Thoughts on the Mac axis line ratchets
- Thread starter Southpaw
- Start date
Supposedly they redesigned the heads a little. I see some of the 3/8" now have the cover plate screws reversed.
I had one of the first flex heads they released. Didn't keep it long as I sold it off with some other standard pear heads (I like QR) but it was nice. Felt good in all respects.
I had one of the first flex heads they released. Didn't keep it long as I sold it off with some other standard pear heads (I like QR) but it was nice. Felt good in all respects.
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So the screws are now on either side of the selector switch on the 3/8"?
I answered my own question. I see a couple on Ebay that way
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My issue with those is they are not made in the USA otherwise it seems like a great design.
Fedwrench
ALLIANCE MEMBER
I think the Proto precision 90 all metal handle is shaped better with the two bands of knurling than the Mac version. 
I have a few in 1/4 & 3/8 drive shapes & sizes. I like them. I am concerned about the delicate, paper thin RTV like gasket between the gear cover & ratchet guts though.
I have a few in 1/4 & 3/8 drive shapes & sizes. I like them. I am concerned about the delicate, paper thin RTV like gasket between the gear cover & ratchet guts though.
WittHay
Well-known member
I have the short and long straight handle 3/8 drive. Nice ratchets, the shorter one especially just feels right. Choose it over the Snap-on F80.
I am still a little leery of buying the big bucks 1/2 drive in the Proto Precision 90/ Mac Axis line. Seems like they are experimenting with the reversed cover screws like Snap-on and the cover gasket could use improving
I am still a little leery of buying the big bucks 1/2 drive in the Proto Precision 90/ Mac Axis line. Seems like they are experimenting with the reversed cover screws like Snap-on and the cover gasket could use improving
I've held them when the Mac truck came round, seem good quality and the movement was smooth, not much smoother than my gearwrench ratchets though.
If i was in the states i would get a set of those 120xp gearwrench ratchets for about £100 then spend a bit on those 90 tooth protos. They look like great ratchets, ridiculously priced to get one over here though unfortunately;
Something like £180 before shipping, way too much for a ratchet with not warranty here.
If i was in the states i would get a set of those 120xp gearwrench ratchets for about £100 then spend a bit on those 90 tooth protos. They look like great ratchets, ridiculously priced to get one over here though unfortunately;
Something like £180 before shipping, way too much for a ratchet with not warranty here.
Hold on a second, what’s not made in the USA? Both my snap on dual 80s and my Mac axis ratchets say USA on them
but anyway... I broke the flex head hinge on my Flf80 and SO gave me a new one under warranty, I sold it and picked up the xr1390ofpa Mac flex head because the flex hinge looked beefier and I wanted to try these new ratchets.
I love the shape of the comfort grip handle. When you really put a lot of leverage into it, the shape of the very end of the handle doesnt feel as uncomfortable as the SO rubber handles.
The ratcheting mech. is nice and smooth, although it still doesnt feel like the dual 80s. Those ratchets just feel like no other. They are very close though.
I ended up buying a second Axis in bent handle 3/8, and somewhere along the line I took apart the head of one of them to see how it works and the rubber seal was almost impossible to get back in there when I reassembled it. I emailed Mac about it and they sent me a new repair kit, after saying that they have abandoned the rubber seals and redesigned the mechanism. The only difference I could see was that they just omitted the seal from the kit. The actual cover looked the same to me (?), So I essentially just got a free rebuild kit for when and if I ever strip one of these out.
Its nice to see Mac offering a quality ratchet. For a few years there, they were rebadging junk from Titan and other Taiwanese ****
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The 1/2" drive Axis locking flex is not made in the USA, the selector does not say USA on it like all the other Axis ratchets do. The online catalog does not say made in the USA either like the other MAC Axis ratchets claim
The proto version of the 1/2” 90tooth states that it’s made in the USA, according to the website
http://www.protoindustrial.com/en/i...n-90-Pear-Head-Ratchet-Long-18"--Full-Polish/
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Proto 1/2" locking flex is made in the USA? Didn't know they had one. I'll check it out.
I see a 1/2" flex ratchet but not a locking flex in their catalog.
