Craftsman Professional Ratchets

[Aberdale]

I just purchased the 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2" set of the Craftsman Professional low profile ratchets. After using them a few times, I'm finding that the 1/4" ratchet jams and reverses direction fairly frequently. The 3/8" has done it once so far. Is this a common problem, or did I just get bad ones?

I disassembled the gear head on the 1/4", but couldn't find anything noticeably wrong. After reassembling I thought it worked better for a while, but maybe I was just wishful thinking.

Has anyone had the same experience, and been able to correct it? Do they wear in with additional use?

Dale

 

[Hiball]

Ive read many reviews with problems similar to yours, Might help to search to see if you can find a Solution.

Good Luck

 

[pipsters]

Are these the thin profiles or the pros? I believe the pros are just fancier raised panel guts. The thin profiles are good - you shouldn't be having any issues what so ever. They are very similar in design to the premium ratchets. Also out of curiosity what is the code stamped on the handle? KZ or KAA?

 

[powertrip]

Have you cleaned them out and lubed them? Brake cleaner works good to clean them. If they are 60 tooth or higher i wouldnt use a heavy grease to lube them with. Super lube or a type of thick oil to lube the. Just do a search to find the best lube. This might fix your problem. It did mine.

 

[billymade]

Seems people have returned and gotten new ones; problem was solved that way... I don't know if anyone has tried getting them rebuilt or if the stores are stocking rebuild kits. Anyone have theirs rebuilt?
Most of these ratchets that arn't stocked in the store; you will need to have associate call the tool catalog to order them for you, they will give you a order number (make sure you get this) and they should be shipped to you in 11 to 14 business days. This also depends on if they are in stock. Good luck!

 

[boro_boy70]

Are these the thin profiles or the pros? I believe the pros are just fancier raised panel guts. The thin profiles are good - you shouldn't be having any issues what so ever. They are very similar in design to the premium ratchets.

If they are like the premium ratchets, (and Matco 88, Gearwrench 60 tooth) design. Make sure you don't have alot of lube in them. This will cause them to auto reverse/lock up. When I first bought my premium ratchet, I lubed it up with RLL, and it locked up and auto reversed. Took it back apart, cleaned it, and used just a couple of drops of 10w30 oil. It works great now.

 

[porphyre]

Are these the thin profiles or the pros? I believe the pros are just fancier raised panel guts. The thin profiles are good - you shouldn't be having any issues what so ever. They are very similar in design to the premium ratchets. Also out of curiosity what is the code stamped on the handle? KZ or KAA?

The Premium 84-tooths have as much in common with the Craftsman Raised Panel ratchets as a Snap-on Dual80 does. boro_boy70 got it - they're a variation of the Matco-88. There's a thread around, somebody actually put Matco-88 guts in the CMan-84 and used it.

 

[Unearthed]

Go with a light lube, and try streching the spring a tad. Too light on the tension will let this design of ratchet self reverse.

 

[powertrip]

All of this advice is great but it is unclear which ratchet the OP really has. Premium 84T, thin profile 60T or fully polished 36T.

 

[Aberdale]

Thanks for the comments. Sorry I wasn't clear on the ratchet model.
They're this style:

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00925479000P?prdNo=12&blockNo=12&blockType=G12

All of this advice is great but it is unclear which ratchet the OP really has. Premium 84T, thin profile 60T or fully polished 36T.

They're the premium 84T thin profiles. Craftsman ran an online special for all three ratchets for $119.95 that expired Oct 20. I have not lubed or cleaned any of them. They all have the factory lube, I just took the 1/4" apart to see if there was anything obviously wrong.

Also out of curiosity what is the code stamped on the handle? KZ or KAA?

I'll check the next time I look at them to see what the code on the handle is.

Go with a light lube, and try streching the spring a tad. Too light on the tension will let this design of ratchet self reverse.

Stretching the spring slightly makes sense. There doesn't seem to be much tension on the reversing pawl. I might try that first before I return it for a new one.

