Need a beastly 1/2" ratchet

[protegeV]

So the NAPA about an hour from me that had 1 of the Carlyles actually had 2....

...so similar to "the first rule in government spending" as cited in the movie Contact -- why buy one when you can buy two for twice the price -- I got both

I seriously thought about buying more when I bought mine the other day. I think they had 4. For some reason they didnt charge me tax either....

 

[KDoug]

Saw this in a KC Tool email the other day, thought it looked pretty stout. The extension can be added to the ratchet for extra leverage. Plus you can use it as a hammer.

Wera 133862 KOLOSS Ratchet Set - 1/2" Drive

https://www.kctoolco.com/wera-13386...ail&utm_term=0_6d09087e23-59c54f4fa6-37767727

 

[Ign]

I seriously thought about buying more when I bought mine the other day. I think they had 4. For some reason they didnt charge me tax either....

Here's the thing if one must justify to a significant other - this is a case where the receipt helps you.

"Look honey it should have cost $262.48 and I got them both for $79.98"

 

[Ign]

^^^one reason I wouldn't want to be a pro tech, it's hard on your body. We were never meant to stand upright, the great majority of the population has a herniated or degenerated disc, most are just asymptomatic. But it only takes a sneeze, a laugh, or even just tissue moving properly for it to move that extra .5mm and hit nerves, then you wake up and wonder why you can't get outta bed.

Regardless, I maintain extra leverage is not a cause for back injury. Time and again (you'd think I'd learn) I fight with a large, stubborn fastener. Finally I get really pissed and go get a 5, 6, or even 12' cheater (the latter in the case of D60 kingpins) and suddenly it moves smooth as butter. Well I'll be damned.....

 

[welder4956]

Thanks everyone for the replies.

I'd like to get a Snap-On, and likely will one of these days when I can find a hard handle red one to match my smaller ratchets.

In the mean time I think I'm going to take advantage of that Carlile sale. Looks a little longer than my Craftsman and being a non-flex might make it a little more confidence inspiring.

I also might think about getting that big Tekton breaker bar.

A 3/4" breaker at 38" long ought to make life a little easier in me and tougher on those bolts.

Have you considered getting a torque multiplier for those tough to break loose bolts? Something like this:

https://www.amazon.com/Neiko-03715B-Torque-Multiplier-Foot-Pound/dp/B0017K5ARU

 

[redwrench60]

My vote for a beastly 1/2” ratchet goes to a Snap on SLL80A. It’s a fixed head 24” long ratchet with thicker handle stock than other 1/2” Snap on models. It’s stronger than their own standard breaker bar but compact to fit in tight places to deal with really stubborn fasteners. It’s perfect for stuff where 3/4” drive ratchets and sockets won’t fit but where lesser 1/2” tools are out of their league. Spendy but I don’t give a ****. I like it so much I got one for work and one for Home. It’s the stoutest and smoothest 1/2” ratchet I’ve ever used.

 

[Holmesx10]

For damn near the price of that snap on ratchet you could almost own a Milwaukee or similar brand impact and make short work of pretty much any bolt you come across. And speed up any work you need done. You’ll kick yourself for not having one sooner

 

[f121]

From Facebook yesterday, an interesting failure. Casting flaw or been hammered and developed a small crack, which has split due to how the anvil operates.

 

[f121]

It's hard to say 100% from the picture alone, but the face of the ratchet almost looks like it has been beaten with a hammer. It looks bashed in or otherwise damaged.

That's what I thought, but I didn't see how you could hammer it without breaking off the release lever, so I went looking for more pictures. Looks like it's the lighting that makes it look hammered, this seems like regular wear.

 

[paulsomlo]

I would agree. Good thing it has a lifetime warranty.
I will have to show this to my Snap On guy next I see him. I have never seen a ratchet failure like that.

That doesn't surprise me - that's exactly the way I would expect that design to fail, you just have to crank on it with enough force. I think that QR ratchets, and ratchets where the drive wheel extends through the case and is supported at both ends, fare better in this regard. And maybe RH ratchets, as well.

