What are your favourite ratchets

[Lee Tattersall]

I've got a obsession for collecting ratchets what are your favourite ratchets?
Here's my favourites at the moment especially the extending facoms.
I don't like the twisty facom the head is far too big,I like the the gearwrench for tight spots
I've got lots more a few snap on,some more facoms and some halfords and I've inherited lots of old britool.

So what are your favourites?

 

[brightspark]

the ones ive got given or cost next to nowt. mainly brittool

 

[Dieselman 63]

I bought myself a Sidchrome set made in Australia in the 60s, virtually unused and all chrome intact. The people I bought it off laughed and said it was useless now that everything is metric so I paid $15 hehehe. Useless if you're trying to repair a 2007 Subaru yes, useful if you spend all your other time repairing sixties machinery

 

[ronan]

Teng tools fibre (plastic) ratchet, it came with a socket set i bought. I was dubious about it, but it has taken much use and abuse with no problems. Nice to handle on cold days, rather than cold steel.

 

[doubleboost]

I have a 3/8 Teng that is good
The best is still snap on by a long way

 

[gordon stephenson]

Favourite one is a 1/2" drive Quest toothless "ratchet" Moves in the smallest of increments and will take some real serious pressure,

 

[GW8IZR]

I love the bendy headed micro fine snap on, I've never used anything better.

 

[atomant48]

My 3/8 snap ons are awesome - got 3. But have to admit I recently got a pair of harbour freight flex heads and they're pretty good. Slightly less teeth and the flip catch is not very positive but they seem to do the job.

 

[8ob]

Far left 1" drive gedore , 3/4 drive Par X and gedore then various snapon through to a 1/4 drive facom. That big gedore is something, you can hear the ratchet clunking into its slot with purpose

 

[p0689109]

I bought myself a Sidchrome set made in Australia in the 60s, virtually unused and all chrome intact. The people I bought it off laughed and said it was useless now that everything is metric so I paid $15 hehehe. Useless if you're trying to repair a 2007 Subaru yes, useful if you spend all your other time repairing sixties machinery

There are quite a few sockets imperial that are so close to metric sizes that they are usable on the metric cars anyway.

 

[daleyd]

Facom S171 palm control ratchet, lovely to use and hold, and nice fine mechanism. Looks and works as good as new after 15-16 years

 

[normspanners]

Funny that you should post this as I have JUST got two sets, and was thinking about giving a heads up but thought NAH nobody would be interested

These are ace IMO, any body that uses them like them, a guy I do work for asked me to get some sets for him he liked them that much, and that was from just from using my 3/8 one for one job when I left it there whilst I went off for parts , they are 72 tooth easily extendable the head swivels but you can lock the head in a particular angle that means you can angle it up or down, but down is very handy coz you are pulling through a nuts 90 deg centre line, so the socket doesnt try to slip off, very handy when space is tight or you have a rust damaged nut, they are sprung just right IMO and will run semi tight nuts---- you know the ones------ that are too tight for the fingers, but the nut goes back and too with most ratchets. Snap on do a similar tool but at 5 times the cost, I have had mine now for several years, get used every day and they have had some stick, believe ME !! it is now my prefered ratchet they gets used all the time and have not shown any signs of age.
ok snap on have the guarantee but that doesnt stop them walking, if mine walked I would order some that day If I was to purchase these from snap on, the bill would be £400 +

 

[normspanners]

I also have a couple of 1/4 drive thumb ratchets, the handle is a flat blade shape about 3mm thick at 90 deg to the head so you can undo with your thumb, it is VERY handy for tight access like dash boards, timing belt covers etc. once slackened you can then ratchet it between thumb and first finger or first and second finger but the ratchet head is very thin ie with the socket on it is only about 5mm taller than the socket.

 

[Johnseat]

My favourites have to be the Snap on 3/8s at work, they just work faultlessly which inspires great confidence to really pull on them when something is extremely tight.
The britools ones I have in the kits I use at home don't have the same feel as the more expensive ones but that's a gimme in my opinion.

I recently purchased two mac tools 3/8s ratchets from a auto jumble and they are great, the ratchet mechanism is beautiful but not quite as nice as the snap on ones.

 

[anto]

I never understood the extendable ratchets?
I would always break off nuts or studs with a Tommy bar or breaker bar and then use the ratchet. Would that not be common practise?

 

[p0689109]

normspanners what make are they?

 

[Lee Tattersall]

It looks like I'm not the only one that loves ratchets. My friend takes the pee out of me for keep buying ratchets but he reckons all tools are the same but he still uses ratchets with about 16 teeth in them.
The smoothest ones are the wera & the round head facoms both with 72 teeth they feel alot better than the 100 tooth snap on don't know if it's because of the spring tension.
My girlfriend got me a long Flexi head snap on s80 described as new. We sent it back it was the most sloppy crap the locking Flexi didn't work I think he must have used a 10foot cheeter bar on and bent the pin and knuckle joint I tried to tighten the pin but it was threaded & bent the seller still tried to say they was in perfect condition as new.We got the money back of PayPal in the end after making a video with a dial gauge to proof it. So if your partner is buying any tools for Xmas have a sneak peek.

 

[normspanners]

I never understood the extendable ratchets?
I would always break off nuts or studs with a Tommy bar or breaker bar and then use the ratchet. Would that not be common practise?

you are obviously not a mechanic
Yeah great when a bolt or nut is in your face and easy to get at , can you easily get a crack bar in an engine bay? OH NO especially at the back round the manifold etc, the angle required is VERY limited, even with a 72 tooth ratchet you are very limited, and might only get one click if lucky, the extendable length helps you crack it, then side the handle in to run off a nut or some times when space is tight you extend to as far as you can/need to save your knuckles or some times you cant reach a nut and need the ratchet at full stretch and holding it by the VERY end, just to reach.

normspanners what make are they?

supposed to be german but probably made in china like snap on now Werkzeug http://www.welzhwerkzeug.com/products/products_list.php?subCategory=Ratchet and Extension Bar

ps they also say they have a lifetime guarantee ! but not needed to test that yet !!

 

[p0689109]

Thanks normspanners for that. I bought a wiring test kit made by them at a boot sale off a dealer who bought a van load of stock from them in Scotland and travelled around the country selling them. He was on his way back to refill and stopped off at a car boot sale to clear his leftovers. Good stuff but difficult to find a contact and get a good price. A price list would be helpful too.

 

[Migmac]

I like my sons Bergen rachets, very smooth and a good price.