1/4 Drive RHFT Flex Ratchet...!

[ianjhunt]

I think I might be looking for the impossible. The 1/4 is the only Round Head Fine Tooth ratchet that I am missing and desire. Before I get ripped up, I realize that Craftsman never made one. I have viewed all the videos on YouTube from "Craftsman USA History Project". I AM NOT A PURIST. Finding this is only for a warm fuzzy to complete my collection.

So...my question is if any manufactures of the RHFT made a 1/4 flex. If so...that will give me direction on where to search for the flex head itself. Not being a purist...I am quite pleased to install a 1/4 drive Craftsman breaker bar handle.

I have been searching e-bay forever. Thank you for any ideas.

 

[3baygarage]

Someone has been making and selling them on ebay and they go for ridiculous money. I think what they do is cut up a Wilde ratchet and pin the head to the breaker bar handle as you said.

I am a purist. Not my thing to cut two good tools to make one fantasy tool, but hey people like it and they pay.

Edit: didn't realize you said 1/4 inch.

 

[MattVette89]

I was going to suggest the SK 40972....but I guess that would be a pear head (maybe?) That being said, I have one and love it.

 

[MarkWilliams60]

Proto J4757A flex .There's an F in Facom style available New. It aint that great. The A is nicer in my opinion. It's also quick release.
Yeah. These are mine. NOS---puty eh ?

 

[ianjhunt]

This one popped up today: http://www.ebay.com/itm/RARE-CRAFTS...ewItem&hash=item2cac4edd84:g:cesAAOSwfZhXMltc

It's kinda OK...but they built it with the cheap handle from China. I would rather have the angle adjustment done with the head notches & spring loaded handle ball although.

I have put together a couple of 3/8 flex ratchets that are in my 2 tool boxes that we throw into my truck and my sons truck. Once again...I'm not a purist. These two were built with Easton heads and Craftsman handles. They are not "number correct" but are perfect for the application. Little money was spent. The search for the 1/4 is for my indoors box/collection.

Back to my original post...I would love to find a 1/4 drive RHFT swivel/flex head that I can mate to a Craftsman breaker bar handle. This would be better than Christmas, or getting your first drivers license.

I wonder if the Proto above will work? Will it accept the craftsman RHFT quick release bebuild kit?

Thanks for your help and ideas.

 

[Gear Wolf]

Hey hey! I'm the guy that makes those videos!

Yes, you are correct, Sears never requested a 1/4" RHFT Flex to be made under the Craftsman brand. I don't believe the company that made the Craftsman branded RHFTs, Easco, made them under their name either.

If you are patient, there is a guy that actually takes a Craftsman USA RHFT and uses a Craftsman USA 1/4" breaker bar and retro fits them together. From what I've seen, he even goes through the work of ensuring similar flex angles to match its bigger brothers via some machining.

The person auctioning the homebrew 1/4" RHFT isn't the same person as I am talking about. The auction in the link looks like a franken-ratchet of different brands cobbled together, as someone already suggested.

At the end of the day, pay whatever it is worth to you, or try machining one yourself.

 

[d.mcfarland]

The one in the link is an awful attempt to make money.

OP - please don't buy something that doesn't exist. If you want a vintage tool there are plenty of 1/4" flex ratchets out there. Just none that were Craftsman.

 

[ganymede]

Blackhawk made a nice 1/4" flex head in the late 60's through 70's.
Model was gw9995.
I'm looking at one next to a Craftsman breaker and it looks like the head could be swapped out.
You'd have to make detents for the friction ball though.

Edit: it's only 45 tooth action. The head is very small though .

 

[ianjhunt]

Thanks everyone for all the ideas & information. I can see where I can go down the wrong road in a hurry. Dr. Doom's suggestion seems the best to me...to get me where I want to be. It's mostly an EGO thing to have it sitting there in the drawer. I will use it next to never. I just want all my 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 drawers matching when opened with all the different ratchets, breakers, extensions, and all lined up. Maybe it's OCD?

Dr. Doom...please keep me in mind if you remember how to get in touch with that machinist guy.

 

[ken w.]

I believe Trucraft made a round head flex ratchet that was also a stubby. I don't know if it was a fine tooth tho.

 

[Wes J]

SK, Blackhawk, and Wright make a round head 1/4 flex ratchet.

Proto sells one but it's a rebadged Facom made in Italy.

