How many is enough? Ratchets?

[Unruh]

So my wife and I were at a swap meet and I came across a guy selling tools. By came across I mean I was looking for and finally found. I found a nice S-K 3/8th ratchet and some Proto extensions. She said how many ratchets do you need? I asked her how many purses does she need, but that got me in trouble.

However; her question got me thinking, how many ratchets do you all have?

I recently cleaned out my tools and am trying to be more selective. I don't think I have too many at all and I'm sure nothing close to most...

 

[rusty_ratchet]

As a weekend mechanic I think 2x 1/2", 3/8", and 1/4" drive is reasonable for what I do. Having said that, I have way more than 2x 3/8" drive ratchets!

 

[Yarpo]

About 10. Flex in all three drive sizes, regular in all three drive sizes and a few specialty ratchets.

I have some extras that I've picked up that sit in a drawer in case something breaks, but they got accumulated through deals and sets and are of "lesser" quality than my main go to ratchets.

 

[skruft]

Need: 0ne or two of each size that you use, probably. A flex, maybe a short handle. I think most old folks like me have many more because they accumulate, you may have toolboxes in cars or boats, etc. Hard to pass up a good one for a dollar, or a Mac once for fifty cents.

 

[PhysicsDude]

10 is about right for me. I also have a few in the junk bin.

If I were a professional mechanic I would probably have more like 15.

 

[Unruh]

So I'm sitting at

4 1/2 inch
1 Snap-on and my first Craftsman. A Dewalt that is in a set with a 3/8th set as well. The last is a Stanley that my Father-in-law gave me.

6 3/8th
1 Snap-on. 2 Craftsman. 1 Blue Point. The Dewalt in the set. The new to me S-K.

4 1/4
2 Snap-on, 1 Craftsman. Wizard kinda cool USA made ratchet.

In my Toolbox I just have 2 of each.

 

[nbpt100]

Three 1/4 inch, Four 3/8 inch and one 1/2 inch. As you can tell I mostly use 1/4 and 3/8. I still want to get a 100 tooth flex head in the 1/4 and 3/8.

 

[Codejack]

Let's see:

4 in my old **** socket sets; probably 17-tooth or something.

1 in my old Thorsen set.

2 in my Kobalt/Williams set, one of which is an Ace brand that my Dad replaced the 1/2" Williams ratchet that he lost with.

2 Harbor Freight 72-tooth; a 1/4" flex head and a 1/2" extendable. My favorite ratchets.

1 Snap On GF80 3/8". Solid ratchet.

I have Harbor Freight 1/2" flex head and 3/8" long handle flex head ratchets on my shop set shopping list.

 

[cgrutt]

I have a few and am not even a mechanic. So are we talking straight ratchets or does this include air ratchets? Broken ratchets? Torque wrenches? OK, maybe more than a few.
LOL.

 

[TracField]

HaHa,Looks like she'll need an extra purse to carry more ratchets in.I have lost ratchets, replaced, then found the old ones..Also for truck, and working spares-for the inevitable-where did I just put that thing?and backup for working two sizes at once,fewer changeovers.Short and longer leverage steel craftymans when those arrived,which I misplaced for a year or 2. 1 flex head,only one good 1/2 drive,so time for the Harborfreight composite backup there.One stiff,heavy Harbor freight from about 3o years ago,never used,and some air tools,but they are noisy,ok sometimes.One half inch stripped when I tried to take off reverse thread lug nuts in the normal direction with a breaker bar.Some of the lugs even snaped and broke away first! Always had to tell my brother:that is not a hammer,use a hammer when bolts are stuck.

 

[PJNJ]

Since I am probably at 40+ now, I'll say about 50. When I hit 50, I'll say 60.

 

[Teenager with old tools]

4 1/4 13 3/8 2 1/2 not counting breaker bars

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[BIG BACCHUS]

4 1/4 inch
8 3/8 inch
2 1/2 inch
These are rookie numbers, though.

 

[davethorik]

I have around 40. That includes users, backups, and strictly collectibles. I have only ever bought a few ratchets new, the rest were picked up cheap on ebay or flea markets/yard sales. It is always nice to have extras, and different types. Plus if I find a cool old ratchet for cheap I'll pick it up, not like they take up a lot of space.

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

One each; 1/4,3/8,1/2,3/4, and a pass through.
It sure helps to have more though.

 

[Tonyuk]

3 x 1/4
3 x 3/8 (1 long flex head)
2 x 1/2

I've never needed any more than this, although only 1 of each type ever gets much use.

 

[Mr_B]

If keeping minimal 9 would cover it, in reality with ratchet options these days and depending on stuff you work on around 12 to 20 more likely.
I got 3 roller clutch drive ratchets
3 standard pear heads
2 locking flexi
2 locking long flexi
2 extendable flexi
2 roto heads
2 palm ratchets
out of those only 7 common use .
various older ratchets in mobile box and workbench tool drawer .

 

[Sam'sAutoParts]

19 at work
25+ at home

 

[Fedwrench]

more than i will ever use

you're not likely to get a rational answer here but, i think standard length and long flex head in each drive size that you use, plus a stubby in at least 1/4 drive, and then a 3/8 in a 1/4 drive body, a long handled 3/8 drive fixed head model,......