Dale

 

[pipsters]

The Premium 84-tooths have as much in common with the Craftsman Raised Panel ratchets as a Snap-on Dual80 does. boro_boy70 got it - they're a variation of the Matco-88. There's a thread around, somebody actually put Matco-88 guts in the CMan-84 and used it.

Re-read it again. I was comparing the thin profile to the premiums.

Look at the inside of the ratchet. They are very similar inside as far as the mechanism to switch it back and forth and the pawl design. Pretty good as I picked up the thin profile 3 pc set for only $55.

Craftsman 84T (stolen from Google search)

Compare to the Craftsman Thin profile (3/8")

They are very similar. Same type of pawl design, same little ****** with spring, even the same on/off switch.

Now here is the raised panel:

Obviously completely different.

 

[powertrip]

On the 84t premium i would not use grease. Grease caused mine to have the same problems. Clean it good then use a very small amount of oil.

 

[Skin]

take them apart and clean them thoroughly, apply 1-2 drops of a light oil. If this doesnt solve your problem exchange them.

 

[Aberdale]

FYI, I stretched the springs a bit as suggested by unearthed. So far so good. They are working much better. The factory lube is pretty light, so I didn't bother cleaning and re-lubing.

If anyone else has problems with their ratchets, stretching the spring does make a big difference.

Dale

 

[osborn.ozzy]

Re-read it again. I was comparing the thin profile to the premiums.

Look at the inside of the ratchet. They are very similar inside as far as the mechanism to switch it back and forth and the pawl design. Pretty good as I picked up the thin profile 3 pc set for only $55.

Craftsman 84T (stolen from Google search)

Compare to the Craftsman Thin profile (3/8")

They are very similar. Same type of pawl design, same little ****** with spring, even the same on/off switch.

Now here is the raised panel:

Obviously completely different.

Looks EXACTLY like my 1/4 matco FWIW

 

[DARKSCOPE001]

I had some gearwrench ratchets and soem cman thin profile before I bought the premium ones. If the paw sticks or the spring is to light they will auto reverse like everyone said. I use everything from RLL to white lithium on mine. I find that these ratchets will "work" with heavy grease but you have to go so thin and it takes so much more time than just putting a few drops of oil. I mean its a ratchet so I really dont think it needs to be anything fancy. Im sure a drop of 3in1 will work just as well as the next.

Me personally and this is just because im weird. I heard someone say they had good luck with Tri-flow. Being a cyclist I had a bottle laying around and tried it. While it doesn't make any improvement in the ratchets performance. 1-2 drops every so often will keep it lubed. Triflow spreads itself into a thin film but sticks very well. so its perfect for these kind of ratchets. Also it works great on pliers an any other tool with moving internals that just need light oil.

But thats just me.

Good luck. try putting light oil in it and stretching the spring gently and trying it again. these ratchets do have the downside that they need to be maintaned alot better than there traditional counterparts and they are much more sensitive to lube and contamination

 

[Skin]

these ratchets do have the downside that they need to be maintaned alot better than there traditional counterparts and they are much more sensitive to lube and contamination

I havent touched my 3/8 or 1/4 ratchets for nearly a year since i bought them and gave them a couple drops of mystery oil. They get used daily. Reliable enough for you?

 

[Biomed]

Can someone please explain something to me? The OP purchased a set of three Craftsman ratchets. Shortly after the purchase he has trouble with two of the three. Now he is getting feedback that he should disassemble, clean, lube and/or modify them.

They are brand new. The OP should not have to clean, lube, modify and/or re-engineer the ratchets. They should work right out of the packaging. Why not take them back for a warranty exchange or refund? You disassemble, clean, lube and/or modify them and you likely voided the warranty.

If Craftsman makes junk or has a quality or vendor issue they should be made aware of it and given the opportunity to make it right. Please help me understand why people don't give Sears a chance to make it right? Since when does John Q. Public have more knowledge about ratchet design and manufacturing than a tool designer?

[Stepping off my soapbox.] Sorry if I offended anyone. That was not my intent. I'm just a little cranky tonight and am having a little trouble understanding why folks try to repair or re-engineer stuff that is under warranty. I did medical device Field Service and product adverse event investigations for a living and ran across stuff like this occasionally. I just never understood the reasoning. Maybe someone can help me understand the rationale behind it.

