Ratchet Design

[cookiemonster]

Just wondering what you guys think is the strongest ratchet design?

 

[Fedwrench]

floating pawl, pear head ratchet like this Proto ratchet. You have 7-11 teeth of the pawl gear engaging the drive gear depending on ratchet brand.

 

[tjmonsen5]

Snap-on Dual 80. I can see about 14 teeth in contact.

 

[N.I.]

Snap-on Dual 80. I can see about 14 teeth in contact.

Actually only one side engages at any one time (depending on drive direction), so 7 teeth.

I would nominate the Facom round head ratchets.

They advertise over 400kg on the handle of their 250mm long 1/2" drive ratchet.

Assuming 175 - 200mm to the handle centre, this would make it capable of 700 - 800 Nm

If I remember correctly there are 12 teeth engaging.

Would love to know how the Dual 80 stacks up against the Facom strength wise?

 

[kunkernator]

The Gearwrench 84-tooth have a floating pawl with 12-14 teeth in contact at anytime. I love mine.

 

[NathanC]

my snap on dual 80's are really strong! I have put soooo much torque on my 3/8 and it's never broken or skipped! well worth the money

 

[Rezeppa]

Idk I feel like the old sk round heads are the strongest but that's just personal feel I have no evidence except I have jumped on and kicked an old sk 3/8 but wouldn't think of doing it so my snapon as I don't think it would hold up.

 

[CWP1616L]

I would nominate the Facom round head ratchets.

I would too. People don't talk about them much though.

 

[dirtydogintex]

Actually only one side engages at any one time (depending on drive direction), so 7 teeth.

I would nominate the Facom round head ratchets.

They advertise over 400kg on the handle of their 250mm long 1/2" drive ratchet.

Assuming 175 - 200mm to the handle centre, this would make it capable of 700 - 800 Nm

If I remember correctly there are 12 teeth engaging.

Would love to know how the Dual 80 stacks up against the Facom strength wise?

how about a bunch of roughnecks in
Dual 80s v. old tyme Williams

roughnecks are about the only folk I know to foul up a chunk of railroad rail!!

 

[rusty65]

Yeah old sk ratchets with the diamond logo are extremely strong I have 1/2 that is bent like a banana but still works like new and has cheater marks and all.

 

[ganymede]

Metallurgy is just as important as tooth count . Most ratchet failures I've seen we're either ratchet heads cracked or metal in some part stretched beyond its elastic limit and the ratchet skips.

 

[Monte]

Facom - 17 teeth engage

 

[d.mcfarland]

 

[CWP1616L]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?NR=1&feature=endscreen&v=MWCcpaiRxYI

 

[oldtools]

It not really teeth count, it is the total shear area that is important. Teeth moment arm is also important as well as material.

 

[N.I.]

Facom - 17 teeth engage

Monte to the rescue as usual .

It not really teeth count, it is the total shear area that is important. Teeth moment arm is also important as well as material.

Piff, we were having a willy waving competition, and along you come and ruin the fun .

 

[N.I.]

Come on fellas, you have all been just talk so far. I put down a figure and no one else has been been able to quote anything to compare it to.

In the name of Garage Journal and for the good of the people, go out and break your trusty 1/2" ratchets and measure how much force it takes.

I am not asking much?

And it will help put an end to all the marketing ********.

Otherwise we will just have crown the Facom round head the World's Strongest 1/2" ratchet (to all the Snap On fans horror).

 

[skruft]

I don't know which is strongest. But of reputable brands, I think the traditional Craftsman must be weakest, because I have broken them without abusing them and see others broken all the time. The sockets and accessories seem OK, but not the ratchets.

The SK do not seem to break - I see very old ones in working order quite often.

 

[Conductor562]

What particular Facom ratchets are you guys talking about? This style:

 

[Fedwrench]

What particular Facom ratchets are you guys talking about?

Yes, the classic Facom palm control ratchet normally with a black plastic grip. I don't think they're talked about a whole lot here because since Stanley bought facom more than a few years ago, there really isn't a Facom distribution network in the states. Yes, you can buy proto and Mac clones and get many facom items from the ultimate Garage but, that's it for the most part. Current palm control ratchet production is in Italy.
I'm surprised no one bought up the old SK advertising about their "tough one" ratchets. No one remembers? Ok, the tough one refered to the 17 tooth engagement being about an inch long. Hence, the name tough one.
Of course those SK ratchets aren't made any more. The only real downside to the palm control/tough ones was head thickness.
I still think the Proto premium pearhead series is tough to beat strength wise. Unfortunately, they don't offer a flex head version.

 

[Conductor562]

Yes, the classic Facom palm control ratchet normally with a black plastic grip. I don't think they're talked about a whole lot here because since Stanley bought facom more than a few years ago, there really isn't a Facom distribution network in the states. Yes, you can buy proto and Mac clones and get many facom items from the ultimate Garage but, that's it for the most part. Current palm control ratchet production is in Italy.
I'm surprised no one bought up the old SK advertising about their "tough one" ratchets. No one remembers? Ok, the tough one refered to the 17 tooth engagement being about an inch long. Hence, the name tough one.
Of course those SK ratchets aren't made any more. The only real downside to the palm control/tough ones was head thickness.
I still think the Proto premium pearhead series is tough to beat strength wise. Unfortunately, they don't offer a flex head version.

I've got a couple of the Proto branded ones. Nice ratchets. The 1/4" rats can handle anything you're likely going to throw at 1/4" ratchet in my experience.