Craftsman tri-wing ratchets

[dwasifar]

Okay, one more discussion of ratchets.

In the mid-1990s I bought a Craftsman socket set with three ratchet handles:

I had always thought they were USA, because the rest of the set is, but courtesy of the all-knowing tool gurus on GJ, I have learned these "tri-wing" ratchets were made by Stanley, probably in Taiwan. That's disappointing to know after all this time.

But otoh, you can tell from their condition that I didn't use them much. I'm more likely to grab a pear head. The heads on these are pretty bulky and that thumbwheel doesn't do much for me. I basically just held onto them because they were part of the USA set, and now that I know they're not USA, there's no more reason for me to keep them.

Which brings me to my point: Are they even worth trying to sell? I'm gathering that they have a sort of "meh" reputation, but on the other hand they are in darn good shape for their age. Might a collector want them? Or should I just toss them in the spares box, or the goodwill box?

 

[islandkent]

I bought my master set in the late 80's and those are the ones that came with it. I have put a few rebuild kits in the 3/8 and 1/4 ratchets. Taiwan or not they have and still serve me well. They are my goto ratchets. I did how ever destroy my 3/4 drive ratchet one morning putting in a Newway airway beavertail on my Freuhauf 48' with a six foot snipe. Abuse at the max. Exchanged at sears no problem. Blew the head into three pieces.
So yeah I do use mine.

 

[dwasifar]

I bought my master set in the late 80's and those are the ones that came with it. I have put a few rebuild kits in the 3/8 and 1/4 ratchets. Taiwan or not they have and still serve me well. They are my goto ratchets. I did how ever destroy my 3/4 drive ratchet one morning putting in a Newway airway beavertail on my Freuhauf 48' with a six foot snipe. Abuse at the max. Exchanged at sears no problem. Blew the head into three pieces.
So yeah I do use mine.

What do you like about them compared to other kinds?

 

[vssjim]

They work very well as ratchets it's just they are very large in the head area and make them not easy to fit in a lot of places on modern cars. Blackhawk was selling them for along time still but that was after Stanley bought them and started to mix the tool line with US and Taiwan tools. I know at Sears in Canada the imported tools started a long time before it did here in the US at Sears.

 

[1967rsss]

What do you like about them compared to other kinds?

I have the Husky versions of these from the 90’s and still grab them first when working on my 67 Camaro. I like the thumb wheel feature. Especially for speed once the initial force is broken from the bolt/nut/screw etc.

 

[bonneyman]

I have the Husky versions of these from the 90’s and still grab them first when working on my 67 Camaro. I like the thumb wheel feature. Especially for speed once the initial force is broken from the bolt/nut/screw etc.

Yes, I prefer the thumbwheel on the back of the ratchet head - where it belongs! Can't stand the Craftsman RHFT design with the thumbwheel on the front. My thumb isn't in the right place to use that....and it makes it a PITA to get the retaining spring off!

 

[Jeepster04]

Funny, my go to ratchet has been the craftsman with the thumb wheel on the front... Its not my fav, but for some reason I always use it.

 

[Pistolero]

I have those and abuse that in the yard for dismantling car parts by hammering the handle if there is a stubborn rusted bolt , they held very well, I like them than the standard pear head, bec when it is engage, it feels more solid in gripping than my pear head ratchet. only thing is that it doesn't look as nice a pear head ratchet. I suggest you start using it and beat on it whenever you need it and you'll find that it is well made.

 

[AL`]

I have one in 3/8 drive. It is probably from the early to mid-80's, possibly earlier than that. I notice that the transitions on the handle contours aren't as sharp or abrupt as yours. The upset at the end of the grip is shorter.

