Ratcheting wrench comparison

[qqzj]

Not sure whether this has been shared

There’s too many metrics to follow. So I just looked at the final results. It seems that price, coo etc have very little to do with quality. Especially quality over price. GearWrench did much better than I expected. And it’s kinda unfair because PF picked the cheapest version. I bought those for $10 a pack from Costco a couple years ago. Looks like pretty good deal.

 

[GeoBruin]

Hadn't seen that one. Thanks for posting. Bummer he goofed the Proto on the one test where it should have performed the best with the ASD design.

 

[Zeus36]

His final recommendation was for Tekton. They are all sold out.
From their website:

Ratcheting Wrench Inventory Update​

Despite many months of effort, we're no longer able to produce ratcheting wrenches through our current supply chain. We are considering other options, but we don’t know yet where that will lead us. In the meantime, we have made all of our remaining ratcheting wrench inventory available below in the form of open stock individual wrenches.

 

[NFH2740]

Ah, Project Farm. The origination of the scientific method and expert in all fields.

 

[qqzj]

His final recommendation was for Tekton. They are all sold out.
From their website:

Ratcheting Wrench Inventory Update​

Despite many months of effort, we're no longer able to produce ratcheting wrenches through our current supply chain. We are considering other options, but we don’t know yet where that will lead us. In the meantime, we have made all of our remaining ratcheting wrench inventory available below in the form of open stock individual wrenches.

I have a set of tekton double flex 6 point wrench set. Wondering whether they are more desirable now

 

[silkman]

Gedore 7UR, the only Made in Germany ratcheting wrench.

In Europe, every ratcheting wrench sold is made from one of two Taiwanese companies, Cabo and HiFive. But I've seen quality differences even from ones from same manufacturer (mechanism smoothness, size and fit).

 

[Old Donn]

Stocked up on Craftsman and GearWrench ratcheting combos when they hit the shelves at Sears back when. Don't know where they'd stack up on the food chain these days, but they're what I have, (and so far, so good). Took a long look at the SK X-Frame, but I don't use what I have all that much any more, and the SK's are way above my pay grade.

 

[Mr_B]

Gedore 7UR, the only Made in Germany ratcheting wrench.

In Europe, every ratcheting wrench sold is made from one of two Taiwanese companies, Cabo and HiFive. But I've seen quality differences even from ones from same manufacturer (mechanism smoothness, size and fit).

A few more than 2 Taiwanese companies ratchets sold in the european market ... 2more oem's you will find a lot of ratchet wrenches come from are infar/geartech and chang loon/pro ratchet. and the manufacturer list still far from complete .

 

[Ton ton]

I wish project farm would have measured the overall length of the wrenches. Before I joined garage journal, I didn't know length was important. He should have tested snap on brand wrenches too.

 

[silkman]

A few more than 2 Taiwanese companies ratchets sold in the european market ... 2more oem's you will find a lot of ratchet wrenches come from are infar/geartech and chang loon/pro ratchet. and the manufacturer list still far from complete .

Good to know there are more than the two I mentioned.

I recently bought these Facom ones, like them a lot. Really smooth operation and the slimmest profile I've laid my hands on; the open end has a barely visible seration for more grip. You know who makes these?

 

[Mr_B]

^
High-Five in terms of ratchet mechanism and the stop ring design .
Various manufacturing partners for forging and finishing, Rotar has been linked to Facom and Stahlwille finishing and soft satin chrome plating .
The Facom ratchet wrenches are real nice and great to use thanks to slender dimensions,good ergonomics and tactile in the hand .
Mechanism is pretty strong using a good wedging design of pawl and they was sensible money for sets pre covid times .
Really wish they also done a long pattern version .

 

[Qualitytools]

Good to know there are more than the two I mentioned.

I recently bought these Facom ones, like them a lot. Really smooth operation and the slimmest profile I've laid my hands on; the open end has a barely visible seration for more grip. You know who makes these?

FACOM are under Stanley Black and Decker SBD, they are made in Taiwan, I also have a set and really like them a lot.

 

[anndel]

Love my Snap-ons.

 

[VolvoRyan]

Cost and how "thick" is the box end is all that matters with these IMHO. I'm as nerdy as the rest of us what it comes to regular combo wrenches, but I'm pretty mercenary when it comes to ratcheting wrenches.