 

[DARKSCOPE001]

I havent touched my 3/8 or 1/4 ratchets for nearly a year since i bought them and gave them a couple drops of mystery oil. They get used daily. Reliable enough for you?

Works for me. what I ment by that is they dont like anything but oil, and they dont do well if you get dirt, hair, ect down inside them. I have cats so there is hair everywhere.

But a drop of oil now and then helps. I figure these things are so easy to take apart why not just put a drop in when you have some spare time. Not that these ratchets will self destruct or anything when they arent bathed in oil. I think all they need is a thin film granted they are O-ring sealed. I think the o rings are more to keep contamination out then to keep oil in. Because every ratchet like this i have seen has a small trail of oil leaking from the selector leaver

Thanks
Sean Scott

 

[Skin]

Works for me. what I ment by that is they dont like anything but oil
Thanks
Sean Scott

Its a floating pawl design like many Matco/GW ratchets [needs to slip when ratcheted], grease causes the pawl to stick hence why you dont want to use grease, even thin grease.

Can someone please explain something to me? The OP purchased a set of three Craftsman ratchets. Shortly after the purchase he has trouble with two of the three. Now he is getting feedback that he should disassemble, clean, lube and/or modify them.

They are brand new. The OP should not have to clean, lube, modify and/or re-engineer the ratchets. They should work right out of the packaging. Why not take them back for a warranty exchange or refund? You disassemble, clean, lube and/or modify them and you likely voided the warranty.

If Craftsman makes junk or has a quality or vendor issue they should be made aware of it and given the opportunity to make it right. Please help me understand why people don't give Sears a chance to make it right? Since when does John Q. Public have more knowledge about ratchet design and manufacturing than a tool designer?

[Stepping off my soapbox.] Sorry if I offended anyone. That was not my intent. I'm just a little cranky tonight and am having a little trouble understanding why folks try to repair or re-engineer stuff that is under warranty. I did medical device Field Service and product adverse event investigations for a living and ran across stuff like this occasionally. I just never understood the reasoning. Maybe someone can help me understand the rationale behind it.

There are some issues with these ratchets, people have mailed defective ones directly back to Danaher [at their request] for examination, myself included. That doesnt mean there arent still older production units out there or that they even solved the issues.

In my case 2 of my ratchets locked up due to improper cleaning during production so there were tiny machined bits still in the head. A 5 minute task of removing the cover, taking the guts out, washing them out, and putting it all back together with some mystery oil completely solved the issue. If you cant do that you need your man card revoked and probably have no business holding a ratchet anyway. Should you have to do that? Absolutely not, but at the same time i'm not going to get bent out of shape over it either.

Dissasembly/cleaning of a ratchet does not void a warranty and should be done regardless, its actually stamped into the cover plate that they should be 'Kept Clean And Oiled' [see photo in pipsters post], most ratchets have something similar stamped into them.

 

[pipsters]

Can someone please explain something to me? The OP purchased a set of three Craftsman ratchets. Shortly after the purchase he has trouble with two of the three. Now he is getting feedback that he should disassemble, clean, lube and/or modify them.

They are brand new. The OP should not have to clean, lube, modify and/or re-engineer the ratchets. They should work right out of the packaging. Why not take them back for a warranty exchange or refund? You disassemble, clean, lube and/or modify them and you likely voided the warranty.

If Craftsman makes junk or has a quality or vendor issue they should be made aware of it and given the opportunity to make it right. Please help me understand why people don't give Sears a chance to make it right? Since when does John Q. Public have more knowledge about ratchet design and manufacturing than a tool designer?

[Stepping off my soapbox.] Sorry if I offended anyone. That was not my intent. I'm just a little cranky tonight and am having a little trouble understanding why folks try to repair or re-engineer stuff that is under warranty. I did medical device Field Service and product adverse event investigations for a living and ran across stuff like this occasionally. I just never understood the reasoning. Maybe someone can help me understand the rationale behind it.

