Show Us Your Tiniest Ratchets!

[Modern Jess]

Someone clued me in a long time ago that when working on scooters (and other cast aluminum engines) using a 1/4" drive ratchet tends to limit the number of times you have to resort to helicoils, if you know what I mean. The lesson stuck, and I now tend to reach for a 1/4" drive ratchet and socket unless there's a really good reason to reach for something bigger (like when I'm working on my BMW). Certainly the BFTs in our toolbox have their place, but this thread is for your smallest ratchets, the ones you reach for when you really don't want to @#$% the threads, again.

Naturally, I've got a suitable first entry to get the ball rolling. From left to right, we have:

a) Titan 1/4" drive gearless ratchet.
b) Maxcraft (cheap Chinese) 1/4" drive and combo hex driver. I've removed the plastic handle and wrapped it in silicone rescue tape.
c) Wera hex drive ratchet.
d) SK Tools 1/4" drive ratchet (probably my all-time favorite ratchet).
e) Sharpie (for scale)

Watcha got?

 

[AndrewH]

Tiny enough?

1. Snap On T72

2. Waffle for scale

[/URL]

 

[sloppy]

smallest I have General tools..

I guess bits for scale..

 

[DynoDale]

Some over here:
http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=29820

 

[GarageWrench]

Like AndrewH my favorite 1/4 ratchet is a Snap-on T72, Just the right size to keep me out of trouble

 

[Modern Jess]

Some over here:
http://garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=29820

Dammit. Missed that one. I even searched...

 

[rusjack]

Snap On T72 is the ratchet I use 99% of the time. I wouldn't call it tiny, but its nice an compact. I need something smaller for tight spaces, though.

This one is something I have my eye on - a Mac MR4C.

This site has some good info
http://aviationmechanic.blogspot.ca/2012/12/i-just-pictures-of-all-of-14-ratchets.html

 

[Hpozzuoli]

Sk 40970

 

[Mr.Ric]

They all have a strong suit

 

[lakota]

A thumb wheel ratchet, can't get much smaller.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B000ZK6L8U/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[bbrins]

Here are some of my smaller ratchets: Wera Bit Ratchet, Topeak Rocket Ratchet, SK 40970, and the SK 45170 is just there for a size comparison. I also have a Bahco 1/4" ratchet that is pretty small too except for the fat handle, I keep it in my tool kit on my motor scooter, so it wasn't available for pictures. The Topeak ratchet is kept in my bicycle tool kit.

 

[bahcoswed]

snap on fcft72(3/8) bahco 6950(1/4) and wurth zebra 1/4


Skickas från min iPhone via Tapatalk

 

[ganymede]

This little Crescent brand rat (made by Wright) is pretty small. More so in head diameter than length. Head is 13/16ths . For comparison an sk is 1". Unfortunately it needs a rebuild kit and Wright wouldn't sell me one and Grainger didn't have any so it sits dormant.

 

[marcusicp]

http://www.matcotools.com/catalog/product/AFR372T/1-4-3-MICRO-72-TOOTH-RATCHET/

I have one of these at work and it's been really handy. It's very small and I think it's made by Sunex.

 

[vssjim]

This little Crescent brand rat (made by Wright) is pretty small. More so in head diameter than length. Head is 13/16ths . For comparison an sk is 1". Unfortunately it needs a rebuild kit and Wright wouldn't sell me one and Grainger didn't have any so it sits dormant.

Did Wright no longer make a kit and if they do still make one can't a dealer sell you one some where online. Do you know the kit part number. Any Cornwell Tool dealer can order Wright Tools so if you know the number I would be happy to get you a kit.

 

[F124C]

IIRC Snap-On (or it might have been Dowidat, Belzer or Hazet) used to sell a 1/8" sq.dr. socket set incl. a ratchet that was proportionally smaller than 1/4" sq.dr.

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong about this!

Al.

 

[JBradley500]

or

 

[ganymede]

Did Wright no longer make a kit and if they do still make one can't a dealer sell you one some where online. Do you know the kit part number. Any Cornwell Tool dealer can order Wright Tools so if you know the number I would be happy to get you a kit.

I don't know the part number or if they still make it. All I know is it's the really old single pawl version .
Thanks for the kind offer though.

 

[devoncoolman]

IIRC Snap-On (or it might have been Dowidat, Belzer or Hazet) used to sell a 1/8" sq.dr. socket set incl. a ratchet that was proportionally smaller than 1/4" sq.dr.

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong about this!

Al.