-Ryan

 

[silkman]

Another interesting video re ratcheting wrenches. The main point is don't buy expensive sets, only the sizes you need.

 

[M6erfan]

Another interesting video re ratcheting wrenches. The main point is don't buy expensive sets, only the sizes you need.

How dare you, you must be new around here.

No! One needs reversible, non reversible. Midget, standard & long patterns. Flex, offset, and 0°. Fixed box end and open end combo variants. ALL of them. In EVERY size! SEA and Metric.

Sheesh!

 

[qqzj]

Another interesting video re ratcheting wrenches. The main point is don't buy expensive sets, only the sizes you need.

Actually, for cheaper ratcheting wrenches, it is better to buy a whole set b/c the single pieces are marked really high and never have any discount. Buying the whole set in a good deal might be cheaper than buying a few useful ones one by one. Also who make the Ace Pro wrenches for Ace Hardware?

WRT Snap-On, I watched so many test videos and only three items from Snap On are verifiably better.
(1) Floor jack. But it is only very marginally better than a good Daytona and given the price difference, buying a Snap On is like a disaster.

(2) Torque wrench. But its advantage is useless for most people, unless for those machinist or who rebuild engines. For 95% of the guys, those from Harbor Freight is good enough. Also torque wrenches need to be re-calibrated from time to time. The superiority of Snap On is gone after a period of time. And the cost of recalibration to achieve the superiority is more than a lot of new TWs. That is why Snap On torque wrenches have abysmal resale values on the used market. Again, a financial disaster for most.

(3) Flare nut wrenches. These don't suffer from the above two issues and that is why I bought a set of metric ones at about 1/3 of the list price, even when I am in California and have in theory no chance of using it. But at least I don't expect to lose money from them.

 

[Callelle]

I get the feeling that "Doc" doesn't actually use his tools a whole lot. Very few have marks on them and he's constantly describing how beautiful and gorgeous they are. He just seems like a Snap On/Knipex/PB Swiss fan boy collector. His videos are informative enough, or at least gives another perspective for what I chose to spend my money on.

 

[Galvonzo]

I’ve been watching a bit of Last Best Tool lately and have been feeling similar to what you’re saying. Not trying to discredit him at all; I just feel wrenching might not be his day job and he just really enjoys tools and appreciates using them. I work with guys who couldn’t care what tool is in their hand. Yet it’s what they pay the bills with.

Catus Maximus on the other hand. I just wanna know how much space he has for working on stuff when it seems like whenever I YouTube a certain tool, he’s made a video for it. All those tools gotta be stored somewhere.

 

[boom_bap]

He has a box tour video. Hes pretty much maxed that thing out.

 

[Callelle]

I’ve been watching a bit of Last Best Tool lately and have been feeling similar to what you’re saying. Not trying to discredit him at all; I just feel wrenching might not be his day job and he just really enjoys tools and appreciates using them. I work with guys who couldn’t care what tool is in their hand. Yet it’s what they pay the bills with.

Catus Maximus on the other hand. I just wanna know how much space he has for working on stuff when it seems like whenever I YouTube a certain tool, he’s made a video for it. All those tools gotta be stored somewhere.

He made a 5k sub box tour, and yeah he seems to have just about everything under the sun packed into way to small of a box. He's also said he's mostly just a collector now. He used to wrench but had to take a desk job due to medical issues.

 

[Lt CHEG]

I’ve been watching a bit of Last Best Tool lately and have been feeling similar to what you’re saying. Not trying to discredit him at all; I just feel wrenching might not be his day job and he just really enjoys tools and appreciates using them. I work with guys who couldn’t care what tool is in their hand. Yet it’s what they pay the bills with.

I’d say I fall into the same category as Doc. Wrenching is most certainly not my day job, but I do enjoy it as a pastime and distraction. Similarly I love quality tools, frankly I love high quality just about anything. I enjoy high levels of craftsmanship, be it tools, watches, firearms, whatever. As I’ve gotten older, and more well established I’ve added more tools that aren’t necessarily needs, and upgraded tools purchased when I was younger and not as financially secure that were good enough to get the job done, but maybe not high end or ”professional” tools. My tools don’t see the use that a full time professional would put them through, but they’re absolutely capable of holding up to such use and I like that.