 

[Infinia]

uhhh Fifteen plus one bigass 1/2 breaker bar.
a better question is, how many extensions and adapters do you need?

 

[wrenchr]

2 to 3..........................drawers full.

 

[Mr_B]

lol ^
I would say once over 18 in your main tool box you border line collector once over 21 you are a serious collector (ratchet junkie) .

 

[bimmer630]

lol ^
I would say once over 18 in your main tool box you border line collector once over 21 you are a serious collector (ratchet junkie) .

I have 30 in my box at work. Theres another 5 or 6 ratchets at home too, haha

 

[Empty Pockets]

I am probably in excess of 40 ratchets, likely more than I'll ever use. I have everything from:

2 Open gear 1/2 drive Indestro
Multiple Wright and Wright Tootsie Rolls
A number of older CM
Some Snappys & Macs
A couple of Penncraft & Powr Kraft
A number of SK
A couple of HF
A few stray unbranded imports from box lots
1/4, 3/8, 1/2 & 3/4 sizes

And likely a few I forgot to list

 

[ocloc24]

About 45. You need regular, flex head, long flex head, stubby, long fixed, roto head, palm ratchets, low profiles, locking flex, etc. Then comfort grips and non comfort grip in all the above.

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[mbshop]

Need really has nothing to do with it except one of each size. After that it just becomes what you like or want or could use. And as others have said, a good deal on any rathet is going to be bought and taken to yer toolbox. I now have 5 1/4 ratchets and I'm retired. I'm thinking of getting the 1/4 hf swivel head ratchet just because folks like it. Need ? Nope.

 

[Ign]

How many ratchets do you own?:
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=72721

Some interesting stuff in that thread:

oh and I like the "on the wall" aspect. I've put all my wrenches on my wall That's an old pic from '10 but age doesn't make it less interesting

 

[Heavy Metal Doctor]

At home: 2 in each drive size. Standard and long flex-head types. It gets me through the home projects.

Work: somewhere around 25 or 27, I forget exactly. Nearly every style / type you can think of in each drive size.

 

[ihateminimumwage]

I keep trying to "Buy, Try, and Sell" but too many seem to stick around!

Work is:
3 x 1/4" (Snap-on T72, Snap-on QR comfort grip straight & flex)
3 x 3/8" (Snap on 3/8" in 1/4" body roto, Snap-on QR comfort grip straight & flex)
2 x 1/2" (SK 1/2", Snap-on 36 tooth locking flex)

Home:
3 x 1/4" (SK 1/4", Snap-on TF72, Plvmb WF-8)
4 x 3/8" (2 x SK Tuff1 3/8", SK Tuff1 long 3/8", older Williams Superratchet)
2 x 1/2" (SK Tuff1 1/2", CAT 36 tooth long 1/2")

Nothing compared to the hoarders on here, but I keep trying to thin it down. The only ones I've had over 5 years are the T72, Plvmb and Williams.

 

[mcmtech]

At work I have: 1/4 drive- 2 flex head and 1 standard
3/8 drive- standard, long handle, long handle flex and a stubby flex
1/2 drive- standard and a long handle flex

 

[bobcatdan]

I think last count was 76 or 77 between 4 tool sets.

 

[JohnDeere1]

I have around 100 mix of Snap on,mac,matco,sk,Wright and some Euro brands facom,beta all mine are pro brands except for 3 craftsman be series with yellow grips that are pretty rare.

 

[snapmom]

Something close to 150

 

[baron405]

can never have enough

 

[zktk01]

Just when I thought I had enough 70 I decided I want a Snap on Round Head Swivel. Going to add that to my wish list.
https://store.snapon.com/Round-Head...t-Grip-Round-Swivel-Head-Ratchet-P648890.aspx

 

[thesilverone]

never enough

 

[Strouty]

6,489,948

 

[canuckian]

I stopped counting at 100 or so with maybe 3 exact duplicates. I have no practical reason to have so many and I find I use them less and less since I got some nice cordless ratchets but they can be handy to have around. It's nice to be able to pick the perfect ratchet for the task at hand from a sea of chrome

 

[shawndp]

I look at it this way - If I don't use a ratchet at least once a week, it isn't in my regular rotation and if it doesn't see action once a month it becomes "one ratchet too many". There isn't magic formula for how many ratchets you need as it is driven by what you do and what sort of vehicles you do "it" to. For me, 4 x 3/8 and 3x 1/4 ratchets and a breaker bar and flex head in 1/2 seem to see active duty.

 

[bsg1]

perhaps 60-70, maybe more. I've recently added to the collection with 1/4", 3/8" and 1" drive Snap-on. I've also picked up a few Plomb ratchets recently. I was pleased to find the 3/8" Snap-on in the wild to add to a 1944 collection. I have Snap-on palm ratchets, Snap-on ratchets from the 1920s to current production, USA Blue-Point, Par-X and a separate collection of Plomb along with some examples of Proto. there are others out in the garage such as Plomb manufactured Craftsman.