my favorite HF purchase this year

wild cowboy · Oct 11, 2014

made in taiwan, could be mistaken for Snap-On fit & finish, reaches fasteners that were previously unreachable in some cars, with ANY tool, using 1/4" end

this the the smallest head and most slender 1/4" ratchet ever

HF# 67994 - $20.99 using 25% off coupon

Jarhead0408 · Oct 11, 2014

x2 That tool is pretty bad *** IMO. Made doing the timing belt on my Civic a breeze.

Great tool, great price, lifetime warranty. What's not to like?

Might just buy another one or two in case they ever stop producing them.

General Geoff · Oct 11, 2014

Yep, truly a gem. It turned one timing belt job from an 8 hour swear-a-thon to 2 hours of not-so-bad.

Jarhead0408 · Oct 11, 2014

Bingo^!

balane · Oct 11, 2014

OK, sold. Going to pick one up tomorrow. It looks handy. Thanks for the tip.

nicksnothereman · Oct 11, 2014

wild cowboy said:
made in taiwan, could be mistaken for Snap-On fit & finish, reaches fasteners that were previously unreachable in some cars, with ANY tool, using 1/4" end

this the the smallest head and most slender 1/4" ratchet ever

HF# 67994 - $20.99 using 25% off coupon

I've seen this before. EZ-red? Wonder if it's the same.

Call it a "quarter stick" I think. This is cheaper though.

BirdMobile · Oct 11, 2014

I've got one. It's super high quality and useful.
They also sell a short (about 6"), non-flex version... been thinking of buying one just for the super slim head thickness profile - should be an excellent low profile ratchet.
The only downside that I can see to these is that they don't appear to be disassemble-able for cleaning and lube. I soaked mine in ATF for a few days on each end to accomplish that.

Jarhead0408 · Oct 11, 2014

balane said:
OK, sold. Going to pick one up tomorrow. It looks handy. Thanks for the tip.

Snag a 25% off coupon from the HF coupon thread in the Hot Deals section.

whyNick? · Oct 11, 2014

I look at those every time I visit the store, the fit and finish is great and the drives ratchet nicely. Hmm, not sure why I haven't bought one yet...

Super Mech · Oct 11, 2014

I've got that one. It has save my *** many times! Makes the impossible possible.

Tronyadorable · Oct 11, 2014

Cool piece ----added to cart

stage20 · Oct 11, 2014

I use mine from time to time. Its handy in the right situation. The short nonflex is good for really tight spots too.

ex-x-fire · Oct 11, 2014

I use one daily, the 3/8s side will take some torque. The pivot pin will wear & break over time, I had a reversing switch fall out of the second one. I'm on my 3rd one, useful tool but just keep your receipt.

bcradio · Oct 11, 2014

I'll be the odd man out here and say I don't really care for mine. The ratchets are very nice and smooth, but the flex portion is terrible and bends WAY too easy. I tightened it up as much as possible and still no go. I even took the original 2 back and tried every single one in all stores in my area to find the tightest one. Bought that and tightened the screws, but still flops all over.

I will use it once in a while when I feel like fighting the flop, otherwise I have other tools that will work in it's place (never been in a situation where it was the only tool that would work).

BK13 · Oct 11, 2014

I bought my son and I one each of the non-flex shorter version. I don't really find it that useful...

OutsideMachinist · Oct 11, 2014

I thought about getting one. I almost never use 1/4'' though. Maybe I will buy one and cut it a bit shorter.

619DioFan · Oct 11, 2014

I have this one and the short non flex version. They have been very useful.

johndeereman · Oct 11, 2014

Another trip to hf in my future i guess but so far my favorite purchase is the red 5 drawer cart.

Ign · Oct 11, 2014

bcradio said:
I'll be the odd man out here and say I don't really care for mine. The ratchets are very nice and smooth, but the flex portion is terrible and bends WAY too easy. I tightened it up as much as possible and still no go. I even took the original 2 back and tried every single one in all stores in my area to find the tightest one. Bought that and tightened the screws, but still flops all over.

I will use it once in a while when I feel like fighting the flop, otherwise I have other tools that will work in it's place (never been in a situation where it was the only tool that would work).

