plinker
Well-known member
So I've had an 3/8 indexable ratchet on order from Matco for quite a while now. I managed to find one the other week and picked it up for a pretty good price. No telling when the one I ordered will show up. Interestingly it's not stamped, but laser etched.
https://www.matcotools.com/catalog/product/BIR10/3-8-DRIVE-INDEXABLE-RATCHET/
Previously I had been on the look out for an Armstrong, Not very common (or cheap),
https://www.ebay.com/itm/224503768694?epid=1200275809&hash=item344577a676:g:S7IAAOSwfqJgznnS
I had noted Acme tools had listed a few 11-996G ratchets on ebay back this spring, before march anyway. It said they were Gearwrench brand (????), well they had sold out, but the pic was of an Armstrong with no stamped markings (Zoro has the same pic).
So I was looking around again recently and they were listed again, this time I looked into them a bit further, Zoro lists the Gearwrench unit as US made, same part number(with added G) and handle shape as an Armstrong would have. Acme's site has a pic in the reviews and it was laser etched like the Matco, not stamped.
https://www.zoro.com/gearwrench-38-...head-ratchet-10-11-996g/i/G8594980/?q=11-996g
Acme is actually cheaper and has the pic in the reviews showing markings.
https://www.acmetools.com/shop/tools/gearwrench-11-996g
So the twenty five dollar question is who is actually making these? Gearwrench offering them is curious too. Obviously the tooling was already in existence so that is part of it. I just would have expected them to offer something from Taiwan or china instead.
Side note;
Now the other interesting thing is the 1/2 drive Armstrong internals will fit an S-K Tuff-1 ratchet (have both & tried it a while ago) I didnt try it under load but if it fit it should work. I could try this with the 3/8 I now have but it should work as well. Just a FWIW if you have any Tuff-1 ratchets.
https://www.matcotools.com/catalog/product/BIR10/3-8-DRIVE-INDEXABLE-RATCHET/
Previously I had been on the look out for an Armstrong, Not very common (or cheap),
https://www.ebay.com/itm/224503768694?epid=1200275809&hash=item344577a676:g:S7IAAOSwfqJgznnS
I had noted Acme tools had listed a few 11-996G ratchets on ebay back this spring, before march anyway. It said they were Gearwrench brand (????), well they had sold out, but the pic was of an Armstrong with no stamped markings (Zoro has the same pic).
So I was looking around again recently and they were listed again, this time I looked into them a bit further, Zoro lists the Gearwrench unit as US made, same part number(with added G) and handle shape as an Armstrong would have. Acme's site has a pic in the reviews and it was laser etched like the Matco, not stamped.
https://www.zoro.com/gearwrench-38-...head-ratchet-10-11-996g/i/G8594980/?q=11-996g
Acme is actually cheaper and has the pic in the reviews showing markings.
https://www.acmetools.com/shop/tools/gearwrench-11-996g
So the twenty five dollar question is who is actually making these? Gearwrench offering them is curious too. Obviously the tooling was already in existence so that is part of it. I just would have expected them to offer something from Taiwan or china instead.
Side note;
Now the other interesting thing is the 1/2 drive Armstrong internals will fit an S-K Tuff-1 ratchet (have both & tried it a while ago) I didnt try it under load but if it fit it should work. I could try this with the 3/8 I now have but it should work as well. Just a FWIW if you have any Tuff-1 ratchets.
