This set is at a local store for $98. I bought 2. My 1st SATA tools but they seem nice.
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Any SATA fans?
- Thread starter JordanOH
- Start date
trekgod3
Well-known member
Your post is missing the link to what you're talking about
webscrounger
Well-known member
I have a set of those SATA ratchets. Even have a SATA felling axe. No complaints, nice tools for the cash. What store did you get your set at?
d.mcfarland
Well-known member
Great stuff for the price at the moment.
Really just another Apex Tool Group rebrand.
Really just another Apex Tool Group rebrand.
Which local store are you talking about?
Century Trading Co., Inc. - Century Trading Co., Inc.
Century Trading Co Van Wert, OH best deals power & hand tools, shop equip, contractor & ind supply, structural steel & metals recycling.
centurytradingco.com
_brian_
Well-known member
I did not want to post a new thread with the same general topic. I wondered the same regarding SATA tools. I have a 3 piece ratchet set and was somewhat surprised at what I received. For a price of $30 for the set of three, these seem hard to beat.
Reference Product: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07V43NCC1/?tag=atomicindus08-20
They are nothing special, essentially just a three piece standard ratchet set. If someone wanted an upgrade to an old 36 tooth Craftsman RP ratchet set, this would be that. Upgrading to a 72 tooth design and a smoother handle and finish and slimmer head design. I find the same issues as I have with my Gearwrench and Husky ratchets, the ratcheting is not very smooth, especially on the 1/4 drive. The ratchets are also extremely similar, SATA to Gearwrench to Husky, size, shape, lever, etc, see image (left to right - Gearwrench, Husky, SATA):
I would be willing to try other SATA tools as they come out. I had a glance over their products and it looks like they are offering small packaged sets and basic tools. For example, there is no plain socket set, such as a 3/8 metric 10-19mm on a rail or even bulk. A bit strange as their marketing is a professional tool, however, the product offering seems to be best for a home owner or small DIYer who needs a small set and can get it all in a small box and kit.
Reference Product: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07V43NCC1/?tag=atomicindus08-20
They are nothing special, essentially just a three piece standard ratchet set. If someone wanted an upgrade to an old 36 tooth Craftsman RP ratchet set, this would be that. Upgrading to a 72 tooth design and a smoother handle and finish and slimmer head design. I find the same issues as I have with my Gearwrench and Husky ratchets, the ratcheting is not very smooth, especially on the 1/4 drive. The ratchets are also extremely similar, SATA to Gearwrench to Husky, size, shape, lever, etc, see image (left to right - Gearwrench, Husky, SATA):
I would be willing to try other SATA tools as they come out. I had a glance over their products and it looks like they are offering small packaged sets and basic tools. For example, there is no plain socket set, such as a 3/8 metric 10-19mm on a rail or even bulk. A bit strange as their marketing is a professional tool, however, the product offering seems to be best for a home owner or small DIYer who needs a small set and can get it all in a small box and kit.
_brian_
Well-known member
It seems SATA has a factory in China, a SATA factory, implying they make their own tools. It looks like Gearwrench is a rebrand of SATA vs the other way around.
d.mcfarland
Well-known member
100% possible. I don't know the logistics, but from what the SATA website said at one point is that they basically are an Amazon.com only brand. I don't know if that's still the case.
Their quality to price ratio is very good on some items.
_brian_
Well-known member
I read the same that SATA in the US is supposed to be Amazon brand type of thing. Lowes also carries SATA products, and in the EU and Asia, it is a regular brand, meaning not a store style. I know for sure though that there is a SATA plant in China. What it does, distributes, manufacturers, etc is all unknown to me as I have no actual proof of anything.
I agree with the value, and also the "some items". I found that there is a BoltBiter socket set in the US branded Gearwrench, and there is also the same branded SATA. Gearwrench sold in the US and SATA in EU and others. Even the SATA web site directs me to a Gearwrench branded set when clicking where to buy. Quite interesting.
I have had both SATA and GearWrench socket set. They look similar, but the GW one is obviously more polished. For example, in metric sockets, the short lines that form the band at the open end is more even and straight. My suspicion is that they select the better ones from the production and send them to GW. The rest goes to SATA. So my interpretation is that they work the same. But GW ones are easier on the eyes.
_brian_
Well-known member
I sort of wondered the same... that they produce a product, sort them by resulting quality and brand them accordingly. I know Crescent is also involved in that sharing (what ever it is) and I wonder about Husky, at least for the products supplied by this Apex Tool cloud.
_brian_
Well-known member
Very valid point, but possible. I might assume something like how agriculture is sorted, you can sort thousands of potatoes in minutes with those high speed conveyor belts and scanners. Not sure how it works though.
