mikebaker1129
Well-known member
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1/4 ratchet
- Thread starter mowkep
- Start date
For anything Williams I always check ToolsDeliverd first, and then use that price to see if I can find it cheaper on Amazon or eBay, or just a general Google search to see who else might have one. Shows $17.51 on ToolsDeliverd. I have purchased ratchets from them in the past and haven't had any problems. I bought the exact same M-52EHA from them on 04/26/2016 and it was the exact same price. http://www.toolsdelivered.com/search.asp?keyword=M-52EHA&search.x=16&search.y=17
paulsomlo
Well-known member
Shortly after reading this thread, a Proto J4749XL showed up on ebay - a "buy it now" listed at about 10:30 pm on a Sunday night. Described as unused, $15 plus $1.99 shipping.
It showed up today, pristine condition. It's quite a nice ratchet, especially compared to my RP "self reversing" CM. Noticeably less backdrag, more teeth (45), thinner/smaller head, and another 3/8" in length. I decided that I could do without QR, since my mid '80s 1/4" CM sockets don't have any detents.
I've read that they come shipped dry - any truth to this?
Here's some pics, next to the RP CM:
It showed up today, pristine condition. It's quite a nice ratchet, especially compared to my RP "self reversing" CM. Noticeably less backdrag, more teeth (45), thinner/smaller head, and another 3/8" in length. I decided that I could do without QR, since my mid '80s 1/4" CM sockets don't have any detents.
I've read that they come shipped dry - any truth to this?
Here's some pics, next to the RP CM:
Attachments
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The SnapOn 72 tooth is nice. Some other nice opitoins are the SK palm control and the SK tuff one, but both are on the short side at 4 1/2 inches. The proto is also a nice option but is is 45 teeth. Another option would be an SK with the dt upgrade
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davethorik
Well-known member
Paul,
Proto does offer a QR variant of the XL ratchets but they are nowhere near as common as the non-QR. Denoted by a QR after the XL in the part #. According to Proto's website, they offer it in 1/4, 3/8 std length, and 1/2 standard and long. Strange they don't offer it in 3/8 long.
http://www.protoindustrial.com/en/i...to®-Quick-Release-Premium-Pear-Head-Ratchets/
I have a 3/8 long and a 1/2 long in non-QR, don't have a 1/4 as I already have quite a few 1/4 rats from other brands that I'm mostly satisfied with. The only way I would be interested is if they made a long 1/4, but they sadly do not.
My first 3/8 long XL broke (the part of the selector that is inside the head broke into 4 pcs and locked the ratchet up) during light use, and I wasn't thrilled. However, these ratchets are usually praised for brute strength, not just on GJ but almost universally. So I will give it a 2nd try.
Mailed the broken rat to a Stanley facility in NC, and got a fresh new replacement about 2 weeks later. Hopefully it was just a faulty selector, bc I really like these. since doubt had crept into my mind I went ahead and bought a Cornwell JR40 just in case the Proto breaks again, also the Proto was my only long 3/8 at the time, and embracing the true spirit of GJ, the more the merrier.
As to lube...the broken 3/8 had an average amount. The new one had some, but not as much, and definitely not enough. The 1/2 was the same way. These ratchets are very easy to disassemble with snap ring pliers.
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xin
Well-known member
How many teeth it got?
nutsnbolts
Well-known member
I have a couple old school Snap On ratchets that I love. IMO they are as good as, if not better than, any that you can find today. I find them for $15 to $25 on Ebay.
four.cycle
Well-known member
KAL 1049 1/4" drive 40-tooth RHFT reversible ratchet - US made
new NOS
these were originally listed for $8.00 OBO incl. shipping "buy now"
now $7.20 incl. shipping OBO "buy now"
I paid $6.40 each for mine. GJ member potato got his for $6.00
https://www.ebay.com/itm/112784078196
can't beat it for the price.
* pay no attention to the stock photo of the 40970 S-K in the ad - the seller didn't want to screw around taking pictures for that kind of price, and I don't blame him!
new NOS
these were originally listed for $8.00 OBO incl. shipping "buy now"
now $7.20 incl. shipping OBO "buy now"
I paid $6.40 each for mine. GJ member potato got his for $6.00
https://www.ebay.com/itm/112784078196
can't beat it for the price.
* pay no attention to the stock photo of the 40970 S-K in the ad - the seller didn't want to screw around taking pictures for that kind of price, and I don't blame him!
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paulsomlo
Well-known member
When you first posted these, they were listed at $6.40; last night they were $8.00, now they're $7.20.
Did you ever get that Proto J4752F?
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four.cycle
Well-known member
^ The seller changes the prices almost daily on those KAL and Proamerica items he's got listed. I have no idea what that's all about.
Send him an offer and see what happens.
Here's the Proto J4752F 1/4" drive 72-tooth RHFT reversible ratchet -made in Italy - very nice little unit.
