How strong is your ratchet?

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Denvermike

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A friend gave me a copy of Hot Rod from Oct. 2013. a couple of days ago. They tested 11 ratchet-handles. The test was only to see how much it took to break them. 10 of them were new and in the $20-25 range. One was a old Craftsman for a yard sale. The half inch drive was held in a fixture. Force was applied one foot down the handle. This made it real easy. The $10 Proto from a swap meet was the only made in the USA one. This one and one of the Duralast failed at about 650 lb-ft. These failed internally as did the old Crafstman (333lb-ft) The rest were Craftsman, Duralast, Gearhead, Husky, Koblat, Pittsburgh Pro, and Powerbulit. Most of these had the socket mount break. Most broke in the 780-830lb-ft area. Think about that kind of force. That is like a 200 lb. guy on a 3ft. cheater bar.
For brute strength only, any of them can handle day to day use. I know there is a whole lot more to to what makes up a "Good" ratchet. Just found this interesting and wanted to share.
Mike
 
Would like to have seen how well Snap On faired.
 
I still remember the day some shy, smiling, "hippy" gal came into the store with a BENT 3/8 ratchet, "I don't suppose? this is guaranteed?"

It was one of those with a circular head, I don't remember what brand, SK, Proto, Thordarson, what. I told, here, "not unless you can convince me your boyfriend did that with his bare hands"

"I didn't think so" she said.

A lot of guys used to think tools were under "unconditional guarantee" but there actually WERE condtions and and two of those was "wear" and "abuse" and another was using standard sockets at the end of an air gun.

I still to this day have an old Thordarson 1/2 ratchet with a circular handle with a hole in the end. From about the first week I bought it, I fitted a piece of electrical conduit over the handle and ran a bolt over the end for more leverage. It's been on that ratchet since the '70's. Back in those days, I did not have air guns or a 3/4 socket set. I've still got that ratchet, and never broken it.

EDIT LOL Turns out it's an "Industro" and here it is
 

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They need to use em, get em full of grease and grit, and THEN test em!
 
Denvermike said:
A friend gave me a copy of Hot Rod from Oct. 2013. a couple of days ago. They tested 11 ratchet-handles. The test was only to see how much it took to break them. 10 of them were new and in the $20-25 range. One was a old Craftsman for a yard sale. The half inch drive was held in a fixture. Force was applied one foot down the handle. This made it real easy. The $10 Proto from a swap meet was the only made in the USA one. This one and one of the Duralast failed at about 650 lb-ft. These failed internally as did the old Crafstman (333lb-ft) The rest were Craftsman, Duralast, Gearhead, Husky, Koblat, Pittsburgh Pro, and Powerbulit. Most of these had the socket mount break. Most broke in the 780-830lb-ft area. Think about that kind of force. That is like a 200 lb. guy on a 3ft. cheater bar.
For brute strength only, any of them can handle day to day use. I know there is a whole lot more to to what makes up a "Good" ratchet. Just found this interesting and wanted to share.
Mike
Click to expand...

Cool info,Thanks.
 
I can tell you from experience, Mac Tools makes some really crappy stuff.

I've got a huge box filled with broken Mac tools.

A few years back I was working on a Ford F150, either Axle U Joints or Ball Joints, can't remember. I know I was removing the spindle. I slapped a 1/2" Drive Mac Ratchet on one of the nuts, put a Cheater Pipe to it, wedged myself in against the fenderwell and put everything I had into leverage on the ratchet and cheater pipe...

I split the ratchet in half, (right down the middle), nut didn't move. Grabbed an ancient Craftsman ratchet out of the drawer, put the same leverage on it, and the nut came off.

I can show you pairs of Vice Grips that I've snapped the jaws off of by squeezing them too hard too.
 
I have a Blackhawk indexable 3/8" drive ratchet that has had a 4' bar on it with a pretty big guy pulling on it. I got it on clearance from the local US Car tool. I have a bunch of circle head ratchets from who knows what brand that have all become junk even to just me with my bare hands. They end up free-spinning and wont lock anymore. Take in mind I am only 120#s. But ya get what ya pay for
 
Denvermike said:
A friend gave me a copy of Hot Rod from Oct. 2013. a couple of days ago. They tested 11 ratchet-handles. The test was only to see how much it took to break them. 10 of them were new and in the $20-25 range. One was a old Craftsman for a yard sale. The half inch drive was held in a fixture. Force was applied one foot down the handle. This made it real easy. The $10 Proto from a swap meet was the only made in the USA one. This one and one of the Duralast failed at about 650 lb-ft. These failed internally as did the old Crafstman (333lb-ft) The rest were Craftsman, Duralast, Gearhead, Husky, Koblat, Pittsburgh Pro, and Powerbulit. Most of these had the socket mount break. Most broke in the 780-830lb-ft area. Think about that kind of force. That is like a 200 lb. guy on a 3ft. cheater bar.
For brute strength only, any of them can handle day to day use. I know there is a whole lot more to to what makes up a "Good" ratchet. Just found this interesting and wanted to share.
Mike
Click to expand...

well let start with my age (68) and then some of the craftsman tools i have that i got from my dad and who knows where some of them came from
ratchets im sure like most i have used and abused them i keep a pipe in the bottom of my box that i have shapped one end to fix i'd have to check for sure but has to be 24inches or better i haven't broken any yet i have bent a couple and braker bars i have put the pipe on and then stood on the end of the pipe and bounched i think most tool not all can take a beating
 
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