Mac Axis ratchet

[bixxjs]

Hi Y'all
Anyone have any experience on the new locking flex head Mac Axis ratchets.Are they USA made

 

[measuredtwice]

IIRC, the locking handles are imported. The non locking flex Proto are made in the USA.

 

[measuredtwice]

I seem to recall that this got examined in a lot of detail a year or so back.

I think the conclusion was that every Mac Axis ratchet was made in the U.S.A. This is what’s stated on the Mac website, and I think one of the members rang them to confirm.

I don’t normally leap to the defence of SBD, they’re usually guilty beyond reasonable doubt, but it seems not in this instance.

I know that the locking flex don’t say “USA” on the selector, and we’re right to be wary (it’s usually justified) but sometimes these companies do stupid things!

I own just one Mac Axis ratchet. The regular length 3/8. It’s a tool I like a lot!

I have the Proto equivalent. Great ratchets.

I may be wrong about the COO but it looks fishy to me. In addition to the missing COO on the ratchet, the COO is missing on the website for the locking flex whereas the nonlocking and fixed ratchet descriptions say "proudly made in the USA". Casually omitting the COO seems to be the norm for imports in the USA.

 

[Fedwrench]

I recently acquired a MAC 3/8 drive locking flex head ratchet model number
XR1390LFK 1S. It's a current model as the gear cover screws go through the top of the ratchet head. No where on the ratchet itself is stamped with the letters USA and the american flag is no longer on the direction switch. It did come with a sticker on the handle that read "Made in USA with global materials".

On a side note, Proto as of this writing, doesn't offer a locking flex head version of the 90 tooth ratchet.

 

[measuredtwice]

..."Made in USA with global materials"...

Good to know.

Probably too difficult to fit all of that on the selector switch.

 

[kapster]

I'm curious on these as well. I had given up on anything but Snap on Dual 80 but then these came out Their locking flex is a pretty cool design, snap on doesn't offer it in many varieties.

I'd like a 18inch 3/8 locking flex, snap on doesn't make it and Mac does!

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[Fedwrench]

One thing to note about the MAC locking flex head Axis ratchet, is that there no **** thing as unlocked mode. The lock is always engaged.

 

[Dave455]

I have the Proto equivalent. Great ratchets.

I may be wrong about the COO but it looks fishy to me. In addition to the missing COO on the ratchet, the COO is missing on the website for the locking flex whereas the nonlocking and fixed ratchet descriptions say "proudly made in the USA". Casually omitting the COO seems to be the norm for imports in the USA.

After I wrote that I looked up the Mac website.

Yes, the non locking are ‘proudly made in the USA’. The COO is suspiciously missing for the locking, which I assume to mean ‘embarrassingly made in Taiwan’.

I can see a company getting something wrong, but if a ‘mistake’ has been on a website for a year or two and not corrected, it’s probably not a mistake. Add in the lack of COO on the selector and I’m with you - fishy at best, hence I deleted my comment!

 

[kapster]

One thing to note about the MAC locking flex head Axis ratchet, is that there no **** thing as unlocked mode. The lock is always engaged. [emoji481]

Fed, do you feel that is a negative or positive?

Kind of reminds me of Armstrong, matco and gearwrench. They made Armstrong and matco in USA and a near identical in Taiwan, now no USA as far as I know? Hope this isn't another case of that.

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[measuredtwice]

After I wrote that I looked up the Mac website.

Yes, the non locking are ‘proudly made in the USA’. The COO is suspiciously missing for the locking, which I assume to mean ‘embarrassingly made in Taiwan’.

I can see a company getting something wrong, but if a ‘mistake’ has been on a website for a year or two and not corrected, it’s probably not a mistake. Add in the lack of COO on the selector and I’m with you - fishy at best, hence I deleted my comment!

No worries!

Fed, do you feel that is a negative or positive?

Kind of reminds me of Armstrong, matco and gearwrench. They made Armstrong and matco in USA and a near identical in Taiwan, now no USA as far as I know? Hope this isn't another case of that.

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Armstrong is gone, unfortunately. But the Matco 88 locking flex is still made in the USA.

I suspect Mac is just sourcing the locking handle or parts of the handle from overseas and attaching it to USA made parts.

 

[setfocus]

Kind of reminds me of Armstrong, matco and gearwrench. They made Armstrong and matco in USA and a near identical in Taiwan, now no USA as far as I know? Hope this isn't another case of that.

I think Armstrong use to make the 88 ratchets for Matco before they went under. The Matco 88 is still the same design but now made either in house by matco or another company. Matco website says "Made in USA"

The gearwrench ratchets, I believe, have always been made in Taiwan and is of no relation to the matco 88, just looks similar

 

[kapster]

Oh I stand corrected, I thought Matco was Taiwan now.

They might not be the same tooth count but I know the gearwrench, Armstrong and Matco guts interchange.

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[Fedwrench]

Fed, do you feel that is a negative or positive?

Probably neither. I never really use the locking feature. There are plenty of positions on the mac locking flex head and Mac's lock button is fairly flush so, I don't think it will be an issue. I know there's at least one You Tube video where someone tested a MAC locking flex head ratchet to failure and the locking handle failed before the ratchet head gears or square drive.

They might not be the same tooth count but I know the gearwrench, Armstrong and Matco guts interchange.

Yes and no.. the Armstrong, Gearwrench, & Matco 60, 84, & 88 tooth models interchange with each other. However, the current Gearwrench 90 tooth model does not. They operate on the same internal design but, the 90 tooth gear cover is suspiciously shaped just like the gear covers found on SATA ratchets.

On a side note, there never was any interchange for Gearwrench's 120 XP dual pawl gear model

 

[Skin]

MAC locking flex ratchets are made in the USA except for the locking mechanism itself which is imported from Taiwan and is was actually designed and patented there.

Not a fan of their locking flex design myself since it can't be unlocked but I do like it better than Snap-on. Bear in mind MAC standard flex ratchets also have a reversed hinge making them stupid strong while the locking flex are a standard hinge design and will fail under extreme stress.

If you're looking at the really long lengths stick with the standard flex models.

 

[kapster]

Bear in mind MAC standard flex ratchets also have a reversed hinge making them stupid strong while the locking flex are a standard hinge design and will fail under extreme stress.

If you're looking at the really long lengths stick with the standard flex models.

I totally missed this, glad you mentioned it. You've made up my mind, I'll stick with snap on. Fllf80 it is!

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[KWtech90]

I really loved it he feel and smoothness of my Mac axis 3/8 standard handle, but it failed a number of times under high torque. As of now we don't have a Mac guy in town and my snap on dual 80s have been serving me just fine so I have not gone through the hassle of mailing it off. I will say that the Mac axis is a little finnicky when reassembling it. I think I trashed the o-ring when I reinstalled the cover plate.

 

[OneDollarSaab]

Good thing I hate locking flex heads.

 

[Wamsutta]

I really loved it he feel and smoothness of my Mac axis 3/8 standard handle, but it failed a number of times under high torque. As of now we don't have a Mac guy in town and my snap on dual 80s have been serving me just fine so I have not gone through the hassle of mailing it off. I will say that the Mac axis is a little finnicky when reassembling it. I think I trashed the o-ring when I reinstalled the cover plate.

I'd have to fix the thing if it was mine. I can't stand having broken tools laying around. And if I'm not mistaken, I think MAC did away with the seal around the cover plate anyway.