Alternative look-a-like to Beta & Hazet ratchet.

Anyone know any other brands that has the look of this Beta ratchet?

http://www.procarestores.com/product/general_catalog/product_info.php?products_id=009200882

I think these Beta ratchets are very pleasing to the eye. I like the looks of the mechanism for switching directions on this Beta Ratchet and also, the handle and I guess everything about it.

Only thing I don't like about the Beta is the price and also, finding a place to buy from in USA that actually has live people to assist with orders or to ask questions.

I wonder if there are other brands that look similar to this design.

I am also smitten with this Hazet Komposite style ratchet with direction switch on the handle. Any other brands offer something like that?



Thanks

tj

amishman said:

I think these Beta ratchets are very pleasing to the eye. I like the looks of the mechanism for switching directions on this Beta Ratchet and also, the handle and I guess everything about it.

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I remember one of these UK dudes said those ratchets are junk! I think it might've been chammyman who said that.

Looks like utter junk to me!! No offense meant, just not for me!!

wrenchr said:

Looks like utter junk to me!! No offense meant, just not for me!!

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Which one, the Beta or Hazet.

I used to own the Hazet set, and they are rock-n. I had to sell them a couple years back to get cash for another project, and can't find myself spending $100 for the Hazet again, although I feel it is a stellar Ratchet.

I am mostly curious of alternative brands with these designs.

As for Beta, I have no clue, never owned any before. Now Hazet, I find great tools. Just have to refinance my home to buy them is all.

tj

amishman said:

Which one, the Beta or Hazet.

I used to own the Hazet set, and they are rock-n. I had to sell them a couple years back to get cash for another project, and can't find myself spending $100 for the Hazet again, although I feel it is a stellar Ratchet.

I am mostly curious of alternative brands with these designs.

As for Beta, I have no clue, never owned any before. Now Hazet, I find great tools. Just have to refinance my home to buy them is all.

tj

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I want a hazet ratchet but a more traditional design!!

That Hazet ratchet looks very cheapy to me, although this may not be the case. For some reason it just looks like something that they would sell in a display by the cash register at Auto Zone. The switch on the handle is a cool idea though.

64merc said:

That Hazet ratchet looks very cheapy to me, although this may not be the case. For some reason it just looks like something that they would sell in a display by the cash register at Auto Zone. The switch on the handle is a cool idea though.

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Komposite material, I guess used in areas like glass, etc... where you don't want to break something. The ratchet was actually quite strong. At $100, it is no cheapie ratchet for sure.

The switch on the handle was awesome. One hand operation of switching, worked slick. The couple times I used mine before selling that is.

tj

Yep the Beta round head ratchets, they strip the teeth off in a few weeks, we had a constant supply of rebuild kits coming in for them.

The snap on ratchets are a lot hardier.

To be fair we were heavy on them but like I said the snap ons and other no name brand ones held up fine whilst the Beta ones stripped. That was the only issue with Beta I had. We even stripped the 3/4 drive ones.

Ergonomically though the 1/2 and especially the 3/4 were very comfy to hold. The head looked nice and the direction change had a good solid feel and never bumped over accidentally.

The issue was the teeth would strip, you would get maybe 3 rebuilds out of a handle before the handle itself wore its teeth away.

Beta sockets and so on are fine though.

The composite hazet looks like a bigger version of the halfords cheapies we get here, I have 2 in 1/4 flavour, 2 pics





I have had those ratchets for a good few years now. Main issue the 3 screws that hold it together loosen off, even with locktight. Otherwise they are pretty good, the direction change is nicely located, the teeth count is high 72 iirc and its quit epleasan.

The only issue is the screws loosen off and when they loosen its a few mere seconds before the things in bits in your hand.

I have one of the Hazet ratchets pictured above had it for atleast ten years no problems at all, good tool company period

amishman, I'm thinking if you really want a Beta ratchet, you should go ahead and get one. chammyman said they don't last as long as the Snap-on counterpart, but no ratchet does.

it may last a weekend warrior until the ned of time, remember we worked on heavy commercials and were pretty hard on tools. Some of the idiots were putting bars on 3/8 ratchets for leverage. I would avoid the 3/8 version though

64merc said:

That Hazet ratchet looks very cheapy to me, although this may not be the case. For some reason it just looks like something that they would sell in a display by the cash register at Auto Zone. The switch on the handle is a cool idea though.

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My dad actually has these style ratchets in his box... NOT made by Hazet though. I was never really impressed with them, but they are an interesting curiosity. The next time I am up near my parent's house, I'll try to swing through and get another look (and maybe a pic) of that ratchet.