 

[redwrench60]

For damn near the price of that snap on ratchet you could almost own a Milwaukee or similar brand impact and make short work of pretty much any bolt you come across. And speed up any work you need done. You’ll kick yourself for not having one sooner

Well yeah, I also own 3/8” and 1/2” Milwaukee impacts but they won’t fit where that ratchet will. Truck brake caliper bolts are a good example of this. Some can be viciously tight and no room for an impact. Maybe I’m just turning an engine over by hand for a timing belt job or a distributor replacement. The extra length comes in handy.

 

[JulianMorrow]

I injured my back in mid-2015. Unfortunately it's forced me to leave the auto repair industry as of about 2 weeks ago...My back gave out just racking a car about 2 hours into my shift on the 18th and that was the last straw. Had to call it quits a few days later. No idea what I am going to do for work or if i can manage to get on disability (not likely)... And for those asking, no I don't have insurance nor can I otherwise afford surgery.

Sorry to hear the above. A few years back, my local mechanic injured his back and had to close his shop & go on disability. He was a young guy with a family, a mechanical wizard who could fix anything. Always wondered what happened to him.

My wife has a bulging disk that really changed her life. She refuses to have back surgery, even though we have good insurance. Back surgery is tricky--it doesn't always help. She does water therapy and that's helped her quite a bit. Good luck.

 

[MattPersman]

Well yeah, I also own 3/8” and 1/2” Milwaukee impacts but they won’t fit where that ratchet will. Truck brake caliper bolts are a good example of this. Some can be viciously tight and no room for an impact. Maybe I’m just turning an engine over by hand for a timing belt job or a distributor replacement. The extra length comes in handy.

agreed. I can’t get some caliper bracket bolts off with an impact for room purposes and because they are too tight. Use a 5 foot pipe on a breaker bar to get that handled

Same with some pinion crush sleeves some are just ungodly hard to crush under the vehicle. You are just taking miles off your impact trying to use it


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[MattPersman]

Snap on 80 ratchets are what I would recommend although they are pricey. Matco is too but I don’t trust them like snap on. No one should have ever had to wait months and months for a warranty ratchet they handled that issue a couple years ago horribly


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[njc41980]

My wallet now hates Garage Journal

 

[protegeV]

Haha, I love it!!!

 

[Ign]

My vote for a beastly 1/2” ratchet goes to a Snap on SLL80A. It’s a fixed head 24” long ratchet with thicker handle stock than other 1/2” Snap on models. It’s stronger than their own standard breaker bar but compact to fit in tight places to deal with really stubborn fasteners. It’s perfect for stuff where 3/4” drive ratchets and sockets won’t fit but where lesser 1/2” tools are out of their league. Spendy but I don’t give a ****. I like it so much I got one for work and one for Home. It’s the stoutest and smoothest 1/2” ratchet I’ve ever used.

Do you have diameters on the handle stock(s)/difference (s)?

Snappy's site doesn't specifically mention that the handle is any thicker.

Not doubting you, just seeking to confirm

 

[mr natural]

Take a wrench.. Put the box end on the nut.. Nail the wrench with a 4lb hammer.. You've got your two nuts off and saved some money little kroil might be the ticket as well must sound like a millwright or something lol

 

[davethorik]

Do you have diameters on the handle stock(s)/difference (s)?

Snappy's site doesn't specifically mention that the handle is any thicker.

Not doubting you, just seeking to confirm

I don't have numbers offhand but you can tell the difference in this picture. 2 Snap-on grips next to one another, Leftmost is a 70s SL710 standard length 1/2 ratchet. Right is SLL80A. Grip contours are almost identical.

Cornwell does the larger diameter XL ratchet too, only they scaled the grip up to match increased handle diameter, also visible in the pic. SRF76A on left, SRF76L on right.

