Recommendations on Ratcheting Wrenches

[dragonle87]

What good/reliable brands out there?

Snap-On, Matco, Gearwrench etc

And what's preferred: standard, offset, box open/end

 

[Skin]

Gearwrench cant be beat for the dollar value.

Gearwrench combination ratcheting box ends are what i've use most. I'd suggest X-Beams [Gearwrench] or Cross-Force [Craftsman] as well just from my own personal love affair with them. The only other ones you might reach for occasionally [assuming automotive use] are Gearwrench XL Gearbox styles, mainly for the length. Theres a whole bunch of types including flex with and without locking features, stubby, open end ratcheting, offset etc.. but really a basic set of combinations should cover you for 95% of it.

Like many tools each style have their place where they'd work a bit better than something else. Usually i end up grabbing whatever is closest at hand rather than planning out what might fit just a tad better for the job then making multiple trips back to the box to seek out said wrench. Usually whats closest at hand is my X-Beams or Ratcheting combos.

Start out with a basic set then expand as your work requires.

For the record i think paying truck brand prices for their ratcheting wrenches are a damn joke. The price difference between a brand like GW and SO is way too huge to ignore. At least for me, i'm not a mr.moneybags .

 

[00S4Boy]

Snap on Soexrm710

10-19 flank drive plus combo reversible ratcheting wrenches 15 degree offset.

Stay away from non-reversible, i find 15 degree offset box's to be so much more useful then 0 degree.

And as an added bonus you get flank drive plus open end's for those time when you need just a little extra bite while using an open end.

 

[Scout Driver]

These Blue Points have suited me well.

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item...group_ID=14316&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog

As previously stated, go with reversibles and the 15 degree offset is nice. FYI, my set was $80 at a pawn shop. They were barely used at all. Shop around.

Scott

 

[Sh1thead]

gearwrench x-beams ... comfy and very useful and a great value

 

[shampoop]

I made this thread a while ago.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1186033#post1186033

Ended up buying the first ones. Today was the first day i used them. I really like them so far. So far i have not found the locking mechanism to be annoying, but I still have only used them one day, so i'm not sure about that yet.

 

[tjmonsen5]

I really like my Craftsman Professional reversible ratcheting wrenches. Nice chrome, and strong! They seem to have a slightly better level of quality than my Gearwrenches.

 

[woody 73]

I like the gearwrench, although I would like to try the x-beam ,I bet they would be easy in my arthritic hands.

 

[dragonle87]

Snap on Soexrm710

10-19 flank drive plus combo reversible ratcheting wrenches 15 degree offset.

Stay away from non-reversible, i find 15 degree offset box's to be so much more useful then 0 degree.

And as an added bonus you get flank drive plus open end's for those time when you need just a little extra bite while using an open end.

Non-reversible? as in standard/regular?

Yea I dont see much point with 0 degree. But snap-on Flank Drive is about $350ish.

 

[00S4Boy]

Non-reversible? as in standard/regular?

Yea I dont see much point with 0 degree. But snap-on Flank Drive is about $350ish.

Non reversible as in no lever to change direction if you want to change direction turn the wrench over found in 0 degree offset ratcheting wrenches.

 

[Scout Driver]

Non reversible as in no lever to change direction if you want to change direction turn the wrench over found in 0 degree offset ratcheting wrenches.

I wish I could find the thread where someone got a non-reversible wrench stuck between a couple parts and couldn't back it out. They had to sacrifice a newly installed part to get the wrench out. Felt bad for that guy everytime I saw the pictures. That was reason enough for me to get reversibles.

Scott

 

[Infidel]

I made this thread a while ago.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1186033#post1186033

Ended up buying the first ones. Today was the first day i used them. I really like them so far. So far i have not found the locking mechanism to be annoying, but I still have only used them one day, so i'm not sure about that yet.

Please up date us on the locking mechanism I'm really considering buying that set. I already have the standard set and want to know if the locking part holds up/does it's job under hard use. I've heard of similar locking designs disengaging under pressure. The other reason I want them is for the surface drive open ends. The standard flex do not have them. That being said I love the flex heads.

On another note I have the 8-24mm Xl combos. These things are beasts. I use them specifically for alignments. They are probably 30% wider on the open ends and have the surface drive. I'm going to make a comparison thread eventually to show the differences. They are also about 25% longer which makes a huge difference. I laugh every time I see someone twice my size heating a tie rod jam nut because the leverage on their snappys are not enough. I use the box end to break loose eccentrics all day with no problems, the ratcheting ends have exceeded my expectations as far as strength. Being that they are wider they are also more comfortable than other wrenches under high pressure.

