Vintage Ratchet Identification...

[tamaraw]

Hi, new member here I'm looking for help Identifying and potentially repairing this ratchet. It's a stubby design with 1/4" drive on one side and 3/8" drive on the other.

No visible markings on the tool, just found it in some stuff from my great grandparent's house. The two exterior fasteners are T10 torx, so I guess that would make it late 60's at the very oldest. I haven't really seen reddish copper wear patterns like this before.

It was pretty filthy and only seemed to work in one direction so I polished it up, pulled it open, and cleaned the insides but it still seems to only work one direction. The only damage I could find was a hairline crack on the internal wedge bit of the selector mechanism. I'm not sure I would really use the tool much myself but it would be cool to ID it and maybe get it working again for someone else. Thanks for any input!

 

[Jacobs976]

Looks kinda like a proto at least in design. Haven't seen a dual drive from them though. Get a pic of the other side of it too, might help especially if there's any numbers. As for the handle it might've been cut down, have some stuff that was done well enough you can't tell it was done without looking up the tools id code.

Spring tension might not be right on the one side. Adjust the spring up/down till it catches but doesn't lock the pawl into the gear and see if it ratchets then.

Could also be one of these, alot of brands look like proto and the grip would make sense.

https://tooldepot247.com/pub/media/catalog/product/cache/e4d64343b1bc593f1c5348fe05efa4a6/w/3/w32110xl.jpg

 

[Zrxrunner]

Unfortunately, what you have is a current style tekton ratchet with the rybber grip worn off. This is a pic from theyre site. Not exact ratchet, but same style.

https://media.tekton.com/images/product/1457_5.jpg

I think the performance tool one matches better, but thats it. I have one here somewhere too.

 

[bonneyman]

I kept a "dualie" ratchet like that one handy just in case my go-to rat bit it in the middle of a job. I wanted to have something to finish with that would cover 1/4" and 3/8" sockets.

 

[tamaraw]

Looks kinda like a proto at least in design.

I thought so as well although there are a lot with similar designs.

Haven't seen a dual drive from them though. Get a pic of the other side of it too, might help especially if there's any numbers.

No numbers or symbols whatsoever, inside or out (except for the L/R on the pawls). I can definitely get more pictures, actually had an issue uploading some so I didn't add quite as many as I originally took.

As for the handle it might've been cut down, have some stuff that was done well enough you can't tell it was done without looking up the tools id code.

It kind of looks like it was cast that way although I did consider that. More pictures should help.

Spring tension might not be right on the one side. Adjust the spring up/down till it catches but doesn't lock the pawl into the gear and see if it ratchets then.

I tried that and even swapping the springs across but no difference.

Could also be one of these, alot of brands look like proto and the grip would make sense.

https://tooldepot247.com/pub/media/catalog/product/cache/e4d64343b1bc593f1c5348fe05efa4a6/w/3/w32110xl.jpg

It does look similar although the profile at the base of the head isn't so flat. Probably a lot of designs like that although the shape of my handle does suggest a plastic/rubber cover.

Thank you, I'll get some more pictures.

 

[Jacobs976]

I'd say it's pretty much guaranteed a cheaper dual drive with comfort handle after seeing some examples. Everything would match up. Issue is there's probably a dozen different ones with minor cosmetic changes to attempt to differentiate beyond the names on them that it's nearly impossible to ID them without the grip. Most likely tekton with the L/R on the pawl assembly or at least the same actual mfg.

 

[tamaraw]

Unfortunately, what you have is a current style tekton ratchet with the rybber grip worn off. This is a pic from theyre site. Not exact ratchet, but same style.

https://media.tekton.com/images/product/1457_5.jpg

I think the performance tool one matches better, but thats it. I have one here somewhere too.

The internals do look very similar although the housing is different and the L/R are reversed. The stamped selector switch does look like a match for current Tekton stuff, good catch on that. Although Titan, Crescent, Clarke, etc. seem to use the same bit.

It's been sitting a minimum of 10 years and probably used for a while before that to get so worn. With the composite handle theory I guess it could be an older (but not vintage) generic brand?

My newish Bahco stuff and even old push button SK ratchet use snap rings and I figured with the threaded fasteners and level of wear on this one it was older than it might actually be.

Thank you for your help, should I move this out of the vintage tools forum?

 

[tamaraw]

I kept a "dualie" ratchet like that one handy just in case my go-to rat bit it in the middle of a job. I wanted to have something to finish with that would cover 1/4" and 3/8" sockets.

That's not a bad idea. My stuff is just for personal use though.

 

[tamaraw]

I'd say it's pretty much guaranteed a cheaper dual drive with comfort handle after seeing some examples. Everything would match up. Issue is there's probably a dozen different ones with minor cosmetic changes to attempt to differentiate beyond the names on them that it's nearly impossible to ID them without the grip. Most likely tekton with the L/R on the pawl assembly or at least the same actual mfg.

I think you pretty much nailed it. Looking around at stubbies from cheap brands in the last 20 years or so, it appears to be pretty similar and like you said hard to ID exactly. Based on the wear and finding it in a box of mostly vintage Proto and Craftsman wrenches, I figured it was older than it actually appears to be. Thanks again for the help!

 

[tamaraw]

I was able to do some more targeted searching based on the feedback I received and I believe it is a very used modern Titan 11050 (or equivalent). Thank you everyone for the help and I'm sorry to have put this in the wrong forum!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000AXFQ8/?tag=atomicindus08-20

 

[four.cycle]

Looks kinda like a proto at least in design.

That's because it is an adaptation of the Vogel design that Proto was manufacturing:

Vogel / Vogel Tool Co., Los Angeles, CA / "double duty" ratchet patent 2803980 Aug 27 1957 Irwin R. Vogel / (manufactured by Proto) /