 

[MarkWilliams60]

SK, Blackhawk, and Wright make a round head 1/4 flex ratchet.

Proto sells one but it's a rebadged Facom made in Italy.

Pretty hard to be "rebadged" when Proto owns Facom

 

[ianjhunt]

Thanks Wes...

The trick is to get the Craftsman rebuild kit to work...(RHFT with quick release center button). Will the ones you mention, interchange?

Thank you...Ian

 

[Wes J]

Pretty hard to be "rebadged" when Proto owns Facom

OK. But it's still sold as Proto but made by Facom. They used to be Proto and looked like the ratchets above. The Facom made ratchets are different in length, head design and thickness, and reversing switch. But, they still have the same Proto part numbers.

I guess by your logic they are all Stanley. So is Blackhawk.

Whatever.

 

[Wes J]

Thanks Wes...

The trick is to get the Craftsman rebuild kit to work...(RHFT with quick release center button). Will the ones you mention, interchange?

Thank you...Ian

The Blackhawk is the closest to the Craftsman design. I don't know if they would interchange.

As far as using the Craftsman breaker bar handle on the head, you might find one that works. None of the brands I mentioned have detents. They all use a friction washer like Snap-On.

 

[Gear Wolf]

The one in the link is an awful attempt to make money.

OP - please don't buy something that doesn't exist. If you want a vintage tool there are plenty of 1/4" flex ratchets out there. Just none that were Craftsman.

The "Good" all Craftsman all USA machinist does pop up. He sent me a video some time ago showing the piece in action. For being a homebrew, it certainly appeared as if he put some thinking into it. I believe the guy wanted $40-$60 back then, which if you think about it doesn't even really cover his time/effort.

The one on the link looks like a Chinese Craftsman breaker bar, Easco RHFT ground down ratchet (due to the neck design and texture of surface), and a Craftsman RHFT mechanism. I could be wrong.

 

[Gear Wolf]

Thanks everyone for all the ideas & information. I can see where I can go down the wrong road in a hurry. Dr. Doom's suggestion seems the best to me...to get me where I want to be. It's mostly an EGO thing to have it sitting there in the drawer. I will use it next to never. I just want all my 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 drawers matching when opened with all the different ratchets, breakers, extensions, and all lined up. Maybe it's OCD?

Dr. Doom...please keep me in mind if you remember how to get in touch with that machinist guy.

Yeah, I'll see what I can do. It has been probably 5-6 months, since I communicated with him.

 

[ianjhunt]

Thanks Dr. Doom...

I really feel that getting in contact with your machinis friend is the best bet. It doesn't appear that there is a perfect combination of parts available anywhere to build the butchered ratchet I'm looking for. I don't think I'm thought of favorably for what I'm attempting to do...and not being a number perfect purist. But then again...I think it's neat to have a close to perfect RHFT Craftsman ratchet collection including the impossible, non existing 1/4 flex head. I really appreciate all the help and ideas from the members here.

Oh...and thank you for putting your videos together on YouTube. They were a big help in getting me started in the right direction.

Ian

 

[Gear Wolf]

Sure, no problem.

The videos were made to let people know exactly what Sears officially offered, in terms of ratchets, under the Craftsman brand and what was going on with each specific "family". Up until I made those videos available, figuring out what was offered required every Sears Catalog from 1932 through the digital flyers of 2012. Even then, there was still plenty that was scattered among those "in the know/collectors" and the real live people involved with making/designing the ratchets. I am sure there are a few things yet to learn.

Please notice I excluded "torque wrenches", which will eventually have their own encompassing video.

If you want specific pieces let me know via a PM. I have doubles or triples of just about everything now.

 

[PowderKeg]

...The one on the link looks like a Chinese Craftsman breaker bar, Easco RHFT ground down ratchet (due to the neck design and texture of surface), and a Craftsman RHFT mechanism. I could be wrong.

FWIW, My bet is a Wilde RHFT head on the Chinese Craftsman handle. There were boxes of Wilde 1/4" RHFT ratchets floating in the 'bay many months ago. Some have floated back as single auctions (but generally haven't been selling well). An Easco or Master Mechanic would have a chunk of the raised panel visible where the head is cut off the beam - the Wilde is machined smooth. Definitely not a Craftsman like you observed because of the beam shape.

I've been pondering doing the same with an extra Wilde I have, but I'd want to go deluxe with functioning detents like the original 3/8" and 1/2" models.