Blue-Point & Williams Ratchet Upgrades Needed

[BrandoJames]

It seems that Snap-on is ignoring their Blue-Point and Williams ratchet line. As far as I know, neither line has a fine tooth flex ratchet. Williams has the 72 tooth fixed head ratchets (B-52A/S-52A). All the Blue-Point ratchets appear to be coarse tooth.

With the Blue-Point & Williams line, there’s opportunity for Snap-on to tap into the DIY “mid-line” range of ratchets with some new fine tooth flex ratchets. Right now, most of the ratchets for both lines seem quite dated.

 

[2ndGearRubber]

IMO the gearwrench 84 is that very mechanism, for the mix/match your tools group. IMO the only crappy thing about the 84 is the locking flex head has no detent ball, so it can just flop around if the selector is off. Has to be locked on my 1/4, or the head tension won't let you wiggle it onto a bolt, it just pushes the head back.


Williams (and to a lesser extent blue-point) isn't really marketed as a do everything line. To me it's pretty clear neither could really stand as a single brand of tools in a box; ie only that brand, nothing else allowed. AFAIK they don't make universal socket in metric chrome or impact. Nothing wrong with the tools, I have plenty of both.

 

[65k10]

The funny thing is while you cannot buy a flex head ratchet in the Blue-Point of Williams Taiwan line, a flex head ratchet appears to be available under the tools they brand for Case IH. At the very least it looks like the 38 tooth Williams ratchet I have. https://www.fastline.com/miscellane...illinois/9171dc48-950d-4bf5-9759-c8119db0bf11

 

[2ndGearRubber]

Actually, Williams does have chrome universal metrics. I have a set for sale in the classifieds right now:

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=434543

OP, I think that they're not out looking for the target market you're thinking of. They mostly target Williams as an industrial brand, and Blue-point as a lower cost line for mechanics buying off the truck. Pretty much their mode of operation is to use older Snap-on designs, so as not to compete with their newer, higher priced Snap-on offerings.

Industrial mechanics and the corporate managers that buy their tools for them aren't out there looking for fine tooth leading edge tools like amateur garage journal mechanics are.

I stand corrected on the universals, thanks.


I bolded what seems like Williams/blue-points operating principle.

 

[Professional Tool User]

Snap on doesn't have much incentive to introduce fine tooth flex head ratchets. Williams is an industrial brand so using superseded Snap on coarse tooth flex head ratchet designs will do. Blue point's main purpose is to target the tool dollars of the who don't want to pay Snap on prices so at least they are still buying off the truck. They don't want to do too good of a job with their second line of tools or else their top line of tools with get cannibalized.

 

[Zewnten]

Deleted

 

[BrandoJames]

Is this going to be another troll post like the Snap On impact thread you started?

What Snap-on impact thread did I start? I think you have me confused with someone else.

 

[seanb02]

Another way to look at this is there's no additional upgrade to Williams and Blue-point needed, the OP just overlooked that the upgrade to Williams and Blue-point is Snap-on, who makes some of the best fine tooth ratchets available. Made and available from the same company, and in the case of Blue-point, the same truck.

^^^ This.

And to add on, if you don't need Snap-on quality and tool truck service, then you can quite easily find tools of equal quality and cheaper price than that of Blue-point and Williams. With that being said I do buy Blue-point at times for certain items, because the service is there for me, and that service is why brands are so important for a professional but massively overpriced for a DIY guy.

 

[Zewnten]

What Snap-on impact thread did I start? I think you have me confused with someone else.

Yes I did confuse it, sorry. My apologies.

 

[Zewnten]

I think Williams, usually rebranded as Bluepoint, is aimed at industrial guys and it's been my experience that they don't overly care if a ratchet works in a tight area or how fast it works, hourly vs flat rate.

 

[The Fall]

I think Williams, usually rebranded as Bluepoint, is aimed at industrial guys and it's been my experience that they don't overly care if a ratchet works in a tight area or how fast it works, hourly vs flat rate.

