Why doesn’t anyone make a flex head cordless ratchet? It wouldn’t even have to flex too much, something like a flex head torque wrench. Sometimes having 10 - 15 degrees of flex would be all that is needed to get into a tight spot.
Flex head cordless ratchet
- Thread starter Tuc04
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JatoTheRipper
Well-known member
Think about it. You have to somehow get the motor power to the head of the ratchet. That means you are going to need to switch from gears to maybe a flex shaft or something weaker and less reliable.
FuzzyTiger
Well-known member
Astro makes some really small air impact tools including a flex head nano impact. Its not cordless but its as close as you'll get I think until some clever engineer figures out a better solution.
dnschmidt
Well-known member
What Astro does on that tool, basically install an airline swivel between the head and the handle is so much easier than trying to move power being generated in the handle to the head of a tool that flexes. One's a no brainer the other requires a magic act.
ex-x-fire
Well-known member
Yeah, I have that Astro flex head impact, Its a game changer. Those cordless angle impacts can't touch it.
It doesn't require a magic act and has been done a fair few times with pneumatic ratchets. The solution is to put the flex point at the area where the yoke and drive shaft meet which can be angled a fair a bit without any effect on the way it drives. Cordless and pneumatic ratchets function identically in how the yoke is moved so it could certainly be ported over.
The real reason it hasn't been done so far is probably the design and tooling costs to manufacture a niche tool. Pneumatic ratchets that flex are not popular. Most people just want more power and faster speed.
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jsaw
Well-known member
Flex head air ratchet, but have not seen a cordless one
dnschmidt
Well-known member
Pneumatic is different as the air motor is in the head. All that is needed is a joint to carry the air from the bottom of the handle to the head where the air motor is located. With a cordless the motor is in the handle and not the head. Getting the rotational force through a joint is going to be a problem.
FuzzyTiger
Well-known member
The absolute worst fasteners for me are the ones deep in the back of an engine bay where you can barely fit a regular ratchet and the position required to get that fastener off one or two clicks at a time is just miserable. Something with a flex shaft could potentially fit and work in spaces even tighter than you could comfortably swing a manual ratchet. Not a lot of power but still quite valuable... Just a bit niche maybe but who knows - if it works well I'd probably get it over the current cordless ratchets.
Something like this for example but make it shallower (competitive with a 1/4" ratchet) and make the shaft rigid so it can be used as a breaker bar and then power spin off the now free fastener.
Something like this for example but make it shallower (competitive with a 1/4" ratchet) and make the shaft rigid so it can be used as a breaker bar and then power spin off the now free fastener.
kelpaso1
MEMBER EMERITUS
I understand that you have to make a bend, but it’s just a spinning shaft. Rear wheel drive cars have u-joints. Then there is a wobble extension design as well as pinned and pinless impact sockets. I would think there would be a way to allow a small amount of flex. This question came to me when I was doing spark plugs on a hemi in a Durango where 6 of the 8 cylinders are under the cowl. My arms are all scratched up from reaching back there and getting 1/4 turn at a time.
Sorry but what? Pneumatic and cordless ratchets both have the motor in the handle. The yoke and drive shaft operation are almost identical. The only big difference is cordless has gear reduction under the drive shaft but this wouldn't effect where the flex point is.
You seem to be stuck on the one guy who mentioned impacts for some reason but the OP asked about ratchets.
Xcursion88
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It's all about the $$$$
Can it be done? Yes? For a sensible cost? Not yet.
Remember this...while those types of tools are not warranted for life they still need a decent warranty of a year or two (looking at you SO as example)....
That's another issue being durability of it. Their electric ratchet at present does pretty good holding up the two years and then warranty ends.
I don't think at this point they can make an electric flex head ratchet for a decent price while holding up to a couple rigorous years trouble free.
SO won't venture down a road unless they're 101 percent good to go.
I've had the fortunate opportunity over the years from Snap-on to put prototypes to the test of the daily hard life and I've had some tools pass with flying colors and others not so much.
Even tools that only needed a minor adjustment before mass production they absolutely won't jump the gun and pull the trigger selling an item until it's 101% ready for the endurance of a daily hard used life.
Same can't be said of sone other mfg's that are overly anxious to put product out only to have massive problems and or tons of warranty requests. That kills reputation and future sales and just a black eye Snap-on tries to avoid at all cost!!
Can it be done? Yes? For a sensible cost? Not yet.
Remember this...while those types of tools are not warranted for life they still need a decent warranty of a year or two (looking at you SO as example)....
That's another issue being durability of it. Their electric ratchet at present does pretty good holding up the two years and then warranty ends.
