jtrux
Active member
About 10 years back I worked part time at an offroad shop setting up rear ends and found myself occasionally having to use crush sleeves to set pinion bearing preload. I used spacers whenever possible but sometimes it was unavoidable.
Anyways, for a good while I used nothing but a standard handle low tooth count Proto ratchet that I acquired years before and a cheater bar and never had an issue until I did. Ratchet broke as expected and I rebuilt it and kept using it but I also decided that something better was needed.
I asked the SO guy what the biggest 1/2" breaker bar he had was and was presented with this 36" monster.
Besides losing the ratcheting ability which made things a little awkward at times, this thing was a game changer. It would bend a little as would be expected but never broke.
Anyways, I ended up buying the long handle Proto ratchet and I keep it in my travel pack for roadside repairs/tire changes since those Protos are stout. Now I have all the confidence in the world that a SO ratchet is just as good, the problem is if I'm out in the road away from the house and this Proto gets stolen, I can have another sent to an Amazon box at a gas station or something near by and I'm not out 200+ dollars.
Nowadays it sits in the corner of my garage and mostly gets used by my dad on tractors and stuff since his old *** is getting weak lol. I have had to use it once or twice on oddball jobs as well but I dont regret buying it at all because when I was really using it, I really had to have it and it would make a really nice self defense tool if things ever get desperate. Lol
I always enjoy a good short story on tool acquisitions so I figured I'd share one of my own.
And btw, that short handled Proto is still my main 1/2" ratchet. That ol girl is living the easy life nowadays though.
Anyways, for a good while I used nothing but a standard handle low tooth count Proto ratchet that I acquired years before and a cheater bar and never had an issue until I did. Ratchet broke as expected and I rebuilt it and kept using it but I also decided that something better was needed.
I asked the SO guy what the biggest 1/2" breaker bar he had was and was presented with this 36" monster.
Besides losing the ratcheting ability which made things a little awkward at times, this thing was a game changer. It would bend a little as would be expected but never broke.
Anyways, I ended up buying the long handle Proto ratchet and I keep it in my travel pack for roadside repairs/tire changes since those Protos are stout. Now I have all the confidence in the world that a SO ratchet is just as good, the problem is if I'm out in the road away from the house and this Proto gets stolen, I can have another sent to an Amazon box at a gas station or something near by and I'm not out 200+ dollars.
Nowadays it sits in the corner of my garage and mostly gets used by my dad on tractors and stuff since his old *** is getting weak lol. I have had to use it once or twice on oddball jobs as well but I dont regret buying it at all because when I was really using it, I really had to have it and it would make a really nice self defense tool if things ever get desperate. Lol
I always enjoy a good short story on tool acquisitions so I figured I'd share one of my own.
And btw, that short handled Proto is still my main 1/2" ratchet. That ol girl is living the easy life nowadays though.