The option is there that the SATA and Gearwrench branded product is the same too, differing only in the stamping. I have an inner ethics that does not want to believe this though, meaning that there is literally no justification for the price difference between the brands.
I do not have an exact equiv tool to compare. The ratchets I pictured above is the best I can do. The Husky and SATA are almost the same, but the Gearwrench is a long handle and flex head. From what I can see though, I would not dispute someone telling me they are the same product though. Remove the brand stamping and the slight handle design difference, I would believe it is the same product.
It is entirely possible if Apex uses the new forging tools for GW and uses the forging tools near end of life for SATA. I have seen it by my own eyes. SATA branded sockets are not as nice as GW.
_brian_
Well-known member
Yes, you are correct. The age varies about 2 years. Husky purchased first, GW second and SATA third. That is just the best comparison I can provide with the tools I own.
That could also be the case. I have not found anything concrete to show the true relationship. It can be added that we know Gearwrench sockets are made, at least some of them, in the same factory as Pittsburgh, as seen in a recent production mishap. Not stating this means they are the same, but if the mishap happened, they must come out of the same facility at least.
I know for fact the GW ratcheting wrenches are China, I do not have facts to support anything else. I rely on the packaging of the product vs online as you never know if the info is current or not. I believe that as you state, SATA is all China, the SATA facilities as stated on the company site. All I know for sure on GW is that the shift from Taiwan to China has been gradual and ongoing, so the current status I do not know.
On a slightly different comparison, I can add this. I have some new Astro nano ratchets. When I compare them to my Gearwrench, SATA and Husky ratchets, the Astro blows them away, especially in the ratcheting mechanism. It is far smoother. Astro is Taiwan made. The GW ratchet I have states Taiwan online, but the ratcheting mechanism quality is lesser than Astro. Not sure if that helps, but that is my experience with them. The GW and SATA seem rougher than the Husky too, but this could also be a variance in the manufacturing process too. A product today will be slightly different than a product next month from the same line.
The SATA 5 piece tap wrench set was manufactured in Tawain that I received 3-4 months ago. I have since given it away when I got the Gearwrench tap and die set that included the Gearwrench branded items. When I had both side by side I could detect no differences except for the laser etching.
webscrounger
Well-known member
I have a SATA 1/2" torque wrench. It's really a nice tool with a Newton scale and stamped Made in USA on the head and handle. The brochure is in Japanese or Chinese or whatever except for the cover which states Danaher Tool Group so I can't determine if it was made here for export or not.
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snickers muncher
Well-known member
I got a set of the xl handle ones just a few weeks ago. Made in Taiwan.
I do have a set of spline that were a Napa special a few years ago that were made in China. Those are ****.
bwringer
Well-known member
I like SATA a lot better than IDE, and we won't even discuss the nightmare that was SCSI.
Oh, wait...
Oh, wait...
_brian_
Well-known member
Looks like you got lucky. I have some of the old Taiwan made Gearwrench ratcheting wrenches. They are great. Slimmer beam and both heads, open and boxed ratcheting. It is also possible that the XL and other variations are still Taiwan. The wrenches I have and refer to are the standard ratcheting wrenches. They have been China for a few years now.
I also have a metric only set of the long 12 point double box wrenches. Those are China as well. I got those approx 2 years ago I believe.
_brian_
Well-known member
How old is that wrench? SATA is no longer associated with Danaher since 2012 I think.
Ole Slewfoot
Well-known member
I think gearwrench has beed around long enough they are capitalizing on the brand name to sell in a more premium market, using sata to catch the lower end, possibly with the same tools.
I'm having to replace some of my pass through sockets I got when they were pretty new on the market, and they are charging about 2x more for less than half the kit.
I'm having to replace some of my pass through sockets I got when they were pretty new on the market, and they are charging about 2x more for less than half the kit.
_brian_
Well-known member
I have an old original GearRatchet set, I think the same as mentioned, the pass thru style. It is quite nice and the quality is far better than what is there today. After trying out the SATA ratchets, I can honestly say I see no value to Gearwrench, but I do not have many ratchets to compare for that decision.
- I have a few GW 6 and 12 pt sockets (no sets though). They are ok, no complaints.
- Old Taiwan small set metric ratcheting wrenches, those are great tools, top quality.
- The GearRatchet branded pass through set - great quality, never had any issues.
- The newer China ratcheting wrenches, regular and stubby - basically junk at the price I paid. I would trade them for a different brand and take the cost difference back without question. They are full of manufacturing defects (3-4 sent back to Apex already) and just a poor quality tool.
- Long handle double box ratcheting metric set - nice tools, but I would not buy them again at that price.