I agree. When I order something and it's dropped shipped from Apex directly I call their 800# and get them to send me a new one. I had to have about a dozen to fifteen sockets replaced in my 299 piece kit and didn't go to Sears. They were manufactured incorrectly and Apex should eat it. Had to do the same thing with my polished double box deep offset wrench sets, 2 were BENT not straight. Apex shipped 2 new ones out. They are very good about this, never have they given me grief.

I haven't bought the premiums yet (still not showing up as the $120 3 pc set, hopefully they haven't been discontinued) but I surmise they come from Apex with an 800#. Call them, tell them what is happening, and they will ship out new ratchets. Just drop the old ones off at Sears. That is what I do. You pay a premium price for these they must work perfectly or return them.

 

[DARKSCOPE001]

Its a floating pawl design like many Matco/GW ratchets [needs to slip when ratcheted], grease causes the pawl to stick hence why you dont want to use grease, even thin grease.

I know why it sticks..... lol jk

I did get a few to work with a LIGHT! coating of white lithium grease. made them really quiet and super smooth for a while. But the cheep lithium grease i had in that small of a quantity separated really fast so its just better to use oil in the floating paw style. They like light oil. I think matco and the like gives you a small tube of marvel mystery oil with the rebuild kits. But I have used everything from airtool oil, to motor oil, and as i stated before tri-flow. Works awesome on pliers too. give it a shot.

Thanks
Sean Scott

 

[pipsters]

Its a floating pawl design like many Matco/GW ratchets [needs to slip when ratcheted], grease causes the pawl to stick hence why you dont want to use grease, even thin grease.

How is the wear on this? I would think all the rubbing would wear away the teeth. Or is the pawl designed to wear with a softer material so it can easily be replaced?

 

[pipsters]

I know why it sticks..... lol jk

I did get a few to work with a LIGHT! coating of white lithium grease. made them really quiet and super smooth for a while. But the cheep lithium grease i had in that small of a quantity separated really fast so its just better to use oil in the floating paw style. They like light oil. I think matco and the like gives you a small tube of marvel mystery oil with the rebuild kits. But I have used everything from airtool oil, to motor oil, and as i stated before tri-flow. Works awesome on pliers too. give it a shot.

Thanks
Sean Scott

How about 3-in-1? Any good? That's what I use in my thin profiles but wonder if it will cause more of an issue. It seems these teeth really rub so you need a higher protection for them to reduce wear.

 

[DARKSCOPE001]

idk i dont think with the ammount of pressure exerted by that little spring and the slow speed that gear moves it really matters. I mean when I had my cman thin profiles I had them for almost 2 years and used them every day heavily and the coating is barely being worn off the paw.

I suppose if you want to at least go with what the mfr uses I would just get a bottle of marvel air tool oil. Like less than 5 bucks or so and will last you a lifetime. You could probably lube er up every day and still die with some left in the bottle

I have been having good luck with tri-flow but it is rather thin. not much thiner than MMO but still its thin. but it sure seems to stick alot better than alot of other oils.

But IMO I think 3in1 would work. but that is my OPINION. I dont want you filling a ratchet with 3in1 having it quit on you the next day and pointing fingers lol.

Good luck
Sean Scott

 

[Hiball]

I believe they use oil from the factory, i recall picking one up in the sears store and the oil had dripped all the way down the handle. I use 3-1 oil on all my wright/Sk ratchets and they work flawless. <---- although much different ratchet mechanism.

 

[Skin]

How is the wear on this? I would think all the rubbing would wear away the teeth. Or is the pawl designed to wear with a softer material so it can easily be replaced?

All ratchets slip same as this one in one form or another, thats the clicking you hear, however in this design the pawl slips by being pushed down onto the spring hence "floating pawl". I wouldnt think wear would be an issue any more so than with any other ratchet.

 

[pipsters]

All ratchets slip same as this one in one form or another, thats the clicking you hear, however in this design the pawl slips by being pushed down onto the spring hence "floating pawl". I wouldnt think wear would be an issue any more so than with any other ratchet.

