Metal Handle Ratchet or Soft Grip?

[shockwave]

My variety of both hard handles and chrome and hazet fine tooth

 

[redwrench60]

Mine have a few years, dings and tears on them but are far from destroyed. I suppose if I ran a dozer over them every once in awhile.

As far as grip, no way you're going to convince anyone that a full polished metal handle is going to give you better "grip". That doesn't even make sense.

I do a ton of transmission, rear end and transfer case work as well as general line work and my ratchets seem to stay slobbered down in ATF, gear oil and coolant from tear down bench work and those rubber handles feel like wet noodles to me. A bare chrome handle soaked in gear oil is "grippier" to me than a rubber handle.

 

[M6erfan]

I do a ton of transmission, rear end and transfer case work as well as general line work and my ratchets seem to stay slobbered down in ATF, gear oil and coolant from tear down bench work and those rubber handles feel like wet noodles to me. A bare chrome handle soaked in gear oil is "grippier" to me than a rubber handle.

Sounds like you should really consider knurled handles...

 

[jdlong]

I do a ton of transmission, rear end and transfer case work as well as general line work and my ratchets seem to stay slobbered down in ATF, gear oil and coolant from tear down bench work and those rubber handles feel like wet noodles to me. A bare chrome handle soaked in gear oil is "grippier" to me than a rubber handle.

This is exactly why I use both. Even brake fluid on my hands scares me with anything but metal. Otherwise work around body and interior panels is often clean. I just don't want to bang any of it with a metal ratchet handle.

 

[Rossco]

I bought the original soft grip Snap-Ons back in the early Noughty's. Handles would come off. Not for me.

I use the chromies in dire conditions down to -30C. Ain't touching anything without gloves on never mind soft grips.

 

[bob from indiana]

I have a HF low profile 1/4" ratchet with the soft handle. I picked it up at a yard sale. It is my go to ratchet and gets lots of use at work.
We are building new control panels so there is not much oil/dirt to deal with. It wouldn't be my first pick to use in dirty surroundings.

 

[Roobaix]

Comfort grips here. I've got a few metal handles too, but I'll only reach of them when I know it's going to get really dirty.

 

[Skin]

I do a ton of transmission, rear end and transfer case work as well as general line work and my ratchets seem to stay slobbered down in ATF, gear oil and coolant from tear down bench work and those rubber handles feel like wet noodles to me. A bare chrome handle soaked in gear oil is "grippier" to me than a rubber handle.

Buy some towels and stop leaving your ratchets in the drain pan

I could see knurled but not full polished. If you took a bar and put a comfort grip on one end and turned the other and chromed it then covered it in grease the comfort grip will always win the tug'o war.

 

[Empty Pockets]

My favourite ratchets are the Wright "Tootsie Roll" handle ratchets, They are comfortable to use in my oversized hands. The drawback is that they have such a small tooth count, sometimes they are not the tool for the job

 

[redwrench60]

Buy some towels and stop leaving your ratchets in the drain pan

I could see knurled but not full polished. If you took a bar and put a comfort grip on one end and turned the other and chromed it then covered it in grease the comfort grip will always win the tug'o war.

Lol, where I work you better keep your tools out of the under-hoist drains unless you want to see how well they tolerate backer spit. All these young mechanics seem to dip now instead of smoke but that's another thread.

I just can't stand rubber handled tools, and who wants to always be degreasing and wiping them off all the time only to have them swell up like a smashed possum on a two lane road. Chrome cleans up good as new in an instant. Chrome can go from the tear down bench right to the the interior of a new vette with a 3 second wipe-down. I've always thought the standard Snap On chrome ratchet handle afforded an excellent grip without extra bulk or slippery rubber. I guess we all just figure out what works best for us.

 

[TheGrooveking]

My typical go to are Matco 88 cushion handles, unless it's job where I'm going to be covered in oil or grease, then it's knurled handled Wright, SK, MAC or Proto because applying torque with a thick layer of lubricant, especially in tight locations can equal a emergency room visit.

For reference I have more than 20 Snap On ratchets, mostly chrome handles with a few hard handle roto's and some cushion handled flexheads.

TheGrooveking

 

[Dave455]

For most uses it's got to be the metal handle! Unless you use your soft grip ratchet for something like electronic assembly it's going to get oil or grease on it, then pick up grit! Metal handles just wipe down, end of problem!

For some uses (lots of pulling or cold weather) the old style Snap On hard handles are the answer. They give you more comfort / insulation but can still be wiped clean!

Just remember - the reason makers like these soft grips is that they are cheap! Cheaper than giving you more metal, and much cheaper than giving you a handle made from something like DuPont Zytel, which I think the older Snap On hard hard handles were!

 

[gdpolk]

I prefer all metal. It's easier to keep cleaner. Gets cold but when it's that cold I like using mechanix gloves anyway. The comfort grips are a little more ergonomic but they are also bulkier and don't fit as well in tighter areas. Also the plastic will get chewed up if it bangs on sharp edges under the hood or dropped on textured concrete and what not.

 

[Scout3918]

Prefer metal but can see advantage of sift grip too. Need get one and try it out..hmm

 

[Calgaryyz250]

Anybody besides snapon make hard handle with a higher tooth count?

 

[T45]

Anybody besides snapon make hard handle with a higher tooth count?

pretty sure all the pro-brands do...also proto, gw etc