I bought one of those Craftsman 11tybillion piece sets but the ratchets fucking suck ass.
I'm looking to replace them but I cant afford snap-on or mac. Is there a cheaper brand of ratchets thats better than the crap the tool set came with?
>>15130219
I use Kobalt and so far no regrets. Not sure how expensive they are though
I like westward tools. I've got a 1/2" drive socket set that's got to be at least 10 years old and still works like it was brand new
>>15130219
I'm not sure what it's like where you're from but I buy tools at pawn shops all the time around here for next to nothing, especially for hand tools. They will normally have a huge bin of combination wrenches, ratchets, etc that you can pick through and find the tools and sizes you like. My local pawn shop will sell me combination wrenches 4 for $1, good ratchet handles for like $5.
>>15130219
The 84T (or maybe it's 81T, can't remember at the moment) Craftsman ratchets are more than decent. I can't really tell the difference between them and my Snap-on ratchets. I actually prefer the handle on the nicer Craftsman models over any other brand/style.
>>15130219
What's so bad about them?
Craftsman makes a finer percison wrench.
Also, you can take it apart, and relube it for better feel.
>>15130305
A lot of brands (not just Craftsman) put shitty ratchets in those big bargain sets with like 100 sockets and 3 or 4 different ratchets in them. Nothing wrong with that, the sockets are normally pretty good but it's worth it IMO to buy some better ratchets for everyday use and keep the ones that came included in the set for backups.
I've been using pic related for awhile i have them in all sizes and they are great.
>>15130227
I have a kobalt set and i love the ratchets it came with. They have all been hammered on and cheater piped on they are still true and the action is still good
http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=249851
>>15130219
Used snap on. Or new and it'll be the last rachet you buy.
TEKTON
>>15130305
>seriously saying that craftsman makes a better tool than snap on, mac, or matco
>being this retarded
The tools you get from craftsman can vary quite a bit. It upset me to learn that craftsman has never manufactured a tool in the entire history of the brand. Crafstman is no more than a name, manufactured by varying companies of varying quality.
I learned this while buying a craftsman lawn tractor and was informed to check the serial number as some of them are built by mtd, the same manufacturer that sells thier junk at walmart.
when i was 20 and in the union my jorneyman at the time opened up a contractor tool box and took out the nicest ratchet and gave it to me and tood me to put it in my toolbox that ill need it
when i said thats stealing he replied: fuck the contractor! they got enough money already!
ive had it ever since
>>15130473
>fuck the contractor! they got enough money already!
Spoken like a faggot who's never tried to run his own small business.
>>15130473
YEAH!! FUCK THE LITTLE GUY.
Union scum. Fuck you.
>>15130219
I've got a craftsman from the 40's, all brass and steel. You can't kill it. Personally, I'd just go to the local pawn shop and find the meanest toughest ratchet you can in the size you want. Find a good brand and it will only be about $3-$5.
>>15130473
You make me ashamed to be in a union. But I'm ashamed of my union for endorsing faggot sanders
>>15130496
Yeah aint that the truth. Im a private contractor and I tell ya what, im just rolling in the dough. My bank account reads $7.98 at the moment. You can call me Mr. Moneybags.
/o/ talks shit about crescent but I was blown away by the quality for a bratty great price.
>>15130473
>union my jorneyman at the time
>fuck the contractor! they got enough money already!
>UNION
>OTHER PEOPLE HAVE ENOUGH MONEY
lolwut.
Unioners are the most over paid over benefited pieces of horse shit on the planet.
>>15130622
ask any old timer thats been in a trade for a long time and they'll tell you - unions are only there to protect and keep employed that absolute shittiest unskilled workers.
When you're on your shit, study and learn your trade well, can diagnose and repair correctly the first time with out ever really getting hurt on the job and always show up on time, you dont need some fucboi group of basically paid wanna be thugs to protect you.
But when you can't diagnose a bad alternator or manage to destroy a dashboard when doing an EVAP and A/C kit, you need a union to make sure you still have a job.
It's just how it is.
>>15130688
APWU is a perfect example. They care more about funding communist campaigns and taking dues from people that they don't represent, especially the PSE's.
>>15130688
My grandfather got fed up with all the union bullshit in Ohio after he came back from WWII so he uprooted the entire family and moved them all to a non union state (Texas) in the early 60's after a series of bad experiences with various unions.
I know harbor freight gets shit on here (and for good reason) but their higher-end ratchets are some of the best I've ever used, and I've beat on mine for quite a while.
>>15130219
Craftsman's premium series ratchets are bretty gud.
Also Bayco is the OEM for Snappys dual 80 series and are available on Amazon, no warranty though.
