Snap On ratchet handle preference?

[WRLDmoto]

Looking to buy a couple new ratchets (1/4” standard & 3/8” long handle flex head) for my weekend maintenance and tinkering with shop toys. I was just curious what everyone prefers. I’ve always used chrome, but I’m contemplating on going with soft grips this time around. I’ve seen lots of mixed opinions…

I wasn’t really considering the hard plastic handles at this time, unless someone convinces me otherwise. I just feel like they’re a little bulky but I added a poll for them anyway-

Thx

 

[CGarage]

For me, it depends on the ratchet application.

For use in tight quarters and 1/4”’drive? Chrome handle. It is slim and thin and needed for tight spaces with limited access.

Longer length ratchet for high torque fasteners? Soft grip.

My beloved, 1980s era standard length ratchets? Make them hard handles.

 

[Lookin4'67Galaxieconv]

Hard handled (that's what she said)

 

[rsanter]

I like both
For the 1/4 I seem to prefer the metal handle
For the 3/8 I prefer the soft handle
For the 1/2 I don’t care so much

 

[N8sToolz]

I can't stand soft handles. They always feel dirty don't clean easy and extra slimy when you work with fluids.

Nearly all my ratchets are chrome handles with a few hard handles. Quick wipe with a rag and back in the drawer.

I think style is a more worthy discussion, flex, locking, straight, length... Never seems to be a once size fits all.

 

[wrenchr]

I have all the styles but I prefer the metal handle, almost always go for them. Now If I have an engine on the stand and doing tare down or building I go for the comgort grip. When working in a engine bay for example space is more tight and that is my thought process.

 

[Callelle]

My hands are too big for chrome handles of any drive size. 3/8 and 1/4, the hard comfort grip is still too small. Soft comfort grips of any size fit my hands pretty well though. That being said, I don't use many snap on ratchets, I just have a purple hard handle 3/8 because purple, and a chrome handle stubby flex head 1/2" (no comfort grip). My daily driver ratchets are Matcos with soft grips.

 

[Banjorear]

Looking to buy a couple new ratchets (1/4” standard & 3/8” long handle flex head) for my weekend maintenance and tinkering with shop toys. I was just curious what everyone prefers. I’ve always used chrome, but I’m contemplating on going with soft grips this time around. I’ve seen lots of mixed opinions…

I wasn’t really considering the hard plastic handles at this time, unless someone convinces me otherwise. I just feel like they’re a little bulky but I added a poll for them anyway-

Thx

Not sure where you are planning to purchase these, but try to get on a truck and see them for yourself. SO offers a dizzyingly array of different ratchets, lengths, type of flex head, etc. Seeing them will help you decide which is best.

My favorite SO ratchets are the swivel heads. I forget the part number, but the ones where the head 360 swivels inside a yoke. I have both 1/4" & 3/8" and use them all the time.

 

[seber]

I use both all steel and hard handle. I had a soft grip but got rid of it. Dirty, slimy and damaged pretty quickly. It had to be cleaned frequently or it just felt nasty.

 

[i84x]

I prefer the solid metal handle.
Generally i find that the soft handles get damaged very easily and hold dirt then become sticky.
The hard handles also get marked up easily and can become sharp or abrasive plus there is the extra bulk it gives that can interfere in tighter spaces.
Plus its easier to put a bar on a none handled one

 

[bobg03]

I use both all steel and hard handle. I had a soft grip but got rid of it. Dirty, slimy and damaged pretty quickly. It had to be cleaned frequently or it just felt nasty.

Same here and same thoughts on the soft grip, didn't like it at all. If the hard handle is in the way I have a couple of very thin handled williams ratchets that will fit.

 

[Pig_Pen]

The Snap On hard handles are a lot smaller in person than you’d think. They add a little bit of length but I wouldn’t consider them bulky.

 

[nicks78camaro]

Hard handle preferred if not tight access. Chrome for tight access.

 

[KnurledNut]

Snap-on offers a modified Dual 80 with a knurled handle in their industrial line. I am of the opinion they should make knurling a standard option. After all, I am the KnurledNut. As such, this gets my vote.

 

[ecotec]

I prefer chrome, with the exception of roto ratchets. On roto ratchets, I prefer soft handles.

 

[Dave455]

Generally speaking, the chrome.

If you’re working on the sort of things I work on, getting the handle dirty and oily, nothing else is as durable, or as nice to use.

Second choice, hard handle. Nearly as durable as the chrome, but in some circumstances they are preferable. In 1/4” drive for example, a bigger handle totally changes the feel of the ratchet. You’re pulling it with your hand not your fingers. Best handle to have on a roto head too.

