88 teeth vs 36 teeth.

[TimDaToolMan]

Is there anything bad about having ratchets without as many teeth?

 

[Fireball027]

None at all other then you just need a bigger swing to engage the next teeth.

When I started out in the trade I bought a few used older snap on ratchets and still use them daily. The more teeth the tighter the area you can work in though.

Its all preference and do the same thing; turn a fastener.

 

[NineFingerFury]

The more teeth you have, the less swing required to engage the gear (click). More gears is usually better. Take 360/number of teeth for arc swing. Ex: 360/88 = 4.099 degrees vs. 360/36 = 10.

 

[Chadwilliam1]

once you go fine tooth you wont go back.

 

[CWP1616L]

I get by just fine with 30 teeth. If I'm in a spot that tight, I'll get out my 1/4 drive round head.

 

[Fedwrench]

I get by just fine with 30 teeth. If I'm in a spot that tight, I'll get out my 1/4 drive round head.

It's easy to get by with 30 teeth when you only polish the ratchet.

Seriously though, it all depends on how cramped the engine compartment is that working in. I agree with the post that once you use fine tooth you won't go back.

 

[e30bradley]

now that I have fine tooth rats I really dislike using the 'coarse tooth' ones..

 

[CWP1616L]

Somebody forgot to warn me about the sharks swimming in the water over here in this thread.

 

[Mr.Nutcase]

once you go fine tooth you wont go back.

how so true.. he I have maybe 60 ratchets total. is that alot of ratchets?

 

[Conductor562]

I asked myself the same question once, now I have probably 20 ratchets I like fine tooth ratchets for some things, and course tooth ratchets for others.

 

[TimDaToolMan]

I'm just worried using a fine tooth in a high-torque application might cause the gears to strip.

 

[CWP1616L]

It's the total contact area between the gear and the pawl that give the ratchet its strength. Fine tooth ratchets sometimes have more contact area.

 

[Conductor562]

I'm just worried using a fine tooth in a high-torque application might cause the gears to strip.

I use my fine tooth rats probably 75% of the time. I have a set of Proto Pear heads (24 tooth) that I use for the real nasty jobs. I've never busted one of those

 

[diesel research]

strength is not going to be worse with most any fine tooth ratchet, than the ratchets you already have.

 

[DTB]

I've only got one coarse tooth ratchet left (Proto/MAC Spinflex with 30 teeth).The rest are 60,80,88,and 90s. For sure in tight areas fine tooth ratchets are key.Also,the longer a ratchet,the less swing arc required the better. Also they seem to have alot less drag meaning you can ratchet a bolt or nut with one hand and not have to hold the socket while you are running it up snug if you know what I mean...But I've yet to break my 24" Matco ratchet or the 17" flex head 90 tooth,or the 15" Dual 80...so I have no use for a traditional low tooth count ratchet.

 

[SMKS]

It's the total contact area between the gear and the pawl that give the ratchet its strength. Fine tooth ratchets sometimes have more contact area.

+1

Fine tooth does not necessarily equal less strength, and course tooth does not necessarily equal more strength. It all comes down to the design.

Some of the newer fine-tooth ratchets are quite strong.

 

[Gmonkee]

I use 60T and 72T ratchets. One is mid line and the other high end brand and quality. Both are equally useful and none ever failed.

The lowest I have is 12T, the most I've used is the 90T. For me there is no need to try any others anymore. Try a few different models and types yourself, find your comfort zone and enjoy using a tool that makes your work easier.

 

[soulstryke]

hypothetically wouldn't less teeth have more "meat" thus being more reinforced + stronger?

 

[CWP1616L]

This goes back to the age old argument of which is stronger:

A fine tooth bolt, or a coarse tooth bolt?

 

[diesel research]

hypothetically wouldn't less teeth have more "meat" thus being more reinforced + stronger?

it also has more gaps and less teeth engaged.

 

[soulstryke]

it also has more gaps and less teeth engaged.

Has this discussion ever been proven?? I am just curious TBH. I seen a few days ago "ratchet tests" have been preformed, does anyone have any info on this ? Or does anyone know if the higher drive rachets (like 3/4' 1')use more so or less teeth.

 

[Coach James]

I remember the first time I saw a ratchet that only had 30 teeth. I was driving through the hills and I saw it sitting on a porch playing a banjo.

Coach

 

[GSteg]

This goes back to the age old argument of which is stronger:

A fine tooth bolt, or a coarse tooth bolt?

In terms of ultimate tensile strength:the fine thread bolt.

 

[Murphy4570]

I'm just worried using a fine tooth in a high-torque application might cause the gears to strip.

Nope. I was yanking on my long handled 80 tooth Snappy 1/2" ratchet once on some bolts that were locktited in (unknown to me), and had that damn ratchet bending quite a bit at the handle!!! Didn't strip out or break on me, even with me hanging off of it.

