Spannersphere
Well-known member
I'm looking to buy some ratcheting wrenches. Anyone know of good brands? What's the difference between the forged one piece (mainly combination wrenches) and the two piece one (mainly double box end)
Ratcheting wrenches
- Thread starter Spannersphere
- Start date
absolutelybillsmood
Well-known member
I bought these in June when Advance Auto had them on sale
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001M0O288/?tag=atomicindus08-20
I like them, I bought an SAE and Metric set.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B001M0O288/?tag=atomicindus08-20
I like them, I bought an SAE and Metric set.
I know a lot of the people on this forum will recommend the high end truck brands,but I use my Gearwrench brand wrenches every day in an industrial job and they have never failed to work. I will say that the forged wrenches are the way to go as opposed to the 2 piece type. I also would always recommend a reversible wrench. They have some offset that makes them easier to operate and they feel better in the hand. That being said,remember,this reply is my opinion only. Good luck.
Mike
Mike
Harrison2
Well-known member
theres two options to consider, ones which are reversible or ones which are not and you have to flip the wrench for reverse ratcheting. personally i can use both but some people cant handle flipping wrenches over and getting confused so prefer switchable.
a good, low cost reliable brand would be gearwrench, I see your in AUS' so im not sure of the availability there...
the question is more what will you be using them for, everyday shop use or weekend warrior and the sizes of fixings you encounter.
aswell as double box end, theres flex heads which are pretty neat and useful. also its good to take into consideration the offset of ratcheting combination wrenches.
a good, low cost reliable brand would be gearwrench, I see your in AUS' so im not sure of the availability there...
the question is more what will you be using them for, everyday shop use or weekend warrior and the sizes of fixings you encounter.
aswell as double box end, theres flex heads which are pretty neat and useful. also its good to take into consideration the offset of ratcheting combination wrenches.
trout
Well-known member
I'm drooling over the new Proto's right now. Price is going to be a big consideration in which ones you can get.
I personaly prefer the switchable, in fact I'm trying to remember what the brand was that we used at Dish Network so I can go get a complete set. Those were great wrenches spent a lot of time out in the weather and never rusted up. Every other brand I have tried have rusted quickly when in and out of the weather.
Brownsfan
Well-known member
I have some Gearwrench and Cornwell. The Gearwrench were cheaper and every bit as good. I have only broke one and it was a 18mm. It was my fault because I was using it to break a bolt loose. For the most part they will handle it but under extreme load they will fail.
I would say gear wench if u can get your hands on them I had some titan ones in the beginning good product as well they now live in my car but if u want some sweet wrenchs get the gear wrench x beam with flex heads alot easier on the hands when applying a good amount of force and flex heads are just the shizzleniznap!!!
Gearwrench flex head none reversible ratchet wrenchs. They have a thin profile head. The price is right and they are flexible. You want your ratchet wrenches to be flexible because they are a universal tool unlike your regular wrenches. Also the none referable not only have a thinner head but you also don't have to worry about hitting the switch mid ratchet. The none reversible have a rigid edge so you know what way to use it also.
My wrenches are mostly all snap on but I won't be getting rid of those gearwrenches flex heads any time soon. Even the blue point set that is similar doesn't compare because the head is way to thick.
My gearwrenches flex heads are probably 7 years old and they have been put to the test and beat on and beat with and I hasn't had to return even one yet for a warranty.
My wrenches are mostly all snap on but I won't be getting rid of those gearwrenches flex heads any time soon. Even the blue point set that is similar doesn't compare because the head is way to thick.
My gearwrenches flex heads are probably 7 years old and they have been put to the test and beat on and beat with and I hasn't had to return even one yet for a warranty.
JFBURLINGHAM207
Member
I've got the craftsman SAE set (no flip switch). Yes I am aware the are probably from China but they seem to work ok. I'm sure they are not the sturdiest thing but for the money they aren't bad. Gear wrench are also nice. The best I have used came off of a truck.
ToocoolZ28
Well-known member
I have Craftsman and GearWrench flexibles and reversibles. I really like the GearWrench flexible reversibles, I go to them every time.
Conductor562
Well-known member
A big +1! Awesome wrenches. I got a 9/16 and a 1" for review and I'd kill for the whole set. I'm holding out until Zoro gets them in stock and pray the have another 40% off Cyber Monday sale. $400+ for a 15 piece set x2 to add metric, and you're nearly a grand into them. I'm not saying they're over priced, but it's hard to drop that much on a replacement for the perfectly usable set I have now. I will eventually get them though.
