Suggestions for Battery-Powered Ratchet

[Techniker]

All,

In addition to working in the shop, I run a mobile mechanic business on the side. Since I have no shop air (and even when I'm in the shop, I hate dealing with the air hose anyway), I am looking for a battery-powered ratchet to replace my air ratchet. I am thinking 3/8" drive.

I would greatly appreciate your thoughts/opinions/suggestions!

Thank you,
Techniker

 

[Jeeper]

I don't have one but if I were you id get the milwaukee

Sent from my GT-P7510 using Tapatalk

 

[Techniker]

I don't have one but if I were you id get the milwaukee

Sent from my GT-P7510 using Tapatalk

Any reason? What about the Ingersoll Rand?

 

[Danglerb]

I think there are only about 4 at most, and one of those is the weaky discontinued Skil.

All I know about the IR is that is MUCH larger than the M12 Milwaukee. People seem to love the M12, but given its success I would expect to see more cordless ratchets show up. Small seems like an advantage, as they have NOTHING like the torque of a cordless impact.

Tool order of use I can imagine;

Tight spot, rotary ratchet (twist the handle to turn the ratchet drive).
Less tight, cordless ratchet.
Needs some torque, normal or maybe rotary ratchet.
Torque and some space, small impact like PS40 Bosch.
Lots of torque and space, big impact like C3 1/2 drive Craftsman.

 

[lotsoftools]

Milwaukee makes 1/4 and 3/8 ratchets. Both are on sale at Fastenal right now, btw. I have the sale ad right here, the 1/4 (part# 0229941) is $159.99 and the 3/8 (#0229943) is $149.99. They both come with one battery, charger and a case. Plus they have a mail-in rebate for a free battery.

*** oh, and check around for pricing, Fastenal's sale prices are often the same as, or more than, other stores regular prices.

 

[Jeeper]

Any reason? What about the Ingersoll Rand?

Mainly becuase I have heard nothing but great thing about the M12 line. additionally the small size and the other tools within the M12 line.

 

[chadster1]

I have a Milwaukee m12 ratchet and love it.

 

[bobcatdan]

The IR uses the same battery as their other tools which makes the end very chuncky. I have a SO and really like it, but they stop making it.

 

[DrkMtnDew]

I've got the M12 ratchet and it has been a great addition to my tool collection.

 

[Techniker]

Sounds like all great reviews and for 1/3 of the price of the IR cordless with better functionality. If anyone else has any further suggestions, please keep them coming!

What's the torque like on the M12? Almost comparable to an air ratchet? Is there a gradient of speeds or is it like some other items I've seen where it's all or nothing? How's the battery life?

Thanks again everyone,
Techniker

 

[Techniker]

Alright, so I looked at the torque specs: 30-35 ft.-lbs in 3/8" drive- so fairly darn close to the regular air ratchet considering.

 

[kythri]

I think there are only about 4 at most, and one of those is the weaky discontinued Skil.

Skil made a 3/8" and it sucked?

Just curious, absolutely no experience with it at all. I bought a 1/4" Skil on a killer sale at Walmart a couple years ago, loved it so much that I bought a second one at Lowe's a couple months later (Walmart wasn't carrying it any longer).

SUPER fantastic tool for interior work, and cheap enough that two of them (one with a Philips, one with a socket) was practical. They've more than paid for themselves.

Sad to hear the 3/8" sucked.

 

[Techniker]

Skil made a 3/8" and it sucked?

Just curious, absolutely no experience with it at all. I bought a 1/4" Skil on a killer sale at Walmart a couple years ago, loved it so much that I bought a second one at Lowe's a couple months later (Walmart wasn't carrying it any longer).

SUPER fantastic tool for interior work, and cheap enough that two of them (one with a Philips, one with a socket) was practical. They've more than paid for themselves.

Sad to hear the 3/8" sucked.

Are you talking about a ratchet or a drill?

