brand new 3/8 c-man flex head ratchet

[yellowbox]

bought this at sears today for 20.99 needed a new one , sure beats tool truck price....well maybe not , the ************* is broken!!!!
havent even used it yet , the retaining ball is inside the 3/8 square piece moving around so it cannot hold socket in place.
now it aint the end of the world but now i have to drive 15 miles to exchange it then 15 miles home .
i am disappointed more than mad....quality on everything sure has gone down .
just this week alone i broke 3 snap on tools while they were being used properly yeah they were bout 4 yrs old but hey i wasnt abusing them , the one 15 mm impact socket split in 4 places the 18 mm in 3 places
ok time to jump off soap box..... is there a place online to get a decent 3/8 swivel head ratchet, for less than 50.00?

 

[Uncle Buck]

bought this at sears today for 20.99 needed a new one , sure beats tool truck price....well maybe not , the ************* is broken!!!!
havent even used it yet , the retaining ball is inside the 3/8 square piece moving around so it cannot hold socket in place.
now it aint the end of the world but now i have to drive 15 miles to exchange it then 15 miles home .
i am disappointed more than mad....quality on everything sure has gone down .
just this week alone i broke 3 snap on tools while they were being used properly yeah they were bout 4 yrs old but hey i wasnt abusing them , the one 15 mm impact socket split in 4 places the 18 mm in 3 places
ok time to jump off soap box..... is there a place online to get a decent 3/8 swivel head ratchet, for less than 50.00?

If you mean a roto head, get ya an SK, or even a HF, both are nice.

 

[wrenchr]

If you mean a roto head, get ya an SK, or even a HF, both are nice.

Those HF ones are very nice, I was there tonight stocking up on rags and stuff and I was peeping them out!!

 

[Fedwrench]

I'd look at Gearwrench, SK, Armstrong, for starters.

http://www.tooltopia.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=6123

http://www.tooltopia.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=42681

http://www.tooltopia.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=6129

http://www.tooltopia.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=36971

http://www.tooltopia.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=25217

http://www.tooltopia.com/index.asp?PageAction=VIEWPROD&ProdID=6125

Don't forget about Ebay possibilities and perhaps give sears another shot.

 

[Itzkwik]

is there a place online to get a decent 3/8 swivel head ratchet, for less than 50.00?

Try Mike at WrenHandtools on this site. Don't have any yet, but the folks on this board that have tried them seem to like TopTul http://www.wrenhandtools.com/

 

[Nova72]

mike doesnt have any of the roto-head rathets in yet. should have some in a few weeks though.

 

[FuriousGeorge]

I just got a 1/2" roto head ratchet from Mike tonight. Haven't had a chance to use it yet, but it feels really nice just from playing with it briefly. He was out of 1/4 and 3/8, but will be getting more in soon.

 

[eschoendorff]

Those HF ones are very nice, I was there tonight stocking up on rags and stuff and I was peeping them out!!

Kobalt also has on of those rotating ratchets that everyone now sells...

 

[Merkava_4]

This whole thread is a set up to get me bashing Craftsman ratchets right? Well, I'm not gonna do it, I'm not gonna say one word about Craftsman ratchets, I'm not falling for that trick this time. You guys must think I'm stupid.

 

[bchee]

Kobalt also has on of those rotating ratchets that everyone now sells...

hey where did you see that? Remember someone had one for sale on ebay a LONG time ago? Every time I went to Lowe's I never saw one. It was in this thread
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=322732

 

[bchee]

bought this at sears today for 20.99 needed a new one , sure beats tool truck price....well maybe not , the ************* is broken!!!!
havent even used it yet

Are you going to return it, or exchange it? I'm sure it would be rare to find another one with a defective detent ball, so I would just exchange it and give the Craftsman a fair trial.

 

[64merc]

hey where did you see that? Remember someone had one for sale on ebay a LONG time ago? Every time I went to Lowe's I never saw one. It was in this thread
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=322732

yes, yes, do tell.....you weren't going by the ebay listing were you??

 

[autoace]

Are you going to return it, or exchange it? I'm sure it would be rare to find another one with a defective detent ball, so I would just exchange it and give the Craftsman a fair trial.

+1
I have had the 3/8 drive, flex head from Craftsman for years, and somehow always use it, I must like it. Get another one, mine has been great.

 

[yellowbox]

Are you going to return it, or exchange it? I'm sure it would be rare to find another one with a defective detent ball, so I would just exchange it and give the Craftsman a fair trial.

yeah.....ill exchange it , just wish my luck was the good kind and not the bad
there were 3 ratchets on the display peg and i pick the BROKEN one , and yes i thought the same thing... i have never ever seen a defective detent ball before

 

[Fedwrench]

Things happen. I'm glad you're giving Sears a chance to make it right. I hope they don't screw it up. There are lots of other choices out there but, Craftsman is usually better than that.

 

[eschoendorff]

hey where did you see that? Remember someone had one for sale on ebay a LONG time ago? Every time I went to Lowe's I never saw one. It was in this thread
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=322732

I was at Lowes last night and saw that the had the ratchets in 3/8 and 1/4 drive. DEAD RINGERS for Snap On except for the cheesy blue Kobalt comfort handle. The ratchets were on an aisle end cap by the Kobalt-branded gearwrench stuff.

