Ratchet Tech open end ratcheting wrench

[smothers33]

Yes, we will be making a 1", which is not a very common size. Do you have a particular application for a 1"?

yes I actually needed this exact wrench in 1" today multiple times. I work on forklifts and my company gets all kinda of equipment from the 70's- today and I run across the unusual sizes quite often. 9,11,16,20 mm 1",1 3/16"...... None of these alot but all of them occasionally. I never cared about sets with skipped sizes till I got this job. Now its a dealbreaker

 

[csargents1546]

Can't wait for the kickstart. I have had several situation where this would be great, working on fuel lines on navistar diesels for one.

 

[shoturtle]

Seems like they ratchet tech does not want to disclose where the item is made. We know the new GW ones similar to the ratchet tech will be either taiwan or china.

 

[JDS968]

Actually, you will love our friction flex head. It is really stiff. It takes effort to flex it, so it is not floppy and won't move around when you start to apply torque.

I'm sure it's a great balance of stiffness and flexibility at first...the question is how much it will change after a few years of applying friction across the joint as it moves back and forth...being subjected to force applied across the joint...being exposed to dirt, water, greases, oils, etc...every time somebody hands me a friction-type flex head ratchet or box end and says, "hey, try this", I notice that it looks to be at least a few years old, and that the joint seems "poorly calibrated" and makes the tool inconvenient to use. I suspect this happens over time. How many Ratchet Techs do you have from 4, 6, 8 years ago that you've used continuously? If so, how do their flex joints feel side by side compared with new ones?

 

[battlegraduate09]

Yes, we will be making a 1", which is not a very common size. Do you have a particular application for a 1"?

yes and 1 1/4 would be awesome too.

i work on big rigs and there are quite a few big bolts and nuts.

 

[Ratchet Tech]

I'm sure it's a great balance of stiffness and flexibility at first...the question is how much it will change after a few years of applying friction across the joint as it moves back and forth...being subjected to force applied across the joint...being exposed to dirt, water, greases, oils, etc...every time somebody hands me a friction-type flex head ratchet or box end and says, "hey, try this", I notice that it looks to be at least a few years old, and that the joint seems "poorly calibrated" and makes the tool inconvenient to use. I suspect this happens over time. How many Ratchet Techs do you have from 4, 6, 8 years ago that you've used continuously? If so, how do their flex joints feel side by side compared with new ones?

If our joint wears, you can just get an allen and crank it back tight. You can make it so tight that you can whack it in your hand and it won't move. Also, our product is fully guaranteed. Compared to any other friction-type flex head on the market, ours is way stiffer.

 

[4x4gearhead]

I have a metric set of the old snap on open end ratcheting wrenches, I will admit that they arent an all around viable option but every once and awhile when you have something you cant put the box end on its sweet. I have used the GW versions and to be honest they blow. They dont fit on things that the box end wont in most cases so I dont really see the point.

 

[Ratchet Tech]

Seems like they ratchet tech does not want to disclose where the item is made. We know the new GW ones similar to the ratchet tech will be either taiwan or china.

China. Ours will be made in China. We will be glad to make you a set here in the USA, but for 3 times the cost to you. We went to almost every foundry in the US and got the same story. The tooling was a bazillion dollars, the raw product, before hardening, assembly etc.. was more than we could sell it for retail. The only market that might support it would be the pro market, but SnapOn, Craftsman, MacTools etc...they ALL actually OWN complete foundries in China, Taiwan, Mexico. We were extremely disappointed that we were forced, by the manufacturing situation in America, to go elsewhere. But it was either that or quit. It was a hard lesson to learn. We fantasize about getting big enough to buy our own foundry here in America, but we are not a big corporation. We are just a typical little family. Like Stanley was. And you have to deal with the EPA, OSHA, prohibitive tax laws, crazy employment laws etc.... I have an American Eagle tattooed on my arm. I would LOVE to make it here, but we can't. We have a good product, excellent foundries, fully guaranteed, and we have good quality control. Give us a chance.

 

[honcho]

China--oh heck! I understand the economics of it all but I hope you also realize you're likely to have your designs--heck, probably your molds and tooling--used to make and sell unlicensed copies everywhere that will likely kill your company?

Good luck!

