Does anyone use 1/4in with larger fasteners?

[AEAdam]

How does "3/8" in a 1/4" body" ratchets change the calculus? I feel like the heads on these ratchets make them much more maneuverable.

Never understood this. Why not just use a 3/8” stubby? Was this a trick from before 3/8” stubbies were available?

 

[Marvin Berry]

Never understood this. Why not just use a 3/8” stubby? Was this a trick from before 3/8” stubbies were available?

A 3/8 stubby is just a cut down 3/8 ratchet.

Here's a pic of an SK 3/8 ratchet with an SK 3/8 mech in a 1/4" body.

Huge difference.

 

[Fedwrench]

Never understood this. Why not just use a 3/8” stubby? Was this a trick from before 3/8” stubbies were available?

Because a 3/8 stubby is fat, thick, & short. You can't exert much torque with it.

My favorite 3/8 in a 1/4 ratchet body would the one you make with a Matco repair kit and a gearwrench comfort grip 1/4 drive flex head ratchet with 60 or 84 teeth. It gives you one of the smallest 3/8 drive ratchets with a 7.5 inch long handle but, I digress.

With 9 and 12 inch long 1/4 drive ratchets being widely available, there's no reason not to use larger sockets. I would like to see 1/4 drive spark plug sockets to be able to reach some painful locations.

 

[AEAdam]

It’s the tiny head you guys want. Not necessarily short, right?

And you want 3/8” drive because you have a 3/8” socket you want to drive, either something over 15mm, or some special like a bit socket? What’s the application?

 

[OldSchoolRepair]

Does any one use 1/4in a lot? I've used it with large bolts such as 1/2in and 9/16 and my Tekton ratchet feels like it's going to snap like a pretzel. Maybe my extension is causing so much flex? I have 3/8 tools but damn. I literally feel like I'm going to snap the anvil off this ratchet.

I use the long handle 1/4" ratchet daily. I also have a long handle 1/4" head with the 3/8" anvil. I use this in tight clearance areas where a 3/8 head is to big.
I have noticed much of what I do to engines are m6 bolts torqued to 89 inlb. No need fo anything much bigger... jmho

 

[BikeRider]

My 1/4" socket sets go up to 14mm so that's the largest that I use on my 1/4" ratchet and torque wrench. Can't imagine why you'd want to go higher especially since you'd need an adapter to do so, unless all you have handy is literally just a 1/4" ratchet, a 1/4" to 3/8" adapter, and a 15mm or larger 3/8" socket, and I bet that happens exactly 0% of the time.

 

[oldschoolcraft]

This is why everyone needs 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" drive socket sets in super shallow, shallow, mid-length, and long for each drive.

In all seriousness the rule of thumb is dont go past 2x the drive size. So 1/4" should top out at 13mm or 1/2" and 3/8" drive should top out at 19mm or 3/4"

That said, I dont own any 3/4" drive tools and my 1/2" drive set goes to 3x the drive size at 1 1/2" so I'm a hypocrite and no one should listen to me. But I'm a hypocrite who doesn't work on large size fasteners often and doesnt want to spend $150 on a single 3-pound socket I'll never use.

 

[dnschmidt]

Having a Toyota, or any other Asian car, 1/4" drive tops out at 14mm as the next size up is 17mm and that's clearly in 3/8" or 1/2" land. On American cars 15mm is my max. That stated the entire world is now 10mm everything. I have the Milwaukee 1/4" drive impact and I use it more than any other of my Milwaukee impacts and I've got them all including the Stubby which is where I normally go if the 1/4" will not cut it. Interestingly, Rainman Ray does the same thing. Most of what he uses are his 1/4" Milwaukee impact and his 1/4" Snap-On electric ratchet. Since he works on tons of **** that could be a clue as to the direction of automotive fasteners. Even spark plugs are shrinking. My Camry uses 14mm plugs. The world started off with 13/16" went to 5/8" or 16mm and now it's 14mm. We've all experienced SHRINKAGE when coming out of a cool swimming pool.

 

[dnschmidt]

I use the long handle 1/4" ratchet daily. I also have a long handle 1/4" head with the 3/8" anvil. I use this in tight clearance areas where a 3/8 head is to big.
I have noticed much of what I do to engines are m6 bolts torqued to 89 inlb. No need fo anything much bigger... jmho

Ever wonder what's so special about 89 in-lb? It's exactly 10 N-m for those stick in the mud SAE types. SORRY, I COULDN'T HELP MYSELF!

 

[Wamsutta]

I don't go above 1/4"-20 thread size with a 1/4" drive ratchet unless it's something already broke free.