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No. As you can see, I corrected myself with another post.. I didn’t realize there was a COO difference with the locking flex handles. I thought it was simply you referring to 1/2” drive axis ratchets in general not being made in the USA
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People really like locking flex heads? I don’t see the point of them.
Because the angle of the handle is “set” in relation to the ratchet head, you therefore must carefully swing the handle back and forth while turning the fastener, keeping your hand at a constant distance from the work. If you don’t, the socket will always want to come away from the fastener.
With a normal flex head, you can sweep back and forth and move the handle up and down around obstructions without affecting the socket to fastener fit
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Because the angle of the handle is “set” in relation to the ratchet head, you therefore must carefully swing the handle back and forth while turning the fastener, keeping your hand at a constant distance from the work. If you don’t, the socket will always want to come away from the fastener.
With a normal flex head, you can sweep back and forth and move the handle up and down around obstructions without affecting the socket to fastener fit
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Wamsutta
Well-known member
Says "Proudly Manufactured in U.S.A." right on the web page ...
https://www.mactools.com/en-us/Ratc...rive-Axis-Comfort-Handle-Flex-Head-Ratchet-26
Read above.... we already went over this. The LOCKING flex head isn’t shown as US made
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Wamsutta
Well-known member
What's the part number for the locking flex? I'll call Mac right now.
Wamsutta
Well-known member
I just now got off the phone with "Emily" from MAC Tools. She said their locking flex head 1/2 inch drive ratchet part# VR2690LFPA is made at their facility in Dallas Texas. 1-800-622-8665.
Cool. I wonder why they left the USA off the reversing lever and off the spec sheet online. Maybe the handle contains foreign parts?
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Wamsutta
Well-known member
OK ... I called them again.
This time "Siona" at MAC Tools said that the VR1890LFPA is made in Dallas Texas. I even asked her how she spelled her name and told her that I was going to list her as my source. OK ... I called them again.
Call her back and tell her to update the COO on the website !
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Wamsutta
Well-known member
They got somebody that does that but it's not the customer service girls.
Wamsutta
Well-known member
It doesn't make much sense to manufacture half the Axis line in Dallas and then manufacture the rest of them in Taiwan; they'd have to buy two sets of machinery.
I was just going off the web site as far as the locking ratchets not saying USA on the website or the ratchet. Maybe they are but I have not seen a MAC locking flex ratchet with USA on it. Seems odd to me they would advertise USA and put USA on all their ratchets but not the flex ones.
Here is another thread about this USA not USA Axis ratchet.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=379914&highlight=axis+locking
ProtegeV, thanks for chiming in and offering that outstanding tip!
Here is another thread about this USA not USA Axis ratchet.
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=379914&highlight=axis+locking
ProtegeV, thanks for chiming in and offering that outstanding tip!
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xin
Well-known member
I got some old school MAC Rachets 1/4 and 3/8 and long handle flex ones.
The ones I seen are made in USA -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=5&v=EdnuOIF3VTU
The ones I seen are made in USA -
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=5&v=EdnuOIF3VTU
WWheeler
Well-known member
Yeah it's probably a safe bet that "the customer service girls" Wamsutta talked to don't know wtf they are talking about.
I don't doubt they are assembled in Dallas, but if the locking flex mechanism was also manufactured here there'd be no legit reason they weren't also stamped USA.
I don't know, the tool companies can be kind of weird. Cornwell manufactures the entire line of 72 tooth ratchet bodies in house but refuses to put USA on them because the guts are imported. Matco did it for years on all their comfort grips just because of the COO of the grip itself. Snap-On removed USA on their ratchets for years because ....Aliens. I'd be willing to bet its a similar story with the MAC ratchets with the locking flex mechanism being the only thing outsourced.
Wamsutta
Well-known member
According to my sources (Emily and Siona) they are made in Dallas Texas.
WWheeler
Well-known member
Yeah but that still doesn't mean the locking flex part isn't outsourced which would be a logical reason why MAC is leaving the 'USA' off of them and not listing the COO on the website for them like they do all their other Axis line.
Still doesn't explain why they mark every other Axis ratchet with a USA selector but leave it off the locking flex ratchets. I bet the ratchet it self is USA made but the locking mechanism is not... Made in the USA and assembled in the USA are two different things.
I'm sure your sources believe what they are telling you, but I have talked to tool dealers that don't know **** about the product they sell.
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