>>15130503
>>15130556
Chances are if you have a $20,000 contract for a week long job you can afford to replace a $70 ratchet.
>>15130688
Or to keep wages from taking a race to the bottom. Or for when a transmission falls on you as a tech and you fuck up your shoulder and your employer tries to get rid of you
Unions aren't that bad for actual trades. Chances are if your workplace treats their workers shitty enough that they try to unionize it's not just the workers that are the problem.
>>15130949
Jesus christ you are a mother fucker
>>15130353
I think this is true. The 3/8" ratchet I got in the smaller hex and torx kit is quite a bit nicer than the ones that come in the 300pc sets. But I've never used a Snap On so who knows. Just saying there are nicer ones than their basic stuff.
>>15131167
I mean, the "crappy" ratchets will get the job done and last most people a lifetime but their inner mechanisms just aren't as smooth, the handle shapes are often uncomfortable to use, and the overall finish of the tool will look like shit compared to the the higher end ratchet offerings from the same company.
Try Gearwrench, I got their 1/2" just to try it out,I have a few Snap On dual 80s in various sizes and the Gearwrench feels comparable, bit stiffer.
If you're not a pro, any fine tooth ratchet should be fine. Try to find a place that sells tools to tool trucks and contractors, they should have a catalog of all the brands they carry, its cheap-tool-galore in there. Here in canada we have the gearwrench brand which is generally reputable. Personally i use Grey Pneumatics fine tooth ratchet in 3/8, Armstrong in 1/2. I have snap on long handle swivel head and stubby swivel head in 3/8, and yeah, they are worth the money but hey i use them every day to make my bread so. A lot of cheaper catalog brands have more than enough quality even for pros. Snap and Mac are for people who need the lifetime warranty and/or for showing off
Truck mechanic.
>grandpa passed away
>tfw will never get to hear dank stories of the old days and how grandma's neighbors are niggers
>tfw he had a super huge tool collection
>any fucking tool I think of or don't even need
>it's there
>about 75% old american stuff, 25% newish HF
pretty set for a while
I like the swivel head ratchets that harbor freight sells, like this >>15130378
also, craftsman professional are really nice.
another one I like is the polymer grip from harbor freight, the ratchet mechanism is really easy to turn so it'll continue to take the nut/bolt out even after it's loosened.
Also super comfy.
>>15130797
My grey pneumatic fine tooth looks exactly like this, so im willing to bet it's got the same insides. Damn fine ratchet, been daily using it for 4yrs, taken apart and oiled twice a year, still going strong.
stanley makes nice ratchets
Nothing will ever beat the smooth precision of an 80 tooth SnapOn ratchet.
>>15130219
Stop being a broke faggot and go buy snap on.
>>15130219
The costco set I got 3 years ago has survived countless oil changes, a few brake jobs, new clutch, belts, body work and even a head gasket now.
They are still pretty damn good considering it was under $80 bucks.
>>15130219
Harbor freight pros are good. Duralast ratchets are good. Carlyles too. I like Kobalt's swivel round head ratchets but not their pear shaped ones. Gearwrench ratchets are pretty nice too.
>>15131354
put some grease in your cheap ratchets and you'll be surprised
>>15131232
>old American tools
>muh dick
this is why i go to garage sales
>>15130430
I never said that.
>>15130401
>>15131354
the only real professional opinions in this thread.
>>15130219
befriend either a mechanic at a shop which snap on stops at. They often get 25%+ off discounts.
College kids studying in a mechanic-esque field often get 50%+ off discounts.
The moral is, have a kid and wait until he becomes a diesel field mechanic or something.
>>15135297
I fucked up the wording, but you get the point. Either a mechanic or a college kid
>>15130219
>bought a giant tool set
waste of money. so much shit you won't use.
>>15135297
This. Im in school for airframe and powerplant and i got about 8k worth of tools ill have for life for a little under 3500$
>>15135326
>8k worth of tools
so 3 master sets and a toolbox?
8k is nothing in snapon terms
people who weekend warrior under no circumstance should buy industrial hand tools.
>>15135363
I disagree.
If there's any professional tool that somebody should buy, it's a nice set of ratchets, and ratchets only.
Harbor freight sockets are fine, just do yourself a favor and use a (some) nice ratchet(s).
>>15135371
300 dollars for 2 ratchets just so you can have 100 tooth drive instead of 84?
buy a good cordless instead.
but w/e it's not my money.
>>15135371
Pro tech here
HF pro series of ratchets are much better than craftsman standard ratchets.
The best consumer grade ratchets would probably be the gearwrench 120xp series.
>>15135550
>consumer grade tools
