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How many ratchets is enough?

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flintsghost

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 6, 2011
Messages
139
Location
Colorado
At one time I was a professional mechanic and acquired additional tools over what I already had. Since then I kept acquiring stuff. I still have the first ratchet I ever bought which is a 1972 purchase of a Snap On F730, which is an early fine tooth version I think. It's now in my travel tool box which goes in the car or 4wd with me to handle mechanical chores that seem to come up every now and then. Today I had to clean out my KR537 to let my son take it to his house as I have outgrown it and bought a newer one. I could not believe how many ratchets I have, although I do use them all. Here's a few pics and description in this post. I just wondered if anyone else was as crazy as I am or worse.d The only ratchets I ever got rid of was an early flex head with a bent or curved handle from Snap on and my son has it now. The other was my first 1/2 drive FV71A, which I sold on this forum a few weeks ago. All the others I just acquired, some used and some new but all get use from me, even if it's only on an occasional basis.

These are my 3/8" Snap On (T to B) FM872MP, FL936, F841, F936, FC936, and an old FK720 I got used.
DSC_1078.jpg


These are my old 3/8"s that are now in my travel kit. FL710, F730, FM70
DSC_1076.jpg


This is out of my 1/4" metric set and gets little use..TM70C
DSC_1077.jpg


I bought these recently from ebay, both 1/2" drive..S80, SF720
DSC_1075.jpg
 
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S

SINISTER

Well-known member
Joined
Feb 1, 2012
Messages
130
Location
Long Island
Never. I have all sorts of snap on ratchets. My favs are still the long handle locking flex dual80's.

I guess its enough when you start buying doubles.
 
U

USMCdodge

Well-known member
Joined
Oct 12, 2011
Messages
453
Location
MCBH
Thats a silly question.

another silly question- can someone here who sees a snap on truck regularly order me a dust cover for a 1/2" sl710? i can pay you back plus shipping
 
D

DrkMtnDew

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 24, 2010
Messages
1,465
Keep going. Enough ratchets is when you not only have a lot of SO, but also Proto, Cornwell, Armstrong, Craftsman, Walden, SK, Matco, Bonney, Williams, Duralast, Blackhawk, etc, etc, etc.
 
X

xj1999

Well-known member
Joined
Sep 25, 2010
Messages
72
Location
Washington, MI
The formula I use is: n plus 1 equals the number that you should have. N is equal to the number that you currently have.
 
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F

flintsghost

Well-known member
Joined
Dec 6, 2011
Messages
139
Location
Colorado
Chadro said:
Meh..... I have like 8 ratchets total and that's all I need. Hell I've only got one 1/4.
Click to expand...

I guess I agree most with you. I have more than I need right now. I think someone missed the fact that I got a lot of them 40 years ago when I was in fact doing a lot of mechanical work. I did not then, no do I now, collect tools.
Sometimes I store things for a rainy day, like my brake tools but ratchets are and should be regular use tools and that's what mine are for. Occasionally, I accumulate something by accident because it's with something I want. But that has never applied to ratchets.
 
B

billymade

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Joined
Apr 2, 2008
Messages
7,461
Location
New Mexico
I'll take another approach; there are some other ratchets snapon offers, you don't have from a "type of ratchets" point of view or "quality over quantity". From where I am standing; you are missing:

SHLF80A, Ratchet, Dual 80, Flex Head, Long Standard Handle 24" (1/2 drive)

FHF80
Flex-Head Soft Grip
Standard Handle Ratchet (3/8" drive)

FBF80
Flex-Head
Bent Handle Ratchet (3/8" drive)


TF72
Flex-Head
Long Handle Ratchet (1/4" drive)

TL72
Long Handle Ratchet (1/4" drive)

Also: add some dual 80 ratchets for those you use in tight confined areas.... all of the above ratchets will give you more options when tackling a job. Its always nice to have options... make your work easier! :)

Some dual 80 propaganda:

http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=...-u3yBg&usg=AFQjCNEiGNvhvCQe0NUKz3Ndii2t2hruJA

Cool video of the dual 80s being made:


Nice overview of the dual 80 line in 1/4"/3/8" line:

http://www.snapon.com/dual80/
 
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O

ozyborn

Well-known member
Joined
Apr 26, 2011
Messages
687
when the number of ratchets outnumber your number of wrenches. But that just means you have to buy more wrenches.
 
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F

Fedwrench

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Joined
Dec 9, 2007
Messages
14,957
Location
Valley of the sun
Let's see, in each drive size you need standard length, flex head, and long fixed. Additionally in 1/4 and 3/8 drive you need stubby, stubby flex, and the slim line models of a 3/8 drive in short, long, and flex head models the size of 1/4 drive ratchets...
Then you'll want to have everything above with a comfort grip handle if it's available.
Then there's the tooth count. You'll want everything listed above in 30, 36, 45, 60, 72, 80, 84, 88, and maybe 100 teeth.
Then there's industrial finish selection too....
Then to show you're a man of the world, you'll need a cross section of everything listed above from Germany, Italy, France, and Taiwan.
Then there's the assorted head shapes, round, pear, indexable....
Well you get my point...:beer:
 
M

monster1

Well-known member
Joined
Jan 8, 2012
Messages
704
Don't laugh but I only have on each of 1/4 3/8 1/2 cmans teardrop rp's. I thought that was enough until I showed up here.
 
C

countryroad82

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Joined
Mar 18, 2011
Messages
3,447
Location
Kentucky
Ummmm lemme see, I personally have somewhere in the lines of 30ish ratchets........ I still manage to get one from time to time, so I don't know where the 'enough' is but probably somewhere in the mid 200s would be sufficient. There are some members that have posted pics that would fill an entire tool chest with nothing but ratchets which will probably be me in another 30 years. In all honesty though probably all you NEED per say is 2 of each so you have a backup, but this is Garage Journal and that is blasphemy, so I go back to my original statement of mid 200s of being almost enough. :rocker:
 
J

Jeeper

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Joined
Dec 25, 2006
Messages
2,124
Location
Round Rock, TX
I have summed it up in a simple mathematical equation: Jeeper's ratchets + 1 < maximum number of ratchets one should own

Sent from my GT-P7510 using Tapatalk
 
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