Least desirable, soft handle. But I do have a couple I got on deals, and I admit they have their uses. Most comfortable if you have to really pull on something, and nice in cold conditions. Not great once they get grubby though, and handle life expectancy very limited. I hold spares…!

 

[zmotorsports]

Chrome, all day long. I tried a few of the screwdriver grip handles, but just don't care for them as much as the chrome. I recently gave all my old Snap-on chromes to my son and bought the Dual 80 style over the past 7 or 8 years and stuck with the chrome which are the one I reach for on a regular basis.

 

[mikey03]

Snap on seems to be shifting towards soft handles I wonder if they are more popular than we all think some gj seems to dislike them from what I read. Or maybe snap on making dumb decisions and will reverse coarse eventually

 

[CGarage]

More money to be made with Soft Handles and more opportunity to see the customer when the soft handle fails and a new one needs to be installed…..

Smart marketing.

 

[Steve_P]

I've always been a fan of chrome handles, especially the old SK knurled handles, but in the last few years I've been forced to change my mind, especially on 1/4 drive. Ratchet heads have gotten thinner, and we're now often using a smaller drive size, and longer handles, than we would've used prior- because of reduced access in cramped engine bays. Most 1/4 drive modern ratchets with thin heads have tiny grip diameters; for me they can be uncomfortable to use without a comfort grip- not necessarily because it's softer, but because it's ~ twice the diameter. The first Snap On dual 80 I bought was a 1/4 drive X ~10" long and I immediately felt the problem- on anything tight you've got this tiny diameter bar pushing into your hand. After that I went with some comfort grips for the first time ever. On a 3/8 drive, an all-metal handle isn't too bad, and on 1/2 it's perfectly fine to me. So, I have a mixture of both styles in 1/4, 3/8, 1/2 drives. If I'm changing oil, I can break out one of the old SK round heads if I want.

 

[zmotorsports]

Snap on seems to be shifting towards soft handles I wonder if they are more popular than we all think some gj seems to dislike them from what I read. Or maybe snap on making dumb decisions and will reverse coarse eventually

I think us GJ members may be the oddity. Most of our mechanics at work are buying the handled ratchets much more so than the chrome. At least the last several that we've hired.

 

[mikey03]

I think us GJ members may be the oddity. Most of our mechanics at work are buying the handled ratches much more so than the chrome. At least the last several that we've hired.

Could that be because that’s mostly what snap on is offering?

maybe nobody buys hard handled ratchets from snap on anymore because snap on don’t sell hard handle ratchets anymore. Chicken and the egg

 

[AEAdam]

When GJ talks about soft handles we always take about cleanliness. With respect, that's easily addressed and not really a functional aspect. In my opinion, I can pull a soft grip harder and its lower weight reduces the moment of inertia of the tool allowing me to ratchet faster and easier. To me, that's better better. I also feel more comfortable bumping into adjacent parts to get the swing as big as possible without concern I may damage the adjacent parts.

 

[Dave455]

Snap on seems to be shifting towards soft handles I wonder if they are more popular than we all think some gj seems to dislike them from what I read. Or maybe snap on making dumb decisions and will reverse coarse eventually

They are simply cheaper. More profit.

I’m not 100% sure what material is used in the “classic” hard handles, but I’m pretty certain its a DuPont product. Hard wearing, shock resistant, and even polishes in use, it’s probably the best option out there. Also about the costliest.

A chrome handle would be the next down costwise. More metal, and more to chrome, but nothing else to buy.

Soft handle is the cheapest option. Less metal (relatively expensive metal) and less to chrome (as the metal doesn’t go all the way to the end). Replace with a cheap low density materialand life’s as cheap as you can get it!

More money to be made with Soft Handles and more opportunity to see the customer when the soft handle fails and a new one needs to be installed…..

Smart marketing.

This^

 

[CGarage]

Last I checked Snap-On wants ~ $30 US for the soft grip handles.

Every time a new one is exchanged, it is done on the tool truck.

So more opportunities for another sale and face time with the customer.

 

[zmotorsports]

Could that be because that’s mostly what snap on is offering?

maybe nobody buys hard handled ratchets from snap on anymore because snap on don’t sell hard handle ratchets anymore. Chicken and the egg

Not sure about other dealers, but ours has just as many chrome ratchets as he does the multitude of colored plastic handled ratchets.

 

[KnurledNut]

They are simply cheaper. More profit.

I’m not 100% sure what material is used in the “classic” hard handles, but I’m pretty certain its a DuPont product. Hard wearing, shock resistant, and even polishes in use, it’s probably the best option out there. Also about the costliest.

A chrome handle would be the next down costwise. More metal, and more to chrome, but nothing else to buy.