The 3/8 retails at $30.**. I paid about $100 for my Snap On (IIRC). Even the direction shifter looks the same....

 

[Merkava_4]

Alright, you guys are forcing me to do it....

Craftsman ratchets are frikking **** garbage!! An embarrassment to our American industrial heritage!!

Oh what a relief that was.......I feel like I just shot a wad.

 

[zuspiel]

If you decide to replace it, I'd get a SK roto-head 43875. Before I got mine, I posted a question about it in this thread.

Have had it for a few months now and am extremely happy with it. You should be able to get it for less then $50.

 

[wrenchr]

Alright, you guys are forcing me to do it....

Craftsman ratchets are frikking **** garbage!! An embarrassment to our American industrial heritage!!

Oh what a relief that was.......I feel like I just shot a wad.

That was very grose dude!!!

 

[Crasen]

I saw the Kobalt roto head ratchets at Lowes as well last weekend. It did look nice but the handle did not feel right to me. It was pretty smooth though. There were none in stock only on display so I did not get to see a country of origin.

 

[autoace]

Alright, you guys are forcing me to do it....

Craftsman ratchets are frikking **** garbage!! An embarrassment to our American industrial heritage!!

Oh what a relief that was.......I feel like I just shot a wad.

The next generation, fine tooth ones are not bad.

 

[Crasen]

The next generation, fine tooth ones are not bad.

I wonder if Sears will ever sell the thin profile fine tooth ratchets in other configurations? Flex head, stubby, long handle, indexing it's just too bad they only have the basic ratchet for each drive size.

 

[autoace]

Merkava, the next generation ones clean easy! You should like that.

 

[a390st]

The flex version of the round head fine tooth ratchet is good. If you want to bash the junk teardrop or whatever they call it ratchet, feel free, but the rhft ratchet isn't something you should run down. If you order one of those from Sears.com you would like the ratchet a lot better than the one you bought. KD also sells that ratchet but with a better handle, but I'm not sure that the 3/8 flex doesn't have fewer teeth than the Craftsman. The catalogue says the 1/2 fatchets and the standard 3/8 are the same as the CMan, but the 3/8 flex is different.

 

[Crasen]

The flex version of the round head fine tooth ratchet is good. If you want to bash the junk teardrop or whatever they call it ratchet, feel free, but the rhft ratchet isn't something you should run down. If you order one of those from Sears.com you would like the ratchet a lot better than the one you bought. KD also sells that ratchet but with a better handle, but I'm not sure that the 3/8 flex doesn't have fewer teeth than the Craftsman. The catalogue says the 1/2 fatchets and the standard 3/8 are the same as the CMan, but the 3/8 flex is different.

The craftsman catalog lists the regular handle as up to 45 teeth and the flex handle as 41 teeth. The regular handle has a 1/4 in drive and the flex does not. They do not have different descriptions for each drive size so that could explain the difference the 1/4 inch ratchet may have 45 teeth. You wouldn't think they would make the 3/8 round head different that the flex round head, or maybe it is.

 

[oldtools]

I have alot of bad luck with Crapman lately. I always check their tools carefully before buying them now. Not only are their quality going downhill, but there are also alot of defective tools. I was about to pay for a 3/8 breaker bar when I take a closer look and found a large crack on the square head (at the ridge that control the angle of the head) that run all the way down to pin. I always check their chrome plating for flaking before buying (they have alot of flaking lately). I bought their low profile 4 tons jack ($150) and used it 4 times and it ain't working no more. I could not find my receipt, so they will not replace it. They said they will fix it for a fee.

 

[yellowbox]

Alright, you guys are forcing me to do it....

Craftsman ratchets are frikking **** garbage!! An embarrassment to our American industrial heritage!!

Oh what a relief that was.......I feel like I just shot a wad.

i knew you coulnt hold out forever....ha ha ha

 

[kartracer55]

Maybe I'm a freak, but I pulled of the cylinder head on a CBR600 engine using nothing more than a regular length craftsman 3/8 ratchet earlier in the week.

I figured I'd counteract all this craftsman bashing =]

 

[Fedwrench]

Craftsman ratchets are the ones people seem to love to hate these days. However, think about all of the **** in this country that has been built and fixed with Craftsman ratchets over the last 80 or so years. Yeah, they're not perfect but, few things in life are.

 

[billymade]

Its "Crapsman", not "Crapman"! LOL! Sorry, couldn't resist!

 

[janarvae]

I HATE my 3/8" teardrop Cman, I LOVE my thin-profile next gen 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2" Cman ratchets!! I bought a flex-head 1/2" 2ft long breaker bar recently whose pin kept falling out! The new one doesn't have the same problem. I'm also glad you're giving them another try.

 

[oldtools]

It is just their (Crapsman) new tools that are bad. I also have their older tools and the quality is excellent for the price. I am just so disappointed with their new tools. I would like to continue buying from them, but if their quality keep going downhill, I may have to buy from somebody else (or I may have to buy their older tools from swap meet or flee market).