Ok yeah wasn't sure just seems like an awful lot of rubbing

 

[gatewaysysop]

In my case 2 of my ratchets locked up due to improper cleaning during production so there were tiny machined bits still in the head. A 5 minute task of removing the cover, taking the guts out, washing them out, and putting it all back together with some mystery oil completely solved the issue. If you cant do that you need your man card revoked and probably have no business holding a ratchet anyway. Should you have to do that? Absolutely not, but at the same time i'm not going to get bent out of shape over it either.

While I understand that one should be able to service their ratchet and this is something you can easily remedy, somehow the thought of spending a comparatively large sum on a supposedly 'premium' product would leave me incredibly irked if it did not work out-of-the-box the way it should.

To be fair, I've bought plenty of used ratchets, some of a certain brand (<cough> Snap On <cough>) that often cost me more than a brand new Craftsman premium ratchet, and they took a lot of work and a complete rebuild to look and feel "brand new" again. I have no issue with that at all, as I knew what I was getting into, this obviously the expectation going in.

That said, if I buy something brand new and pay a premium cost at that, the absolute last thing anyone will ever see me do is tear it apart and spend my time to make it work the way it should have in the first place. Expectation when buying a new, premium product is that it works. If I wanted something to fix up or troubleshoot, I surely wouldn't have bought a new one.

Just my $.02. I see the point you're making and agree that it's not a huge deal to fix. My point though is that I don't find it entirely unreasonable to get 'bent out of shape' when stuff like this happens, especially knowing that it happens, apparently, with some frequency for the product in question. If you're selling a so-called premium product, perhaps it should include premium quality control.

I will probably never buy these ratchets based on what I've seen on here about them, as well as my experience playing with them in the store.

 

[DARKSCOPE001]

While I understand that one should be able to service their ratchet and this is something you can easily remedy, somehow the thought of spending a comparatively large sum on a supposedly 'premium' product would leave me incredibly irked if it did not work out-of-the-box the way it should.

To be fair, I've bought plenty of used ratchets, some of a certain brand (<cough> Snap On <cough>) that often cost me more than a brand new Craftsman premium ratchet, and they took a lot of work and a complete rebuild to look and feel "brand new" again. I have no issue with that at all, as I knew what I was getting into, this obviously the expectation going in.

That said, if I buy something brand new and pay a premium cost at that, the absolute last thing anyone will ever see me do is tear it apart and spend my time to make it work the way it should have in the first place. Expectation when buying a new, premium product is that it works. If I wanted something to fix up or troubleshoot, I surely wouldn't have bought a new one.

Just my $.02. I see the point you're making and agree that it's not a huge deal to fix. My point though is that I don't find it entirely unreasonable to get 'bent out of shape' when stuff like this happens, especially knowing that it happens, apparently, with some frequency for the product in question. If you're selling a so-called premium product, perhaps it should include premium quality control.

I will probably never buy these ratchets based on what I've seen on here about them, as well as my experience playing with them in the store.

Speaking of QC I got the 3/8 and 1/2 for a graduation present. While spinning over the 1/2" in my hand it would ratchet for about half a rotation then it would freewheel and not catch at all untill i spun it over another half a a turn. took it apart. Somehow teeth only got cut into half the ratchet gear wheel. the teeth weren't stripped because the entire wheel had the black finish to it. but they were missing!

Took it back to sears and the guy tried to tell me there was nothing wrong because he was able to get it to ratchet on the place with teeth then i showed him that it stopped working on one side of the wheel. he then gave me a disgusted look and muttered something under his breath as he went to get me a new one from the case. I wanted to be like look dude I make a living with my tools. I know alot more about them than you do. If this is going to be a problem we can do this a few different ways. You can give me my tool and not argue with me. or I can call your corp office and tell them how you handled this.