 

[pipsters]

Most air ratchets don't have the break away torque required anyway. You end up cracking the nut and then spinning the nut off in my experience. That's why I went with a 1/4" air ratchet, since I was going to be cracking the nuts anyway.

My air ratchet is rated at 30 ft-lbs but doesn't do even 15.

 

[Techniker]

Most air ratchets don't have the break away torque required anyway. You end up cracking the nut and then spinning the nut off in my experience. That's why I went with a 1/4" air ratchet, since I was going to be cracking the nuts anyway.

My air ratchet is rated at 30 ft-lbs but doesn't do even 15.

Yeah, this was actually my next question- can I crack the nut with the M12 like I can with my air ratchet or will that be the end of my M12?

 

[bsaint]

I was going to post this yesterday! I think Im going to go with the M12.

 

[pipsters]

Yeah, this was actually my next question- can I crack the nut with the M12 like I can with my air ratchet or will that be the end of my M12?

for size comparison here's my 1/4" Earthquake:

 

[Ign]

I'm glad this came up, I was wondering about the M12 ratchet. FYI, you can get a free XC battery, Hackzall or right angle drill if you buy the ratchet kits (or most any kit), thru 3/31/12:
https://www.properpet.com/media/rebates/m12baretoolrebateq12012.pdf

Be sure you keep your original receipt to send in. The Hackzall would be the best choice from a dollar perspective, then the drill, then the battery. From what I've read all the M12 tools perform noticeably better w the XC battery, so you might cheat some more power out of the ratchet that way too.

And yeah, my Tool Warehouse print catalog shows the ratchet kits at $155 and $145 (1/4 and 3/8" respectively), so the Fastenal prices above are nothing to write home about.

 

[Techniker]

Wow, so not much time to get that rebate in. So who has the fastest regular shipping is the next question (I don't see any local sources for me).

-Techniker

 

[Ign]

Wow, so not much time to get that rebate in. So who has the fastest regular shipping is the next question (I don't see any local sources for me).

-Techniker

Tool Warehouse is usually good about shipping.........but you might find a slightly better price on Amazon w free shipping (which will be slow if they do the UPS or Fedex to your local PO thing)..........but it doesn't matter. You just need the invoice dated within the promo period, and then you have to mail your rebate request by 4/30 or something - read the rebate form

 

[Deception]

I got the M12 Milwaukee 3/8" kit with an extra battery for $189 shipped on CPO website, its been good to me so far.

 

[DrkMtnDew]

i got the free XC battery off of the rebate deal milwaukee had. it has really good life but to me it makes the ratchet too **** heavy. with the regular battery it has a fairly nice balanced feel to it.

 

[yjWrangler]

Skil made a 3/8" and it sucked?

Just curious, absolutely no experience with it at all. I bought a 1/4" Skil on a killer sale at Walmart a couple years ago, loved it so much that I bought a second one at Lowe's a couple months later (Walmart wasn't carrying it any longer).

SUPER fantastic tool for interior work, and cheap enough that two of them (one with a Philips, one with a socket) was practical. They've more than paid for themselves.

Sad to hear the 3/8" sucked.

The Skil 1/4" is very nice indeed.

 

[Andy Griffith]

Seems like many folks prefer the 1/4 M12 over the 3/8, eh?

 

[Andy Griffith]

i got the free XC battery off of the rebate deal milwaukee had. it has really good life but to me it makes the ratchet too **** heavy. with the regular battery it has a fairly nice balanced feel to it.

I agree. After using my bosch impact drivers with the in-handle batteries, I'm over the whole big knob battery hanging off the bottom of the tool design, especially for these smaller cordless tools.

 

[FriendOfYours]

Rigid Jobmax with impact head! 50 actual ftlbs in air ratchet size. I have 14 different impact drivers and this gets the most use by far

 

[V70R]

Rigid JobMax looks interesting, however only rated at 250in. lbs (21ft. lbs). Only if Bosch would invest more into their 12v line and bring us a ratchet!

