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Ratchets? Best light/medium duty

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motorcitykid

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Best Ratchets for light duty?
I bought the Wera Zyklops after watching some youtube video's and really liked them. The 1/4" being a daily driver but the 3/8 and 1/2" sit in the drawer. I grabbed the 3/8's to tighten down the battery in my wifes minivan and it locked up, I haven't used it a half dozen times and nothing around the house really requires insane torque.
What ratchets are your favorite? it doesn't need to be a ball head, just dead nuts reliable.
 
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lardy1

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You almost have to look for ****** ratchets these days. There is a seemingly endless list of options at different price ranges and use categories. You'll get a bunch of brand recommendations so I won't even bother but good luck on your quest. Ratchet shopping is fun. Too fun. :beer: :beer:
 
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619DioFan

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I have more than a few of the pittsburgh pro ratchets from HF, i really like the swivel head ones. not a pro wrench turner but no issues with them and the lifetime warranty and ease of exchange is a plus.
 
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ItsNemo

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Wera ratchets just seem...odd and over priced. I like their screwdrivers (and own a bunch), but most of their ratchet/socket/wrenches don't seem like a good buy.

My number one recommendation right now for ratchets is still Gearwrench in terms of price/performance...plus they've done really well on Project Farm tests as of late.

I've got a bunch myself:
 
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danielbuck

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I like the Astro "nano" ratchets, where they put the larger ratchet mechanism in the smaller ratchet bodies. they are great for general wrenching. (not sure I'd put a 3' pipe on the end of one though...)

That said, I think I've only ever thrown away 1 ratchet in my life, maybe i've been lucky but even my old cheap ones still work fine. If yours are older, it might be worth opening them up and cleaning/lubing them. I've done that on most of mine a few years back.
 
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motorcitykid

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danielbuck said:
I like the Astro "nano" ratchets, where they put the larger ratchet mechanism in the smaller ratchet bodies. they are great for general wrenching. (not sure I'd put a 3' pipe on the end of one though...)

That said, I think I've only ever thrown away 1 ratchet in my life, maybe i've been lucky but even my old cheap ones still work fine. If yours are older, it might be worth opening them up and cleaning/lubing them. I've done that on most of mine a few years back.
Click to expand...
These are about a year old, I wish I could see a way to take the head apart to see if I could fix it. At the same time I don’t want to bust it any worse than it is already.
 

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Andres26tnt

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wera is super gimmicky and also overpriced. I own a bunch of their stuff, the best is their screwdrivers that's about it. As for ratchets most of them will do just fine. I would get whatever is most available to you, that way it's not a warranty hassle.
 
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VolvoRyan

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Wera dealers like KC tools may be able to help you out, if you bought through them.

I really like my metal Wera ratchets. I have all three sizes, No problems. They live with Snap-On, Matco, SK.... They're a bit spendy, but they're cheerful. Can't fault them. I bought ratchets and sockets on a lark, but have been surprised how much I like them. Wera stuff fits my hands well. I wailed *hard* on my 19mm Wera 1/2" socket getting a frozen strut bolt out. I was hanging on the end of a 24" Snap-On ratchet.

To answer your question? This:

lardy1 said:
You almost have to look for ****** ratchets these days. There is a seemingly endless list of options at different price ranges and use categories.
Click to expand...

As said above, you can't find a bad light duty, plain vanilla ratchet. That said, we can all still hate on brands we don't like. For example, my last GearWrench tool was finally tossed out of my tool box and into the bucket of wayward lugnuts.

-Ryan
 
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Steve_P

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Proto 90T ratchets are insanely overpriced- you can buy new Snap On from Ebay for less than what Proto sells for; I have. Or the same Proto ratchet from Mac, new, from Mac, for less than Proto charges; or used to, when I looked. I don't understand the pricing on Proto, other than they think that it's an industrial brand, and people buying for industry don't care- and they're right. Plus, the Proto and Mac 90T were not good performers on the PF comparo tests.

Otherwise, the Gearwrench 90T are a great deal for the $. I have quite a few of them and they're a bargain. Or the Tekton or Capri 90T.

