Tool Shop/ Menards 3/8" Flex head

[puttsy]

Hey all, After a bunch of "taking" advice here, I'm hoping to give a little back. I was out and about today and picked up a 3/8" Flex head, fully polished ratchet at Menards for $4.98 + tax along with some Marvel Mystery Oil and, went to Harbor Freight and got some Super Lube among other fun toys!. Now I have very little intention of using this (but who knows, may end up being better than some of my cman stuff at the rate their dropping quality :S) but thought I'd pick one up and snap some pics for all you ratchet enthusiasts/fetishists. This thread is to pair with this one from last March.
3/8" flex head ratchet "Tool Shop" brand??


Basic Information:
Brand: Tool Shop (Menards house brand)
Dr. Size: 3/8" Flex Head Ratchet Handle
Tooth: "Fine" tooth as little as 9* swing space. I *think* I counted 42. hardly fine IMHO
COO: Madi in Taiwan
Cost: $4.98 (No sale)
SKU: 244-1013
Location: Marion/Cedar Rapids, IA

Again, please be kind all, I'm a poor college student so yes, I still look at cheap tools, and pick them up every-once-in-a-while when I need one. Although I asked about a flex head awhile back, this new one in NO way changes my mind that I really wanna get an Armstrong.

Here are the pics I got from it. Let me know if you want any other pics for it and I'll do what I can. Images are hosted on Google Picasa. Also, thank you @Hank McMauser and @Lomotil for helping me figure out how to open and lube round-head ratchets. Thanks @Stephenw for the awesome article about ratchet maintenance. The best part about cleaning up this ratchet? There wasn't any lube in it that needed to be cleaned out!? Awesome job Menardos

^The bolt takes a 5/32" Hex key (Allen wrench)

^How did THAT get in there?

 

[puttsy]

reserved

Note, the snap-ring/tension ring was VERY difficult to remove and insert again...inversely, the metal seems fairly soft on the inner wheel (thing the bit holder and pawl and selector is on.) <--Anyone have a proper name for that? Had to cut a notch and round it off a bit to get the ring back in.

For those who have difficulties like mine, here are the blades I used. A screwdriver (even precision ones) didn't fit in this thing.

The consequences?:

Just a few small cuts and scrapes. There are others on my fingers too but nothing too serious. Still get to tickle the ivories tonight. Also, Marvel Mystery Oil smells remarkable similar to valve oil (used on the valves of brass wind instruments. [eschoendorff may chime in here])

 

[BigAl62]

They guy who works next to me at work has that ratchet and he abuses the **** out of it and has yet to break it after a couple of years! Cheap, but strong, gotta love it!

 

[puttsy]

They guy who works next to me at work has that ratchet and he abuses the **** out of it and has yet to break it after a couple of years! Cheap, but strong, gotta love it!

Cool! I ended up putting Super Lube in it (MMO just didn't cut it) and it feels every bit as nice as nearly all my other ratchets. Granted, I've got Craftsman, Allen, and a few other cheapies mixed with 1 Proto (The challenger/cheap model), it's still nice. It was awfully rough in the store though, I got it for funsies and to follow up a previous thread that someone was asking about. For a cheap ratchet, it's not bad. I would actually put it on par with the Harbor Freight ones, and after lubing it up, on par with Craftsman and Husky too (Kobalt switches OEM's every other week so it's hard to nail down the quality)

I would like some context about the work you do though. Someone could say the same thing about me now, but I work on computers (programming and such) daily so a ratchet would sit on my desk all day...and maybe get played with just to annoy those working around me with that persistent/perpetual "click, CLICK CLICK

 

[plinker]

The best tool for removing that style retaining ring is a pick. You can work it in and spiral it off like nothing with one.

The mini pick & hook sets normally have a straight pick/awl, a hook, a 45* pick and a 90* pick.

I prefer the Snap-on set myself, but Menards has a set of four Masterforce picks for around 5ish dollars, USA made. I'm thinking about getting a set for my vehicle tool kit.


I have been impressed at the selection Menards has for thier Masterforce screwdriver line. It's got alot of speciality style driver in it. Reasonable prices too.

 

[puttsy]

Any guesses on how to get the pawl out of this thing? I kinda wanna snip the spring and make it a bit smoother...

 

[Gixerfixer]

Try and refrain from using any kind of cutting blades to lever out circlips etc if you load them sideways with enough force a piece may break off and fly out and could damage an eye, I had one hit my face in my late teens and it cut my cheek and stayed there ,,, OUCH! you have been warned use a pick as suggested.

