Ratchet Rebuild Kit Quality

[Ombibulous]

I've never rebuilt a ratchet before. Have an SK 45170 (3/8" round head) that needs rebuilt. I'm seeing prices for kits all over the map, from $9 to $30. Are they all the same? Do manufacturers other than the original maker sell kits for ratchets, and if so, is quality an issue. It would **** to unknowingly put a cut rate kit in a quality tool.

Comments regarding SK kits specifically are welcome, but general insight regarding choosing a rebuild kit would be helpful also.

 

[T45]

just call sk about a proper, oem kit. where are you seeing these prices, btw?

 

[B.S.A. (ret.)]

S-K has awesome customer service. T45 and Jeremy v both hit the nail on the head.

 

[Ombibulous]

Awesome, thanks. I'm a bit surprised that there's no third party suppliers making repair kits. Seems many of the patents would have expired by now on the older stuff, offering the opportunity for other companies to get into the game. Plenty of knock-off parts in other areas, like vehicles and appliances.

 

[B_Bimmer]

It's tough to compete against free.

 

[Ombibulous]

It's tough to compete against free.

True! Hadn't thought of that, though seems to be quite a few trying.

Here's a question...

So Sears moves ratchet production to China. Are the mechanism also made in China, and are the rebuild kits currently in the stores now Chinese instead of American? If so, is there a quality difference?

 

[B.S.A. (ret.)]

There are many Craftsman ratchets that no longer have rebuild kits available for them due to Sears changing vendors, etc. Most (if not all) newly-manufactured Chinese ratchets will probably be supported by Chinese-made repair parts. With the completion of Stanly/Black & Decker's purchase of the Craftsman brand, this will probably be a moot point in the near future. As SBD will have new contracts in place as they have publically stated their intention to manufacture Craftsman items in the USA>

 

[LB-1911]

So Sears moves ratchet production to China. Are the mechanism also made in China, and are the rebuild kits currently in the stores now Chinese instead of American? If so, is there a quality difference?

Craftsman Ratchet Repair Kits Reference
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=319745