Somebody in another thread mentioned that they thought Proto shipped their ratchets dry, and I think he was correct - I am sure this one will feel a lot smoother with a couple drops of oil
I guess some people need to be told not to use their 1/4" drive ratchet as a hammer.
J4752F Proto
new
$21.95 incl. shipping "buy now"
https://www.ebay.com/itm/312055803246
Send him an offer and see what happens.
Here's the Proto J4752F 1/4" drive 72-tooth RHFT reversible ratchet -made in Italy - very nice little unit.
Somebody in another thread mentioned that they thought Proto shipped their ratchets dry, and I think he was correct - I am sure this one will feel a lot smoother with a couple drops of oil
I guess some people need to be told not to use their 1/4" drive ratchet as a hammer.
J4752F Proto
new
$21.95 incl. shipping "buy now"
https://www.ebay.com/itm/312055803246
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I had all Craftsman USA ratchets and sockets. The ratchets were very clunky, but they worked. No issues with the sockets. Put all ratchets in the garage sale, averaged $10/each. Bought all new Snap-on Dual 80. Much better & feels right. Much nicer to work with.
paulsomlo
Well-known member
How do you like that selector switch? There doesn't seem to be much there to grab on to. Is the selector plastic or metal?Here's the Proto J4752F 1/4" drive 72-tooth RHFT reversible ratchet -made in Italy - very nice little unit.
Somebody in another thread mentioned that they thought Proto shipped their ratchets dry, and I think he was correct - I am sure this one will feel a lot smoother with a couple drops of oil
I guess some people need to be told not to use their 1/4" drive ratchet as a hammer.
four.cycle
Well-known member
The Proto J4752F is all metal construction.
I'm kind of at a disadvantage with selector knobs of that design - I have huge hands.
I prefer the old-fashioned straight selector (like on the back of the KAL 1049) or the three-point or four-point selector (found on the back of the Indestro RHFT models.)
The Snap-on TM739 has a 3-point selector but it drives me nuts - there's just not enough there for me to get hold of.
But that's all subjective personal preference stuff.
They all work. Some just seem to work better than others.
(* There's a couple of Ebay photos there of units I never got around to taking photos of after I bought them. The Easco's not bad, but I'm not a big fan of "QR" ratchets. The NAPA unit seems disproportionately heavy for its size, but maybe that's because I'm accustomed to using lighter weight models. There are a lot of others here, but I don't have photos of them right now. )
I'm kind of at a disadvantage with selector knobs of that design - I have huge hands.
I prefer the old-fashioned straight selector (like on the back of the KAL 1049) or the three-point or four-point selector (found on the back of the Indestro RHFT models.)
The Snap-on TM739 has a 3-point selector but it drives me nuts - there's just not enough there for me to get hold of.
But that's all subjective personal preference stuff.
They all work. Some just seem to work better than others.
(* There's a couple of Ebay photos there of units I never got around to taking photos of after I bought them. The Easco's not bad, but I'm not a big fan of "QR" ratchets. The NAPA unit seems disproportionately heavy for its size, but maybe that's because I'm accustomed to using lighter weight models. There are a lot of others here, but I don't have photos of them right now. )
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johndeereman
Well-known member
multiple variations of Carlyle
supertooljunkie
Well-known member
there's a "best 1/4" ratchet" thread here somewhere....
here: https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=193134
to save you the trouble of wading through the entire thread, the overall consensus here is that the #40970 S-K RHFT is the odds-on favorite.
you should be able to find a decent one (used) on Ebay for anywhere from $15-$22 including shipping. brand new they go for about $40 bucks.
if you want low-budget, best screamin' deal on a US-made 1/4" drive RHFT this week is:
1049 KAL (Proamerica) 1/4" drive RHFT
new
$6.40 incl. shipping OBO "buy now"
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Kal-Tools-...-1-4-Inch-Drive-Knurled-Grip-USA/112784078196
* the seller is using a stock photo of the S-K 40970 - pay no attention to the photo. honestly, for that money I wouldn't bother taking a photo either. I have two of them on the way and already own three or four others. not a bad little unit. here's a photo of one of mine:
The JS Technologies sets are made by Thorson. Look at the double lines next to sizes on sockets.
I kinda like it, and I have pretty big hands, but I’m also not a flat-rate, just a DIY hack, so I’m never in a hurry when I use them.
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anndel
Well-known member
Snap On or if need to go cheap, Gearwrench or Carlyle.
dkroth
Well-known member
^ The seller changes the prices almost daily on those KAL and Proamerica items he's got listed. I have no idea what that's all about.
Send him an offer and see what happens.
Here's the Proto J4752F 1/4" drive 72-tooth RHFT reversible ratchet -made in Italy - very nice little unit.
Somebody in another thread mentioned that they thought Proto shipped their ratchets dry, and I think he was correct - I am sure this one will feel a lot smoother with a couple drops of oil
I guess some people need to be told not to use their 1/4" drive ratchet as a hammer.