 

[DekNgo]

I’d say I fall into the same category as Doc. Wrenching is most certainly not my day job, but I do enjoy it as a pastime and distraction. Similarly I love quality tools, frankly I love high quality just about anything. I enjoy high levels of craftsmanship, be it tools, watches, firearms, whatever. As I’ve gotten older, and more well established I’ve added more tools that aren’t necessarily needs, and upgraded tools purchased when I was younger and not as financially secure that were good enough to get the job done, but maybe not high end or ”professional” tools. My tools don’t see the use that a full time professional would put them through, but they’re absolutely capable of holding up to such use and I like that.

Well said. That describes my tool collection also.

 

[M635_Guy]

Another interesting video re ratcheting wrenches. The main point is don't buy expensive sets, only the sizes you need.

I don't really like the idea of having tools I don't need and won't use, but I have to say I don't agree with the "don't buy sets, just buy what you need" credo. The reasons why are (A) often you don't know what will pop up that you didn't anticipate and (B) when that happens it can be a major frustrator and momentum-stopper.

Today I was doing the cap and rotor on my old BMW. Because I have a custom radiator that is thicker than stock, it was a pain in the ***. I felt better (and pissed off) when I found that the two two harder bolts to access weren't very tight at all. The thickness made it hard to get a tool on them, and the fan shroud really cramped the space too. I really needed some stubby, thin-walled 8mm sockets, but on one of them I wound up using my 8mm 3/8" SK socket and a stubby ratchet, which was shorter than my SO 1/4" roto and my 8mm 1/4" sockets (from Tekton and SK). On the hardest one, my Icon 8mm long flex-head was the only thing I could figure out. The 'easiest' one was OK with the SO 1/4" flex and the SK 8mm socket (while still pressing on the fan shroud).

For various related or semi-related things, I also used my SK X-frames, a regular Tekton wrench, an old Gearwrench 10mm ratcheting flex head, my 4140 pry tool, and a few other tools. All of them kept me going. I felt really grateful at the end that I've accumulated the right set(s) of tools to allow me to gracefully get through doing the job and doing it better than whoever did the cap/rotor the last time (it's been a few years, so I'm not going to go back in the records and look). If I'd had to step away to go buy a new tool, I would have been (A) pissed and (B) delayed multiple days with a dead car.

Net: if you don't get carried way, having a good selection of tools makes things better. I know there aren't many folks here who will argue with that...

 

[CZ Eddie]

His final recommendation was for Tekton. They are all sold out.
From their website:

Ratcheting Wrench Inventory Update​

Despite many months of effort, we're no longer able to produce ratcheting wrenches through our current supply chain. We are considering other options, but we don’t know yet where that will lead us. In the meantime, we have made all of our remaining ratcheting wrench inventory available below in the form of open stock individual wrenches.

20% off for another two days

12-Point Ratcheting Wrenches and Sets | TEKTON

Tekton ratcheting wrenches have 12-point box ends. Available as complete sets with rolls, holders, or modular organizers.

www.tekton.com

 

[Zeus36]

TEKTON's Website:​

"Future Ratcheting Wrench Availability​

Our product team is working hard to make a new, complete line of ratcheting wrenches and sets available—ideally within the year. In the meantime, we're clearing out our old ratcheting wrench stock."

 

[Zeus36]

 

[AEAdam]

It’s the weighting he (PF) gets wrong on nearly every review. If I had that same data, I would have recommended (for example) Williams. It had low back drag, small box and open ends, and predictable Taiwan quality for a reasonable price.

I don’t give a **** whether my ratcheting wrench fails at 1000inlbs or 900inlbs. That’s like 80ftlbs or over 110lbs applied force. That’s a thumping lot of load on a wrench.

I would conclude, based on this testing, the cheapest tools are really quite serviceable. We’re reaching the point where comparing strength is irrelevant. They are all strong enough. I think this is also true of ratchet handles.

I would have weighted more heavily size of the heads, back drag, then length.

Sooner or later, manufacturers are going to start responding to reviews like this and giving us tools that beat metrics we don’t really care about. PF isn’t helping us.

example: 18v battery impact guns. Everybody wanted to make the strongest guns. They put out so much torque they are miserable to use. We didn’t need 1400ftlb guns. Now they are making mid torque guns, which are the guns we had 5 years ago.

 

[Komet]

We didn’t need 1400ftlb guns.

Well, maybe you don't, but I sure do. Swivels and extensions can rob a lot of torque.