I dont know about the protos that every one seems to be after but I know matco has some with 90 teeth instead of 72 maybe just buy a set u can get cheep and warrantied if need wait a year or so for price to drop on the 90 teeth sets and ****** them uo
Bryanthegreat
Well-known member
GearWrench for me. It is hard for me to find a reason to spend any more money on a set of ratcheting wrenches. I do not see what 400.00 worth of Matco 90 tooth wrenches would do over a 150.00 set of gearWrenches
kippieland
Well-known member
Blackhawk
shockwave
Well-known member
Gearwrench allday for me unless you are trying for spline over 12-point because almost every tool truck sells gearwrench and will warranty them.
shockwave
Well-known member
Also keep in mind the standard gearwrench will be zero degree and the reversible one will be 15 degree like a standard combo wrench and then there is the flex head aswell
Conductor562
Well-known member
cburnscrx
Well-known member
^^^This^^^
I have the complete set of Gearwrench flex heads and love them. I too couldn't imagine what the upgrade would be in any real world environment.
The pricing is ridiculous but the Matco 90T are definitely nicer than the new production fatty Chinese GW that seems to be popping up. The 90 tooth series also have modified open ends. They're also spline drive.
wafrederick
Well-known member
So far,Gearwrench has been the best.Never had a problem warranty wise getting them replaced when they break yet.I have the nearest AutoValue auto parts store warranty them getting a replacement on the spot
foreverfalcon40
Well-known member
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- Feb 12, 2013
- Messages
- 856
Gearwrench for the WIN! Sears ship to you or if there is one, got some great deals going on! CHECK THE HOT DEALS SECTION!
Tinner
Well-known member
I've managed to live this long without a set of ratcheting wrenches. I believe the new Protos are going to change that. 
Canadian Charlie
Banned
I'm happy with my Blue Point set
shoggoth80
Well-known member
I've got Matco. I like them a lot.
I have one gear wrench in a different profile. Want more. Lol.
I have one gear wrench in a different profile. Want more. Lol.
decaf
Well-known member
Wera Joker is a nice spanner.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C7JY7O2/?tag=atomicindus08-20
Good quality.
Both metric and SAE.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C7JY7O2/?tag=atomicindus08-20
Good quality.
Both metric and SAE.
Dave455
Well-known member
A lot of these things originate in China or Taiwan, I'm not convinced about the quality of either! Sadly, you don't always get what you pay for, and some of the supposedly better tool brands simply offer the same Taiwanese product rebranded!
So... 'buyer beware' as they say, and don't fork out your hard earned without doing a bit of research!
Without doubt, the best ratcheting combination wrenches I have ever made are the German Saltus. Now, don't get confused here. I understand that the term 'Saltus wrench' is used in the USA to indicate a particular style of wrench with one open end and a flex socket on the other. Saltus certainly make that pattern, which is probably the origin of the term, but they make a load of other stuff too, and their ratcheting combination wrenches are by far the best!
So... 'buyer beware' as they say, and don't fork out your hard earned without doing a bit of research!
Without doubt, the best ratcheting combination wrenches I have ever made are the German Saltus. Now, don't get confused here. I understand that the term 'Saltus wrench' is used in the USA to indicate a particular style of wrench with one open end and a flex socket on the other. Saltus certainly make that pattern, which is probably the origin of the term, but they make a load of other stuff too, and their ratcheting combination wrenches are by far the best!
Gear wrench reversible. Mine have a "stop" on them for lack of a better term. Basically the bolt head or nut won't slip all the way through the wrench. It took me a bit to get used to that feature, but now I love it. I don't know if there are other brands that are made like that. Actually, I don't know if gearwrench are made like that any more.
decaf
Well-known member
Wera is one of the world's biggest (and best, in my opinion) screwdriver manufacturers and they have a very good reputation. Putting this on the edge by making ratchets in poor quality would surely be very stupid.
Considering the price, the quality must be on top.
The same goes for their new Zyklop series.
You are not jumping into these markets without knowing what you are doing and what you want to accomplish.
I think their innovation makes a difference and helps in many difficult situations.
Among the first things I did when I got the ratchet, was to test it.
I have included standing and rocking on it, finally the bolt went off.
So I know that these ratchets hold and are of good quality.
exophyusical
Well-known member
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- Aug 11, 2013
- Messages
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Honestly I'm not sold on gear wrenches at all. I have a set in my "to go bag", but there is very little that they can do that a regular ratchet set and combo wrenches cant cover better, IMO they are a substitute for neither of these essential tools which makes them redundant. If your working near a well stocked toolbox most of the time they are little more than a gimmick IMO.
Of all the ratcheting wrenches I have tried the only ones I felt had any major benefit were the "quad box" design. Two reversible ratcheting box ends that fit four sizes of bolts depending on which way you have the wrench flipped, pretty much two wrenches covers you from 5/16 up to 3/4, now that is handy.