- 1/4 drive flex head long handle ratchet - poor quality, the flex head does not position itself straight, but a bit off, which *****. Just poor manufacturing quality, would not buy again.
- Husky 1/4 drive ratchet (pictured above) - I would buy this again, no question. smoother ratcheting than the Gearwrench and the SATA, price paid ~$10.
- Serpentine service set, pickle fork set, oil filter socket set - all good quality and work very well.
- Tamper Torx bit socket set - good tools, but they rusted within a month of being in my box, even coated with a light mist of ATF. This is worth noting as I have bit sockets from ARES, Craftsman, Genius, OEMTools and a few random individuals and none of these have rusted being in the same conditions.
- SATA ratchet set (3 piece mentioned here) - I would buy this again. The ratcheting was a bit rough at first, but exactly the same as I experienced with the Gearwrench ratchet. With a little use, it smoothed out. I have no issues and would buy them again.
As it relates to OPs question, although my SATA experience is very limited, I would be a fan of SATA over Gearwrench, considering that the SATA satisfaction rate is 100% while Gearwrench (modern) is just poor and expensive. That is my opinion. The warranty for Gearwrench and SATA is the same, the number to call on the websites is the same and even the forms for warranty are the same. Given that SATA comes in at a better price, I would bet on SATA over Gearwrench without hesitation. After sending back to Apex wrenches for poor manufacture quality, there is no expectation of a better quality for the price. I would still give Gearwrench a fair shot, but I will not buy any Gearwrench ratcheting wrenches anymore, there is just no value to me. I have about 40 or so of them which each and every single one supports that opinion. Lifetime warranty, yes, but you cannot warranty junk unless there is a clear form of a defect, such as the ones I sent back for not being straight for example.
- I have a few GW 6 and 12 pt sockets (no sets though). They are ok, no complaints.
- Old Taiwan small set metric ratcheting wrenches, those are great tools, top quality.
- The GearRatchet branded pass through set - great quality, never had any issues.
- The newer China ratcheting wrenches, regular and stubby - basically junk at the price I paid. I would trade them for a different brand and take the cost difference back without question. They are full of manufacturing defects (3-4 sent back to Apex already) and just a poor quality tool.
- Long handle double box ratcheting metric set - nice tools, but I would not buy them again at that price.
- 1/4 drive flex head long handle ratchet - poor quality, the flex head does not position itself straight, but a bit off, which *****. Just poor manufacturing quality, would not buy again.
- Husky 1/4 drive ratchet (pictured above) - I would buy this again, no question. smoother ratcheting than the Gearwrench and the SATA, price paid ~$10.
- Serpentine service set, pickle fork set, oil filter socket set - all good quality and work very well.
- Tamper Torx bit socket set - good tools, but they rusted within a month of being in my box, even coated with a light mist of ATF. This is worth noting as I have bit sockets from ARES, Craftsman, Genius, OEMTools and a few random individuals and none of these have rusted being in the same conditions.
- SATA ratchet set (3 piece mentioned here) - I would buy this again. The ratcheting was a bit rough at first, but exactly the same as I experienced with the Gearwrench ratchet. With a little use, it smoothed out. I have no issues and would buy them again.
As it relates to OPs question, although my SATA experience is very limited, I would be a fan of SATA over Gearwrench, considering that the SATA satisfaction rate is 100% while Gearwrench (modern) is just poor and expensive. That is my opinion. The warranty for Gearwrench and SATA is the same, the number to call on the websites is the same and even the forms for warranty are the same. Given that SATA comes in at a better price, I would bet on SATA over Gearwrench without hesitation. After sending back to Apex wrenches for poor manufacture quality, there is no expectation of a better quality for the price. I would still give Gearwrench a fair shot, but I will not buy any Gearwrench ratcheting wrenches anymore, there is just no value to me. I have about 40 or so of them which each and every single one supports that opinion. Lifetime warranty, yes, but you cannot warranty junk unless there is a clear form of a defect, such as the ones I sent back for not being straight for example.
Josh the IH guy
Well-known member
I've got the 3 piece ratchet set. They are pretty nice. They are heavier than my SK and Proto stuff, but I do not regret buying them. They feel better in my hand than my craftsman or husky ratchets. I have looked at other tools from them, and I've definitely considered buying some. They had a price jump a while back, along with everything else, and that turned me off a bit. So now I'll wait for a sale....
_brian_
Well-known member
Having used the 3 piece SATA ratchets for a while now, I wanted to update my experience. The quality is there, but these are not a top quality ratchet. The mechanism is not a tight fit, there is a fair amount of wobble. I do not really find this gets in the way of its functionality, but it is absolutely noticeable. I have not experienced the ratcheting mechanism skip, reverse direction or otherwise fail during use. They are fairly low profile, so they are able to at least get into most all places vs some that are bulky in the head.