 

[puttsy]

The best tool for removing that style retaining ring is a pick. You can work it in and spiral it off like nothing with one.

The mini pick & hook sets normally have a straight pick/awl, a hook, a 45* pick and a 90* pick.

I prefer the Snap-on set myself, but Menards has a set of four Masterforce picks for around 5ish dollars, USA made. I'm thinking about getting a set for my vehicle tool kit.


I have been impressed at the selection Menards has for thier Masterforce screwdriver line. It's got alot of speciality style driver in it. Reasonable prices too.

See, that's why I come here. Wish I had known that BEFORE I marred up the digits...and before I left Menards (or at least before I left 'the city'). A trip to the local Norby's Farm Fleet (Like Blaine's Farm and Fleet, or Mill's Fleet Farm for you nearly canucks) may help me find some picks for cheap though, thanks for the info!

 

[ishiboo]

See, that's why I come here. Wish I had known that BEFORE I marred up the digits...and before I left Menards (or at least before I left 'the city'). A trip to the local Norby's Farm Fleet (Like Blaine's Farm and Fleet, or Mill's Fleet Farm for you nearly canucks) may help me find some picks for cheap though, thanks for the info!

Watch it puttsy, with you and your generic Mills Fleet Farm copy.

 

[SMKS]

To the OP:

A pick is the best tool for taking off those clips. I started with a Harbor Freight set. But, about 6 months ago I got a Pratt-Read set off Amazon and I've really liked them. High quality, USA made and only $8.55.

Pratt-Read pick set on Amazon.

 

[puttsy]

Well, snagged a pick set (<$5 at Menards. Got what I paid for...maybe a bit less) and some ATF. MML and Super Lube didn't seem to cut it for the long haul in this beast. It's awfully rough. SuperLube helped it limp along for a few weeks but this ratchet is just not taking kindly to use. Dropped it in a can full of ATF and hopefully it'll come out smooth and stay that way for a while. It was nice for a few days after the Super Lube 'fix' (almost as smooth as my Proto) but after about 6 hours use it was back to 'clink' | 'clink' | 'clink' | ...

 

[BigAl62]

Cool! I ended up putting Super Lube in it (MMO just didn't cut it) and it feels every bit as nice as nearly all my other ratchets. Granted, I've got Craftsman, Allen, and a few other cheapies mixed with 1 Proto (The challenger/cheap model), it's still nice. It was awfully rough in the store though, I got it for funsies and to follow up a previous thread that someone was asking about. For a cheap ratchet, it's not bad. I would actually put it on par with the Harbor Freight ones, and after lubing it up, on par with Craftsman and Husky too (Kobalt switches OEM's every other week so it's hard to nail down the quality)

I would like some context about the work you do though. Someone could say the same thing about me now, but I work on computers (programming and such) daily so a ratchet would sit on my desk all day...and maybe get played with just to annoy those working around me with that persistent/perpetual "click, CLICK CLICK

Sorry to take so long to answer your question, but I've been at my dad's and his internet *****! I work as an auto mechanic and my buddy works in the bay next to me, so all our tools are worked hard! We (my buddy and I) get called on to do all sorts of repairs on all sorts of stuff around the shop in addition to normal auto repairs, we're the shop go to guys for maintenance, equipment repair, and anything else they like to throw at us.

 

[SMKS]

Well, snagged a pick set (<$5 at Menards. Got what I paid for...maybe a bit less) and some ATF. MML and Super Lube didn't seem to cut it for the long haul in this beast. It's awfully rough. SuperLube helped it limp along for a few weeks but this ratchet is just not taking kindly to use. Dropped it in a can full of ATF and hopefully it'll come out smooth and stay that way for a while. It was nice for a few days after the Super Lube 'fix' (almost as smooth as my Proto) but after about 6 hours use it was back to 'clink' | 'clink' | 'clink' | ...

I don't think anything will permanently make it smooth. It's a cheap ratchet, it's going to make noise. I especially don't think ATF will make a long-term improvement, because it's so thin.

Anyway,
I think the pick set you got was a good buy. It appears they're the same Pratt-Read set I recommended. Pratt-Read makes a lot of private-label tools. You got them about $2.50 cheaper than me, but I couldn't get them locally and the Amazon price I paid included shipping charges.