Why does this ratchet ****, also whatzit?

[bcexplorer]

I am full of questions...

Picked up this kd ratchet at a garage sale, did some googling and they are very unpopular. Why? It works well and looks cool. It says U.S.A. I saw a similar one that was a craftsman and someone said it was garbage. Does it break easily? Do people confuse it with the other tri-wings? Is the tooth count too low?

Also pictured is A wooden handled thing with solder on the tip. Whats it for?

thanks!

 

[cowboy73]

The wooden handle thing is an old timey soldering iron. They used to heat them up with a blow torch that ran on gasoline. I believe they were used for leading cast iron drain pipes together.

 

[Reese]

The last photo is a vintage soldering iron. Not sure how it is heated, but I know it's a soldering iron. I think the ratchet was made by Allen. I had one the only thing I didn't like is that it's a little short. It is significantly better than the Craftsman raised panel ratchets.

 

[bcexplorer]

Ok that is awesome thanks!

 

[kelwar]

Can't help you with the ratchet, but that is an old soldering iron you would set it on stand with a torch to heat it.

 

[kelwar]

Oops guess I was too slow, Reese beat me too it first.

 

[larry_g]

Another name is a soldering copper. See in use here;

lg
no neat sig line

 

[The Cobbler]

in a shop setting the soldering iron would be heated in a natural gas oven

 

[ihateminimumwage]

The ratchet is the same as the "Tri-wing" Craftsman round heads. I had a 3/8" one, but sold it because it just didn't get used.

 

[disston]

Don't know that particular ratchet from KD but the style appears to be the ones with gear teeth around the interior rim of the head. The centerpiece has the detent ball and the locking teeth. Nothing wrong with the design but no idea of execution in this matter. I do have some other type tools from KD and I suspect that the ratchet is quality made like all the other tools I've seen from KD.

Some people's problem with ratchets is they never take them apart and clean and reoil them. Many ratchets are made with grease in them which works for a few years but gets caked and dirty which prevents proper function. Grease or oil it will have to be done again someday.

 

[d.mcfarland]

I am full of questions...

Picked up this kd ratchet at a garage sale, did some googling and they are very unpopular. Why? It works well and looks cool. It says U.S.A. I saw a similar one that was a craftsman and someone said it was garbage. Does it break easily? Do people confuse it with the other tri-wings? Is the tooth count too low?

Those ratchets aren't great, but they aren't bad. They are in the middle. I don't like them personally because they are rough and coarse tooth designs and really aren't that strong.

 

[6PTsocket]

The last photo is a vintage soldering iron. Not sure how it is heated, but I know it's a soldering iron. I think the ratchet was made by Allen. I had one the only thing I didn't like is that it's a little short. It is significantly better than the Craftsman raised panel ratchets.

It was made by Danaher that owned Allen and KD at the time. They also made a lot of stuff for Sears.It could have had any of the brands they owned on it. Both divisions ended up as part of Apex and were both recently discontinued, along with Armstrong. I have that ratchet head on a Husky torque wrench that Danaher made for Home Depot and the ratchet mechanism has never been a problem.

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[doogdoog]

Aloha,
I would keep that soldering iron because it if good for places where using an open flame would cause a fire.

Mahalo,
doogdoog

 

[warweapon762]

The tri-wing was quite unpopular with the people I knew growing up.

The main complaint was the wings would get caught on something you were removing and it would accidentally reverse the ratcheting mechanism on you mid-job (especially if the mechanism was kind of loose). I experienced this a few times as my first two ratchets were 3/8 and 1/4 Tri-Wings I got from a friend.

They wouldn't be so bad if they had recessed the tri-wing face.

 

[mbshop]

I have the same ratchet and have had no issues. Course I have about 5 ratchets so I just normally grab whatever is within reach. Now I'm spreading my tools out between one box, one work desk and two carts so they will be used according to what is closest or what I'm working out of.

 

[mikebaker1129]

Those ratchets aren't great, but they aren't bad. They are in the middle. I don't like them personally because they are rough and coarse tooth designs and really aren't that strong.

This^ sums it up and they get gunked up, I found a light oil works better than grease on these. They are a sin off of the Facom design,but are not nearly as good as a Facom.

 

[MushCreek]

I have a Craftsman ratchet that is similar to that. It is so bad I never use it. I've never had a good ratchet to know the difference. I recently bought a GearWrench 3/8 set, and the difference is night and day! I don't use a 1/2" much, so I bought a Pittsburgh at HF, and it blows the crummy C'Man away. I even took the C'Man apart and cleaned and oiled it- it still feels like the mechanism is made out of rocks.

 

[theamcguy]

I believe under high loads the ratchet mechanism has a penchant for reversing directions causing busted knuckles. Under normal loads no problem, but really crank on it and sometimes the ratchet will reverse directions, ouch.

 

[6PTsocket]

I believe under high loads the ratchet mechanism has a penchant for reversing directions causing busted knuckles. Under normal loads no problem, but really crank on it and sometimes the ratchet will reverse directions, ouch.

If that is the same one as the tri wing on my Danaher made torque wrench, I have cranked it up to 135 many times to do the lug nuts on my truck and never had it slip.

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[TorKe]

USA is not synonymous with "great tool" FYI.

 

[3baygarage]

I had a couple broken ratchets of this style that I bought used. In one case, I recall the wire spring inside was worn down and would slip right out of the little hole in the pawl.

That's just one case in millions. The mechanism may have more weaknesses than others though, because there were a number of complaints about these.

Hey, if it works good, cool.

 

[66HertzClone]

in a shop setting the soldering iron would be heated in a natural gas oven

In an oven with a wooden handle??????