See, that's always my worry with anything flex that's non-locking. This thing is so long (relatively), if you're reaching it down into the abyss where you truly can't fit your hand behind it and you try to guide it onto a fastener only to have the head flop back, what do you do? Sounds like an exercise in frustration.

Does anyone have the part # for the non-flex?

wild cowboy · Oct 11, 2014

it has the allen head screws to tighten it up if need be - I just found an especially stiff one on the rack

u118224 · Oct 11, 2014

I've been wanting a TLL72 for a while but this is quite a bit longer. I just ordered one with the 25% off coupon. Thanks wild cowboy.

wild cowboy · Oct 11, 2014

u118224 said:
I've been wanting a TLL72 for a while but this is quite a bit longer. I just ordered one with the 25% off coupon. Thanks wild cowboy.

also, the TLL72's head is over 11mm thick, this one is 9mm thick :thumbup:

BirdMobile · Oct 11, 2014

The TLL72 and the HF ratchet are really different sorts of creatures... it's not really a good comparison. I use my TLL72 for a very different set of tasks as this HF. The TLL72 is more of a delicate reachy tool for cramped spaces where you don't want the socket to be moving around - I tend to use it more on the bench or under the dash. The HF is more of a fan removal, belt tightening, long reach engine compartment type tool - a heavier duty beast for reach, flexibility, and leverage.

Fedwrench · Oct 11, 2014

nicksnothereman said:
I've seen this before. EZ-red? Wonder if it's the same.

Call it a "quarter stick" I think. This is cheaper though.

The EZ Red 1/4 stick is 1/4 drive on one side and a 1/4 inch bit holder on the other side. The HF unit pictured is 1/4 square drive on one side and 3/8 square drive on the other end.

The HF unit could be made in the same factory. :dunno:

It's real handy but, it does have strength limitations. I've never seen them on sale so, have coupon handy. They have a shorter fixed head version that is also handy for space saving in road kit.

Jarhead0408 · Oct 11, 2014

BK13 said:
I bought my son and I one each of the non-flex shorter version. I don't really find it that useful...

The one you bought and the one in the OP's post share nothing in common but the dual drive sizes.

Who knows? If you get the longer, flex head version, you might like it.

I passed up on the short one that you have. For me it would have no purpose since I've got plenty of 3/8 and 1/4 ratchets.

This one is gold IMO because of the thinness of the shaft/bar. Where a regular long-flexhead ratchet may have trouble clearing obstacles, this one is so thin it can snake it's way through just about any combination of junk that's in your way.

I actually didn't buy this to use for it's 1/4 capability. I've only used the 3/8 side. So far it's been great.

Might freak a few people out here, but it sits right next to my Snap-On FHLF-80 and it's FHLD-80 brother. It's a decent bit longer than either as a matter of fact. :lol_hitti

dgjaxun · Oct 11, 2014

i just bought one today it looked too handy not to have

BirdMobile · Oct 11, 2014

Jarhead,
Not freaking me out. HF and Snap On happily co-exist next to each other in my boxes... along with Carlyle, Husky, Matco, Armstrong, SK, Craftsman, Etc. ****** Etc.!
My world is tool-centric, not brand-centric.

u118224 · Oct 11, 2014

BirdMobile said:
The TLL72 and the HF ratchet are really different sorts of creatures... it's not really a good comparison. I use my TLL72 for a very different set of tasks as this HF. The TLL72 is more of a delicate reachy tool for cramped spaces where you don't want the socket to be moving around - I tend to use it more on the bench or under the dash. The HF is more of a fan removal, belt tightening, long reach engine compartment type tool - a heavier duty beast for reach, flexibility, and leverage.

I agree. A TLL72 is still on my "yet to buy" list. Nonetheless I'm looking forward to trying out this HF ratchet tool.

wild cowboy · Oct 11, 2014

BirdMobile said:
The only downside that I can see to these is that they don't appear to be disassemble-able for cleaning and lube. I soaked mine in ATF for a few days on each end to accomplish that.

did this markedly improve the back drag?

stage20 · Oct 11, 2014

i use the 1/4 inch side of mine more. makes doing small work a breeze. no breaking loose fasteners with a short 6 or 7" ratchet. valve cover bolts, coil pack bolts, etc. nice tool when you cant fit a small air ratchet or impact in there.

