SK 45171 vs 45173

[Mgdoug3]

I'm thinking of buying a 3/8" ratchet in a 1/4 body. I think I have it narrowed down to these two. I have a 40970 but it is a little on the small size. That might be good though for tight places. I like the action of the 40970 and the 60 tooth count. I have thought about a Wright 3430 but I have never used a Wright and it's only 45 teeth.

Any one care to weigh in? Most of my every day ratchets are SK so I lean towards that brand.

 

[victor252]

I have the smaller, 45173 with the 4.5" handle. If you want a compact 3/8" why get a handle that's 2" longer than it needs to be? Leverage? You're not going to using brute force with either of these little guys.

Just my opinion.

 

[Mgdoug3]

That was my thought as well but never have used a compact ratchet. I wouldn't use the ratchet with a lot of torque. Usually I use a low profile adapter on my 40970 or a 3/8 GW 120XP. While working on some solenoids today the 40970 was the perfect size and glad I have a 9/16 1/4" drive socket. I won't use the ratchet often but at times it seems like it would be handy.

 

[victor252]

special at circle C. $30. Not many remaining.
https://www.circlecsupply.com/sk-3-8-drive-professional-reversible-slim-ratchet-4-5.html

 

[plinker]

I have a 40970 and a 40972 flex head in use with the 3/8 drive kits, both are handy when needed. Unless you need the length for reach, the 4.5" and the flex head are a bit more flexible in how they can be employed. 30$ is a good deal for the 45173. The small size is one of the best features of the S-K IMO.

I do have an S-O FC936 (at home now) and a Matco 88tooth 3/8 in 1/4 body ratchet. The selector lever is handy at times and it does get a little more use.

 

[Mgdoug3]

I went ahead and ordered the 45173 from Circle C. There was only one left in stock and HJE where I usually get my SK stuff was sold out. Thanks for the link.

 

[victor252]

^^^^ Glad I could help. We all love snagging deals like that. Since you already have the 40970, you know exactly what to expect from the 3/8 version.

 

[Mgdoug3]

I don't know why but ever since I bought an S-K Wayne 45170 off Craigslist, I've been hooked on SK and bought several more from 1/4 up to 3/4. There's just something about the roundhead design and knurled grip that feels perfect to me. I have ratchets of all brands, but SK is my first pick.

 

[Mgdoug3]

The 45173 showed up today and it feels great. The selector felt dry so I took it apart and smear just a little Lucas Engine Assembly Oil and now it's like the rest of my SK ratchets. I can switch directions with one hand and a flip of a finger. I like the Lucas better than SuperLube on non DT ratchets. Being more runny, it gets into the mechanism better. It's a little messy at first but quickly goes away and leaves a nice film behind it. I'm glad I bought the ratchet and look forward to using it.

 

[AA/FC]

The Wright version is sweet! I have two of them. In fact I have one of them sitting here on my desk next to me as I type this. lol. I've never used any of the others mentioned in this thread but I'm sure they're all nice.

 

[Mgdoug3]

I almost bought the Wright but I like my SK ratchets too much to try a different brand. Not that it would probably matter on a small ratchet but the SK has a higher tooth count so that factor into it as well. I have been using an adapter on my 1/4 SK but that makes the ratchet thicker.