What do you recommend for a new ratchet

[Opie Knievel]

My Milwaukee cordless will eat my Snap On.

Guarantee it. There was a guy at work who had a Snap On 1/2" drive impact and he'd ask me to break stuff loose for him sometimes because the Snap On wouldn't touch it. Hell, my 1/2" impact has outdone some air guns with 150psi pressure behind them.

 

[DRIVEN]

Look into Williams. They are Snap On at half the price. They may be a little more work to find but Amazon has some stuff as well as eBay. I have a few items but a good friend has a toll box full. He gets them through his Snap On rep.

 

[pontiacgp]

Guarantee it. There was a guy at work who had a Snap On 1/2" drive impact and he'd ask me to break stuff loose for him sometimes because the Snap On wouldn't touch it. Hell, my 1/2" impact has outdone some air guns with 150psi pressure behind them.

they are strong guns and should come with a warning...

 

[TURNA]

Look into Williams. They are Snap On at half the price. They may be a little more work to find but Amazon has some stuff as well as eBay. I have a few items but a good friend has a toll box full. He gets them through his Snap On rep.

They ARE NOT Snap On.


Ever since STRAP ON bought out Williams I wont touch them.

They do a bait and switch on you.

You think you are buying a USA made tool but you get a made in Taiwan one.

Download load there catalog and look at the part numbers real close before you buy anything Williams now.

I use to love the American Williams tools.

To this day my go to 1/2 drive is my USA Williams S-52

 

[Opie Knievel]

they are strong guns and should come with a warning...

Yeah and the one in that video is an older model. The newer model like I have (2763) is a lot stronger than the older ones. My little 3/8 impact (2654) is a stout little guy too. It's rated at 200ft.lbs. I use it more than any power tool I own.

I know this thread was created to get recommendations for ratchets but these Milwaukee cordless tools are so good that I can't help but mention them. If you can afford them, you won't be disappointed. They have definitely made my life easier at the salvage yard. I would hate to have to do this job without them now.

 

[pontiacgp]

Yeah and the one in that video is an older model. The newer model like I have (2763) is a lot stronger than the older ones. My little 3/8 impact (2654) is a stout little guy too. It's rated at 200ft.lbs. I use it more than any power tool I own.

I know this thread was created to get recommendations for ratchets but these Milwaukee cordless tools are so good that I can't help but mention them. If you can afford them, you won't be disappointed. They have definitely made my life easier at the salvage yard. I would hate to have to do this job without them now.

I realized that video was an older model, they have a video of the newest model using the hauler for the race car but I could not find it.

sorry for the hijack

 

[81msw79]

i am in the boat as the the original poster. craftsman stuff has turned to crap. i have had very good luck with the pittsburgh impact socket line. have both standard and metric in short,long plus the hex and torx. the ratchets are pretty decent, extensions have worked well so far. i have been extremely inpressed with my tekton ratchets and my gearwrench ratchets. tektons are 72t ,the gearwrench i have both 84t and 120xp.
tekton seems to be cheapest on amazon. gearwrench is cheaper then amazon if you do alittle hunting.

 

[DRIVEN]

I didn't want to start a debate but I may have spoken too generally. To be more specific, Williams is the industrial subsidiary of SO. Since we're talking ratchets, all are USA made according to their website. If you hold a SO and the Williams equivalent in your hands they look and feel very similar. I'm told, but cannot verify, that they are made on the same line and use the same repair parts. I've found the same to be true with the hard handle screw drivers -- all but identical and USA made. I have both.
I don't know that all Williams tools are made in USA and it's entirely possible that some are made offshore. Unless they are specifically representing them as American made and selling foreign items, calling it bait and switch isn't really accurate.
I'm not a Williams super-fan but my personal experience has been good. Just thought I'd bring them up as an option. Lots of people aren't familiar with the brand.

 

[455'ed80Regal]

The best 3/8" ratchet I own or have ever owned is my Snap-On F852 flex head bent handle ratchet that I bought in '95. It was expensive when I bought it off the truck, but it has paid for itself and then some. I wanted/expected it to last and didn't want/need any questions asked if I needed it fixed or replaced. Could I have found something a lot less expensive? Most definitely. Would it have lasted this long and performed as well with no problems what-so-ever? I seriously doubt it. Best money I spent on a ratchet.

 

[TURNA]

I use to like Snap Off ratchets.

But a couple of years back they used Taiwan internals in there high tooth count ratchets (F80 series)

Taiwan held the patent on the design.

If you take a look at them you will see the Made in USA has not been stamped on them.

USA handle and Taiwan internals and they pasted it off as USA

Or should I say they forgot to mention the use of overseas parts to the consumer.