Bahcoswed your post got me thinking. I thought at first yeah right another kool aide hater. Then I thought let me check them out. I took a flank drive plus ratchet wrench and compared it to a solid beam, not ruvriveted plate craftsman. The professional thin beam not the sandcast type ratchet wrench. The craftsman are us made got them almost twenty years ago, I think they had just come out with that style. Both sets are reversible. Snapon 80 tooth, craftsman 72. Also compared to a blue point flex stubby, reversible. The mechansim for the blue point and the snapon were the same tooth count and back lash behavior. The bp ans so are machined a little different where the box goes into the bar. The bp has a retaining spring, where the so does not, (there is a better term for retaining spring but I can't think of it right now.
Anyway, I took a fine tip marker, with a piece of paper, putting the marker (fine point sharpie, thin like a regular pen) along the beam. The marks showed that although the snappy has more teeth smoother movement, and less drag in both directions, it required much more movement to click the ratchet and even worse when when going back the opposite way it took about about 2/3 more movement to reengage the next tooth. The craftsman needed less angle to click the first tooth and once it clicked there was no play/ loose tolerance to beginto engage the next tooth.
The craftsman use less stroke and have better feel, but do have more drag. Sizes of the box end were amazing very close. The open ends have the snappys a bit thicker. I have had times where the craftsman fit where the snapon did not. I have also had the open end spread on the craftsman where I did not on the snapon.
The snapons feel smoother, but require more movement to function, and also have less drag. They feel more sloppy require much more movement. I was surprised and disappointed. The craftsman feel very tight and solid with engagment of teeth, as soon as it clicks it is ready to go back and grab the next tooth. The snap-ons are very sloppy in this comparison. The blue point was the same.
I wonder how precise the movement is in some of the other brands are. I found that the craftsmans were better for a tight space. I had my eye on a mac/proto design with a nice portable rack, I may check those out to compare.
I would think the craftsman design has changed several times as these are old. Very interesting.
Jh williams stubbys and wurth zebra are the brands! But the mechanism is very smooth and soft!