Gearless Ratchets
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I tried out several of them, but I ended up going down the road of modifying my regular ratchets internally for very low backdrag instead. My gearless ratchets were all sold off soon after and I don't miss them. I had the Titan stubbies, a Kobalt regular handle, etc. All were Taiwan made. I never got around to trying the Snap-on FZero models, because I ended up losing interest in gearless ratchets as a whole before I got around to them.
The main benefit of gearless ratchets is their very low backdrag and short handle swing, but there are costs to factor in. Gearless ratchets that have no direction selector have average to smaller than average sized heads which is nice, but they can get stuck if you are working in a tight area and you aren't paying attention to what you're doing when backing out a bolt. If you pinch the top of the ratchet head against something by accident, there is no way to change the ratchet direction and get it loose again. It's the same sort of issue you can run into with "flip over to change direction" ratchet wrenches and shouldered bolts.
They do make gearless ratchets with direction selectors, but the ones I have seen and tried all had heads that were quite a bit more bulky than an equivalent conventional ratchet of the same drive size. That made them functionally worthless in many situations, because the main benefits of having a gearless ratchet are the low backdrag and the tight swing capability, two things that only matter when working in tight areas where you usually need the ratchet head to be as small as possible.
The Omega roller ratchets (mainly marketed to aerospace mechanics) do have nice tiny heads, but they also have a relatively low max torque rating. If I remember correctly it's something around 12ftlbs for their standard 1/4" drive models, so that's something to note if you're interested in them. I never got too excited about the Omega roller ratchets, because I found them expensive and too fiddly for general use compared to something like a small headed bit ratchet with a regular direction selector switch.
The main benefit of gearless ratchets is their very low backdrag and short handle swing, but there are costs to factor in. Gearless ratchets that have no direction selector have average to smaller than average sized heads which is nice, but they can get stuck if you are working in a tight area and you aren't paying attention to what you're doing when backing out a bolt. If you pinch the top of the ratchet head against something by accident, there is no way to change the ratchet direction and get it loose again. It's the same sort of issue you can run into with "flip over to change direction" ratchet wrenches and shouldered bolts.
They do make gearless ratchets with direction selectors, but the ones I have seen and tried all had heads that were quite a bit more bulky than an equivalent conventional ratchet of the same drive size. That made them functionally worthless in many situations, because the main benefits of having a gearless ratchet are the low backdrag and the tight swing capability, two things that only matter when working in tight areas where you usually need the ratchet head to be as small as possible.
The Omega roller ratchets (mainly marketed to aerospace mechanics) do have nice tiny heads, but they also have a relatively low max torque rating. If I remember correctly it's something around 12ftlbs for their standard 1/4" drive models, so that's something to note if you're interested in them. I never got too excited about the Omega roller ratchets, because I found them expensive and too fiddly for general use compared to something like a small headed bit ratchet with a regular direction selector switch.
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they are useful .
stubby is nice and 3/8 useful but no big need have 1/2"
not used daily but great for some scenarios, 3/8 stubby being most used .
also look at Koken latest 72T ratchets for minimal drag and fairly compact sizing .
Had these since mid 90's
older thread on them .
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stubby is nice and 3/8 useful but no big need have 1/2"
not used daily but great for some scenarios, 3/8 stubby being most used .
also look at Koken latest 72T ratchets for minimal drag and fairly compact sizing .
Had these since mid 90's
older thread on them .
Anyone know who makes this ratchet?
I received as a gift this 3/8 inch and a matching 1/4 inch that has no markings other than (L) (R) assuming left and right. The ratchets are so smooth and seem like they have no teeth. They literally do not make a sound in use. They must operate using some other kind of mechanism. To change...
www.garagejournal.com
Mytoolsupply
Well-known member
I recently bought the 1/4" drive snap on one mostly because it looked cool, I've used it a few times and it takes a little bit to get used to, when you don't hear the click it messes with your mind for a while. I find myself wanting to hold the socket with my finger because there's no audible ques
I had picked up a Kobalt gearless rat some time ago. Here are some internal pics. Very smooth, probably great for repetitive work. But the head was way too big for my taste. Getting it into a tight area would be tough, and all that weight on the end threw the balance off. I gave it away.
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Legion Prime
Well-known member
I bought a pair of Mac ones back in the 90s IIRC. They sounded neat but were just too bulky and heavy for them to ever be my go to so they've just sat and languished in my box ever since
Ton ton
Well-known member
I need to get my snappy rebuilt 3/8" drive. Kinda been putting it off . If someone steals it @ this point the joke is their problem LOL.
I bought a mac 3/8 drive one about 20 years ago. i hate it. It's got a thick head, and is hard to change directions. I don't like the handle grip at all. But there have been a few jobs where it's been exactly the right tool, and being able to work in a tiny little swing made it possible to get a bolt out without having to pull more things apart, so it's staying in the drawer.
Iridium rand
Well-known member
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- Sep 23, 2021
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They’re really a novelty more than anything else, I kinda like them but the bulky heads usually negate most of the benefit and fine tooths are already pretty close to the lowest possible swing arc since the slop between the socket and drive square and between the socket and bolt always prevent it from actually being zero. I rarely use it besides just to mix things up a little, my rotator ratchets on the other hand I use all the time and I think are a much better option for tight arc situations
freudianfloyd
Well-known member
I have the Kobalt one shown above. I got it for that one time I might actually need it, but I have yet to use it. I don't like that you cannot hear it, so you don't know if the bolt is actually turning or not, and as mentioned above, the head is huge. I will hold onto it because there is still a chance it will be useful, but with these 90+ tooth ratchets on the market now, it isn't really needed anymore.
Yep that is correct. General my dad's aviation mechanic has one a likes it, but hes got a ton of different stuff. Those guys are in tight quarters though.
ZRX61
Well-known member
I have a small 1/4in version, not a clue what brand it is.