Soft handle is the cheapest option. Less metal (relatively expensive metal) and less to chrome (as the metal doesn’t go all the way to the end). Replace with a cheap low density materialand life’s as cheap as you can get it!

It seems to me both the hard handle and soft handle versions would be more expensive to make.

 

[Steve_P]

They are simply cheaper. More profit.

I’m not 100% sure what material is used in the “classic” hard handles, but I’m pretty certain its a DuPont product. Hard wearing, shock resistant, and even polishes in use, it’s probably the best option out there. Also about the costliest.

A chrome handle would be the next down costwise. More metal, and more to chrome, but nothing else to buy.

Soft handle is the cheapest option. Less metal (relatively expensive metal) and less to chrome (as the metal doesn’t go all the way to the end). Replace with a cheap low density materialand life’s as cheap as you can get it!

This^

The reality is that a SO comfort grip ratchet is about $10 more expensive new from SO than one without it, and I can't see how it's actually a cheaper product to produce than one without the grip. There's no cost savings on machining more of the handle diameter away to install a soft grip because it all starts out as a bar that's slightly greater than the thickness at the head, if anything, it's more machining time; they all go in the same plating tank, so maybe there's a 1 cent cost savings per piece on plating materials saved based on a tiny reduction of surface area. Then there's the extra grip that you have to produce a mold for, buy the materials for, pay someone labor to produce, buy an injection molding machine..... additional utility costs, installation costs, double the inventory numbers.... Maybe they outsource the grip, that'd make sense, but it's still a significant additional cost. If SO can somehow add a comfort grip part for cheaper than without it, I'd be really impressed, because I don't see the math working.

SO gives buyers a choice between comfort grip and not. Maybe there are some applications that they don't, but they offer plenty of ratchets without the comfort grip.

Edit: here's 3/8 dual 80 selection. Plenty without the grip

Snap-on Store

shop.snapon.com

 

[WRLDmoto]

When GJ talks about soft handles we always take about cleanliness. With respect, that's easily addressed and not really a functional aspect. In my opinion, I can pull a soft grip harder and its lower weight reduces the moment of inertia of the tool allowing me to ratchet faster and easier. To me, that's better better. I also feel more comfortable bumping into adjacent parts to get the swing as big as possible without concern I may damage the adjacent parts.

I like the points you made.
Cleanliness is always a positive, however, in my scenario I won’t be using these tools every day. I don’t mind if they get dirty and I need to clean them once in a while, as long as they don’t stain easily… I could see where the chrome could be less of a headache when the tools are used all day, every day.

I’m always a fan of lighter weight as well, and I’m always cautious about scratching the paint or other parts of the car. A soft handle would help minimize unintentional cosmetic damage while working on it.
I will continue to ponder..

 

[WRLDmoto]

Thanks everyone for the input so far! Lots of helpful insight.

 

[Dave455]

It seems to me both the hard handle and soft handle versions would be more expensive to make.

The reality is that a SO comfort grip ratchet is about $10 more expensive new from SO than one without it, and I can't see how it's actually a cheaper product to produce than one without the grip. There's no cost savings on machining more of the handle diameter away to install a soft grip because it all starts out as a bar that's slightly greater than the thickness at the head, if anything, it's more machining time; they all go in the same plating tank, so maybe there's a 1 cent cost savings per piece on plating materials saved based on a tiny reduction of surface area. Then there's the extra grip that you have to produce a mold for, buy the materials for, pay someone labor to produce, buy an injection molding machine..... additional utility costs, installation costs, double the inventory numbers.... Maybe they outsource the grip, that'd make sense, but it's still a significant additional cost. If SO can somehow add a comfort grip part for cheaper than without it, I'd be really impressed, because I don't see the math working.

SO gives buyers a choice between comfort grip and not. Maybe there are some applications that they don't, but they offer plenty of ratchets without the comfort grip.

Edit: here's 3/8 dual 80 selection. Plenty without the grip

Snap-on Store

shop.snapon.com

The fact that Snap On charge you more for a soft grip doesn’t necessarily mean it costs them more…!

These tools are not machined from bar, but from a forging. Don’t be thinking they forge a full handle and machine it back…

The billet for the soft grips forging is smaller, it’s cheaper to heat, cheaper to finish, and in fact cheaper at every stage.

In fairness to Snap On, their soft grips are better than many, but it’s still a cheap option! And certainly cheaper than supplying a high quality hard handle!

 

[Steve_P]

I like the points you made.
Cleanliness is always a positive, however, in my scenario I won’t be using these tools every day. I don’t mind if they get dirty and I need to clean them once in a while, as long as they don’t stain easily… I could see where the chrome could be less of a headache when the tools are used all day, every day.

I’m always a fan of lighter weight as well, and I’m always cautious about scratching the paint or other parts of the car. A soft handle would help minimize unintentional cosmetic damage while working on it.
I will continue to ponder..