 

[shoturtle]

China. Ours will be made in China. We will be glad to make you a set here in the USA, but for 3 times the cost to you. We went to almost every foundry in the US and got the same story. The tooling was a bazillion dollars, the raw product, before hardening, assembly etc.. was more than we could sell it for retail. The only market that might support it would be the pro market, but SnapOn, Craftsman, MacTools etc...they ALL actually OWN complete foundries in China, Taiwan, Mexico. We were extremely disappointed that we were forced, by the manufacturing situation in America, to go elsewhere. But it was either that or quit. It was a hard lesson to learn. We fantasize about getting big enough to buy our own foundry here in America, but we are not a big corporation. We are just a typical little family. Like Stanley was. And you have to deal with the EPA, OSHA, prohibitive tax laws, crazy employment laws etc.... I have an American Eagle tattooed on my arm. I would LOVE to make it here, but we can't. We have a good product, excellent foundries, fully guaranteed, and we have good quality control. Give us a chance.

I have no issues with oversea tools. Just like to know where things are made. I am very well aware the reg of doing business in the US makes making lower cost items in the US super complicated.

 

[shoturtle]

China--oh heck! I understand the economics of it all but I hope you also realize you're likely to have your designs--heck, probably your molds and tooling--used to make and sell unlicensed copies everywhere that will likely kill your company?

Good luck!

It would be much safer to make things in taiwan. The at least follow the rules of patents and copyrights.

 

[tank4114]

It would be much safer to make things in taiwan. The at least follow the rules of patents and copyrights.

i have a set of Taiwan Williams torx sockets and I'm quite happy with them.
one thing i like is they have Taiwan stamped on the side of each socket i like that there don't try and hide the fact

I'd be a bit skeptical of using those on really tight brake line and a/c fitting's since they are quite soft

 

[otis66]

Seems like they ratchet tech does not want to disclose where the item is made. We know the new GW ones similar to the ratchet tech will be either taiwan or china.

That means it will be made in China. When somthing is made in the USA you will know it right away. You won't have to ask.

 

[Ratchet Tech]

I have a metric set of the old snap on open end ratcheting wrenches, I will admit that they arent an all around viable option but every once and awhile when you have something you cant put the box end on its sweet. I have used the GW versions and to be honest they blow. They dont fit on things that the box end wont in most cases so I dont really see the point.

You will find many situations where our compact, flex head 30 degree open end ratchet will be the only tool that will spin the fastener. Check out our videos on YouTube

 

[Ratchet Tech]

i have a set of Taiwan Williams torx sockets and I'm quite happy with them.
one thing i like is they have Taiwan stamped on the side of each socket i like that there don't try and hide the fact

I'd be a bit skeptical of using those on really tight brake line and a/c fitting's since they are quite soft

Hi Tank,
Our wrenches are hardened, and will bite into the fastener if lots of torque is needed, which is not usually the case with line fittings. But our wrench will not round off the fastener. We are posting a "wrench wrestling" video on YouTube today showing what I am talking about. (PS see our comments on the China manufacturing)
Thanks!

 

[Ratchet Tech]

It would be much safer to make things in taiwan. The at least follow the rules of patents and copyrights.

Hi Sho and Honcho,

Thanks for your advice! We are concerned about our intellectual property, and we have methods in place to try to avoid getting knocked off. Someone would have to reverse-engineer it once it hits the market, which could happen no matter what we do or where we go to make it.

 

[Ratchet Tech]

China--oh heck! I understand the economics of it all but I hope you also realize you're likely to have your designs--heck, probably your molds and tooling--used to make and sell unlicensed copies everywhere that will likely kill your company?

Good luck!

Hi Honcho,

Thanks for your concern! Yes, we are aware of the danger to our intellectual property. We have taken steps to make it hard for anyone to knock it off. They would have to wait till it is on the market and reverse-engineer it, which they could do no matter what safeguards we have in place. If it happens, we will try to dominate the market with our unique, quality tool and out-compete them. And also chase them with our lawyers, since it is fully patented. We hope they don't kill us!

 

[shoturtle]

That means it will be made in China. When somthing is made in the USA you will know it right away. You won't have to ask.

I was pretty certain they would come form asia. If it was made in the USA it would be stamp in the product and clearly posted on the websites.

