Recommendation on ratchet wrench brands

Cute I have never seen that .

I should get a few for old bosses!

 

ive never heard that phrase ...so i searched it...your right though,most snap on tool truck guys are jerks..

 

I have had a set of the Gear Wrench ones with the angled box ends and the "switch" for probably 20 years. Had a couple strip the ratchet over the years but no issues with the reverse lever flipping.

 

Things really changed when my dealer retired . Maybe 10 12 years ago or longer.

I doubt things improved .

$250,000 dollar inventory on the truck.

No used Trucks you had to start brand new .

Your so far into debt I can understand the attitude of the new dealers some what.

 

Yeah...i like snap on tools,but there way overpriced now...the main thing i bought when i was younger was wiggler sockets...they was about 38.00 each 35 years ago...no telling what they are now.Sunex makes some decent tools to.

 

I call those flexible knuckle busters.

 

Tekton. Hands down the best bargain out there. And I've had just about every brand of tool. Even the tool truck tools. I was a Gear Wrench fan boy for a while and I still have a lot of their tools with no complaints. I'm even one of their early testers. I stumbled across Tekton a few years ago and they're my first go-to. They don't have a huge offering, but they do have a lot. Some of their line is made here, but have the price to match. The majority are overseas production.

But here's my favorite things about them. No BS warranty. I've used it once. It took a picture and part number through email and they had me out one the same day. Purchasing from their website during business hours can result in shipment within a few hours. I'd say 80-90% of my orders have. And lastly, they have a rewards program where you get back 10%. I've gotten a few tools for free from them.

 

I just bought whole new sets of wrenches and sockets to organize my garage. Decided on a brand called Williams and it turns out that it's actually Snap on. (JH Williams Tool Group) is a division of Snap on. I wondered why the great reviews and steep price, but I have to admit...it's really nice quality. I have old Craftsman and Snap on and will keep most of that, but anything else is going into the donation bag!

 

Thanks all, really do appreciate all this great feedback.

I guess I have just been unlucky. My Craftsman ratchets that I bought back in the 90's as well as the Kobalt ratchets I bought a few years ago all do this on me. I get the ratchet / extension (if needed) / socket attached, start cranking on the bolt/nut, and about every 3-4 cranks, the damn reverse level wobbles and ends up either right in the middle, or fully on the opposite setting. I have to stop, manually put it back to the desired setting, and get another few franks before it does it again. Really gets annoying real quick.

 

More pointed question, based on what I have read. I have never needed a torque wrench before, but install skid plates and oil-drain adapters now. Lowes sells Kobalt, which, well, looks good but I do not know. I have pre-Lowes-owner craftsman 1/2 in and 3/8 in sockets and a 1/2 breaker.

I could get a "torque adapter" to put on an existing wrench, or a real torque wrench. Since torque should be correct, can I trust a Kobalt to be reliable if not flipping the lever occasionally?

 

I have very few snap-on tools.
My definition of a hammer and pry bar is the tool currently in my hand.

$200 ratchet vs $40 ratchet. Sure Snap-on is nice and feels nice.
But it’s an expensive hammer/pry bar.

 

I was just taking a look at the current Craftsman line. I know for a few recent years, their quality was not good, but since Sears sold them off, I hadn't paid any attention to them in 15+ years.

This sounds encouraging.... their "V Series" line of ratchets. I may just buy this one and see how it performs.

https://www.craftsman.com/product/cmmt86321v/v-seriestm-38-drive-ratchet?tid=579896

 

If you want some really nice American made forged tools, check out Wright Tools. You can buy them off Amazon. I think they are Snap-On quality at a much lower price. I first bought a 3/8" ratchet, and liked it so much that I started buying other Wright tools. I eventually built a "metric only" tool box with 3/8" ratchets and sockets (and combination wrenches/screwdrivers, etc.) that I pick up first when I have a job to do. Now if I need 1/2" or 1/4", I go back to my tool chest for my Craftsman tools.

Premium wrenches, ratchets, sockets and attachments | Made in the USA | Wright Tool

 

I have a couple of Williams wrenches. They have the "teeth" on the open end side like the Snap On ones do. I figured they were affiliated somehow.

 

I can only guess your ratchets just might be worn that hard.

Can you get rebuild kits at all?

Some of my Snap On ratchets are 40 years old and have been rebuilt a few times.

 

I bet you use the torch head as a hammer as well. OOPS

 

That is one thing I don’t own.
If I need a torch, I use MAPP gas.
I have used a torch. But never owned one myself. I don’t do enough to make the investment worth it.

 

lol thats an amazing lesson. Hopefully I dont ever learn it myself

Sub'ing to this thread for the ratcheting wrenches. Been keeping my eye on Tekton for a long time waiting for the full sets to be back in stock. Even emailed them a few times about it. Finally updated their website a month ago saying the current line is discontinued and they are working on a new line. But no solid ETA.

Not brand loyal, I would consider something else. But Tekton was the only one I could find that did a non-flex 6pt wrench. It seems super dumb to me to buy a 12pt ratcheting wrench... If Im ever working in such a tight spot Ill just manually twist it half a point and keep going. Not worth the huge risk rounding the heads off imo

 

If the toggle lever is your issue... mine too, then this wrench from Tractor Supply is affordable and built really well. Plus it has a side for 3/8 and a side for 1/2 sockets.