Ratcheting wrenches???
- Thread starter Roof
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1950mercury
Well-known member
They are cheap enuff..buy them oncw you use them u will love them.
RedneckWelder
Well-known member
Are they utterly necessary? No
Do they make life a lot easier sometimes? Yep. It ***** to be trying to loosen or tighten a hard to reach bolt or nut, and only being able to turn it for an eighth of a turn before having to pull the wrench off and reset. Doubly so when you can't put a hand on the wrench end to guide it on the bolt. It's very frustrating and takes a long time.
I finally got fed up with that one day and went straight to the store and brought a set of Gearwrenches.
Do they make life a lot easier sometimes? Yep. It ***** to be trying to loosen or tighten a hard to reach bolt or nut, and only being able to turn it for an eighth of a turn before having to pull the wrench off and reset. Doubly so when you can't put a hand on the wrench end to guide it on the bolt. It's very frustrating and takes a long time.
I finally got fed up with that one day and went straight to the store and brought a set of Gearwrenches.
panknuckshovel
Well-known member
I have them and have only used one wrench one time in years and they are worth every penny
Sk8Crash69
Well-known member
They are my go to wrenches over any open end or combination. The are worth their weight in gold when you come a cross a job where you need them, and if the job doesn't specifically call for them they are still really useful.
Audiocrazy28
Well-known member
Hated them until I replaced them with the reversible set. Fine tooth is a must as well.
NoahG
Well-known member
The non-reversible ones infuriate me.
There are times, either on a long threaded stud, or something in a location a socket won't fit, that I'm so happy ratcheting box wrenches exist.
There are times, either on a long threaded stud, or something in a location a socket won't fit, that I'm so happy ratcheting box wrenches exist.
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ihateminimumwage
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- Jan 26, 2012
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This is the best reason there is to have them, especially when you hit the point your hands cramp up after spending so much time resetting the wrench.
Cut a ton of time off of having to spin the last cramped nut down after resealing a worm drive axle under a fire dept owned Mack. No way to fit a ratchet and socket in there, and would have taken forever to do it with my combo (with my hands cramping to where I couldn't hold it anymore). Borrowed my coworker's Gearwrench (15/16 IIRC) and had it cranked down in under a minute.
Really don't agree. Anyone who doesn't have a set isn't wrenching on modern vehicles. Saying they aren't necessary is exactly the same as saying a ratchet isn't necessary when you can use a breaker bar to me. Without them i'd go insane from the vastly increased effort required to do specific tasks.
Both are useful. I actually find the non-reversible more handy primarily because they have no offset so they can get in tighter spots. The reversible seem to mostly replace the job where a ratchet and socket would work fine however the wrench speeds said task up.
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Askme42
Well-known member
When I first got them I thought they were a novelty. Now this is how I feel.
Except backup wrench on an impact... That's no good.tmike14400
Well-known member
An example of ratcheting wrenches being the perfect tool is when you're trying to remove a fan or and/or fan clutch. What used to be a half hour job can be done in a few minutes using ratcheting wrenches.
Outlawmws
Well-known member
I got a couple in three common MM sizes for my Samurai when I was doing the engine swap, and loved them. VERY worth it, at least for the common sizes, but I've since bought a full set of SAE, and if I find a deal on a metric set, will go there as well.
Total replacement for a regular wrench? No; a well deserved place in the box for a lot of use? Yes.
Total replacement for a regular wrench? No; a well deserved place in the box for a lot of use? Yes.
lightning02
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- Jul 29, 2013
- Messages
- 2,677
not to side track but maybe my question is good for the OP as well...
i been wanting a full set of reversible ratcheting wrenches. what is the best brand to get?
dont want to have warranty problems.
i been wanting a full set of reversible ratcheting wrenches. what is the best brand to get?
dont want to have warranty problems.
Bang for the buck, you're not going to beat gearwrench.
Strictly speaking, I have not run across anything that requires a ratcheting wrench.
I couldn't begin to count the hours I've saved by having them, though.
Most guys just farting around on their own cars on the weekends can totally go through life without getting them and do just fine.
It's kind of like how cleaning your driveway doesn't require a pressure washer...you can always use a bucket and a deck brush.
Why waste your time tho? You only get so much time in life and i choose to spend mine in other ways by getting the job done faster and with much less frustration.
OxJaw
Well-known member
I hardly ever use my regular combos anymore. First wrench I reach for is one of my flex head ratchet wrenches. I bust fasteners loose with them (occasionally I'll double wrench them too) all the time (within reason, really rusted or stuck fasteners get a regular combo or breaker bar) and they have never skipped a beat. I have Autozones duralast brand for SAE and Gearwrench for metric.
I like the my flex heads over the reversible offset ratchet wrenches I have.
I like the my flex heads over the reversible offset ratchet wrenches I have.