Bottom line is watch the Project Farm comparo tests and decide for yourself. You'll get 20 different recommendations here if the thread stays active for a few weeks.
 
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Kaervak

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While I'm a huge fan of the SK round head ratchets that have been produced for decades (I have dozens), for a cheap, reliable, light/medium duty ratchet that can take a beating, I highly recommend the Harbor Freight Pittsburgh Pro composite handle ratchets. They're very inexpensive yet the ratchet mechanism is very nice on them. I'm sure if you put a cheater pipe on them you'll absolutely destroy them, but I've used my 1/4 and 3/8 drive ratchets in my junkyard bag for years now and I've beat on them without them failing. The plus side, since they're composite they won't pull the heat out of your hand in the colder weather.
 
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Andres26tnt

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Steve_P said:
Proto 90T ratchets are insanely overpriced- you can buy new Snap On from Ebay for less than what Proto sells for; I have. Or the same Proto ratchet from Mac, new, from Mac, for less than Proto charges; or used to, when I looked. I don't understand the pricing on Proto, other than they think that it's an industrial brand, and people buying for industry don't care- and they're right. Plus, the Proto and Mac 90T were not good performers on the PF comparo tests.

Otherwise, the Gearwrench 90T are a great deal for the $. I have quite a few of them and they're a bargain. Or the Tekton or Capri 90T.

Bottom line is watch the Project Farm comparo tests and decide for yourself. You'll get 20 different recommendations here if the thread stays active for a few weeks.
Click to expand...
That's unfortunate, I bought both my 8" flex and 12" flex 3/8 90t proto for about 80$ each at Napa.

Yeah I never recommended anything from project farm
(lost of variables/inconsistencies). Anyway almost all ratchet come out with in a few numbers of eachother anyway, and almost all beat the standards. Problem is without touching and feeling it you can't know if you going to like it.

Which is why I recommend to go and feel the ratchet available locally first. The post wants a light duty ratchet, almost any ratchet is going to do the job. So the feel is what going to make or break it.
 
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Galvonzo

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Light/medium duty? I vote the harbor freight composite ratchet. Cheap, reliable, comfortable, don't worry about it banging too hard against surfaces. Nice to use in the winter compared to cold steel. Even apart from a drawer full of other ratchets to choose from I tend to grab that one first.
 
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autobon7

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Steve_P said:
Proto 90T ratchets are insanely overpriced- you can buy new Snap On from Ebay for less than what Proto sells for; I have. Or the same Proto ratchet from Mac, new, from Mac, for less than Proto charges; or used to, when I looked. I don't understand the pricing on Proto, other than they think that it's an industrial brand, and people buying for industry don't care- and they're right. Plus, the Proto and Mac 90T were not good performers on the PF comparo tests.

Otherwise, the Gearwrench 90T are a great deal for the $. I have quite a few of them and they're a bargain. Or the Tekton or Capri 90T.

Bottom line is watch the Project Farm comparo tests and decide for yourself. You'll get 20 different recommendations here if the thread stays active for a few weeks.
Click to expand...
Didn't see anyone recommending a 90t Proto to the OP. I will agree they are very spendy but I would recommend the
Have one in my truck bag. Very good value
 
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AEAdam

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Light duty, cheap, almost anything and everything fits this including HF Pittsburgh ”composite” models. I have one and it’s light and fast, low back drag.

But if reliability is added to the requirement list, that complicates things. Sealed head ratchets help with reliability.

I went looking for the cheapest Snap On F80 I could find on eBay. Scratches, name engraved, paint coming of the back plate, make these cheap on eBay. I picked one up, (no engraving) cheapest I could find for about $50. Scratches and paint are cosmetic. Heads are rebuildable. I just cleaned and relubed it and love it. That’s a lot of ratchet for $50.

If you only want one that will last forever, this is it.
 
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RAS61

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bassJAM

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lardy1 said:
You almost have to look for ****** ratchets these days. There is a seemingly endless list of options at different price ranges and use categories. You'll get a bunch of brand recommendations so I won't even bother but good luck on your quest. Ratchet shopping is fun. Too fun. :beer: :beer:
Click to expand...