For the under $30 price tag on Amazon though, this is still more than expected. I would not buy these as ratchets I would want to use as my primary ratchets, even as a DIYer. I can appreciate these for ratchets I use when I need to introduce a cheaper pipe, hammer or other form of use I would not want to expose my good ratchets to.
For the under $30 price tag on Amazon though, this is still more than expected. I would not buy these as ratchets I would want to use as my primary ratchets, even as a DIYer. I can appreciate these for ratchets I use when I need to introduce a cheaper pipe, hammer or other form of use I would not want to expose my good ratchets to.
Shootinok
Well-known member
I bought a SATA set to replace the GW set I had in my work truck after laborers lost most of the sockets. Several months now and I’m still of the same opinion as day one.
I like the sockets a lot. The ratchet leaves a bit to be desired as it feels a little sloppy. Lubricant definitely helped this initially. Hard to beat the price point, and a really good truck set, however, they will not find their way into my tool drawers in the shop.
I like the sockets a lot. The ratchet leaves a bit to be desired as it feels a little sloppy. Lubricant definitely helped this initially. Hard to beat the price point, and a really good truck set, however, they will not find their way into my tool drawers in the shop.
_brian_
Well-known member
I am glad I am not the only one who found the sloppy mechanism, I actually started to think maybe I received an anomaly. It almost seems as though the gear mechanism is a bit too small and does not properly fill the ratchet opening for it. I used super lube with mine, and while I understand that a finer tooth ratchet should be lubricated with oil vs grease, I have never experienced problems with the super lube grease.
100% agree with your assessment, although for me, my opinion changed to match yours after a bit of use, the slop ended up being more than I had initially experienced and thought. I do not regret the purchase at the $30 price though, still.
upgrading
Well-known member
3 pc Ratchet set down to $24.15 today
whateg01
Well-known member
SATA is far superior to IDE!
_brian_
Well-known member
I wanted to provide another update, in reference to the SATA 3 piece 72 tooth ratchet set I mentioned above. Having used them for a few more jobs, I have to say they look better than they actually work. The slop is crazy with some sockets. Example, with a Blue-Point 5/8 socket, 1/4 drive socket and ratchet, the socket wiggles around about 1/2 as much as a wobble extension and socket. It is crazy. I will see if I can find a way to provide video here, I have a few ideas that should work.
Looks are absolutely deceiving here. The ratchets do work and I am not sure exactly how much functionality is lost by this slop, but it is there. I can say that the tolerance slop with the fit of the insides and the housing causes excess and abnormal wear when the ratchet is used while the anvil is under non straight pressure, meaning that the anvil is getting pulled off center while it is ratcheting. You can hear and feel the binding and in some cases the gear "jumping" a bit inside the ratchet. At first look and initial use, all seems just fine. But once you use them a bit more, the usage conditions change and these issues become more obvious.
Overall, I still do not regret the purchase, $30 for the three. I agree with @Shootinok above, these are not going to take the top ratchet spot by any means. These will not go in my main box either. They have a spot on the top of my roll cart where, which they get due to price and warranty for when these fail for some reason at some point. If you are in need of good or decent ratchets for your first or second set, I would avoid these. I have a drawer of ratchets in my box, so these are not my first, second, third or even forth ratchet of this size/style/type. I ordered these as beaters that I would not care about, so for me, I am still ok with them.
Hope that might help someone in making a buying decision.
Looks are absolutely deceiving here. The ratchets do work and I am not sure exactly how much functionality is lost by this slop, but it is there. I can say that the tolerance slop with the fit of the insides and the housing causes excess and abnormal wear when the ratchet is used while the anvil is under non straight pressure, meaning that the anvil is getting pulled off center while it is ratcheting. You can hear and feel the binding and in some cases the gear "jumping" a bit inside the ratchet. At first look and initial use, all seems just fine. But once you use them a bit more, the usage conditions change and these issues become more obvious.
Overall, I still do not regret the purchase, $30 for the three. I agree with @Shootinok above, these are not going to take the top ratchet spot by any means. These will not go in my main box either. They have a spot on the top of my roll cart where, which they get due to price and warranty for when these fail for some reason at some point. If you are in need of good or decent ratchets for your first or second set, I would avoid these. I have a drawer of ratchets in my box, so these are not my first, second, third or even forth ratchet of this size/style/type. I ordered these as beaters that I would not care about, so for me, I am still ok with them.
Hope that might help someone in making a buying decision.