Kobalt 3/8 Flex head ratchet

[Lifted4]

$9.98 here in Houston . I'm going back tomorrow and get 3 more for Christmas gifts.

 

[lotsoftools]

This must be the never ending hot deal thread. My store still has at least a dozen. I think if they moved them from the lawnmower section into the tool section they might sell out rather quickly.

 

[r6_cannibal]

I needed the larger of the sparkplug sockets, spent a few extra bucks and got this kit. awesome deal, thanks!

 

[TJx]

Dang $9.88 I bought one at $15.** Do you think they will price match it? I still have my receipt

14 days for price match.
Also, price drops occur on Mondays.

 

[Badger05]

Ordered one for in store pickup....don't know how I've held out this long but for less than $10 I couldn't resist.

 

[alpinewhite]

14 days for price match.
Also, price drops occur on Mondays.

if they won't price match, return with old receipt. You have 90 days.

 

[The Ratchet Man]

$9 at my store. They were in the tool section on a clip strip next to the other ratchets. I didn't realize they had detents until I looked over an unpackaged one. I don't care for detents so I left it. It did seem like a nice ratchet though.

 

[John316]

Hard Handle Mod. I'm going to by a few more tomorrow so I can have it in three different lengths.

Very cool!

 

[Lifted4]

Took the receipt back today for the 4 sets I bought last month at $15.98 and they refunded me the difference in the current $9.98 price. So I bought 2 more sets with the refund.

 

[91FE]

Just picked up 2... One for me... One for my 4yo's growing collection. I've been collecting USA stuff for him, but felt this was a worthy inclusion.

Took me a while to find them. Started in lawn and garden, but missed them in my first sweep. They were in a floor standing box at the end of the aisle. Was thinking they'd be hanging.

 

[biscuit141]

14 days for price match.
Also, price drops occur on Mondays.

My store told me 30 days.

 

[BigSteve63]

$9.88 at my store + got my 5% discount for having a commercial account.

Bought 2 more sets, now up to three. There were still 11 left this evening after my purchase.


They also had a few files left, but i forgot to look to see if the Knipex stuff had been cut again.

 

[Wangstang]

Where can I find these in the store. I have been to three stores, looked in the tool section and with the small engine stuff like leaf blowers and chainsaws and also spoke with store managers. The first store showed 10 in stock, the second showed 24 in stock, the third showed 13 in stock and no one at any of these stores could find them, including checking the top shelf storage sections.

Thanks
Wes

 

[AmericanPreferred]

Wes your best bet may be to order online for store pickup. They will find them then I bet, if not at least no more wild goose chases.

I voided the warranty on one of these today; my main gripe with them is the lack of a lockable flex head. I took it apart and drilled about a 1/8 hole at the back edge of the detent ball. Then I put it back together normally. Now it works as it did, plus if I need it locked in a certain position I have a screw that wedges the detent ball from retracting which locks it tight in any of the detent positions.

 

[cheechi]

my store had them both in the section where other ratchets & sockets, as well as a side display in lawn & garden.

 

[allinon72]

To reiterate the locations of these, I have seen them:
- In Lawn and Garden by the lawn mower parts
- Tool section, hanging on corner endcap
- In with the rest of the ratchets in the hand tool aisle
- In the "automotive" section

 

[allinon72]

Note that this deal is now on the front page of Slickdeals, which means that middle-aged housewives around the country are heading to Lowes and stocking up on these, just because they can. If you're looking to pick one up, I'd do so now.

 

[RedFordTruck]

Note that this deal is now on the front page of Slickdeals, which means that middle-aged housewives around the country are heading to Lowes and stocking up on these, just because they can. If you're looking to pick one up, I'd do so now.

Dammit.

I dont need another but Im hoping that a bunch hang around longer and drop to around $4.98.

One store has 6, one has 8, and one a little farther away has 16.

 

[jim2664258]

Where can I find these in the store. I have been to three stores, looked in the tool section and with the small engine stuff like leaf blowers and chainsaws and also spoke with store managers. The first store showed 10 in stock, the second showed 24 in stock, the third showed 13 in stock and no one at any of these stores could find them, including checking the top shelf storage sections.

Thanks
Wes

The West Raleigh store off Grove Barton Road has them. I just did an internet order and I just got the pickup email.

 

[cheechi]

Those that have modded the heads and handle lengths, did you keep the HF head or are they no good?

 

[OutLore]

The West Raleigh store off Grove Barton Road has them. I just did an internet order and I just got the pickup email.

They're in a cardboard display in the mower spares section in that store...

 

[doan]

This showed up on fatwallet.com today.... The rest of the inventory will be gone and on ebay soon.

 

[bowlofturtle]

I picked up 2 yesterday before slickdeals got ahold of it.

Used the ratchet today on a oil change. I had to tighten up the T15 flex head bolt a little. But everything worked out nicely. This is my 2nd fine tooth ratchet, been using old C-man and a 72 gearwrench.

Only negative was when i dropped the ratchet (less then 8 inches off the ground) it chipped the chrome. Never happen to any of my other ratchets/wrenches. I'm not too concerned tho. Good deal at $10 for a beater ratchet. My new junkyard ratchet.

BTW.... are all ratchets doing their own thing now in terms of which way the lever is pointing for what. I've always been used to Left being tighten/ON and right being loosen/OFF. Then a couple HF ratchets flipped it on me and now the Kobalt is the same.