View media item 83191

 

[shockwave]

For the original poster a gear wrench 81363 locking 1/2 flex head 24 inch 84 tooth online for around 75 is best all around for the money and holds up really well I personally have the Matco version which I use all the time

The locking flex can double as a flex/fixed be better in the long run for you

 

[Ign]

So I don't think this qualifies as "beastly" but the thread is pretty much dead otherwise:

I was roaming an O'Reilly today and came upon this 24" Power Torque, GM6185 for $35 retail.

What intrigued me was the 120 tooth head.

O'Reilly had just sent me a $10 off $20 coupon via email thru O'Rewards (incidentally if you're not enrolled you should) so I grabbed one figuring $25 wasn't bad for a 24", 120 tooth ratchet.

Once back at the shop I compared some general specs to a Tekton. It's maybe 1/2" shorter than the Tekton. The primary diameter of the handle on the Power Torque is about .570 while the Tekton is about .595". The Power Torque weighs in at 2lb 2.2oz while the Tekton is 2lb 5.6oz. You can definitely feel the extra heft of the Tekton when you pick up each ratchet.

Still, for someone on a budget it might be a good choice and the 120t head is cool if it holds up.

Tekton TOP, Power Torque BOTTOM:

 

[Tallpilot]

I don't have numbers offhand but you can tell the difference in this picture. 2 Snap-on grips next to one another, Leftmost is a 70s SL710 standard length 1/2 ratchet. Right is SLL80A. Grip contours are almost identical.

Not sure if the SHX80B is the same as the LL but the first thing I noticed when I got it was how much thicker the shaft was compared to my Pittsburgh Pro and my 24” Tekton. So in this case, “there is a difference.”

 

[davethorik]

Not sure if the SHX80B is the same as the LL but the first thing I noticed when I got it was how much thicker the shaft was compared to my Pittsburgh Pro and my 24” Tekton. So in this case, “there is a difference.”

I thought I had posted the sizes, but I can't find it. However, Redwrench60 did. 0.605" vs. 0.725"

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=6150551&postcount=31

 

[redwrench60]

I thought I had posted the sizes, but I can't find it. However, Redwrench60 did. 0.605" vs. 0.725"

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showpost.php?p=6150551&postcount=31

That extra .120” makes a difference in handle flex when really “depending” on it. If I remember correctly you got a sweetheart deal on yours. How are you liking it?

 

[Yarpo]

So I don't think this qualifies as "beastly" but the thread is pretty much dead otherwise:

I was roaming an O'Reilly today and came upon this 24" Power Torque, GM6185 for $35 retail.

What intrigued me was the 120 tooth head.

O'Reilly had just sent me a $10 off $20 coupon via email thru O'Rewards (incidentally if you're not enrolled you should) so I grabbed one figuring $25 wasn't bad for a 24", 120 tooth ratchet.

Once back at the shop I compared some general specs to a Tekton. It's maybe 1/2" shorter than the Tekton. The primary diameter of the handle on the Power Torque is about .570 while the Tekton is about .595". The Power Torque weighs in at 2lb 2.2oz while the Tekton is 2lb 5.6oz. You can definitely feel the extra heft of the Tekton when you pick up each ratchet.

Still, for someone on a budget it might be a good choice and the 120t head is cool if it holds up.

Tekton TOP, Power Torque BOTTOM:

Got the same coupon, think I'll probably pick it up too. Seems like a pretty sweet ratchet. Who makes powertorque stuff? I've got a powertorque Axle nut socket that I've used a bunch without issue but a sockets pretty basic.

 

[davethorik]

That extra .120” makes a difference in handle flex when really “depending” on it. If I remember correctly you got a sweetheart deal on yours. How are you liking it?

Yes, $40. I have it at work now. They have a shop 3/4 set but the SLL80A makes it so I don't have to walk across the shop to find the 3/4 set, lol. It's a beast

 

[Brian247]

I would highly recommend the gearwrench 120xp 1/2 ratchet with the flex head. That ratchet has been through a lot with me. I have put a 10 foot pipe on it and taken off forklift lug nuts without a problem.