 

[BlakeTheCarGuy]

In my opinion nobody beats Gearwrench for ratcheting wrenches but I guess everyone has their own preferences. Even in the last couple years nobody has come close. I have some Blue Point ones from the pawn shop I keep them in the bag in one of my cars.

 

[KeyCutter]

I’d say I fall into the same category as Doc. Wrenching is most certainly not my day job, but I do enjoy it as a pastime and distraction. Similarly I love quality tools, frankly I love high quality just about anything. I enjoy high levels of craftsmanship, be it tools, watches, firearms, whatever. As I’ve gotten older, and more well established I’ve added more tools that aren’t necessarily needs, and upgraded tools purchased when I was younger and not as financially secure that were good enough to get the job done, but maybe not high end or ”professional” tools. My tools don’t see the use that a full time professional would put them through, but they’re absolutely capable of holding up to such use and I like that.

Took the words right from my mouth.

I am a part time mechanic for myself out of my 50x100 shop. I do auto and general mechanics. Cars, trucks, tractors, equipment, trailers, ATV's, etc...and just general repair of just about anything. I've also been known to do some Jeep building and general restoration work of classic trucks and offroad rigs.

The point is, I may not be doing the high turn-out production work of a Midas or Goodyear service center, but the complexities of the projects in my shop often far surpass the run-of-the-mill tire and lube express work performed by the 40-50 hr a week shop tech. I need all the tools that guy has and A LOT more.

My tool sets are extensive, and the tool chests and cabinets to keep it all are even more extensive. Like I tell my wife...I never know what I'm going to need until I need it, so I have it all in case. I don't use my automotive lift daily, but it's by far the best "tool" I have.

Pics are a small sample of some of the chests used in my shop.

 

[CGarage]

Took the words right from my mouth.

I am a part time mechanic for myself out of my 50x100 shop. I do auto and general mechanics. Cars, trucks, tractors, equipment, trailers, ATV's, etc...and just general repair of just about anything. I've also been known to do some Jeep building and general restoration work of classic trucks and offroad rigs.

The point is, I may not be doing the high turn-out production work of a Midas or Goodyear service center, but the complexities of the projects in my shop often far surpass the run-of-the-mill tire and lube express work performed by the 40-50 hr a week shop tech. I need all the tools that guy has and A LOT more.

My tool sets are extensive, and the tool chests and cabinets to keep it all are even more extensive. Like I tell my wife...I never know what I'm going to need until I need it, so I have it all in case. I don't use my automotive lift daily, but it's by far the best "tool" I have.

Pics are a small sample of some of the chests used in my shop.

So each tool chest is organized by tool brand?

 

[CHI_Tool&Die]

I get the feeling that "Doc" doesn't actually use his tools a whole lot. Very few have marks on them and he's constantly describing how beautiful and gorgeous they are. He just seems like a Snap On/Knipex/PB Swiss fan boy collector. His videos are informative enough, or at least gives another perspective for what I chose to spend my money on.

I think Doc does overlanding/4x4 stuff and a lot of his tooling goes in bags and never gets used unless he hits a snag. I think he has talked about it before with a Land Cruiser or a 4Runner not sure which. He also has an affinity for Snap-on due to family ties or something similar. I like his episodes when he talks about minimal tool sets or bits and all things bit holding. Otherwise he can come across as too much of a PB Swiss/Snap-on infomercial. LOL.

 

[KeyCutter]

So each tool chest is organized by tool brand?

I have enough drawers that I can separate brands by drawer, but I don't go as far as each brand has its own cabinet/chest.

 

[gsanvi]

I get the feeling that "Doc" doesn't actually use his tools a whole lot. Very few have marks on them and he's constantly describing how beautiful and gorgeous they are. He just seems like a Snap On/Knipex/PB Swiss fan boy collector. His videos are informative enough, or at least gives another perspective for what I chose to spend my money on.

My thoughts exactly. It's easy to tell, his tools are way too clean. I would say the same about many other Youtubers. They are mostly collectors. When I use a new tool once to work on my car they are already way more dirty than most of theirs.

 

[VolvoRyan]

In my opinion nobody beats Gearwrench for ratcheting wrenches but I guess everyone has their own preferences. Even in the last couple years nobody has come close. I have some Blue Point ones from the pawn shop I keep them in the bag in one of my cars.

GearWrench does the job. Plus they're dirt cheap.

-Ryan