wera zyklop ratchet review

e30bradley · Oct 10, 2012

many months ago I bought a 3/8" drive wera zyklop ratchet, from the day I got it I thought it was the best ratchet ever and used it as my go-to ratchet for a few months.. It only lasted a few months. I really like the design and its ratchet mech. has always been extremely smooth but the ball detent that holds it in place when it pivots wore out and their is no way to replace it. I bought it from here http://www.amazon.com/dp/B003KN3GKK/?tag=atomicindus08-20

iirc I payed $80.. I would not recommend this ratchet. However, I am a big fan of the kraftform screwdrivers. I demonstrate how easy it is to clean the handles too. Just use some penetrating oil and a rag and it will look almost brand new.

worn to the point of being useless in a few months.. maybe 3? I don't remember.

How to clean the handles: put some penetrating oil on a rag and rub.

Good as new.

Stuey · Oct 10, 2012

You can't pull it out?

And did you try contacting Wera?

Squankum · Oct 10, 2012

I might welcome the failure of that ball detent! With it on the job, what could have acted like a roto-head ratchet insists on being a 90 degree, or 85 degree, ratchet, or a nutdriver, and any other angles in between, ze ratchet knows better and ju vill vind up with 90 or 85 soon enough.

The ratchet part was a lot nicer than I expected. I wish the handle idea was scaled up 40% bigger, for man hands.

Notwerk · Oct 10, 2012

That thing has always looked clunky and gimmicky to me. And the price seems absurd for a Taiwanese ratchet...I like my Wera bit driver enough, but I think I'll pass on the rest of the stuff.

woody 73 · Oct 10, 2012

I know a lot of our GJ members love both the wera screwdrivers and their ratchets but I find the handles very uncomfortable.

Squankum · Oct 10, 2012

Notwerk said:
That thing has always looked clunky and gimmicky to me. And the price seems absurd for a Taiwanese ratchet...I like my Wera bit driver enough, but I think I'll pass on the rest of the stuff.

Taiwanese?

That would be the $17 HF rotohead ratchet, which is absurdly nice for $17.

Wiggum · Oct 10, 2012

Mine were Czech Republic.... Don't have sockets, just Ratchets.

Mr Ratchet · Oct 10, 2012

Notwerk said:
That thing has always looked clunky and gimmicky to me.

I'm with ya on that one, plus the fact i'm not a fan of roto ratchets to begin with. Their handles are the best screwdriver wise for my hands.

Click to expand...

Nocturnal-G · Oct 10, 2012

This is a let down considering I just bought one.

Let us know what happens and if Wera will warranty it.

e30bradley · Oct 11, 2012

Stuey said:
You can't pull it out?

And did you try contacting Wera?

maybe I could pull it out.. But if I don't have a new part to put in what's the point? And I read somewhere on the GJ that trying to warrantee wera is like trying to jump to the moon.

Squankum said:
I might welcome the failure of that ball detent! With it on the job, what could have acted like a roto-head ratchet insists on being a 90 degree, or 85 degree, ratchet, or a nutdriver, and any other angles in between, ze ratchet knows better and ju vill vind up with 90 or 85 soon enough.

The ratchet part was a lot nicer than I expected. I wish the handle idea was scaled up 40% bigger, for man hands.

I don't like it moving around all over theplace. I'll put it in my for sale thread :thumbup:

Notwerk said:
That thing has always looked clunky and gimmicky to me. And the price seems absurd for a Taiwanese ratchet...I like my Wera bit driver enough, but I think I'll pass on the rest of the stuff.

its made in the Czech Republic. I was using this 'professionally' too.. so it may last home users quite allot longer. I was using this all day anytime I needed a regular sized 3/8" ratchet.

woody 73 said:
I know a lot of our GJ members love both the wera screwdrivers and their ratchets but I find the handles very uncomfortable.

I love the screwdrivers. The price is good and they are holding up for me. another member just had an issue with his screwdrivers but I think they where defective.. I like the handles too.

