Pawl Design Pros and Cons?
- Thread starter Phantom552
- Start date
Schurkey
Well-known member
As long as the teeth aren't machined into the main body of the ratchet--so that when they wear, the whole ratchet has to be replaced instead of just the "guts"--I don't think it really matters.
I've got some wonderful, old RHFT Craftsman ratchets that will be scrap the next time they need kits, because the internal teeth are worn now, and will be shot by then. Since Sears disco'd that style ratchet and won't provide a replacement*, they'll be tossed or turned into garage art.
*Well, yes, Sears will replace the former "Sears Best, Made In USA" ratchet with a "rebuilt and stamped" Chinese piece of ****--they tried that with me once already. I asked the dumbasp broad if she thought I was nuts, and walked out. Haven't bought anything from Sears since then, either. Sears can kiss my asp on the six o'clock news.
I've got some wonderful, old RHFT Craftsman ratchets that will be scrap the next time they need kits, because the internal teeth are worn now, and will be shot by then. Since Sears disco'd that style ratchet and won't provide a replacement*, they'll be tossed or turned into garage art.
*Well, yes, Sears will replace the former "Sears Best, Made In USA" ratchet with a "rebuilt and stamped" Chinese piece of ****--they tried that with me once already. I asked the dumbasp broad if she thought I was nuts, and walked out. Haven't bought anything from Sears since then, either. Sears can kiss my asp on the six o'clock news.
kythri
Well-known member
Find a department manager or a store PMT ("Preventative Maintenance Tech") to get a rebuild kit for those.
They still exist:
They still exist:
Schurkey
Well-known member
I bought rebuild kits, one 3/8 which I installed into a worn-out handle, and one 1/2" which is not yet installed, for my two RHFT ratchets. The store wouldn't* get me repair kits or replacement ratchets. The 1/2 kit is packed away in my tool box right now. I don't expect there to be anything left of the ratchet head when it's time to install it, though.
Point being, a ratchet with teeth machined into the main body is unusable when the company quits supplying the main body, and yours wears out. For me, that was a yearly occurrence. Six months, rebuild kit, six months new ratchet. Six months, rebuild kit, six more months, new ratchet. I got off that merry-go-round when I bought Snap-On pear heads and put the RHFT in the home box. The RHFT lasted about twenty five years as a hobby tool, and the S-O pear head went 15 years as a professional tool plus ten more as a hobby tool before needing it's first kit.
*The word they used was "couldn't", but even then I knew better. They "could" get kits, but they weren't going to.
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OP
Phantom552
Well-known member
From a "practical use" standpoint I don't figure it matters much, either one isn't likely to wear out or break under normal usage assuming the materials are up to snuff. I just seem to enjoy pondering things like this from time to time - like why cman, mac, and snapon all seem to use pawl #1, Kobalt and a 1" drive Armstrong I have both use pawl #2, matco and the smaller armstrongs use yet a third pawl.
ajchien
Well-known member
Well, I'd say your pic of pawl #1 is an apex design. Therefore you'll find it in Armstrong, matco, gear wrench, craftsman etc. and pic #2 is a proto design. And a lot of Taiwan and chinese manufacturers copied the proto design so you'll see a lot of import ratchets use design #2.
Im speaking with no actual expertise, just anecdotal observation.
Shadowdog500
Well-known member
I remember a thread a year or two ago that indicated the the NAPA ratchet rebuild kits have the same parts as the rebuild kits for the older craftsman sets.
Chris
Chris
kythri
Well-known member
When Danaher was making some of the NHT line, yes.
It's been a couple years at least since they cleared all of that stuff out, dunno what the status would be for repair kits, or if they'd even sell them.
OP, the left ratchet has what I call a "Batman" pawl, because it looks like the symbol from the 60's TV show. The right ratchet has "tic-toc" pawls, so named because to me they act like the mechanism of an old clock. As stated above, these designs have the wearing parts that are replaced with a kit.
The next most common pawl design is what I call a "see-saw" pawl, because it looks like and operates like the playground equipment. S-K, old Thorsen, Bonney, Craftsman RHFT, and many others use it. It has the gear teeth machined into the head - the rebuild kit does not replace those. So, when the teeth go, the ratchet has to get chucked. Though, I've had my S-K and Thorsen rats for 30+ years and have never had a problem with them wearing and slipping. Guess I'm lucky.
Here's a shot of an S-K pawl.
The next most common pawl design is what I call a "see-saw" pawl, because it looks like and operates like the playground equipment. S-K, old Thorsen, Bonney, Craftsman RHFT, and many others use it. It has the gear teeth machined into the head - the rebuild kit does not replace those. So, when the teeth go, the ratchet has to get chucked. Though, I've had my S-K and Thorsen rats for 30+ years and have never had a problem with them wearing and slipping. Guess I'm lucky.
Here's a shot of an S-K pawl.
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1950mercury
Well-known member
Dual pawls seem to be the best...ie snap on dual 80's...less back drag
Mechanical Noise
Well-known member
I believe the SK design differs from the other round head pawls in one detail. The SK drive is cut much deeper, below the drive's centerline and has a more substantial pawl. This seems to be a more expensive design and may be stronger.
2ndGearRubber
Well-known member
FWIW: The weakness in pawl-design number 2, is the manufacturer. HF/tekton/others use that mech (down to "R" and "L" on the pawl) and the teeth will shear off the gear before the pawls wear out.
Sometimes they come off in one piece, usually they just get ground away.
Sometimes they come off in one piece, usually they just get ground away.
rustbucket5
Well-known member
- Joined
- Apr 22, 2015
- Messages
- 252
i opened up my tekton and found it was like pawl 2 and wondered the same thing as i had only ever seen pawl 1 or round head. i think just as long as a cheater isnt used it shouldnt be a problem with either. i just wonder if the pawl 2 can theoretically handle as much torque
d.mcfarland
Well-known member
There would have to be many many many ratchets from different manufacturers with all kinds of different designs to make any small scientific evidence that one is "better" than the other. The rest is all opinion or personal preference.
For what it's worth, the Cornwell style (similar, if not the same as #1) can handle more torque than the metal used to make the square male drive end. The drive square is designed to break off before the ratchet bends. Which means to me that the pawl is stronger than the handle. And for what it's worth I've never seen a bent Cornwell ratchet.
Fedwrench
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I prefer the floating pawl design found on many newer fine toothed ratchets, Gearwrench 60, 84 teeth, Matco 60, or 88 teeth, Carlyle 90 teeth, Proto premium 45 tooth models all offer this strong design where you'll have between 7 and 11 or so pawl teeth engage the drive gear teeth.