 

[BK13]

Difference between Snap On and Craftsman... I wasted a couple of CM 1/2" ratchets removing rusty U-bolts from my first CJ.

Of course, I am a bit of a genetic freak...

 

[ChevyEFI]

Has this discussion ever been proven?? I am just curious TBH. I seen a few days ago "ratchet tests" have been preformed, does anyone have any info on this ? Or does anyone know if the higher drive rachets (like 3/4' 1')use more so or less teeth.

Contact area is better with a higher number of teeth.

A poor comparative example is ring and pinion gears. Numerically high ratios have fewer and fewer pinion gear teeth. That becomes the weak link because they have fewer teeth & less simultaneous contact area.

The closer a gearset gets to a 1:1 tooth count ratio, the stronger it is, all else being reasonably equal. A 10:41 is always physically weaker than a 19:23. There's just no way the 10 tooth gear will have as much contact pattern with the other as the 19 will, again considering reasonably equal parts otherwise.

While we're talking about tooth counts,

I think I saw something explaining Wright 45 tooth ratchets as equivalent to 90 tooth based on double pawls with an alternating latching pattern. Anyone have any further info on this?

 

[north]

*snip*
I think I saw something explaining Wright 45 tooth ratchets as equivalent to 90 tooth based on double pawls with an alternating latching pattern. Anyone have any further info on this?

Correct for the 1/2" double pawl ratchets. The 3/8"' double pawls have 41 teeth. 90 and 82 clicks.

 

[MattPersman]

88 why so few? Thought life began at 100



Seriously though 60 and up there isn't too much difference the jump from the 30 count ratchets is quite noticeable

 

[yogitech]

I've torqued the final 90 degree turns on Ford 6.0L diesel head bolts with my 80T Snap On SLF80... No issues what so ever. The bar was "bending" quite a bit too, but returned to normal right afterwards!

 

[Kev442]

I've only got one coarse tooth ratchet left (Proto/MAC Spinflex with 30 teeth).The rest are 60,80,88,and 90s. For sure in tight areas fine tooth ratchets are key.Also,the longer a ratchet,the less swing arc required the better. Also they seem to have alot less drag meaning you can ratchet a bolt or nut with one hand and not have to hold the socket while you are running it up snug if you know what I mean...But I've yet to break my 24" Matco ratchet or the 17" flex head 90 tooth,or the 15" Dual 80...so I have no use for a traditional low tooth count ratchet.

I find this to be as big an issue as the larger arc with 36 teeth, seems like more drag. And yes, I've read the threads about clipping springs, not worth my time.

 

[Gotmayhem]

88 why so few? Thought life began at 100



Seriously though 60 and up there isn't too much difference the jump from the 30 count ratchets is quite noticeable

Those look fantastic...I'd love to put a hard green handle on my 100 tooth when the soft grip gets worn out. Did SO sell any like that or are they all custom jobs?

 

[MattPersman]

They sold these just bought them maybe 6 weeks ago stock green handles

 

[Gotmayhem]

They sold these just bought them maybe 6 weeks ago stock green handles

Bummer for me then...my SO guy knows I have a thing for green so if he had any he probably would have told me. I might ask about a 1/4" roto in green next week, that would be nice.

 

[Diesel_Tech_1989]

Since I upgraded to fine tooth ratchets a few years ago I dont know how I lived without them. Best thing since sliced bread. And I think the green hard handle Snappys are a limited production. At least thats what my dealer said.

 

[Justin1776]

hypothetically wouldn't less teeth have more "meat" thus being more reinforced + stronger?

Not necessarily. Consider transmission and axle shafts, higher spline count = more surface area = stronger connection. For ratchets it is a little different because not all teeth are engaged at once but the new fine tooth designs are pretty damn stout.

 

[TheGrooveking]

The other very relevant fact is the diameter of the spline, 10 teeth on a 1" shaft versus a 10 teeth on a 2" diameter shaft, compound on top of that all of the metallurgical range of factors, surface finish and geometry and you have no direct correlation unless all of these factors are the same for different tooth counts*.

*NOTE: by geometry I am talking the angle of the teeth, the actual bottom of the tooth at the minor diameter.

For me 1/4" & 3/8" ratchets are 72/88 & 80/88 tooth for my 1/2" it's 30/32 tooth Snap On S713A and my old MAC. I have over 200 ratchets but those are my go to.

TheGrooveking

 

[ChevyEFI]

Bummer for me then...my SO guy knows I have a thing for green so if he had any he probably would have told me. I might ask about a 1/4" roto in green next week, that would be nice.

Just saw a 1/4" roto with green hard handle on the SO truck last week. Tempting!