Looks more like Icon.Is it shorter, or just an illusion because it's fatter? The new handle color scheme does the ratchet no favors.
Maybe they found out a shorter length ratchet ends up almost forcing someone to buy a longer one afterwards?
Shorter one cost less to produce, and leads to higher sales - win / win?
Going by the FH80 vs FH100 and pictures in the first post they are not even close.The new F100 OAL is a bit longer than the equivalent Dual 80
I was going to post that same question too. A few years back they tweaked the 80 tooth ratchet style and went away from that design to having the screws screwing through the back plate into the threaded body of the ratchet, saying the new design was stronger. Maybe they had a problem with people stripping them in the body, and it is cheaper to warranty the cover plate? Either way it wouldn't surprise me one bit if this new design is tweaked in a year or so, maybe sooner.What's the story with that? And they went back to using screws through the head screwing into the cover plate?
The story I heard was that gravity was causing the screws to get lost because the screws were threaded upwards against gravity. In A&P mechanics school, they teach you to always have the bolt head positioned upwards in a vertical situation or have the bolt head positioned forward in a horizontal situation. The idea was that the aircraft's forward momentum would hopefully keep the bolt head seated against what it's fastening if by chance the nut was to fall off.I was going to post that same question too. A few years back they tweaked the 80 tooth ratchet style and went away from that design to having the screws screwing through the back plate into the threaded body of the ratchet, saying the new design was stronger. Maybe they had a problem with people stripping them in the body, and it is cheaper to warranty the cover plate? Either way it wouldn't surprise me one bit if this new design is tweaked in a year or so, maybe sooner.
Interesting, thanks. Then it begs the question why did they change that when they tweaked it? They could have made the internal tweaks and left the cover plate screws as they were. In any event I have a feeling the 100 tooth design will be tweaked sooner rather than later. IIRC I read that was already in the works.The story I heard was that gravity was causing the screws to get lost because the screws were threaded upwards against gravity. In A&P mechanics school, they teach you to always have the fastener head topside facing up in a vertical situation or have the fastener head facing rearward in a horizontal situation.
When you say "tweaked" do you mean changing it from 80 tooth to 100 tooth?Interesting, thanks. Then it begs the question why did they change that when they tweaked it? They could have made the internal tweaks and left the cover plate screws as they were. In any event I have a feeling the 100 tooth design will be tweaked sooner rather than later. IIRC I read that was already in the works.
No they did an upgrade/update 38/" drive to the 80 tooth ratchets. It was discussed here.When you say "tweaked" do you mean changing it from 80 tooth to 100 tooth?
They did, and it was more than just the screws. I'm searching the archives, hopefully I'll find it.They did an update other than changing the direction of the screws? That's news on me. I never got the memo.
I'm striking out unfortunately, they did make changes to the flex-head, and I could swear they did some internal changes to the 3/8" version, but I'll be damned if I can find it.Yeah I'm curious as all hell and back what it was. The only thing I heard of was changing the screw direction on the 1/2 drives.
The only thing I heard was that the 72 tooth 1/4 drive was the least smoothest and that it would jamb sometimes. I don't know if that was resolved or not. The other thing I heard was that the smoothest ratchet was the 1/2 drive but its screws would fall out sometimes. Makes me wonder why the screws don't fall out of the other drive sizes.I'm striking out unfortunately, they did make changes to the flex-head, and I could swear they did some internal changes to the 3/8" version, but I'll be damned if I can find it.


What I remember if correctly is when they 1st changed to the Dual 80 design, having the screws screwed into the cover plate was not strong enough. Under higher torque the anvil or pawls would tweak the cover plate & cause binding. So they changed to the thread in body design to fix that.They did, and it was more than just the screws. I'm searching the archives, hopefully I'll find it.
In addition to that I could have sworn there was for lack of a better term a cover under the cover on the newer 3/8 ratchets made after 2021 give or take a year.What I remember if correctly is when they 1st changed to the Dual 80 design, having the screws screwed into the cover plate was not strong enough. Under higher torque the anvil or pawls would tweak the cover plate & cause binding. So they changed to the thread in body design to fix that.
If that really was the issue, I suppose making the cover plate beefy enough could solve the issue also but that could mean having to make the overall thickness of the head thicker.
Going by the FH80 vs FH100 and pictures in the first post they are not even close.

Please come back and tell us what you found.They did, and it was more than just the screws. I'm searching the archives, hopefully I'll find it.
I'm still looking.Please come back and tell us what you found.![]()
Tossing in the towel. I could have sworn they did some tweaking to the 80 tooth ratchets other than the screw orientation to the cover plate, and the flex-head ratchet changes.Please come back and tell us what you found.![]()
There is a snap ring under the cover plate on the FLLF80 ratchet, but I was under the impression that change was limited to the reverse fork flex heads. https://www.garagejournal.com/forum...le-and-usa-on-head.358773/page-2#post-6495472Tossing in the towel. I could have sworn they did some tweaking to the 80 tooth ratchets other than the screw orientation to the cover plate, and the flex-head ratchet changes.
Fascinating !There is a snap ring under the cover plate on the FLLF80 ratchet, but I was under the impression that change was limited to the reverse fork flex heads. https://www.garagejournal.com/forum...le-and-usa-on-head.358773/page-2#post-6495472
Thank you! I knew they made tweaks in addition to screw placement to beef them up! My question is did that snap ring under the cover plate carry over to the newer 3/8" 80 tooth standard ratchets?There is a snap ring under the cover plate on the FLLF80 ratchet, but I was under the impression that change was limited to the reverse fork flex heads. https://www.garagejournal.com/forum...le-and-usa-on-head.358773/page-2#post-6495472
Fascinating !