 

[Ign]

I agree. After using my bosch impact drivers with the in-handle batteries, I'm over the whole big knob battery hanging off the bottom of the tool design, especially for these smaller cordless tools.

I think it totally depends upon the tool. W the ratchet, it looks like it would limit access in tight quarters. For a drill, it would be nice 'cause you can stand it up on the battery, just like the "big" tools. I've got the M12 worklight and the ability to stand it only makes a ton of sense.

The reviews on Amazon make it sound like the XC batt is the second coming. I'm not quite buying into that but it makes sense that it would give some tools more power. Also I can see where it would actually improve the balance of some tools.

It's nice to at least have the option!

 

[Ign]

I got the M12 Milwaukee 3/8" kit with an extra battery for $189 shipped on CPO website, its been good to me so far.

What's the deal w CPO? They clearly spend a ton of money to come in near the top of web searches for Milwaukee, but I've yet to see them have a competitive price on any Milwaukee product I've purchased. Sometimes their factory refurb stuff is the same price or more as new retail too. I've finally trained myself to stop clicking on their links when it comes up - it's always a waste of my time.

 

[junk4dummies]

Mulwaukee as always made the best electric drills in the business.
I have 9 cordless drills and my M is the best. It has more control and all the torque you can handle.

I am sure thier driver is great.

My 40 year old son was in Lowe's before Christmas. He picked up a 18V cordless drill, driver and flash ligth made by Porter Cable. It was half price and he paid $75 for all 3 wiht 1 batter and 1 charger. He got the last batter for $20. I though he was nuts until I use the driver on a long bolt taking off a late 70's Chevy gas tank. I was cranking like crazy with a wratchet. It was hard and I am 270 pound and have no problem breaking bolts. LOL
I put the PC to the text and it has so much torque it zipped the nut right off. I was shocked. The was full of rust. I know it is not a ratchet but dang does it have torque. The thing I like is that it has an instant break built in. When you stop it stops. It does not grab and twist your wrist off.
I have every air tool made. I have never used cordless or wrenching but I am a believer now. For a cheap line of cordless tools these have high end torque. The battery life is not as long and I am sure the bushings are not as good as on the good tools but for the money it is a big WOW with me.

You can find the complete 3 piece set on E bay for $99. Someone list them every week for that price. You get what you pay for and the PC has the larger battery. I know it is not the same as a cordless wratchet. I get the difference but if you just want to drive screws, lag bolts, nuts etc it is a great way to go.

 

[truckdriver]

What's the deal w CPO? They clearly spend a ton of money to come in near the top of web searches for Milwaukee, but I've yet to see them have a competitive price on any Milwaukee product I've purchased. Sometimes their factory refurb stuff is the same price or more as new retail too. I've finally trained myself to stop clicking on their links when it comes up - it's always a waste of my time.

I've bought from CPO several times and they were always cheaper than anyone else. I got most of my M12 stuff from them including my ratchet which I love.

 

[Mori55]

I used my m12 3/8 ratchet all weekend working on my bike. Never ran the battery down . Pretty much my go to 3/8 ratchet . Also comes with the 1/4 inch adapter. Same physical size as the 1/4 inch model. I have a bunch of m12 tolls , great line!

 

[Danglerb]

Skil made a 3/8" and it sucked?

Just curious, absolutely no experience with it at all. I bought a 1/4" Skil on a killer sale at Walmart a couple years ago, loved it so much that I bought a second one at Lowe's a couple months later (Walmart wasn't carrying it any longer).

SUPER fantastic tool for interior work, and cheap enough that two of them (one with a Philips, one with a socket) was practical. They've more than paid for themselves.

Sad to hear the 3/8" sucked.

Not sucked, its a great tool, and side by side looks one heck of a lot like the M12, but the Skil and its a 1//4 not 3/8 (same as the rest of the guys have) it just has no break away torque. Instructions said not to manually use it to break stuff loose so for a long time I didn't use it at all, then people here said no go ahead use it manually as needed and power to spin a loose fastener. It is discontinued though, and some had issues with early battery failure.

