Proto Made In Italy?

[Pumpman1968]

I'm looking to buy a long handle 1/2" drive ratchet and came across a Proto Professional J5454F round head. About 15" long. Made in Italy? Number doesn't seem to bring up too much info just the ebay listing I was looking at. The ratchet mechanism doesn't look similar to anything Ive seen in the past. Anyone seen one like this before?

 

[SMKS]

Yes, those are made in Italy. It's a design Stanley got when they bought Facom.

The same design is also used in some Mac ratchets.

A nearly identical (possibly identical) design was used in SK ratchets, because Facom used to own SK.

 

[Pumpman1968]

Yes, those are made in Italy. It's a design Stanley got when they bought Facom.

The same design is also used in some Mac ratchets.

A nearly identical (possibly identical) design was used in SK ratchets, because Facom used to own SK.

As in S-K Tough Ones......or something like that?

 

[Skin]

As in S-K Tough Ones......or something like that?

SK palm control.

 

[Fedwrench]

SK palm control.

Actually they're clones of the Facom palm control ratchets. Strong 72 tooth action. Great ratchets

On the other hand SK made their own version of the palm control ratchet briefly but, it wasn't nearly as popular as the Facom version. The SK version was thicker, not as crisp, and heavier.

The SK tough one has the same action as the Facom palm control ratchet internally but, lacks the floating disc to make it a palm control ratchet.

 

[vssjim]

It's made by USAG which was bought by Facom but now is part of Stanley through the purchase of Facom. I was a USAG dealer in the eighties and early ninties.

 

[kevin47]

I don't know if this has an ounce of "bearing" on where it's made to you ...But from my decades of machine tool experience...The Italians ( along with Israel ) make some of the finest machine tools & tooling I have ever run across...Just saying...

 

[cchracer77]

I have the 1/4 and 3/8 flex handle versions of that design, great smooth ratchets.

 

[Pumpman1968]

Thanks for all the input..........I didn't even think about the S-K/Facom thing.

 

[jmm]

I'm reposting my post from the What style of flex head ratchet do you prefer? because I'm dead tired but I love this ratchet, and you should too:

I've got one of those that I never give any credit on here. It's a Proto J5457f -- long handle, Facom mechanism. Got it from a member here in new condition. Thing was lacking when I got it -- mechanism didn't feel very good, and the head wouldn't flex all the way backward. The first really stuck bolt I broke free with it remedied that second problem. Took a while to fix the mechanism. First I added super lube, which made it better -- still didn't feel as good as my Facom ratchet. So I tried assembly lube in it, and now the thing feels like the excellent ratchet that it was designed to be.

With a little work, it's smoother than my 1/2" Dual 80. The head is almost the size of a 3/8" head. It'll go anywhere, and it's STRONG. The last job I used it on was changing out drive shaft collars which required final torque of 280 Newton meters. Highly recommended if you don't mind giving it a little tweaking.

Rereading my claim that it's smoother than my dual 80 is a stretch, but I'll say in retrospect that the Proto is at least on par with the Snap On. Hell of a ratchet.