 

[islandkent]

What I like about them? Well back then they were a great looking ratchet for starters. I fell in love with the feel of them. Reliable? Well hell yeah! Like I said before the abuse I put them through. Sure I put a couple of kits in them but like I said I used them and still do. I bought another set of Sears ratchets back in the late 90's down in Bangor Me. But never really used them. Used to go down there about once a year and load up on those nice Craftsman tools we could not get up here in Canada. Still have the catalogs. Always always reached for tried and true ones from when I was just out of HS. Yeah I even have some Craftsman wrenches from Japan?? Don't really know why Sears Canada sold those?? Great tools all together. To bad they went down.
Compared to other brands? Sorry I haven't used any other brands. Oh sure I tried Snap-On Mastercraft, Grey, Unitool and a few others along the street. But they were never mine. Sure I would of loved to have a set of Snap-On tools, but out of my price range. And to be honest I never seen the need to look elsewhere. My Craftsman tools have served me well.
Here's a picture of the kids.

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

I have been wanting a 1/4 one because my dad bought a set of sockets and ratchets in 1983 that had these in there and we had the 1/4 warrantied because it just fell apart when we took it in for warranty the employees questioned it because apparently these are not well known. It just bothers me I don’t have the 1/4 to put in a set but I can’t afford one, the one they replaced it with is a modern one with 75 teeth made in China I mean it’s ok but still it doesn’t have that vintage feel like the rest of the set and doesn’t fit in the case either. I’ve seen people ask outrageous prices for these on eBay but not sure how much they actually went for.


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[dwasifar]

I have been wanting a 1/4 one...

Oh man, I wish I'd seen this sooner. I just gave them to a buddy. Sorry, man.

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

Oh man, I wish I'd seen this sooner. I just gave them to a buddy. Sorry, man.

Dang well if he hates them let me know [emoji23] my tool case from 1983 will welcome them at anytime. I managed to find a 3/8 one at the pawn shop about a year ago I bought it just to have as an extra in case the 3/8 ever goes but never have found the 1/4 or 1/2 and deeply regret having that other one warrantied but at the time we needed a useable ratchet as we were out working on someone else’s stuff and home was 30 miles away and Sears was 10 so it didn’t really make sense to go all the way home. I wish I’d have seen this sooner LOL. I just happened to be searching for a rebuild kit for my Craftsman 36 tooth raised panel since the snap ring on mine broke that holds the internals in and this thread showed up.


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[mikebaker1129]

Dang well if he hates them let me know [emoji23] my tool case from 1983 will welcome them at anytime. I managed to find a 3/8 one at the pawn shop about a year ago I bought it just to have as an extra in case the 3/8 ever goes but never have found the 1/4 or 1/2 and deeply regret having that other one warrantied but at the time we needed a useable ratchet as we were out working on someone else’s stuff and home was 30 miles away and Sears was 10 so it didn’t really make sense to go all the way home. I wish I’d have seen this sooner LOL. I just happened to be searching for a rebuild kit for my Craftsman 36 tooth raised panel since the snap ring on mine broke that holds the internals in and this thread showed up.


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A real hardware store should have a snap ring.
I will look and see if I have a spare.....

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

A real hardware store should have a snap ring.

I will look and see if I have a spare.....

Haha when I went to the hardware store to try and find one they looked at me like I was crazy. I went to Ace, Lowe’s and Home Depot and all they had was SAE and apparently the one it needed is metric because none of them fit. The employees had no clue what I was talking about.


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[Al Borland]

I have those ratchets labelled as Craftsman and Stanley, and seen them as Challenger back in the 70s. Good ratchets, not great.

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

I agree not the greatest. But the handle is more comfortable than the raised panel ones which make my hands hurt after awhile.


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[bigjeff94]

I have a set. I don't like them as much as my RHFT's but I think I give these more abuse. Same as the blackhawk roundheads. I actually rebuilt a 1/4" drive Craftsman with a rebuild kit from Blackhawk. Only instead of a tri-wing it is only a straight line.

 

[Fialaja]

Those tri wings were my first ratchets growing up. I still remember buying them with my parents at Sears. Since then, I have replaced the mechanisms with innards from a compable Husky. So now they are. Quick release, a feature the standard tri wing doesn’t have.