 

[Deception]

What's the deal w CPO? They clearly spend a ton of money to come in near the top of web searches for Milwaukee, but I've yet to see them have a competitive price on any Milwaukee product I've purchased. Sometimes their factory refurb stuff is the same price or more as new retail too. I've finally trained myself to stop clicking on their links when it comes up - it's always a waste of my time.

The ratchet was the only thing I bought from CPO so far, but I shopped around on the price & theirs was the best in this case. Milwaukee batteries were 10% off at the time too. The M12 ratchet is a fairly new tool I think so not many sites even had it for sale, or they were too shady for my tastes.

 

[Andy Griffith]

I think it totally depends upon the tool. W the ratchet, it looks like it would limit access in tight quarters. For a drill, it would be nice 'cause you can stand it up on the battery, just like the "big" tools. I've got the M12 worklight and the ability to stand it only makes a ton of sense.

I think it depends on the application more than anything, which of course drives tool selection. I typically work in tight quarters and find that the whole standing the drill on the battery thing just doesn't work real well as it inevitably gets knocked over from the jostling around in the workspace. So I just lay them down as I don't find much if any benefit in grabbing them from the down position vs the standing position. Flashlights on the other hand require the standing position.

There are applications inside RV cabinetry and framing for example where I struggle to get my 'compact' 18v dewalt drill in there to drill the hole, and neighboring existing structure makes using a 90* drill difficult or impossible.

I have the big drills, impacts etc but I really like the newer small tools that have the battery in the handle design. It maximizes the applications that the tool can be used in and takes advantage of an empty area (the handle) to house the battery.

I would like to see the large drill/drivers move towards the in-handle battery design and away from big wart on the bottom design. Over the long-term I think that's the direction of cordless tool design.

 

[Altec]

I use a 1/4 Snap-on one almost every day as a mechanic. Love that thing to death! If I need the finger-breaking power of a 3/8 Snap-on air ratchet, then I grab it. Otherwise I grab the more handy cordless. Hand breaking loose, and final tightening is something I do with either tool anyway. They call them air RATCHETS for a reason...

I'm strongly considering picking up the M12. Looks like it could be a great piece.

for size comparison here's my 1/4" Earthquake:

Man, that guy at the end of the first video went full retard hand tightening that valve cover bolt! I was waiting to hear a "Pop."

 

[Larwyn]

I'm thinking that I'm about through with battery operated tools. I mostly work at home in the garage or wood shop and never that far from an outlet anyway. Corded tools tend to be less expensive, more powerful and less apt to be replaced by the latest and greatest battery technology. At the moment I need to replace several different brands and voltage level of batteries, some of them obsolete and unavailable. I could likely replace all these battery operated "toys" cheaper than their batteries alone. Yep, I think I'm about done with battery operated tools.

 

[FriendOfYours]

Rigid JobMax looks interesting, however only rated at 250in. lbs (21ft. lbs). Only if Bosch would invest more into their 12v line and bring us a ratchet!

That's why you use the impact head instead which is 650inlbs

 

[snmfffrogel]

I recently bought the Cornwell 1/4 LiOn cordless ratchet. I've had it for 3 months now and I have dropped it and ran this thing for the most part of my workdays. It still works and I love it. the battery stays charged for ever and when it does go dead it takes about thirty or forty minutes and it is fully charged.

 

[Danglerb]

Yep, I think I'm about done with battery operated tools.

The catch is for a lot of tools there is no corded version, or the corded version is so different the applications are different. I first bought a HF corded 1/2 impact, and used it more than my air impact because my compressor is so noisy, but with my C3 Craftsman 1/2 cordless I doubt the HF ever comes out of its box again. Its MUCH bigger, heavier, and not really any more powerful than the C3, plus the cord to mess with and need for an outlet.

OTOH I am really annoyed by all the incompatible battery systems, and battery issues and prices.