Ratchet advice

[Notwerk]

So, I'm planning to upgrade my China-made Husky ratchets (ugh) to something at least assembled in the USA. I'm not a professional, but I want something that makes weekend wrenching a little easier. I'm thinking fine tooth, well-made, but fairly inexpensive.

To that end, I've kind of settled on two options: Williams and Blackhawk.

Blackhawk offers a dual pawl ratchet with a 4.4 degree arc, assembled in the USA from global parts.

With Williams, I was thinking the B-52A (can't really link, because Williams has their stuff in a pdf). I'm leaning toward the Williams, though I can probably save a few bucks with Blackhawk.

But there's one more thing: Williams produces a B-53 ratchet, essentially the same as the B-52, but with a 10-inch handle. It seems to me this would give me just a bit more leverage, but I'm worried it might be unwieldy.

Thoughts?

I'll probably hold on to the Husky ratchets for cheater pipe use, etc. Truth be told, I've abused the heck out of them, and they've never slipped or reversed on me. I can't honestly complain about them, just want something a little nicer.

Thanks in advance.

 

[hifi_hokie]

If Wright falls into your category of inexpensive, that would be my recommendation

 

[sk farmer]

the world is a big wonderful place. i reccomend and use sk round heads, proto big dawgs, williams b-52s, 60 tooth gearwrench(can be upgraded to 88 with a matco kit),cornwell, wright and a full assortment of others. variety is spice man, get them in standard long stubby and compact versions. i will get all shot down for this but i am not a big fan of the snap-on ratchets but if you like them they will also serve the purpose. i am sure many will pipe in and tell you that the only thing to have is a dual 80 but i have gotten along just fine without it and so did everyone else before they got them.

 

[z28snksknr]

If Wright falls into your category of inexpensive, that would be my recommendation

+1

 

[Moose-LandTran]

I'd second Wright, they make a damn fine ratchet.

 

[Notwerk]

the world is a big wonderful place. i reccomend and use sk round heads, proto big dawgs, williams b-52s, 60 tooth gearwrench(can be upgraded to 88 with a matco kit),cornwell, wright and a full assortment of others. variety is spice man, get them in standard long stubby and compact versions. i will get all shot down for this but i am not a big fan of the snap-on ratchets but if you like them they will also serve the purpose. i am sure many will pipe in and tell you that the only thing to have is a dual 80 but i have gotten along just fine without it and so did everyone else before they got them.

Even if the Dual 80 was the greatest ratchet ever assembled by human hands, it's so far out of my price range that I won't even think about it. Not sure that I can afford a wide assortment, just looking for a good 1/4 and 3/8 that will be with me for a while. If I can get that done for under $50, that would be great.

The Wrights would stretch my budget just a little, but they seem to be getting a lot of endorsements.

How do you guys feel about the long-handle Williams? Useful or clunky?

 

[Moose-LandTran]

Are the Wrights that far out of your budget? They're extremely well made with the silkiest, glossiest, most perfect chrome. I have one of their compact 3/8" ratchets and it's a beautiful piece as well as a top-quality ratchet.

 

[WhiteTrash]

I would also suggest a you get a flex T handle, also known as a breaker bar. It will save your ratchets, whatever you get. Ratchets are made to speed up the removal and installation of fasteners, but aren't meant to be used with a cheater pipe for stubborn fasteners.

 

[DodgeZ]

So, I'm planning to upgrade my China-made Husky ratchets (ugh) to something at least assembled in the USA. I'm not a professional, but I want something that makes weekend wrenching a little easier. I'm thinking fine tooth, well-made, but fairly inexpensive.

To that end, I've kind of settled on two options: Williams and Blackhawk.

Blackhawk offers a dual pawl ratchet with a 4.4 degree arc, assembled in the USA from global parts.

With Williams, I was thinking the B-52A (can't really link, because Williams has their stuff in a pdf). I'm leaning toward the Williams, though I can probably save a few bucks with Blackhawk.

But there's one more thing: Williams produces a B-53 ratchet, essentially the same as the B-52, but with a 10-inch handle. It seems to me this would give me just a bit more leverage, but I'm worried it might be unwieldy.

Thoughts?

I'll probably hold on to the Husky ratchets for cheater pipe use, etc. Truth be told, I've abused the heck out of them, and they've never slipped or reversed on me. I can't honestly complain about them, just want something a little nicer.

Thanks in advance.

The Dual pawl in a Snap on isn't the same as the dual pawl in that round head, totally different. One is a pear head and the other is a round head. The Snap on f80 isn't stamped USA so it is debated where it is made. You can pick up Matco used pretty cheap on here. I got a Matco 88 for 50 bucks and it was new from one of the guys here. Craftsman has a premium ratchet that is basically the same as the Matco but 84 tooth. You can buy them new on sear.com for under 50 bucks if you want for a sale. The handle is kind of long on them though.

 

[SMKS]

+1

I just bought one of these from Harry Epstein. It's a wright 3490. I bought it in the store for $25 + tax. The op would also have to pay shipping.

http://store.harryepstein.com/cp/MiscInventory/3490-C.html

 

[WhiteTrash]

I have the Craftsman 84T Premium Grade ratchets. They are pretty amazing. I don't have any truck brand ratchets to compare them to though.

Aside from the 84T, my next go to ratchets are the Craftsman RHFT ratchets. No longer made, but I got mine from a flea market for $5 for 1/4", $7 for 3/8", and $10 for 1/2". They are dual pawl and I believe they are 60 tooth. Rebuild kits are hard to find for them though. But they are USA made as well as the 84T.