Squankum said:
Taiwanese?

That would be the $17 HF rotohead ratchet, which is absurdly nice for $17.

link? I don't have enough income to justify buying snap on anymore :sad:

stephen9666 said:
Have any of these threads confirmed the Taiwanese origin of these ratchets?
EDIT - multiple people in this thread say the Zyclops is made in Taiwan. They even say the dealer Chad's Toolbox has confirmed they're made in Taiwan. But others say the ratchet is Czech and the sockets/extensions are Taiwan.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=143596

They are designed in Germany, made in Czech Republic.

Mr Ratchet said:
Notwerk said:

That thing has always looked clunky and gimmicky to me.

I liked it.. when it worked. It really did save time and since before this ZI never had a fine tooth rat it was awesome.

Nocturnal-G said:

This is a let down considering I just bought one.

Let us know what happens and if Wera will warranty it.

Click to expand...

Are you planing to use it 'professionally' or at home? unless your using it hours a day 5 or 6 days a week it should last way longer than mine did.

Click to expand...

Click to expand...

archirelic · Oct 11, 2012

Kind of a bummy situation...I've long since wondered about their durability with constant use and have often contemplated the ratchets when they've been on a pretty good sale over at Amazon. I too, would be interested in any attempts at warranty with Wera.

e30bradley · Oct 11, 2012

archirelic said:
Kind of a bummy situation...I've long since wondered about their durability with constant use and have often contemplated the ratchets when they've been on a pretty good sale over at Amazon. I too, would be interested in any attempts at warranty with Wera.

How do you think I should try to warrantee it? Call amazon or call wera USA wherever that is.

archirelic · Oct 11, 2012

I'd definitely contact Wera directly. Might even give Chadstoolbox a try & just inform them of the situation & see if they know a course of action to take. Besides "wasting" a little time out of the day, seems like it could be a "no harm, no foul" type of situation.

buening · Oct 11, 2012

e30bradley said:
link? I don't have enough income to justify buying snap on anymore

Here ya go: http://www.harborfreight.com/hand-t...-quick-release-swivel-head-ratchet-96782.html

I'm not a fan of HF, but own this ratchet and for the price it does the job for a homeowner. It is a bit loud IMO, so you might want to go to the store and try it out first. It doesn't have any detents like the Wera, it is a free floating roto ratchet....so you might not be gaining anything over the worn out detent on the Wera as it will act just like the HF model.

e30bradley · Oct 11, 2012

I'll pass on that ratchet, I don't like swivel heads. only the kind the lock in place. and I think instead of warranting it, I'm going to sell it $20 shipped.

Squankum · Oct 11, 2012

Bought some Wera Torx bits earlier this year. The bits were made in Czechostan, IIRC, but the chrome socket they plugged into was Taiwanese. (The usual lovely Taiwanese chrome job.)

Taiwan doesn't bother me much, but that the socket had zero stamping on it re. the size of the bit it held sure doth offend me. I had to put labelmaker labels on them, grrr.

Skin · Oct 19, 2014

Bumping an old thread as opposed to creating a new one, but has anyone else lived with and put some good use on one of these Zyklops ratchets that has any opinion? Looking at a 1/4" set but not quite sure if its going to stand the test of time.

Tooling Around · Nov 6, 2015

I got an email from Wera's head office saying that the pin has already been improved:

"The Zyklop Speed ratchets have undergone improvement already. In this case
altering the specs of the holding pin."

bonneyman · Nov 6, 2015

If the pin can be removed, try fashioning a new one from an old drill bit. Nice hard steel should wear longer. Plus, there wouldn't be alot of side tension with the amount that would be exposed to snap it off. Once you get the length just right, epoxy it into the selector.

At least that's what I'd do. :bounce:

wera zyklop ratchet review

e30bradley

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Stuey

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Squankum

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Notwerk

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woody 73

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Squankum

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Wiggum

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e30bradley

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archirelic

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buening

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