 

[shoturtle]

with the gw version hitting the market around the same time. Have you been able to compare your product vs GW's

 

[pipsters]

I like the idea of a ratcheting open ended wrench. In the past working on power steering systems I have spent what seemed like hours running bolts up taking the wrench off and on each swing. God I hate that. Seems like a neat idea but probably not geared toward a homeowner, only reason I say that is we typically "get by" with normal tools and don't care that much about speed. A pro would. BUT this product has "gimmick" all over it (not saying it is, just saying...) so it might be a tough sell to anyone.

I might consider if you have some stress tests ie example torque that the wrenches can take before spreading.

 

[Ken81590]

Hi Tank,
Our wrenches are hardened, and will bite into the fastener if lots of torque is needed, which is not usually the case with line fittings. But our wrench will not round off the fastener. We are posting a "wrench wrestling" video on YouTube today showing what I am talking about. (PS see our comments on the China manufacturing)
Thanks!

Post the video in this thread, and I will post it in the original post of this thread.

 

[Ratchet Tech]

I like the idea of a ratcheting open ended wrench. In the past working on power steering systems I have spent what seemed like hours running bolts up taking the wrench off and on each swing. God I hate that. Seems like a neat idea but probably not geared toward a homeowner, only reason I say that is we typically "get by" with normal tools and don't care that much about speed. A pro would. BUT this product has "gimmick" all over it (not saying it is, just saying...) so it might be a tough sell to anyone.

I might consider if you have some stress tests ie example torque that the wrenches can take before spreading.

Here you go. Check this out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=S_0gIa5-98U

 

[Ratchet Tech]

Post the video in this thread, and I will post it in the original post of this thread.

Here you go.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=S_0gIa5-98U

 

[Ratchet Tech]

i have a set of Taiwan Williams torx sockets and I'm quite happy with them.
one thing i like is they have Taiwan stamped on the side of each socket i like that there don't try and hide the fact

I'd be a bit skeptical of using those on really tight brake line and a/c fitting's since they are quite soft

Hi Tank, check this out.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=S_0gIa5-98U

 

[shoturtle]

Okay what happens when the wrench has to bit not in the middle in the video but toward the corners? The flack drive does not bite into the bolt. But now I would like to see the same test with the wrench driving toward the corner.

 

[JDS968]

If our joint wears, you can just get an allen and crank it back tight. You can make it so tight that you can whack it in your hand and it won't move. Also, our product is fully guaranteed. Compared to any other friction-type flex head on the market, ours is way stiffer.

That's good to know...I might even just crank it down right from the beginning and use it as a fixed head, and just loosen/retighten if I ever want to use it with an offset.

China. Ours will be made in China. We will be glad to make you a set here in the USA, but for 3 times the cost to you. We went to almost every foundry in the US and got the same story. The tooling was a bazillion dollars, the raw product, before hardening, assembly etc.. was more than we could sell it for retail. The only market that might support it would be the pro market, but SnapOn, Craftsman, MacTools etc...they ALL actually OWN complete foundries in China, Taiwan, Mexico. We were extremely disappointed that we were forced, by the manufacturing situation in America, to go elsewhere. But it was either that or quit. It was a hard lesson to learn. We fantasize about getting big enough to buy our own foundry here in America, but we are not a big corporation. We are just a typical little family. Like Stanley was. And you have to deal with the EPA, OSHA, prohibitive tax laws, crazy employment laws etc.... I have an American Eagle tattooed on my arm. I would LOVE to make it here, but we can't. We have a good product, excellent foundries, fully guaranteed, and we have good quality control. Give us a chance.

I understand your dilemma...I wouldn't want to deal with the hurdles to manufacturing that our federal government puts in place either. But did you investigate manufacturing in Taiwan?

 

[otis66]

This does not happen with a Snap On wrench.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=S_0gIa5-98U

 

[JDS968]

This does not happen with a Snap On wrench.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=S_0gIa5-98U

You mean a Snap-On Flank Drive Plus open end, or a regular one?

A regular one probably would do the same thing eventually, even with tighter tolerances or stronger steel. Highly unlikely that a FD+ open end would do that, I'd quite like to see the same experiment with a FD+ vs a Ratchet Tech.