 

[ajchien]

IMHO, as a fellow weekend wrencher, variety of ratchets is a luxury. And as far as getting the job done, I havent had problems with tooth count, slop, brand name, or COO. It's handle length, head size, and fixed v. flex head thats most important to me - in other words, access to the darn bolt.

Sometimes my biceps is too wimpy and I need the longer length handle for more torque. Sometimes I need the shorter handle because the long handle is too unweildy, or just dosent fit in the space. Sometimes the head is too thick (and I prefer to use a ratchet over a wrench) to fit.

So I would keep using the China Husky's, and buy a ratchet type you dont already have. If you have a set of 1/4, 3/8, 1/2 Husky in standard length, I would consider either a flex or swivel 3/8 or a longer handle 1/2 to add to variety.

(I can easily see how a full time pro wrencher would swear by a fine tooth, strong, indestrcutible, finely made, USA made truck brand though. If I were a pro, there would be no doubt I'd have a whole selection of truck brands)

As for Williams v. Blackhawk. I have one Williams S52, which works and feels great. I have not been disapointed in a Williams product yet.

 

[Mr.Nutcase]

I have the Craftsman 84T Premium Grade ratchets. They are pretty amazing. I don't have any truck brand ratchets to compare them to though.

Aside from the 84T, my next go to ratchets are the Craftsman RHFT ratchets. No longer made, but I got mine from a flea market for $5 for 1/4", $7 for 3/8", and $10 for 1/2". They are dual pawl and I believe they are 60 tooth. Rebuild kits are hard to find for them though. But they are USA made as well as the 84T.

They are 45 teeth, as far the Craftmans 84 I dont have clue..
I have GW/Matco/ Snap On/ ratchets.
I also have Wrights, they are good...

 

[GoBlue]

I know i will take some flack for this, but i use and like Craftsman rp's. I dont abuse them and have never been let down.

 

[nikonica]

I have a B-52A, a B-53, and a couple of the Blackhawk 34946Bs. They are all nice ratchets. The Blackhawk feels stout and has a speeder ring, but the ratcheting action is a little stiffer than the Williams. The B-52A and B-53 have an incredibly smooth, fine-tooth ratcheting action. I don't find long handle ratchets to be clunky, and if I could choose only one I would choose the longer one now. I think it gives me a better feel.

I have a few Wright 3/8"-drive ratchets as well, and they are better than both of these, but the difference is not so huge that I would tell you to stretch your budget.

I love Blackhawk tools and have found that they offer a mostly USA-produced line of tools that are of first-class quality, but having to pick one or the other in this case, I would pick Williams. USA-made Williams tools seem to be quite a bit cheaper than the other industrial tool brands, but the quality is really excellent. Beware of the imported Williams tools.

 

[powertrip]

For warranty ease and slim small head and 60 tooth design. I woul look at craftsman thin profile 60 tooth ratchets. Warranty is no problem, made in usa and can be had very cheap new on ebay.

 

[Gtamazing]

After everyone else told you to buy something you weren't looking at. Your original two option were Blackhawk and Williams. I have the USA Williams in all 3 sizes. They are a fine ratchet, a little bit stiff when new but a very nice piece. I have no experience with the Blackhawk. No to sure if you know but there is also an offshore Williams line that they called the "finger fit" you don't want to get those confused with the USA ratchets.

 

[timesrgood?]

I have a Husky 1210 1/2" ratchet with a red release button, round head. It doesn't have a country. It is extremely well made wherever it is made. I miked the drive and it is .499" both ways, perfectly finished flat with fine ridges, better than many I have. I have no information on this model, but would like to find some.

Finished in USA from global parts doesn't get me excited. For me, I would have to vote nay with my wallet if buying a new one. If everyone complains by hesitating to buy, they will maybe start sourcing parts from USA again.

The Williams RH 1/2" long handle I have I thought to be double pawl but when I opened it it had a large single pawl, pretty indestructible design. Same for a Craftsman RH 43175 3/8" I have. I had opened my Wright last week, nice strong double pawl like a cartridge. More complex than the Williams in my samples. I don't think anything is stronger than the long single pawl though, that floats and has no pin, ball, etc. So I would suggest, my 2 cents, for Williams between your two picks.

I reently bought a Williams adjustable wrench on ebay, assuming it was made in USA. It was new all right, Williams and very high quality. On the handle was a removeable tag that said made in China.

The warranty terms are important of couse, and worth more than a few bucks.

 

[claymont]

If you have flea markets around your area, check them out, you can get good deals on tools most of the time. Buy a breaker bar or two while you're at the flea market, they're dirt cheap there.

 

[spongerich]

I'd spend most of my budget on a good 3/8 and pickup a couple of older SK 1/2" drives for the heavy duty stuff. They're cheap and plentiful and pretty damn tough.

I have a bunch of ratchets, but I always reach for my soft handle SO dual 80 first.

Take $2/week and toss it in your sock drawer... in a few months, you'll have saved up enough to stretch your budget to get whatever ratchet you want.

 

[skruft]

Well, the only brands of ratchets I have used for 40 or so years as a hobbyist have been Craftsman, SK and Snap-on. Craftsman 1/4 and 3/8 of the "traditional" and fine tooth type break all the time but are guaranteed. I have never broken any other Craftsman. I have not had trouble with SK or Snap-on. As someone else said, the old 1/2 SK seem very reliable. I think all the American sockets themselves hold together well enough.