I'm a DIYer and I frequently change disposable nitrile gloves when they get to a certain level of dirty as this helps keep rubber grips clean. Yep, a tool polisher. For me, it's no big deal if I go thru $2 of extra gloves in a day. The SO comfort grips clean up surprisingly well with Tub o Towels wipes if you keep up and clean them after use. And on gloves, sometimes I reuse the cleaner of the dirty gloves for other tasks.

When I first watched an SMA video I was kinda surprised that he used at least some comfort grip ratchets; from what I've seen the grips are dirty, but in overall surprisingly good shape for a pro user.

 

[f121]

For me, it depends on the ratchet/application, rather than what’s on the van/on offer.

Generally anything over 18”, I want a soft handle because it takes out the shock when the fastener cracks. I dont care if they get beat up or dirty, they clean easily with construction wipes and I can always swap them out if they’re too damaged.

Anything smaller than 18” I want chrome because it feels more precise and controllable. FR80 is my still my default ratchet. I have a soft handle standard length 1/4” that I never use because the handle size vs the length and fastener size feels all wrong.

The exception is my soft handle flex 1/4, because the flex allows you to flip the handle to 90* and use it as ratchet screwdriver.

 

[Steve_P]

The fact that Snap On charge you more for a soft grip doesn’t necessarily mean it costs them more…!

These tools are not machined from bar, but from a forging. Don’t be thinking they forge a full handle and machine it back…

The billet for the soft grips forging is smaller, it’s cheaper to heat, cheaper to finish, and in fact cheaper at every stage.

In fairness to Snap On, their soft grips are better than many, but it’s still a cheap option! And certainly cheaper than supplying a high quality hard handle!

I doubt you could convince me that adding a part is cheaper than without it, especially since it'd make sense to start with the same basic forging for either, so I'll just agree to disagree.

 

[zmotorsports]

I think it may come down more to supply and demand. The demand for the comfort grips may be higher so they are more readily available as well as upcharged somewhat.

 

[SkinnyG]

I don't think they offer it anymore, but there was (briefly) a hard handle- like option that was shaped like the soft handle but without the rubbery stuff. I've got it on my 3/8 swivel head and it's by far my favorite. Other than that I'd generally prefer the chrome. I do have the soft grip on my 2ft long 1/2 ratchet, and I'm fine with that.

 

[tulowd]

I have chrome, soft and hard plastic handled ratchets. For super dirty work I prefer the chromes as they clean up perfectly, and I'm likely wearing gloves anyways. The feel of the plastic Snap On or similar handles is usually more ergonomic and comfortable, not mention they insulate your hands from hot or cold. The soft handles are nice n comfy as well but can burn on an exhaust manifold. They will also never come clean again if used in a dirty greasy under car type environment. Having multiple handles seems like a waste of money, until you need more than one.

 

[WRLDmoto]

I have chrome, soft and hard plastic handled ratchets. For super dirty work I prefer the chromes as they clean up perfectly, and I'm likely wearing gloves anyways. The feel of the plastic Snap On or similar handles is usually more ergonomic and comfortable, not mention they insulate your hands from hot or cold. The soft handles are nice n comfy as well but can burn on an exhaust manifold. They will also never come clean again if used in a dirty greasy under car type environment. Having multiple handles seems like a waste of money, until you need more than one.

Nice setup you have there. Thanks for the info.
So you can confirm the soft grips will stain after one dirty use? That sounds a bit unfortunate, they are tools after all.
I don’t mind some cleanup but if they inevitably stain then I might reconsider the hard grips or go with chrome.

 

[FigN⋅m]

So you can confirm the soft grips will stain after one dirty use?

I decided to try an FH80 but went with black/grey(titanium) to minimize any grunginess.
Keeping tools nice always makes them nice to use, but a little streaking wouldn't bother me.

My truck is the usual victim, and it's typically more muddy/dirty than oily/greasy - so the
handle has held up well so far. I think I like the Tekton comfort handle profile better, but
not enough to start over. Any future SO ratchets will likely be chrome though.

 

[woody 73]

This is a loaded question and not a fair one to boot...

So let me explain, have any of you ever held an all-steel chrome in your bare hands when it is 17degrees outside, I ask because that's how cold it is right now outside, pretty dam Fing cold if you ask me.

Have any of you had oily hands try and hold that all chrome ratchet and pray it does not go flying down into those tight places of the engine bay.

Sure, they clean up very nice and that a plus for them but give me a soft handle on these super cold days. The hard handle plastic handles also have their place but if you are not careful and they hit a very hot spot they will get damaged.

I love all three handles, and they all have their place in my toolbox.