Gearwrench can be warrantied out at most auto parts stores and Sears. If you have tool trucks then whatever brand they sell. As a matter of fact a lot of trucks are GW dealers too.
fasteddie313
Well-known member
there sort of a luxury...
a lot of the time they don't fit because of there fat heads..
a lot of the time youll need a regular spanner, you need all that clearance a lot more than you would think..
and no way do they do the job of a ratchet and sockets..
ratchet, universals, and extentions trump all when dealing with tight places...
that's the truth, and yes I own them..
flex heads have the worst clearance of them all, unuseable a lot of the time..
non reversables are the best for getting into tight places..
the non indexed non reversables are the best imho..
a lot of the time they don't fit because of there fat heads..
a lot of the time youll need a regular spanner, you need all that clearance a lot more than you would think..
and no way do they do the job of a ratchet and sockets..
ratchet, universals, and extentions trump all when dealing with tight places...
that's the truth, and yes I own them..
flex heads have the worst clearance of them all, unuseable a lot of the time..
non reversables are the best for getting into tight places..
the non indexed non reversables are the best imho..
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Outlawmws
Well-known member
That depends on the direction of the tight spaces: Down in a pocket? Sure; low overhead to the bolt head and limited swing? A ratchet wrench is king.
nicksnothereman
Well-known member
Require? None. If clearance is an issue they can come in pretty handy so you don't have to reposition a wrench.
I have a set of craftsman reversible ratcheting wrenches I bought a while back that I completely forgot I owned. That's pretty much my comment on that.
A lot of guys use them but there are bunch of different types from different mfgs. I would say if you don't (or can't stomach the cost) go US go taiwan. The chinese ones can have some issues with the lower end stuff...i bought a set of the husky's on clearance they don't really compare to the taiwanese stuff but some of the gearwrench is no longer taiwanese so you gotta look at the packaging; I think these are apex like the husky ones.The craftsman are nice if you can find old stock of them...real smooth.
Triple macs
Well-known member
Like any other tool. When you need it you need it and nothing else will do. Picked up a set of Proto SAE 9 piece spline combo in black chrome from Stanley Supply & Services for $50.00. Handles 4, 6, 12, point and Torx.
Fedwrench
ALLIANCE MEMBER
Modern fine tooth ratcheting wrenches are a continued evolution of hand tools. They can be a godsend in limited access areas. They can speed things up. Instead of grabbing a ratchet and socket, you have basically the same function in a single wrench.
As to how better they make your life, it depends on what you're working with now. I wouldn't want to be without mine. Buy a set on sale to try out. Chances are you'll wonder how you got by without them.
As to how better they make your life, it depends on what you're working with now. I wouldn't want to be without mine. Buy a set on sale to try out. Chances are you'll wonder how you got by without them.
toolaholic
Well-known member
Agreed! The on/off loosening or tightening w/ a non ratcheting wrench gets old. I bought the last sk ratcheting deep offset wrench set on amazon to go w/ my regular deep offset wtenches. I figure I can break fastener loose w/ regulate deep offset than remove quickly w/ ratcheting deep offset if it fits. If it doesn't fit then the tedious on/ off the fastener .
Jeez, a 9 piece Proto set for 50 bones? That's worthy of a "You ****!" Well done.
Pumpman1968
Well-known member
I avoided getting on the GearWrench bandwagon for a long time. I'm old school and I don't change easily. I got the 30 piece set with the stubbies from Sears when they were on sale and the FIRST time I used one.........it slipped.
Once I got it through my thick skull to break gnarly NY rusty stuff loose first the conventional way, I use them pretty often.
Not a game changer....but, as others have said........they definitely have their place in the box.
Once I got it through my thick skull to break gnarly NY rusty stuff loose first the conventional way, I use them pretty often.
Not a game changer....but, as others have said........they definitely have their place in the box.
BDT/NWMN
Well-known member
Modern fine tooth ratcheting wrenches are a continued evolution of hand tools. They can be a godsend in limited access areas. They can speed things up. Instead of grabbing a ratchet and socket, you have basically the same function in a single wrench.
As to how better they make your life, it depends on what you're working with now. I wouldn't want to be without mine. Buy a set on sale to try out. Chances are you'll wonder how you got by without them.
Well said...
My next set will be the S shaped obstruction set.. There are a couple bolts on an N14 Cummins that are time killers with common shaped wrenches. Yep, the Evolution continues...
Outlander
Well-known member
1 5/8 gear wrench. Why?? Because it was 50 bucks and I didn't have one.
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I cry uncle. Yours is bigger than mine!
Bruce57
Well-known member
I went for several years without em. I didn't realize what I was missing until I got them. They are in line with the bolt head or nut so are more stable than a socket and ratchet when you can use them. They speed up the process of loosening or tightening over a standard box end. I really like mine a lot.
PBCampbell
Well-known member
A very nice luxury, well worth it for the occasions when you need them. I've had the flex head GearWrench probably since they came out with them. I later bought sets of the SK spline drive which seem to be far more durable and actually seem to work on semi rotted hex heads.
i don't even reach for my regular wrenches anymore really, i go straight for the ratcheting ones, i have the reversible ones but i use them on EVERYTHING, only reason not to use them is flare nut..in my opinion.. my gearwrench set has lasted 3 years so far without a single issue using them every single day all day long..and i'm pretty rough on my tools
Fedwrench
ALLIANCE MEMBER
but, I don't want to work on anything that has that big of nuts.
RedneckWelder
Well-known member
The way I look at it is that even though a shade tree mechanic can get by just fine without ratcheting wrenches, a set of Gearwrenches is cheap enough to grab and give a try...I got a set for pretty cheap at Sears the other day, for example.