Ironicly these seem to be among the least common design, I have a couple Gear Wrench ones, Westward also sells them.
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/WESTWARD-Ratcheting-Wrench-SetQuadBox-Reversible-34E321
Of all the ratcheting wrenches I have tried the only ones I felt had any major benefit were the "quad box" design. Two reversible ratcheting box ends that fit four sizes of bolts depending on which way you have the wrench flipped, pretty much two wrenches covers you from 5/16 up to 3/4, now that is handy.
Ironicly these seem to be among the least common design, I have a couple Gear Wrench ones, Westward also sells them.
http://www.grainger.com/Grainger/WESTWARD-Ratcheting-Wrench-SetQuadBox-Reversible-34E321
zruvalcaba
Well-known member
I'm pretty found of my US-made Craftsman SAE and Standard set as well as my US-made Craftsman Industrial SAE Flex-Head set. Still looking for the US-made Flex-Head metric set. They're usually fairly pricey when they do show up on eBay. Just picked up a set of Snap On metric ratcheting wrenches as well. They don't have the flip-switch like the Craftsmans do....looking forward to their arrival!
I guess my experience was the opposite. Ratcheting wrenches became my "go to", unless I was force to go to something else. Sometimes the fatness of the head requires use of a different tool. Sometimes it's some other thing. And then at work I'm rarely near my toolbox. It's whatever you have in the tool pouch on your shoulder.
jethro29
Well-known member
I have the gearwrenchs in standard and metric and flex and stubby and they have held up great to everday use.i would recommend them to anyone and you cannot beat the price.
JBradley500
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jul 19, 2013
- Messages
- 781
I have the gearwrench brand but I love the matco flex ratcheting wrenches. I think they are about perfect except the plastic/rubber handles fall off some times.
TheGrooveking
Well-known member
I have all of the Gearwrench ratcheting wrenches up to 25mm / 1-1/4" along with most of what Matco and Cornwell offer along with both Snap On SAE & metric combo sets, but recently picked up both SAE and metric Williams (same as the Blue Point - but less than 1/2 price) flex head reversible wrench sets and though their flex heads are larger than Gearwrenches they are excellent. I too am lusting over the new Proto's and may cave in and eat cheese & ketchup sandwiches for lunch for the next 4 months to get them.
On the Matco 90 tooth flex heads (I want them because of the high tooth count and spline drive shape) but have steered clear of them in knowing they are made in Taiwan based on price. Even my Matco dealer told me to wait that eventually Matco will put them in their flyer at a discounted rate because they are not selling. Comparing the Matco 90 tooth to the Proto I feel that the Proto are a much better value because they are made in the USA. This is what has kept me away from the black Proto ratcheting wrenches that are made in Taiwan which are priced similarly to the new USA Proto wrenches.
I will report that Snap On are sublime, but will cost 3.5 times as much as Gearwrench but do not offer 3.5 times the reliability - this based in never having a Gearwrench ratcheting wrench yet fail on me.
One thing with Matco that concerns me is how they change manufacturing vendors every so many years which leaves you stranded for direct warranty replacements. Case in point, Wright made ratchets, Bonney wrenches, and now Witte cabinet screwdrivers are all adding up for me shifting to Snap On.
TheGrooveking
On the Matco 90 tooth flex heads (I want them because of the high tooth count and spline drive shape) but have steered clear of them in knowing they are made in Taiwan based on price. Even my Matco dealer told me to wait that eventually Matco will put them in their flyer at a discounted rate because they are not selling. Comparing the Matco 90 tooth to the Proto I feel that the Proto are a much better value because they are made in the USA. This is what has kept me away from the black Proto ratcheting wrenches that are made in Taiwan which are priced similarly to the new USA Proto wrenches.
I will report that Snap On are sublime, but will cost 3.5 times as much as Gearwrench but do not offer 3.5 times the reliability - this based in never having a Gearwrench ratcheting wrench yet fail on me.
One thing with Matco that concerns me is how they change manufacturing vendors every so many years which leaves you stranded for direct warranty replacements. Case in point, Wright made ratchets, Bonney wrenches, and now Witte cabinet screwdrivers are all adding up for me shifting to Snap On.
TheGrooveking
GrayFox
Well-known member
Get what you can afford.
Except for the fact that they're an enormous time saver. Comparing a ratcheting wrench to a regular wrench is like comparing a ratchet to a breaker bar. I don't know how you can call the former in either case a gimmick.
They have 2 policies on this. First, for the most part, there are replacement tools available. If no replacement is available they will actually issue you a credit of the full value of the tool. For something like a ratcheting wrench I wouldn't worry about them vanishing from the catalog any time soon.
They all do it. Snap-On has certainly had their fair share of completely discontinued tools over the years.
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