I agree with you that my preferences are colored by where I live.
Fair enough.
Where Gedore, Toptul, Koken, etc are common and a person can get them easily, see them, try them out; most people will prefer and use those in preference to something that they may have a hard time getting.
I'm not sure why. There's no reason to have tunnel vision when there's a globe of product out there. What if, for example, a French person likes shiny and does not like Facom for whatever reason? That person may well seek out an American or Japanese ratchet, as German companies don't do shiny.
My bottom line is that geographic tunnel vision precludes any reasoned discussion of relative quality (i.e. "best"). Geographic tunnel vision limits the discussion to "what a given person is willing to settle for."
I haven't personally seen or used the Facom Proto ratchets, so have no knowledge base to compare them. I guess, based on your internet review as "too shiny", I should reject them,
I would not say reject it. It's a good tool and standout value at current prices. While its flex head mechanism is simplistic and less effective than Gedore's, you can at least tighten the screw and get it to more-or-less stay in place in any position. That said, my most used 1/4" drive ratchet is actually a...Felo. Yes, the screwdriver company.
As you can see above has their "Ergonic" screwdriver handle, which I really like. Its 72-tooth mechanism (presumably outsourced) is slightly smoother than the 1/4" drive Facom, which is itself a step smoother than my 1/4" drive Toptul flex head. Backdrag is comparable to my stubby 1/4" drive Koken, which rarely gets used because the handle isn't very comfortable. The Felo ratchet with a Gedore GU-3 flex style head mechanism is my idea of "the best" 1/4" drive ratchet for me. Alas, Felo only sells this one, and Gedore only offers 3/8" drive and 1/2" drive flex head ratchets.
BTW, I like shiny over the matte chrome on tools... I guess that's why manufacturers make both.
They do? Do you have examples? Generally I've seen shiny ratchets from the American companies, Japanese companies, Southwestern European companies, and Asian companies focused on the US. By contrast, I've generally seen matte ratchets from Northwestern European companies and Asian companies focused on the EU.
I want to order an "import" ratchet. Snap-on doesn't make it, but Koken does, and it looks a lot like the Snap-on ones in other sizes. It's a 2774P-5/16HF.
Call or email an English-speaking distributor I guess. Can't help you on warranty, because honestly I think it's a little gauche to "warranty" a product because one wore it out. The trucks build it into the price so I guess that's OK with their products.
You just cost me money, I mean helped me find a tool I've been looking for.
A few months ago I found a situation where a flex head bit ratchet would've been really useful. But in searching the only one I found was this Facom (also sold as USAG).
That one appears to have the same mushy, wobbly mechanism as my Wera bit ratchet. I was loathe to spend 80 bucks on it, so I didn't. It never occurred to me that Koken makes bit ratchets, but your post prompted me to find, and order, this:
http://www.kokenusa.com/products/model/623
Thank you! I'll do an internet review of it after it arrives and I've used it a few times
.Best locking flex. Matco (Only design that can be unlocked and used as a standard flex.)
Gedore's can, too. The locking mechanism is a dial, not a button.
Sorry, but the only other notable country I ignored was Germany, and that's because their ratchets are junk. They're just finally playing catch-up 15 years later by leaving the era of clunky 30 tooth and 20tooth mechanisms.
I can't tell if that's provincialism or willful ignorance. Every German ratchet maker of note has 60+ tooth ratchets available. Even the small makers, such as Elora, have finer tooth ratchets. And they all have for quite a while.
The Gedore 1993 GU-3 I posted above is a 72-tooth ratchet. The design is over 7 years old, because I bought mine about that look ago.
In the $50 / ratchet price range, what's the best bet?
The one that's caught my eye are the Proto Flex Head series (J5257F)
I'd go with your instinct. The "FUP" ratchets are a really good value at current pricing. ("FUP" - Facom-designed, USAG-made, Proto-branded). They are cheaper than the Gearwrench equivalents!
Someone else recommended the Proto 45-tooth with two knurled rings. I have one of those in 3/8" drive. It feels crude and clunky compared to the FUP, and the finish quality is inferior, yet as a standalone part it costs more! (Mine came in a socket set.) Zoro should have a coupon going right now to make the FUP flex heads an even better deal.