I think it's arc swing and strength. Coarse-tooth ratchets are just as good as the fine-tooth stuff unless you're in tight quarters and it's a pain engaging the next tooth. It's not time. It's annoyance. My 1/2" drive ratchets are Williams and Proto -- the rest are fine-tooth Snap-on and SK ratchets (40 tooth and I think 60 on the 1/4" drive -- could be wrong on that one).

 

[Tallpilot]

I think Williams, usually rebranded as Bluepoint, is aimed at industrial guys and it's been my experience that they don't overly care if a ratchet works in a tight area or how fast it works, hourly vs flat rate.

Correct. Also not everyone works in cramped engine bays.

Snap-on is very clearly targeted to mechanics. Williams is not.

 

[BrandoJames]

I understand why Snap-on wouldn’t want to make Blue-Point/Williams a lower cost competing brand. I think of Snap-on as the “tool truck line”, professional grade tools with a lifetime guarantee to replace or repair with on site service to shops across the country.

I always assumed Blue-Point & Williams were directed more at young techs and DIYers—a lower price point, out-sourced to Taiwan with no lifetime guarantee; sold mostly online or through tech schools. I may be wrong about how these tools are sold. But you’d think it's smarter corporate strategy to keep these tool lines up to date--even budget lines now have fine-tooth flex head ratchets.

 

[MattT]

Snap-on is very clearly targeted to mechanics.

Snap-on is targeted toward the industrial/gov't market. They make industrial finish tools and have industrial catalogs & price lists. Difference between Snap-on & the other industrial players is they limit access by only dealing directly with industrial accounts.

https://shop.snapon.com/product/FOD...-Handle-Foreign-Object-Damage-Ratchet/GF80FOD

Blue Point is a mechanics brand but there's not really any consistency on what it's used on. Some is a lower cost 2nd tier. Some stuff there isn't a better/spendier Snap-on equivalent.

Williams is a lower cost industrial line. Similar to the way Stanley uses Blackhawk under Proto.

 

[Downwindtracker 2]

J.H. Williams was an industrial brand, like Proto. Snap-on was for car mechanics. As America deindustialized , J.H. Williams went under and Snap-On picked it up.

 

[Wamsutta]

The Williams B-52A is an original JH Williams design from before Snap-on bought the company.


The Williams B-52EHA is a Snap-on designed ratchet derived from the Snap-on F936 ratchet. Same exact mechanism.





No comment about Blue-Point ratchets.

 

[The collector]

It seems that Snap-on is ignoring their Blue-Point and Williams ratchet line. As far as I know, neither line has a fine tooth flex ratchet. Williams has the 72 tooth fixed head ratchets (B-52A/S-52A). All the Blue-Point ratchets appear to be coarse tooth.

With the Blue-Point & Williams line, there’s opportunity for Snap-on to tap into the DIY “mid-line” range of ratchets with some new fine tooth flex ratchets. Right now, most of the ratchets for both lines seem quite dated.

They don't want to make a williams dual 80 because it will kill snap on lol

 

[Fedwrench]

They don't want to make a williams dual 80 because it will kill snap on lol

Then why do they offer a Bahco Dual 80?

 

[The collector]

Then why do they offer a Bahco Dual 80?

I tried getting a baco dual 80 the other day couldn't even get one in the usa

 

[jeepinerdeep]

I tried getting a baco dual 80 the other day couldn't even get one in the usa

I have not seen them back around in a number of years. Maybe 5. I have a 1/2 I got beforehand.

 

[KnurledNut]

Then why do they offer a Bahco Dual 80?

I tried getting a baco dual 80 the other day couldn't even get one in the usa

I have not seen them back around in a number of years. Maybe 5. I have a 1/2 I got beforehand.

There are six 1/4" in stock on Amazon as we speak.

 

[jeepinerdeep]

There are six 1/4" in stock on Amazon as we speak.

Well Damn. Still haven't seen any of the 3/8 or 1/2 around in a long time though.

 

[The collector]

Well Damn. Still haven't seen any of the 3/8 or 1/2 around in a long time though.

The 3/8 is 168$ on amazon and I've never seen a 1/2