 

[toolstools]

I got 2 more today for $21.04. Going to weld one straight and have one bent.

 

[SignalZero]

This must be the never ending hot deal thread. My store still has at least a dozen. I think if they moved them from the lawnmower section into the tool section they might sell out rather quickly.

My local store had them NEAR the ratchets but kind of hidden with the toolboxes. Went back a couple weeks after getting mine, and it looked like only 2 others had sold. Still plenty left. I had to convince myself I don't need 2.

 

[ATC]

I had to convince myself I don't need 2.

Teach me your ways....I have 7 of them now!

 

[ChevyEFI]

I bought a few; might modify one; one for a friend. One for lawnmower use.

 

[toolstools]

I got mine welded last night. Going to have my other one torched and bent. Heat is the only way I can get it bent.

ATC-

You think 7 is bad? There's a guy in the classified section that has like 12 of them!

 

[djb2]

This showed up on fatwallet.com today.... The rest of the inventory will be gone and on ebay soon.

I don't know about that.

You can buy a 40 piece socket set for $3. That's a ratchet and 39 pieces, while this only has 3 pieces. How could this possibly be worth more than $2?

If you want a brand name, this isn't Craftsman so it's the same as generic.

For those slightly more sophisticated, HF has one with two articulation joints for about the same price.

Of course I could be wrong. If FW says it's a good deal, it should be profitable to flip on FleaBay.

 

[Starjammir]

I just bought 15. I'm handing them out as birthday and Xmas gifts to people. I have a lot of brother in laws.

 

[Dberglind]

Finally picked mine up yesterday. Bought online for $12.88 and noticed they had them in the store at $9.88, so had them adjust the price for me. They still had 3 or 4 left in a display in the automotive toolbox, straps and tie downs aisle at my store.

 

[toolstools]

I think Saturday I'll go to Lowes and see if they have any more left. Have two custom ones now, might get two more. One to leave a lone and one to give to a friend. If the price us right lol.

 

[rcsec]

I made my own. Thanks for the idea. I used the HF flex-head, though. They looked identical - even the internals.

So many pages on this ratchet! I have the HF double flex ratchet, and pulled the intermediate piece out to make a short-stubby ratchet. Has anyone tried (if there is a need) to used the HF intermediate piece on the Kobalt flex head?

HF Double Flex
http://www.harborfreight.com/3-8-eighth-inch-heavy-duty-flexible-ratchet-96369.html

Lowes Kobalt Flex
http://www.lowes.com/pd_436178-22328-87058_0__?Ntt=436178&UserSearch=436178&productId=4642703&rpp=32

Thanks

Sorry, I see this was answered on page 21
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=192648&page=21

 

[k-os]

So many pages on this ratchet! I have the HF double flex ratchet, and pulled the intermediate piece out to make a short-stubby ratchet. Has anyone tried (if there is a need) to used the HF intermediate piece on the Kobalt flex head?

HF Double Flex
http://www.harborfreight.com/3-8-eighth-inch-heavy-duty-flexible-ratchet-96369.html

Lowes Kobalt Flex
http://www.lowes.com/pd_436178-22328-87058_0__?Ntt=436178&UserSearch=436178&productId=4642703&rpp=32

Thanks

Sorry, I see this was answered on page 21
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=192648&page=21

I put the middle piece onto my Kobalt Flex Head. Now it's a double flex ratchet.

 

[AmericanPreferred]

For those that don't want to weld for a fixed head, you can easily drill a hole where the bearing ends while engaged and tap it, then use a pointed screw to fix the head in any of the detent positions. With the screw removed or loosened, it works just like it did. You don't even have to tap the hole, a pointed sheetmetal screw works too w/o tapping.

 

[Wangstang]

For those that don't want to weld for a fixed head, you can easily drill a hole where the bearing ends while engaged and tap it, then use a pointed screw to fix the head in any of the detent positions. With the screw removed or loosened, it works just like it did. You don't even have to tap the hole, a pointed sheetmetal screw works too w/o tapping.

Or use a roll pin.

Wes

 

[AmericanPreferred]

Its easier to loosen a screw than take the pin in and out. You will need something pointed as it goes between the spring and the ball. You only need to drill half way through to use a screw. I wanted a locking flex head, as opposed to a non-locking or fixed head. I am not a big fan of non locking flex heads. It is such an easy mod, and makes a world of difference.

 

[sks]

Its easier to loosen a screw than take the pin in and out. You will need something pointed as it goes between the spring and the ball. You only need to drill half way through to use a screw. I wanted a locking flex head, as opposed to a non-locking or fixed head. I am not a big fan of non locking flex heads. It is such an easy mod, and makes a world of difference.

Any way you could post a photo of this?

 

[AmericanPreferred]

I am picture challenged at the moment, my memory card went missing, and is obsolete (read) expensive. but if you look at the picture above and imagine a small hole drilled in the handle at the back edge of the ball visible in the assembled ratchet. This hole does not need to go all the way through, only to the tube the ball rides in. I am now using something similar to a thumb tack to wedge the ball, so no other tool is needed to change the locked position, just pull it out, set the angle needed and stick it back in to lock it. I am really not sure of the exact size of the drill bit I used, I think it is slightly smaller than 1/8". It was not hard to drill with a cordless hand drill. Of course you will want to take it apart prior to drilling.

 

[alpinewhite]

I'd like to see a welded unit.