 

[vintagefan]

I would pay 30% more for a tool made in Taiwan, or twice as much for a tool made in Czech republic or Spain.

I'm not interested in a Chinese tool. I've been dissapointed by their standards over, and over, and over again.

 

[otis66]

You mean a Snap-On Flank Drive Plus open end, or a regular one?

A regular one probably would do the same thing eventually, even with tighter tolerances or stronger steel. Highly unlikely that a FD+ open end would do that, I'd quite like to see the same experiment with a FD+ vs a Ratchet Tech.

I do not own Snap On Flank Drive Plus wrenches only regular Snap On wrenches. I have Used my regular Snap On wrench in this way.

 

[Ratchet Tech]

I would pay 30% more for a tool made in Taiwan, or twice as much for a tool made in Czech republic or Spain.

I'm not interested in a Chinese tool. I've been dissapointed by their standards over, and over, and over again.

Hi Vintage,

I understand your hesitancy to buy Chinese tools. In the past they have been substandard. But as you can see in our videos, we have a very strong, quality tool. The quality is increasing in China just like it did in Japan and Taiwan. At any rate, the final product is up to me, because I birddog the quality control. Our tool is not some complex ratchet with tiny pawls, fine teeth and multiple parts. The main concern is that the tolerances are right and the hardness is good. They have been doing a superb job on both. a It either meets my standards, which are high, or we don't buy.

 

[Ken81590]

This discussion is getting good

 

[warmpancakes]

Hi Vintage,

I understand your hesitancy to buy Chinese tools. In the past they have been substandard. But as you can see in our videos, we have a very strong, quality tool. The quality is increasing in China just like it did in Japan and Taiwan. At any rate, the final product is up to me, because I birddog the quality control. Our tool is not some complex ratchet with tiny pawls, fine teeth and multiple parts. The main concern is that the tolerances are right and the hardness is good. They have been doing a superb job on both. a It either meets my standards, which are high, or we don't buy.

chines are great at making perfect test pieces and samples but will you do random samples for testing? In my past tesing of chinese sourced components (ball mounts for trailers) the samples passed with flying colors the 2nd and 3rd batches had a 40-50 % failure rate

 

[Ratchet Tech]

chines are great at making perfect test pieces and samples but will you do random samples for testing? In my past tesing of chinese sourced components (ball mounts for trailers) the samples passed with flying colors the 2nd and 3rd batches had a 40-50 % failure rate

Whew, you guys are tough. You ask the hard questions. But we respect you and give you tool guys the most credibility. Yes, we will be doing spot checks, both in country and here in the US. We are working with very reputable Pacific Rim suppliers who are based here in the USA who have a vested interest in giving us a good product.

 

[warmpancakes]

not trying to be tough, but chinese factorys are cash upfront and no returns, shipping 40 tons of scrap steel across the world isnt cheap

 

[shoturtle]

How does the wrench work when not using the middle portion of the nut, and has to grab toward the corner. I would like to see the result of that with the wrench wrestle.

 

[bcradio]

not trying to be tough, but chinese factorys are cash upfront and no returns, shipping 40 tons of scrap steel across the world isnt cheap

It looks to me like they are going through a supplier (Pacific Rim suppliers) and not direct through the factory. That would likely mean if a QC issue comes up, then the supplier would take the hit.

 

[Ratchet Tech]

How does the wrench work when not using the middle portion of the nut, and has to grab toward the corner. I would like to see the result of that with the wrench wrestle.

Gotcha. We will post a wrench-wrestle video with the nut in the second loaded position, which is on the corners.

 

[Ratchet Tech]

It looks to me like they are going through a supplier (Pacific Rim suppliers) and not direct through the factory. That would likely mean if a QC issue comes up, then the supplier would take the hit.

Yessir, that is correct. Our Pacific Rim supplier receives the hardened and finished parts from the foundry and assembles and packages. They visually inspect and try every wrench on a gauge. That's not to say there won't be defects, but there should not be many. And they will be fully guaranteed.

Thanks!

 

[tjmonsen5]

I would like to see a Snap-on 4 way angle wrench used in your test area, and see if it can turn the bolt. They are designed to work in tight places like this. It would be interesting to see.