I swear. Sears is really taking a turn for the worst lately. about the only thing I will buy from them anymore is inspection mirrors. feeler gauges. little this'es and thats (us made of course) some sockets and I have been decently impressed wit the premium grade ratchet but when the employe base tries to screw a customer over or has no clue what they are talking about thats a real turn off. I enjoy my cman tools because if i break one its a 5min drive to get a new one. but with all the hassle its starting to become not worthwhile

 

[Skin]

I swear. Sears is really taking a turn for the worst lately. about the only thing I will buy from them anymore is inspection mirrors. feeler gauges. little this'es and thats (us made of course) some sockets and I have been decently impressed wit the premium grade ratchet but when the employe base tries to screw a customer over or has no clue what they are talking about thats a real turn off. I enjoy my cman tools because if i break one its a 5min drive to get a new one. but with all the hassle its starting to become not worthwhile

Not entirely sure how 1 ***** spoils it for the whole company. Would you say the same thing about an entire truck brand if the truck man was a hard case? I returned a 1/4" ratchet to a store after it locked up on me, left it locked up intentionally, asked for a replacement without stating the problem to which the reply from the kid was "sure thing no problem" handed him the "stuck" ratchet which he promptly started twirling in the air by the drive end on our walk over to the display case.

He never even asked a question, just replaced it. This is SOP at all my local Sears.

 

[TravisT]

I kind of agree with a couple others on this one. When I began using tools as a kid, Craftsman was my tool of choice. They were fairly easy to acquire and had a lifetime warranty. I used them in small engine repair (ATV, dirtbikes, motorcycle) and eventually some car/truck repair. I found that with the ratchets, they would break really easily. As a 14 or 15 year old kid without a car, it was a real pain to get these tools replaced.

I was about the same age when I first stumbled on to a snap-on truck. Bought a ratchet and a pair of screwdrivers (which was a small fortune to me). 15 years later, I still own those tools. The ratchet has a broken tooth that I seem to find at the most in-opportune times, but otherwise has never been rebuilt since it was new. The screwdrivers have had the tips replaced once.

I haven't bought a ratchet from Sears or the tool trucks in probably 10 years, but from what I see at the stores, craftsman quality seems to be suffering. I just found in my personal experience that the extra money spent buying something other than craftsman (at least for screwdrivers and ratchets) was time saved in having to replace broken tools.

 

[DARKSCOPE001]

its not just one *****. I asked about how to oil the premium grade ratchets just to see what they would say, and I got "well they are lifetime warantieed so when they need maintinance just bring them back" and I had a craftsman socket rail quit on me that was lifetime guaranteed. took it back and the girl at the couter stared at it for what seemed like forever then kind of asked in a general direction to nobody "are these even covered" I got the package and showed her and she replaced it for me and gave me a similar disgusted look as the guy I have had problems with.

Now I have had my share of good experiences in sears. At the local sears there is this nice old man who I rarely see working there but when he is he always asks if i need help. I had a 3/8 thin profile lock up on me and before I could even say one word he grabed it out of my hand (politely) and had a new one coming my way. and asked if i needed anything else. And we talked for a while about how the new cman tools are not what they used to be and how we are upset that everything is going overseas.

One last point. I wanted a thumbwheel ratchet. sears had theres clearanced 5 dollars off. on the peg there were 2 tiawan ones infront of 3us made ones. at this sears the ratchets and sockets are locked up. I asked if I could have one. the guy reached for the first one on the peg. So I asked him politely If I could have the one two back as it was the one still marked us made. He grumbled and got me one. And as I was walking away I heard him say "stupid kid" which is ironic because at the time i was 22 and this guy was probably barely 21.

Its just my oppinion that if you are going to work in a tool store know what you are doing a little more and show some support to your customers. But overall I have infact been happy with sears. but its more the fact that everything is made in china now and that they have young kids running the departments that dont care and dont know anything that upsets me. also I suppose its because its a retail sore but nobody seems to get it when i say "no im just looking today, smile and say thanks" they look at me like im a creep.

end rant sorry for hijacked thread

 

[Aberdale]

Can someone please explain something to me? The OP purchased a set of three Craftsman ratchets. Shortly after the purchase he has trouble with two of the three. Now he is getting feedback that he should disassemble, clean, lube and/or modify them.

They are brand new. The OP should not have to clean, lube, modify and/or re-engineer the ratchets. They should work right out of the packaging. Why not take them back for a warranty exchange or refund? You disassemble, clean, lube and/or modify them and you likely voided the warranty.

