posaune
Well-known member
I've wanted to try a palm control ratchet for awhile but never got around to buying one. Well, since Sears had the set of two (3/8" and 1/4") for $25, I finally bit the bullet.
I know there have been questions about SK's quality control recently but these seem to be as good as can be expected for the price. The chrome looks great, and the mechanism seems to work smoothly (moreso on the 3/8" than the 1/4", but I think it will loosen - it has a bit in just the few minutes of spinning by hand).
There are also concern floating about with the thickness of the head. I guess if you are working in really tight quarters, that could be an issue. I took some pics with other ratchets to show the difference.
The first is the 3/8" with a Proto Big Dawg (black) and a Craftsman Thin Profile.
The 1/4" with a Proto Big Dawg (Little Dawg?)
The 1/4" again next to the Proto - pretty big difference if that matters to you
I also couldn't resist the stubby ratcheting screwdriver on sale for $12.
Somewhere I read that the flexible extension had a male 1/4" square drive end and could not be used with the included bits. The socket-looking piece between the handle and the small extension, however, attaches to it and allows use of those bits. With the included pieces, it is possible to use any of the screwdriver bits or any 1/4" drive sockets with either extension.
Quality is good - about on par with the GearWrench stuff I have. It seems typical of all of the other offshore stuff I've tried. Unfortunately this is my first ratcheting screwdriver so I have nothing for direct comparison. The action is smooth, the handle is comfortable and the bit selection is good. I see it being fairly useful to me, at least around the house, and for $12 it is hard to beat!
All told, for around $40 I am happy. I even found an old Sears gift card in my wallet so it was all FREE!
I know there have been questions about SK's quality control recently but these seem to be as good as can be expected for the price. The chrome looks great, and the mechanism seems to work smoothly (moreso on the 3/8" than the 1/4", but I think it will loosen - it has a bit in just the few minutes of spinning by hand).
There are also concern floating about with the thickness of the head. I guess if you are working in really tight quarters, that could be an issue. I took some pics with other ratchets to show the difference.
The first is the 3/8" with a Proto Big Dawg (black) and a Craftsman Thin Profile.
The 1/4" with a Proto Big Dawg (Little Dawg?)
The 1/4" again next to the Proto - pretty big difference if that matters to you
I also couldn't resist the stubby ratcheting screwdriver on sale for $12.
Somewhere I read that the flexible extension had a male 1/4" square drive end and could not be used with the included bits. The socket-looking piece between the handle and the small extension, however, attaches to it and allows use of those bits. With the included pieces, it is possible to use any of the screwdriver bits or any 1/4" drive sockets with either extension.
Quality is good - about on par with the GearWrench stuff I have. It seems typical of all of the other offshore stuff I've tried. Unfortunately this is my first ratcheting screwdriver so I have nothing for direct comparison. The action is smooth, the handle is comfortable and the bit selection is good. I see it being fairly useful to me, at least around the house, and for $12 it is hard to beat!
All told, for around $40 I am happy. I even found an old Sears gift card in my wallet so it was all FREE!
No amount of screwing with it helped at all (not that I should have to do anything to a brand new ratchet). Just messing with it by hand, I can feel that there is a whole section that skips. That section is about a quarter of the head. If I put it in the right place, I can just more the drive back and forth with my fingers - obviously not an acceptable situation! Now I guess I will find out what the warranty is like.
] screwdriver a good bit and it has been fine. I know that others have posted about issues with the fit of the adaptors, but I haven't had that problem.