Move over Snap-on have a viable competitor for ratchets

[JBH]

For ratchets? Yes. Had a good number of them and sold them right off. Everything is good except for the ratcheting action itself. Very crude for today. They're built like clubs too which isn't great. Whats in a mobile tool kit depends on region and whats on hand. Just because you might see a any given brand next to something expensive doesn't make the tools magically better than they are.

Interesting. Admittedly I've never held a HZ ratchet, as they are too expensive for my taste even at home market prices, without any obvious corresponding benefit. Kinda like Snapon, but with more thought into their industrial design.

But the point remains: HZ is clearly not a "Nobody" in the industry, and then use a (less than) 24-tooth mechanism for most of their ratchets.

 

[apdxyk]

I love my 23t Stahlwille rat, it will outlive my grandchildren

 

[Mr_John]

Umm...

https://www.hazet.de/de/produkte/ha...ug-knarre/17748/umschaltknarre?number=de_863P

https://www.hazet.de/de/produkte/handwerkzeuge/edelstahl-hinox/edelstahl-hinox/21037/umschaltknarre

https://www.hazet.de/de/produkte/ha...g-knarre/17748/umschaltknarre?number=de_863PC

https://www.hazet.de/de/produkte/ha...ug-knarre/17748/umschaltknarre?number=de_863G

Is Hazet "mid-tier?"

FYI these are the ratchets used by factory repair teams on Veyrons, 918s, etc.

Lol, NO - I was referring to M6erfan with the giant Hazet socket he uses as his avatar. I don't own any Hazet, but Hazet does appear to be high end and top tier stuff. As for their ratchets, I don't think I've ever read any comments on Hazet ratchets, but, again, my comment was only a reference to M6erfan's comments, and not Hazet tools.

 

[Mr_John]

This discussion on knurling has gone so deep I don't even know what the original point was. Why do we care what machining process they used to create it?

Also the Zeal is their top tier ratchet and it has a plastic handle. The knurled one is the cheapest, most basic option they sell.

The reason was that people appeared to be overstating the quality and attention to detail in Koken's $35 - $50 ratchets. I wasn't trying to start a giant argument, actually -- I was just pointing out what, to me, seemed to be fairly obvious. The Koken's diamond knurling does not have a fine machined quality to it when you view it in pictures. Maybe a company like KTC with their Nepros line, where a 3/8 sells for over $100 would take the time and attention to detail to actually CNC machine cut the knurling, but it did not look like that with the $40 Koken ratchets. The fact that it appears on Koken's cheapest ratchets seems to reinforce that I'm correct.

Also, I have a $3 "spare" ratchet set at home that I bought years ago. It's made in China, has the old fashioned round direction selector, and has a knurled handle. $3 Chinese ratchets are not getting CNC machined knurling, and I don't think $40 Made in Japan lowest tier Kokens are, either.