BirdMobile · Oct 11, 2014

wild cowboy said:
did this markedly improve the back drag?

Not by a large amount. It was definitely a little smoother afterward, but it wasn't like night and day or anything. I also soak my ratcheting wrenches in ATF... on the theory that some cleaning/lube is better than none. I've been thinking of trying Breakfree CLP instead of ATF, I just haven't got around to that particular experiment yet.

f575gtc · Oct 11, 2014

Pardon my ignorance.

What is this for? do regular sockets clip onto the ends? And what allows this to get around in tighter areas compared to a 3/8th ratchet with a long handle?

dgxlh · Oct 11, 2014

I was there today and saw this and almost bought it but I have to wait a week or so, I bought some other stuff

BirdMobile · Oct 11, 2014

f575gtc said:
Pardon my ignorance.

What is this for? do regular sockets clip onto the ends? And what allows this to get around in tighter areas compared to a 3/8th ratchet with a long handle?

It's an ultra-low-profile long flex-head ratchet, with a 1/4 drive ratchet head on one end, and a 3/8 drive ratchet head on the other end. Yes, you use standard 1/4 or 3/8 drive sockets on it.

Oh... and it's completely badass if you work on cars or complex equipment!

sbyrne92 · Oct 11, 2014

f575gtc said:
Pardon my ignorance.

What is this for? do regular sockets clip onto the ends? And what allows this to get around in tighter areas compared to a 3/8th ratchet with a long handle?

Yes sockets clip into each end. 1/4" and 3/8". The difference between this and a regular long ratchet is its slim head design and long beam. These are great for doing engine work, for side mounted engines. Also if you blessed enough to have a lift, or work in a shop. These work wonders when working on things close to the frame, or subframe. Certain things like A/C compressor, Alternator, and Belt tensioners all come into mind. The slim head design allows the socket to reach places it normally would run into interference with a ratchet. And the long beam gives you enough torque to loosen and tighten fasteners. Long spline ratcheting wrenches might be better, but this is the next best option.

f575gtc · Oct 11, 2014

Ok, is there a reverse selector on this thing? I couldn't see one that is what was confusing me.

BirdMobile · Oct 11, 2014

f575gtc said:
Ok, is there a reverse selector on this thing? I couldn't see one that is what was confusing me.

Here is a closeup photo of the back of the 3/8 head. The metal thing under the red ring slides left and right to change ratchet direction.

Jarhead0408 · Oct 11, 2014

f575gtc,

Though others have mentioned how thin the head is, the missed the part about the beam.

Not only is it good for leverage, but since it is essentially a slightly rounded flat iron (sorta), the thickness of the beam from side so side is way less than a 1/2" an inch! WAAAAY thinner than any of the ratchet handles out there!

To be honest, when I first saw them, I thought they were gimmicky. But about a week before I did the timing belt job on my Civic I figured why not? It might be a piece of ****, but at least it was thin and long. Plus I had a 25% off coupon.

Lo and behold it was the exact tool I needed. Saved my **** on that job.
And that piece of **** part I mentioned? I was WRONG. Dead wrong. This is in the top 5 of my favorite ratchets (Ratchet Shaped Object-RSO?).

Toyota mechanic · Oct 12, 2014

Cornwell sells the same one with their name laser etched on it, for 68 bucks... good tool. I saw that last time I was at HF, and it is on my want list. Definitely one of the jewels at HF. It is re-branded by many. Wonder who makes it, lol....

wild cowboy · Oct 12, 2014

Jarhead0408 said:
Though others have mentioned how thin the head is, the missed the part about the beam.

Not only is it good for leverage, but since it is essentially a slightly rounded flat iron (sorta), the thickness of the beam from side so side is way less than a 1/2" an inch! WAAAAY thinner than any of the ratchet handles out there!

thickness of long beam portion is 5.13 mm - i.e. slightly more that 3/16"

my favorite HF purchase this year

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