I don't think at this point they can make an electric flex head ratchet for a decent price while holding up to a couple rigorous years trouble free.
SO won't venture down a road unless they're 101 percent good to go.
I've had the fortunate opportunity over the years from Snap-on to put prototypes to the test of the daily hard life and I've had some tools pass with flying colors and others not so much.
Even tools that only needed a minor adjustment before mass production they absolutely won't jump the gun and pull the trigger selling an item until it's 101% ready for the endurance of a daily hard used life.
Same can't be said of sone other mfg's that are overly anxious to put product out only to have massive problems and or tons of warranty requests. That kills reputation and future sales and just a black eye Snap-on tries to avoid at all cost!!
Mentioning Snap-on and cordless reliability together, like its some long stand hallmark of theirs, is a laugh. Their best stuff was made in China. Sounds like I'm trashing them but it's the literal truth. The US assembled stuff was a disaster in my experience which stops at products released in the last 3-4 years. You're literally throwing money away. The Chinese stuff was decent to good, just massively overpriced. The off the shelf brands are generally just as good or better and aren't priced like you're buying illicit drugs and most carry comparable or better warranties.
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Xcursion88
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Wwweeellll...
It was an example based on the question at hand...an electric flex head ratchet ... and used SO as the example because the industry that would use an electric flex head the most is the automotible industry. If it were an easy cost effective task to make one reliably they certainly would have an offering given how much they're involved in the auto repair world.
As far as the "off the shelf brands" vs. SO....
You do realize there is more to a tool than just getting all giddy watching someone on Youtube say only brand "X" removed that 10 million foot pound fastener and Snap-on's didn't.
Maintenance, internal component size are all a very important factors for the performance and durability of said tool.
You said reliability right? Isn't that what I also mentioned? Nowhere did I reference performance metrics or YouTubers. I was referencing my own experiences of myself and those around me. Snap-on has an extremely poor track record of reliability in cordless. I personally had two different model impacts burn out triggers and illumination lights within months of purchasing. Their polisher use to eat motors like it was purpose built to burn them out and the first iteration mini impact liked to detonate it's hammer mechanism at regular intervals. I know their newest 1/2" was shattering it's anvil on release as well. That's just to name a few so you'll have to excuse my virtual snicker at you claiming Snap-on field tests and builds a reliable cordless line.
Snap-on is also lagging well behind the competition in cordless technology so just because they don't build something doesnt mean it's not feasible. Milwaukee has kicked their *** with bringing tool designs to market repeatedly.
You're attempting to champion a company in a market that not only do they not lead in, but they were something like 10 years late to (lithium power). I still don't think they have a true high capacity battery on offer or really any battery selection at all.
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Xcursion88
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Funny...but wrong
I didn't need you to tell me that you had a bad experience with SO as I can see right through your statements.
That said it appears you're trying to keep a score while carrying sour grapes....
I'm got no winners in the battery driven world but I can tell you this much....
Milwaukee, Makita, DeWalt are all in the box stores and have a generalized catering approach.
Meaning the hobbyist in any hobby they've got you covered. Hell even the landscaper can get tools from the big 3. Moreover I'd certainly hope they'd have a greater electric tool catalog since their main focus is the home user/weekend warrior... from leaf blowers to circular saws, to job site radios and air compressors...and so on.
Beating your chest about Milwaukee and the amount of electric goods and designs they have etc...well **** sheriff I'd hope so since their competition isn't SO but Makita and Dewalt sitting side by side in the department store.
Simce you brought up Milwaukee tools...ever try and do routine maintenance to their 1/2" impact gun? LOL...there's at least a dozen plus screws...Then rip out the internals...Oh you only want to put grease in it? No worries. Still have to take out every screw and dismantle the entire tool to get in that cone.
SO has 4 screws. Done.
Ever look at the hammer and anvil between those two guns? The SO's absolutely dwarf the Milwaukee's offering.
Just handling both tools there is a massive difference alright. One has more rattling and just feels exactly like a hobbyist tool.
The more solid tool is without a doubt the SO and feels purpose built....which it is.
Back to the point that you keep missing as you're caught in some score keeping game...
If there was an easy and cost effective way to offer up a flex head electric ratchet SO would certainly make this a priority as that tool is right in their wheelhouse. The automobile repair industry.
Ign
Well-known member
I was just reading on the Pontiac Tempest rear d/s.....was 5/8" dia and bowed as it ran under the floorpan.
I also didn't realize DeLorean had designed it.
I also didn't realize DeLorean had designed it.