New Matco ratchets

[plinker]

Here are some new ratchets for those who may be interested and have not seen them. My dealer said that new ratchets (current production) will have a 40th anv. logo on the head. All are available with the soft grip as well.


24" fixed head 1/2 ratchet, the handle is thicker in diameter then the the flex head version.
https://www.matcotools.com/catalog/product/CFR248/1-2-DRIVE-24-EIGHTY8-TOOTH-FIXED-CHROME-RATCHET/

18" fixed head 3/8 ratchet, looks ideal for belts and such.
https://www.matcotools.com/catalog/product/BFR188/3-8-DRIVE-18-EIGHTY8-TOOTH-FIXED-CHROME-RATCHET/

11" 1/4 drive fixed head ratchet.
https://www.matcotools.com/catalog/product/AFR118/1-4-DRIVE-11-EIGHTY8-TOOTH-FIXED-CHROME-RATCHET/

 

[eschoendorff]

For some reason they remind me of Gear Wrench ratchets

 

[ChrisLS8]

For some reason they remind me of Gear Wrench ratchets

Probably made by Apex at this point

 

[plinker]

Probably made by Apex at this point

Not likely, AJ manufacturing makes these since Apex shut down US production.
http://www.ajmanufacturing.com/

Either way, when Danaher/Apex was making the ratchets, Matco (and Armstrong to some extent) would get more "specialty" type ratchets like these.

 

[Handyandy23]

Similar in appearance, but very different ratchets. I've owned both. The Gearwrench are 72 tooth and the Matco are 88 tooth. Handle design is also different, among other things.

Isn't 72T the older GearWrench design and all the newer stuff is 84T? And I believe the 84T ones can accept the 88T rebuild kits for Armstrong (and maybe others)?

 

[bonneyman]

Isn't 72T the older GearWrench design and all the newer stuff is 84T? And I believe the 84T ones can accept the 88T rebuild kits for Armstrong (and maybe others)?

I'm not a fine tooth afficianado, so, what the big difference between 72, 84, and 88 teeth? Is a 4 deg swing that much more useful than a 5 deg?

With S-K's new drop in DX kit, I can go from 45 teeth (8 deg) to 90 teeth (4 deg). I can see where that couple degrees on every swing could amount to something. But 1 deg or less?

 

[2ndGearRubber]

I'm not a fine tooth afficianado, so, what the big difference between 72, 84, and 88 teeth? Is a 4 deg swing that much more useful than a 5 deg?

Yes, yes it is. 1 degree can decide if you are removing additional components. And that 1 degrees is only in ratchet gear set, not the lash between the socket and the fastener, not the drive end and the socket.



84 and 88 tooth stuff is 100% comparable. 120xp is a stacked tooth set, although I would guess the apex 100 tooth and the 120xp would interchange

 

[eschoendorff]

So these Matcos are essentially expensive Gearwrench ratchets right?

 

[d.mcfarland]

Wonder if there is a coincidence that the Armstrong plants were closed and these are now Matco exclusive. 88 tooth and Made in USA as well. A little tooling change and there seem like the Armstrong ratchets that could have been but never were.

 

[plinker]

So these Matcos are essentially expensive Gearwrench ratchets right?

Same basic design for the ratchet mechanism, different place making them, plus COO. If you were to compare the long handle fixed head 10-11" from Matco to the Gearwrench equivalent, the only difference in use would be the COO stamp and the better chrome on the Matco.

Far as I know, GW doesnt make these exact variation's (extended length handles) That I posted, Same with the 3/8 in 1/4 body or the longer locking flex's. Also FWIW, The Matco locking flex head is interchangeable with Armstrong as well, GW uses a wider yoke and different lock.



I found the original 60 tooth fairly comparable to S-K 3/8 ratchets in how the "feel" when using them, Going from 60 to 84/88 was not as big a jump as say 36-45 to 60 tooth, but it does make enough difference in a tight spot.

 

[plinker]

Wonder if there is a coincidence that the Armstrong plants were closed and these are now Matco exclusive. 88 tooth and Made in USA as well. A little tooling change and there seem like the Armstrong ratchets that could have been but never were.

That is my inclination, as for a while you could not get either Matco or Armstrong ratchets. IIRC the plants were being moved at the time this happened. There was an uproar on here about it in some older posts.

 

[Skin]

So these Matcos are essentially expensive Gearwrench ratchets right?

If you want to get technical about it Gearwrench were cheap Matco ratchets as Matco introduced these back in 2009 as an upgrade over the 60T which they'd been selling for about 8 years prior when Gearwrench was still just ratcheting wrenches.

These days Matco ratchets, while using essentially the same head form, are made in the US under exclusive contract and come in a lot of different lengths. GW are made in Taiwan or China by Apex.

Wonder if there is a coincidence that the Armstrong plants were closed and these are now Matco exclusive. 88 tooth and Made in USA as well. A little tooling change and there seem like the Armstrong ratchets that could have been but never were.

Matco sought out AJ after Apex shuttered all but 1 manufacturing facility which caused no availability for over half a year. My guess is they were also aware of Apex's plans to completely eliminate all US manufacturing.

 

[ChrisLS8]

Not likely, AJ manufacturing makes these since Apex shut down US production.
http://www.ajmanufacturing.com/

Either way, when Danaher/Apex was making the ratchets, Matco (and Armstrong to some extent) would get more "specialty" type ratchets like these.

That was sarcasm pointed at their love of outsourcing foreign tools at truck pricing

 

[Yarpo]

Far as I know, GW doesnt make these exact variation's (extended length handles) That I posted, Same with the 3/8 in 1/4 body or the longer locking flex's. Also FWIW, The Matco locking flex head is interchangeable with Armstrong as well, GW uses a wider yoke and different lock.

Gearwrench actually does make a 10" (9.75) and 18" ratchet, haven't seen them in person yet tho