Downside of ratcheting wrenches?

[coonhunter]

Seems like a ratcheting wrench could replace a standard combination wrench. In what instance would a standard combination wrench be better than a ratcheting wrench?

I am not much of a mechanic, so I don't see the need for both, but there must be. What am I missing?

 

[mech-tech]

Tight places for one. Also ratchet wrenches can't take lots of force.

 

[kts]

A combo box end can fit into tighter areas. I often run into spots where a ratcheting wrench won't fit but a regular box end will *just* squeeze right in there.

Also you technically are not supposed to break a fastener free with a ratcheting wrench, if it's really on there you could strip/break the ratcheting mechanism. So you're supposed to break the fastener loose with a box end, then ratchet it out and reverse to tighten a fastener.

In practice I use a ratcheting wrench quite often to loosen and tighten fasteners and I have yet to break a ratcheting wrench, but I am also a home DIY guy and not a pro.

 

[IFMJohn]

Standard wrenches have the box (closed) end to break loose stubborn fasteners. The Open end literally spreads apart which is what causes rounded off fasteners. The Box end cannot spread.

The ratcheting wrenches have the box end with a ratcheting mechanism. You don't want to use those ratcheting wrenches box end to break loose a fastener for the same reason you don't use a ratchet to break loose a fastener. The teeth inside the ratcheting mechanism will not stand up to high torque.

 

[Wamsutta]

If the nut is surrounded 180 degrease by an obstruction like this ---> O)

that ratcheting wrench is not going to fit in there between the nut and the obstruction; and it happens more often than you think.

 

[franzdom]

Ratcheting wrenches aren't optimum if the bolt/nut is really stuck. Like it's good to have a breaker bar and a socket, it's good to break the thread with a regular wrench and save the ratcheting mechanism. That is theory, in practice ratcheting wrenches are used to break things free all the time, that being said the main problem would be clearance, the ratcheting heads are a lot chubbier, thicker and taller walls.

 

[DodgeMech]

Standard wrenches have the box (closed) end to break loose stubborn fasteners. The Open end literally spreads apart which is what causes rounded off fasteners. The Box end cannot spread.

The ratcheting wrenches have the box end with a ratcheting mechanism. You don't want to use those ratcheting wrenches box end to break loose a fastener for the same reason you don't use a ratchet to break loose a fastener. The teeth inside the ratcheting mechanism will not stand up to high torque.

FD+ open ends don't spread...and also, every mechanic ever that owns ratchet wrenches uses them to break loose things...hell i'll even hook on the same size box end to my BP ratchet wrench to bust things loose...not a damned problem yet

 

[IFMJohn]

FD+ open ends don't spread...and also, every mechanic ever that owns ratchet wrenches uses them to break loose things...hell i'll even hook on the same size box end to my BP ratchet wrench to bust things loose...not a damned problem yet

I was talking about the theory behind it. Almost every professional mechanic that you talk to will use tools in ways they are not intended to be used and most of the times it is fine. We've all doubled up on wrenches even though they are not designed for it. We've all put cheater bars on tools even though they are not designed for it.