J4752F Proto
new
$21.95 incl. shipping "buy now"
https://www.ebay.com/itm/312055803246
That's the Facom palm control mechanism. Very nice indeed.
.
four.cycle
Well-known member
supertooljunkie said:
Nope. Thorsen was out of business long before that JS unit was made.
I am actually more inclined to think that the sockets that have been marketed under several brand names (JS Technology, Klein, Wilde, among others) might have been made by KAL/Proamerica.
I have absolutely nothing to substantiate that - I am going only by visual appearance. It's quite possible that some company we don't even know the name of is stamping them out for a number of companies (including KAL/Proamerica.)
They have the same distinctive lines on each side of the size stampings as well:
^ unfortunately the only piece in the Wilde set where that mark is visible is the little 2-inch extension on the left.
I could probably get a better shot of my own JS sets but it's late here. A couple of those are screen shots from Ebay ads.
That said, of those I own (Klein, Proamerica, KAL, JS Technology) there certainly doesn't appear to be any difference in broaching, fit and finish, and plating. Another feature they share in common is lack of any branding on the sockets - they're all marked only with size, "U.S.A.", and the two hash marks on each side of the size stamping.
In any case, definitely not Thorsen.
(* I just noticed that KAL set above is a bit different and does not have those little lines on each side of the size stamping.
Again, it's late here and I'm not inclined to dig through boxes right now. There's several KAL/Proamerica and JS sets around here somewhere I could shoot pictures of later if you should insist. )
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four.cycle
Well-known member
dkroth said:
^ Yes. Facom designed/built if I understand correctly.
I had to indulge my curiosity on that one - for the money why not?
I'll have to find a TORX driver and open it up and put a little oil in it- something tells me it will make quite a difference.
Didn't know there were KAL USA sockets, I've seen lots and lots of Japanese ones.
I believe the "Proamerica" name was invented 100% to disassociate the company from it's importer heritage in order to bid on Federal contracts.
JS is an interesting one. I'm reasonably convinced they were 100% a rebrander, had tools built on contract, never had a factory in other words. There was at least some SK involvement in JS. I recently bought a mint unsealed GMTK from 1993. The 1/2 socket set inside was a mix of SK and JS, the JS pieces were SK clones and even bore SK part numbers.
Back to the topic, buy the Blackhawk. It's small, Taiwanese, and ****. I really really like mine.
I believe the "Proamerica" name was invented 100% to disassociate the company from it's importer heritage in order to bid on Federal contracts.
JS is an interesting one. I'm reasonably convinced they were 100% a rebrander, had tools built on contract, never had a factory in other words. There was at least some SK involvement in JS. I recently bought a mint unsealed GMTK from 1993. The 1/2 socket set inside was a mix of SK and JS, the JS pieces were SK clones and even bore SK part numbers.
Back to the topic, buy the Blackhawk. It's small, Taiwanese, and ****. I really really like mine.
Indeed those Palm control's are pretty nice (if a bit thick in the head). If you lube it, I've found that a bit of Moly grease/paste works best on these, but mentioning that could start a 'lube war' so never mind, carry on...
I didn’t even open mine up. I just allow Quantum Hot Sauce reel lube work it’s way inside through the seams in the mechanism.
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Fedwrench
ALLIANCE MEMBER
If you open a palm control ratchet up, i recommend thin oil as a lubricant. I know ratchet lube is up there with brand choice and country of origin as a personal decision but, it s a fine toothed ratchet. Additionally there is a sweet spot when reassembling it and tightening the torx screw. Too tight, and it will bind. Too loose, and there will be too much play. experiment to find the perfect spot.
These are what i have in 1/4" drive. From left to right SnapOn THLF72, SK Tuff 1 FLex (72t), SK Tuff 1 (72t 4 1/2"), Proto J4749XL (5 3/4" 45T), SK palm control, and the classic Crapsman. The next 1/4 I get will either be the SK 90 tooth pearhead when it is released, or the Proto Precision 90 tooth. I love the size of the 45 tooth Proto.
IMG_20180203_164830p by https://www.flickr.com/photos/110082568@N08/
IMG_20180203_164830p by https://www.flickr.com/photos/110082568@N08/mrborohachi
Well-known member
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/album.php?albumid=3432
View media item 37818
My pics of TRLL72 Snap-on long handle QR 1/4 ratchet vs Gearwrench 120p short ratchet. For smallest footprint thinnest 1/4 ratchet you will not find better ratchet.
I recently picked up the the eBay sold Proto Facom head 1/4 for work. But it is a fairly large mongoloid head of a ratchet.
View media item 37818
My pics of TRLL72 Snap-on long handle QR 1/4 ratchet vs Gearwrench 120p short ratchet. For smallest footprint thinnest 1/4 ratchet you will not find better ratchet.
I recently picked up the the eBay sold Proto Facom head 1/4 for work. But it is a fairly large mongoloid head of a ratchet.