Excellent point. The only ratchets I've ever had "fail" were when I used them with cheaters to bust tight nuts loose when I should have used a breaker bar (which I've done with both a 3/8" MAC and a 1/2" drive Craftsman), or when they're just very old and gunked up and needed taken apart and cleaned/relubed. And I mean old, like a Snap-On & SK from the 70's my FIL gave me.
 
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bonneyman

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I, too, am a lifelong S-K roundhead fan. With a DT90 kit installed it only makes a great ratchet better. But I bought a pair of the older Pittsburg composite ratchets and love them. The more I use them the more I like them.
 
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CHI_Tool&Die

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motorcitykid said:
Best Ratchets for light duty?
I bought the Wera Zyklops after watching some youtube video's and really liked them. The 1/4" being a daily driver but the 3/8 and 1/2" sit in the drawer. I grabbed the 3/8's to tighten down the battery in my wifes minivan and it locked up, I haven't used it a half dozen times and nothing around the house really requires insane torque.
What ratchets are your favorite? it doesn't need to be a ball head, just dead nuts reliable.
Click to expand...
KC Tool does sell the Wera Zyklop speed ratchet rebuild kits. Here is the 3/8”. I like my Wera ratchets. I know the 3/8” has been kinda hit or miss but the 1/4” and 1/2” are great.
autobon7 said:
I think Proto hits the sweet spot for price and quality. Also have found a few Facoms that were on sale/clearance that are outstanding.
Click to expand...
The Proto/Facom palm control 72 tooth ratchets are really, really nice and have rebuild kits and are very affordable. Here’s the 3/8” flex head ratchet.
 
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Rinspeed

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CGarage

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Own all of the premium ratchets.

I vote for GW 90T locking flex heads.
Followed by 84T GW.
Followed by Koken / Tone / Facom / USAG.

I really like the Astro ratchets that have 3/8 head in 1/4” drive body. Great ratchets.

P.S. I also own Snap-On, Nepros, etc
 
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seber

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Most of my ratchets are Snap-on but I also have a Chinese Craftsman, HF composite, Bahco and Koken Zeal along with some other lesser ones that don't show up in the user drawer. Of those, the only one that stands out is the Koken. But they are all very good ratchets. In fact the Craftsman is surprisingly good.
 
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2ndGearRubber

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Tekton ratchets do pretty good for me in normal length. Not sure I would buy an 18" version.

Other than that, my preferences in no particular order are Snap On dual 80s, Matco 88s, and SK round heads. Not sure how available the USA made SK round heads are, and I have no information nor opinions on the newer imported ones. HF composite ratchets are surprisingly robust. I like the slightly offset head design from the handle, very ergonomic.
 
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MarcSeattle

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RAS61 said:
If I was in the market for a 3/8 ratchet I'd jump at this Koken for $45. A true pro tool with maybe the lowest back drag available. They also have one with a lower tooth count even cheaper, and made in Japan vs China (which is important to me). The last one you probably ever need in your life - I don't need it and am extremely tempted to buy one anyway!

Click to expand...

Hey OP, watch out, that is a gateway drug. The 3/8" is cheap 'cause they always give you the first hit for a deal. Once you try it they got you, you'll keep coming back for more, man, don't do what I did...
 
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Etchase

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If you are interested in these generic 72 tooth Asian ratchets, there are many options in the three for $25 dollar range. My pick is for direct from a manufacturer, Apex SATA brand so at least all the profits go to a US based company. Buy it thru Amazon if you want a thirty day return window to eliminate risk of a defective unit. I can’t imagine warrantying a $10 item, but APEX offers you a mail in one. I don’t see any advantage to going thru a distributor like Tekton, especially at the pre discontinuation price. What a rip off. SATA also offers APEX 120 tooth ratchets at a substantial discount to the Gearwrench brand sometimes, if you like those.
 
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CoronadoBruin

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Another vote for Proto, particularly the fine-tooth ratchets. I have a bunch of SKs, some newer, some older, and really like them, but I'm a little leery since they've become Chinese-owned. As others have said above, GearWrench killed it on Project Farm but I only buy domestically made hand tools. I think GearWrench may be the one to check out for best value.
 
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