They are 0 offset which is fine for most alignments. I use a ratchet for most other problems where the 0 offset doesn't work. The only other issue is that being wider sometimes doesn't work obviously, so I was pleasantly surprised to see how much narrower the flexes were.

Gearwrench.com has all the technical specs down like width, length etc. on their website.

 

[bsaint]

Hasnt this been done?

 

[Vinko]

Hasnt this been done?

Maybe. But I find repeat threads useful. I'd read the previous threads, and even contributed to some, but I don't recall a post about getting a non-reversible wrench stuck. That's interesting. And I wouldn't have read it this thread not been started, despite there being some prev. discussions in the archive.

As for recommendations: I've abused Armstrong and like them. Also have the original SO "a" series wrenches and like them. And the USA-made Blue Point in metric with 15 degree offset. I've never had probs with any. But haven't put many to the test.

 

[bsaint]

Maybe. But I find repeat threads useful. I'd read the previous threads, and even contributed to some, but I don't recall a post about getting a non-reversible wrench stuck. That's interesting. And I wouldn't have read it this thread not been started, despite there being some prev. discussions in the archive.

As for recommendations: I've abused Armstrong and like them. Also have the original SO "a" series wrenches and like them. And the USA-made Blue Point in metric with 15 degree offset. I've never had probs with any. But haven't put many to the test.

I was just talking about as far as gearwrench.

 

[Jeff]

I had Gearwrench & Craftsman, then I switched to Armstrong.

 

[DrkMtnDew]

GW locking flex. the locking feature is a must.

 

[Old Donn]

I really like my Craftsman Professional reversible ratcheting wrenches. Nice chrome, and strong! They seem to have a slightly better level of quality than my Gearwrenches.

I agree. They were the first set of ratcheting I bought and the first ones I reach for.

 

[yjWrangler]

These Blue Points have suited me well.

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item...group_ID=14316&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog

+1

I really like mine

 

[dragonle87]

isnt Gearwrench the first to design ratcheting wrenches?

So I heard from Snap-On representative says that their ratcheting wrench was made by Gearwrench

Correct me if Im wrong

 

[Skin]

Gearwrench was the first, decades ago. They [Apex Tool Group which owns GW among many other brands] own quite a few patents. SO does not have their wrenches made by GW, they make their own, however if you were to break down the ratcheting mechanism i'd be willing to bet you'd find them the same as GW.

SO makes a nice wrench, just not worth 8-10x as much. If you really want to get domestic ones i'd suggest scanning ebay for Armstrong or Matco and even older Craftsman [new are china] which were stamped USA. All of those brands are manufactured by Apex, there will be subtle differences to the open end, length etc..but at their core they're similar. You'll find sets of those brands for a lot cheaper than what SO sets go for [ebay or truck price].

Otherwise just get GW. Its not a question of quality. Even our own resident truck brand tool slingers have stated that GW sells better than their "house" brand due to the cost. The other nice thing about GW is if you break one, Lowes and Sears usually have open stock so you can swap them on the spot as opposed to relying on the truck dealer or mailing them in.

 

[Scout Driver]

I don't recall a post about getting a non-reversible wrench stuck. That's interesting.

For anyone that missed the stuck wrench.......

http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=66730&highlight=ratcheting+wrench+stuck

Scott

 

[GeorgiaHybrid]

I also have Blue Point reversable flex heads:

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item...group_ID=18138&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog

As well as SK locking non reversable flex heads:

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0007LXUMW/?tag=atomicindus08-20

Edit: I forgot about the long Matco's.... The XL double boxed end with a zero degree offset on one end and ratcheting on the other.

 

[Skin]

For anyone that missed the stuck wrench.......

http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=66730&highlight=ratcheting+wrench+stuck

Scott

i use regular ratcheting wrenches daily for years and have never jammed a wrench like that, ever. A tiny amount of common sense is all it takes assuming you're in a tight space like that, just remove the wrench before you've backed it into an obstruction and finish removing it with the open end or your fingers.

The reversible feature is great and all, but its just something else to jam or break. I've smacked my fair share against the ground trying to free them up. Certain brands are worse than others.

Flipping a wrench isnt a big deal. To each their own.

 

[Fedwrench]

Gearwrench was the first, decades ago. They [Apex Tool Group which owns GW among many other brands] own quite a few patents.

