I tried everything with the 3/8" Gearwrench ratchet. Dissassembled it and wiped it down - no change. Oiled it with 10W-30 -no change. Wiped it down and lubed it with Kroil -no change. Wiped it down and used ATF - no change.

To be honest, even if something made a difference, if it was that fickle, I would have still returned them. I have 25+ year old Craftsman ratchets that I got when I was a teenager which I havent lubed ever but they still work fine, and are by no means fancy ratchets. I use my tools quite a bit. Nothing frustrates me more than a tool that doesn't do what it's supposed to.

I bit the bullet and bought a Snap-On dual 80 - it's a quality ratchet, just expensive.

dirtmister16 · Jan 9, 2013

i wouldn't mind trying the gearwrench ratchets. ive use ratchet wrenches alot and like them, but i have a couple daul 80s now so i prob won't have cause to try them out unless i get a deal on one.

anyone gotten the 120 gearwrench ratchets? the giveaway ones? would like to hear on them too.

Fireball027 · Jan 9, 2013

I had the same sticking problem with some of my fine tooth ratchet. Took them apart, cleaned the inside and relubed them. I think depending on how long they sit or the original lube thats in them hardens a bit and causes problems.

I use Lucas Engine asssembly lube in mine and they work great.

03protege · Jan 9, 2013

I had a dream last night that I found one of these in the junk drawer of my toolbox.

Why I was digging in the junk drawer of my toolbox in my dreams is beyond me, I blame Garage Journal.

3/8 Gearwrench Flex Stubby came in...84 tooth...

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