 

[sk farmer]

i have a standard and long handle 1/2 and standard handle 3/8. all labeled black hawk with the knurled and grooved blackhawk styk handle. the long handle 1/2 has seen some abuse and is still kicking.

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

Good to know you can put other internals in them. In case mine ever wear out or break.


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[firebirdparts]

I got those in my first tool set I ever bought myself, and I've used them nearly 40 years. I don't like them. Like you. It's sad, really. The 3/8 is long gone, wore it out twice. I actually use the other two.

My least favorite thing about them is the switch rotates toward the direction you're going. Thus, if the ratchet head is rubbing on something it'll reverse itself.

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

Yes I have noticed it tends to switch too.


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[mikebaker1129]

Dang well if he hates them let me know [emoji23] my tool case from 1983 will welcome them at anytime. I managed to find a 3/8 one at the pawn shop about a year ago I bought it just to have as an extra in case the 3/8 ever goes but never have found the 1/4 or 1/2 and deeply regret having that other one warrantied but at the time we needed a useable ratchet as we were out working on someone else’s stuff and home was 30 miles away and Sears was 10 so it didn’t really make sense to go all the way home. I wish I’d have seen this sooner LOL. I just happened to be searching for a rebuild kit for my Craftsman 36 tooth raised panel since the snap ring on mine broke that holds the internals in and this thread showed up.


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What drive size raised panel snap ring are you looking for ?

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

What drive size raised panel snap ring are you looking for ?

3/8


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[Fialaja]

Oddly enough, only the 3/8 and 1/4 Husky internals interchange, not the 1/2

 

[AceofSpad3s]

My favorite use of these ratchets was the one time I traded a set to some guy here locally for a new Milwaukee multi meter I think he got from the home depot penny deals stuff like 5 years ago.

These were stanley I think, husky had similar models but a simple straight selector instead, some were US made as I have a 1/4 one that is marked as such.

 

[sk farmer]

My favorite use of these ratchets was the one time I traded a set to some guy here locally for a new Milwaukee multi meter I think he got from the home depot penny deals stuff like 5 years ago.

These were stanley I think, husky had similar models but a simple straight selector instead, some were US made as I have a 1/4 one that is marked as such.

i have no doubt yours is marked usa. it is also pretty well known that stanley ended up in some hot water for mislabeling or misleading where they came from. that could be one of those occasions where made in usa may not be accurate.

 

[AceofSpad3s]

i have no doubt yours is marked usa. it is also pretty well known that stanley ended up in some hot water for mislabeling or misleading where they came from. that could be one of those occasions where made in usa may not be accurate.

I have a unmarked husky one as well in the same size, if the US marked one isn't actually correct, it must have at least been made perhaps earlier to a higher standard because the finishing on it is noticeably better than the other one. Not functionally worse, but if one has seen enough imported chromed tools I bet you can just kinda tell that they seem kinda off visually.

 

[joe_pinehill1]

I'm not a pro, but the first set I bought after moving out and getting married was 38 piece craftsman, that is still my go to after 30+ years, I can do ~85% of all jobs with it. Bought about 1989. I also have a larger set my FinL gave me, which hardly gets used, I seemed to have jumps past this set with other sockets and impacts.

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

It’s good to see lots of people still have them. I will say the handle is much better than that raised panel one. I told my dad that they were Taiwan made and he went off lol.


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[wxm]

I got those in my first tool set I ever bought myself, and I've used them nearly 40 years. I don't like them. Like you. It's sad, really. The 3/8 is long gone, wore it out twice. I actually use the other two.

My least favorite thing about them is the switch rotates toward the direction you're going. Thus, if the ratchet head is rubbing on something it'll reverse itself.

I have a set of these. Believe still have them.. Like firebirdparts, I don't really like them. I forgot why, it could be the internal is kind of shaky.

 

[MJO]

Never like those ratchets, they seemed fairly strong but too bulky, they do sell okay on ebay.