Decades? Really? Gearwrench's own history timeline in their #1400 catalog shows their first combination ratcheting wrench coming out in 1996.
I think if you do some research, a Taiwan company named high five has most of the ratcheting wrench patents, and then there's Kabo. Apex tool group is maybe a year old as a joint venture betwenn Danaher and Cooper. Hell, look on the back of Gearwrench packaging and they still refer to Gearwrench as part of Easco tools.
Matco was slinging US made proswing wrenches (the kind with the fixed boxed end on one side and a ratcheting boxed end on the other) for more than a couple of years before Gearwrench flooded the market.
But back to the subject at hand, Gearwrench offers a wide selection, a broad range of styles, and great customer service. However, I would recommend that you avoid the reversible sets sold by Sears and other big box stores because, they have the stupid capstop feature which is basicly a thin flat washer on one side of the wrench. It does keep your wrench from sliding past a fastener but, it also means you can't use a reverse grip on the wrench.
I would also look at the XL long versions of their wrenches in regular ratcheting and locking flexheads. They are simply made much better than those sets you see at sears that are on sale for half off. Buy the stubbies at Sears when they're half off but, skip the rest.
Gearwrench isn't the only game in town. There are great sets under the Blackhawk name. There are still a ton of SK G Pro wrenches floating around. EZ red is coming out with some interesting ratcheting wrenches after the first of the year. Matco and other tool trucks have a selection although somewhat pricey. It really depends on what feels good in your hands and what you work on. One thing is for sure though, once you start using ratcheting wrenches, you won't go back unless a ratcheting wrench won't fit. Forget about the idea of only having one set of ratcheting wrenches. That's like trying to eat only one potatoe chip.

 

[Vinko]

isnt Gearwrench the first to design ratcheting wrenches?

So I heard from Snap-On representative says that their ratcheting wrench was made by Gearwrench

Correct me if Im wrong

Can't verify if my info. is correct or not, so don't take as gospel but my SO driver said that the A series rat. box wrenches were all American-made, incl. innards. But that the latest versions have Chinese guts (whether they are Chinese or Taiwanese he didn't say) and that he feels more comfortable selling the Gear Wrench than the SO now. This is just a summary of the conversation. Maybe it was more nuanced than that, but I remember it being something like this.

 

[JayL]

I had Gearwrench & Craftsman, then I switched to Armstrong.

Are the Armstrong Made in USA?

http://www.bettymills.com/shop/product/view/Armstrong Tools/ARM069-54-950.html

or is the Blue Point a better one? Roughly same price.

http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item...group_ID=14318&store=snapon-store&dir=catalog

 

[4x4gearhead]

blue point will be chinese but armstrong ones are same as matco, theyre supposedly american.

 

[GeorgiaHybrid]

Can't verify if my info. is correct or not, so don't take as gospel but my SO driver said that the A series rat. box wrenches were all American-made, incl. innards. But that the latest versions have Chinese guts (whether they are Chinese or Taiwanese he didn't say) and that he feels more comfortable selling the Gear Wrench than the SO now. This is just a summary of the conversation. Maybe it was more nuanced than that, but I remember it being something like this.

I'm fairly certain the Snap-on's are still made in the USA. The Blue Points are Taiwan made.

 

[Monte]

short, medium, long.. from Gedore...

 

[wornoutoldman]

Doesn't anyone use the old school flat ratcheting wrenches (the steel ones) from Snap on or Mac anymore? Or is this why you can find them on ebay for $9.99?

 

[Vinko]

I'm fairly certain the Snap-on's are still made in the USA. The Blue Points are Taiwan made.

I meant the innards (the gears) on the C series ratcheting box wrenches. That's what I was told was made overseas. Not the whole wrench, if that's what you thought I implied. Again, can't verify this info. I'm just another idiot on the net

 

[Vinko]

the really thin box ends with a more stout handle? I've seen those on the truck.

 

[shampoop]

Doesn't anyone use the old school flat ratcheting wrenches (the steel ones) from Snap on or Mac anymore? Or is this why you can find them on ebay for $9.99?

which style are you talking about? Like the really old school ones with like 15 teeth? Having too few teeth can make a ratcheting wrench nearly useless. And fat is never good on a ratcheting wrench. They are used when space is tight.

 

[Rickster]

I have the Armstrong XL versions, 0 deg offset, no reverse switch, ratcheting one end and box end on the other.

Things I like; long length and having that regular box end to break a bolt loose and for final tightening.

Thing I don't like; get the reversable lever model!

I bought mine off ebay for a reasonable price. I believe the Matco's are the outher company with the identical ratcheting box and std box style.

 

[dragonle87]

So Mac is the thinnest, then Matco, then Snap-On??