I believe snap-on still makes the 1/8 drive stuff. Very limited though.

 

[PugetDude]

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=116660

 

[superautobacs]

Picture courtesy of member, Ricleh:

Comparison of Koken Zeal 1/4" ratchet with some others.
Left to right - Koken Zeal, Stahlwille, Hazet coarse, Hazet fine tooth, Gedore, Snapon T72, Snapon T936, Snapon TM70C, Snapon low profile with adapter, Craftsman RHFT, Felo old style, Felo new style, Nepros standard, Nepros small, Wera bit ratchet with adapter

 

[Modern Jess]

Picture courtesy of member, Ricleh:

That's a really sweet collection. Thanks for posting!

 

[scottdc]

Not quite as small as some in this thread but here's my Nepros 1/4" and an unbranded 1/4" German one that I picked up in a lot with some Gedore stuff. Both see a lot of use on bikes. 10mm socket for scale

 

[Modern Jess]

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=116660

That thread shows 1/4" drive ratchets that the poster mistakenly labeled as 1/8".

 

[Modern Jess]

Not quite as small as some in this thread but here's my Nepros 1/4" and an unbranded 1/4" German one that I picked up in a lot with some Gedore stuff. Both see a lot of use on bikes. 10mm socket for scale

Love 'em both. Thanks for posting.

 

[superautobacs]

For bit ratchets, here's one good comparison shot posted by member, user.nr. 1:

From this thread on bit ratchets: http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=232558



I really like my Ko-ken Zeal 1/4" ratchet. Here's a comparison shot with some ratchet wrenches and bit ratchets:

Head thickness of the Ko-ken ratchet is equal to that of the smallest bit ratchet:

 

[Outlawmws]

I'm sort of weak on REALLY small ratchets, but useful small is often in a particular dimension. So a couple have really small diameter heads, and the older plvmbs are really flat compared to newer ones.

The one on the right is for a torque wrench I don't have, and the one on the left is a 3/8 and my smallest.

Near center is one I'd class as a "normal" size, the Craftsman RHFT.

 

[F124C]

I believe snap-on still makes the 1/8 drive stuff. Very limited though.

There used to be a Snap-On 1605 TA 1/8" sq.dr. set but it didn't have a ratchet, just a drive handle.

Al.

 

[3baygarage]

Old school USA dual drive 1/4 x 3/8 Chrome X Quality brand. Tiny for a 3/8" ratchet :

[URL=http://s102.photobucket.com/user/nno16r/media/DSC04047_zps814417c1.jpg.html] [/URL]

 

[adstock]

I don't think I would able to handle anything smaller than my T72

 

[Tarheelgarage]

Left to Right, Titan, Mac MR4C, Matco AFR372T

 

[radrush]

The tiniest ratchet...

 

[kiatech]

The fk720a has never had a socket on it, 1991 date code.

 

[GSMotorrad]

Dang, some nice small collections here! I only have a few, but I'll play. I included a 3/8-inch drive Snap-On F734A for comparison, because it's also very small:

(I removed the handles on my H.F. roto-ratchets because they'll be getting some hard-handles soon)

 

[Flatintoone]

Unfortunately the best I can do for scale is the 1/4" breaker bar next to it. Blackhawk 1/4" drive:

 

[unslow1]

or

I just picked up that ratchet at Autozone for $8. I had been eyeing it the couple of times I had been in there. After seeing a couple of guys with favorable opinions of it I picked it up. Last weekend I used it to install a stereo in my car. I wish I would've picked it up sooner.

 

[928'er]

A couple I haven't seen posted....

From left to right:

KR chicom 1/4 3/8 combo
Gearwrench bit ratchet
Husky round head
Craftsman Pro
Matco 88
Cornwell flex head
Triangle 2.5 Nano

 

['52Chevy]

I'm surprised I haven't seen a Wright 3/8 drive in a 1/4 in body...

 

[Outlawmws]

I just picked up that ratchet at Autozone for $8. I had been eyeing it the couple of times I had been in there. After seeing a couple of guys with favorable opinions of it I picked it up. Last weekend I used it to install a stereo in my car. I wish I would've picked it up sooner.

You got the ratchet only, or the micro ratchet SET with both the ratchet and the bit driver? for $8?

I just wasted a trip out there and the set was $19.98...

 

[unslow1]

You got the ratchet only, or the micro ratchet SET with both the ratchet and the bit driver? for $8?

I just wasted a trip out there and the set was $19.98...

Ratchet only. It was normally $10 on sale for $8.