If Craftsman makes junk or has a quality or vendor issue they should be made aware of it and given the opportunity to make it right. Please help me understand why people don't give Sears a chance to make it right? Since when does John Q. Public have more knowledge about ratchet design and manufacturing than a tool designer?

[Stepping off my soapbox.] Sorry if I offended anyone. That was not my intent. I'm just a little cranky tonight and am having a little trouble understanding why folks try to repair or re-engineer stuff that is under warranty. I did medical device Field Service and product adverse event investigations for a living and ran across stuff like this occasionally. I just never understood the reasoning. Maybe someone can help me understand the rationale behind it.

In an ideal world, you are correct. It would make sense to return a defective brand new tool with a lifetime warranty for a free replacement. And I considered it.

But it's not an ideal world. One concern is that if I returned the ratchet for replacement, what's to say I don't end up with another ratchet that reverses and locks up? I've twirled these ratchets in the store on several occasions while I waited for them to go on sale, and a couple times they would catch. I figured that perhaps it was because they were new and stiff, and needed to be broken in.

I'm sure I'm not the only one that has experienced this problem with these ratchets. So, I solicited the advice of other GJ members that may have discovered a quick fix and save me the hassle and fuel to drive 35 miles to replace it. After all, it takes my time, and my fuel to exchange it, so it's not exactly free. And the solution (cleaning, stretching the pawl spring, and relubing) recommended earlier in this thread does work, and costs nothing. I was able to do it in 10 minutes, instead of wasting 2 hours driving to my closest Sears.

BTW, now that the ratchets are working properly, they really are quite nice! But it would have been better if they worked as you said, "right out of the packaging."

Dale

 

[mrholeshot]

I had all three sizes. I had problems with the 1/2 drive. Same problem in two differant ratchets. I took all three back for a refund. The way Sears and Craftsman is going that money was better spent on something that I know will be around awhile. It's too much money for ratchets that have the same problem from so many people and the problem seems to extend itself to all three sizes looking over reveiws. If you are going to sell a ratchet to go head to head with a tool truck ratchet and price it like one you better make sure it performs like one. While it's Armstrong (IIRC) that builds it and the Matco version you can bet if it had Armstrong or Matco on it the problems would have been resolved before they were released. It was a Hail Mary for Craftsman. Game over

 

[472scout]

While it's Armstrong (IIRC) that builds it and the Matco version you can bet if it had Armstrong or Matco on it the problems would have been resolved before they were released. It was a Hail Mary for Craftsman. Game over

How do we know that Armstrong hasn't let QA slip after the prototypes were approved?

In any event who was the person on here that was connected with the design. Someone with some clout needs to bring this to Sears attention so they can get it resolved. Having said that mine work great but I'm cool like that.

 

[mooman]

I have the 1/4" premium ratchet and it binds from time to time. I haven't taken it apart to lube it, nor do I feel that I should.
I'm kicking myself for buying it, but I love the fact that the handle is comfortable and slightly longer that the standard ratchet.

 

[JMcFly]

My 3/8 premium has been good to me. So far. I am holding out on the 1/4 drive since I hear so many bad things about it. I also might hold off on the 1/2" drive and get a hf composite ratchet instead. However, I do like the look of the premium ratchets and the feel of then.

 

[Aberdale]

I also have the 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2" HF composite ratchets. They have worked flawlessly since day one, and I find myself using them more and more. I bought the professional low profile 84T Craftsmans because I liked the longer handle and the finer tooth count, and at $119 for the set of three looked like a great value.

At this point, I prefer the HF composites. I'll reserve my judgement on the C'mans for a year and see if they make the cut. Perhaps they may be one of those tools that just gets better once their broken in, or it might be a bust. We'll see. It's unfortunate that the Cman's don't seem to work as well right out of the box as the dual 80s or the Matcos. It would have been a nice turn around for Cman.

Dale

 

[phi2039]

@Aberdale - if you are still having any problems with those ratchets, PM me and I will get it taken care of.