My latest S-K ratchet: why would somebody hock this?

[bonneyman]

Found this 3/8" drive #45170 at a pawn shop that closing. Just happened to stop by to see why they were still opened. Apparently, they found some incorrectly marked boxes with merchandise and decided to stay open another week or so.
I have several 45170's. But this one was freaking gorgeous - I couldn't leave it. Look at the chrome -it's almost flawless! The knurling is pristine, the overall finish is excellent, only the barest of drawer wear on the sides of the head. (The selector was a bit mangled, so, I swapped it out with a perfect one form another rat).
New this tool is $70 or more. I've seen many good used ones (though worse than this one) for 15 or 20 dollars - a price I'd pay if I needed a ratchet. I paid $2 for this one! So what did the pawn shop offer the seller in order to let it go so cheap? A quarter? Why not sell it at a garage sale, or to a friend who works on his cars? Just boggles the mind.

[bonneyman]

Here's the one minor blemish on the head - barely noticeable.

[hickory n Steel]

That's crazy, and you got an excellent deal.
I need to get me an SK at some point, I've yet to have one.

[fatfillup]

Great grab, they bring $10 to $15 at my store.  Don't sell a lot

[bonneyman]

Great grab, they bring $10 to $15 at my store.  Don't sell a lot

Yeah, they don't have the 90 teeth of some other designs so many techs consider them old fashioned. But I still have the one I bought in 1981 and it's humming along. You stick with something that works!

[hickory n Steel]

Great grab, they bring $10 to $15 at my store.  Don't sell a lot

Yeah, they don't have the 90 teeth of some other designs so many techs consider them old fashioned. But I still have the one I bought in 1981 and it's humming along. You stick with something that works!

Not a mechanic so I don't really know, but is 90 teeth really necessary or just something marketing has convinced people they need ?

[bonneyman]

Great grab, they bring $10 to $15 at my store.  Don't sell a lot

Yeah, they don't have the 90 teeth of some other designs so many techs consider them old fashioned. But I still have the one I bought in 1981 and it's humming along. You stick with something that works!

Not a mechanic so I don't really know, but is 90 teeth really necessary or just something marketing has convinced people they need ?

Sorry Hickory, I was just verbally lamenting.
The S-K roundhead has been around for decades. A bulletproof design they still make, and repair kits are still available. But when most other manufacturers went to high tooth designs, flex heads, thin heads, etc, the old standby S-K tends to get overlooked. It's one of the reasons why IDEAL's acquisition of S-K and their promise of new designs is so eagerly anticipated.

I'll keep my eyes open. Next nice 45170 I'll grab for you if the price is right on it.

[goodfellow]

Great grab, they bring $10 to $15 at my store.  Don't sell a lot

Yeah, they don't have the 90 teeth of some other designs so many techs consider them old fashioned. But I still have the one I bought in 1981 and it's humming along. You stick with something that works!

Not a mechanic so I don't really know, but is 90 teeth really necessary or just something marketing has convinced people they need ?

Sorry Hickory, I was just verbally lamenting.
The S-K roundhead has been around for decades. A bulletproof design they still make, and repair kits are still available. But when most other manufacturers went to high tooth designs, flex heads, thin heads, etc, the old standby S-K tends to get overlooked. It's one of the reasons why IDEAL's acquisition of S-K and their promise of new designs is so eagerly anticipated.

I'll keep my eyes open. Next nice 45170 I'll grab for you if the price is right on it.

Often overlooked are the JC Penney ratchets and sockets of that time period -- Penncraft tools were made by SK, and have the exact finish and design. You can find them fairly regularly on ebay for much less than their SK brethren.

[bonneyman]

Often overlooked are the JC Penney ratchets and sockets of that time period -- Penncraft tools were made by SK, and have the exact finish and design. You can find them fairly regularly on ebay for much less than their SK brethren.

Good to know! Do the S-K rebuild kits fit 'em?

[goodfellow]

Often overlooked are the JC Penney ratchets and sockets of that time period -- Penncraft tools were made by SK, and have the exact finish and design. You can find them fairly regularly on ebay for much less than their SK brethren.

Good to know! Do the S-K rebuild kits fit 'em?

If they are from the era, then yes, the parts are interchangeable. I've purchased some crappy looking JC Penney ratchets and used the guts to restore older SK ratchets to working condition. The ratchets look the same --except the JC Penney versions are stamped JC Penney or Penncraft.

Note -- if the Penncraft don't look the same as SK, then it was a product manufactured for JC Penney by a previous supplier

[muddy]

Great grab I have ok me in my box at work.

Sent from the twisted mind of the Mudman

[Jamesyarbrough]

Nice score. I wouldn't have left it either

[skfarmer]

awesome ratchet that have stood the test of time, i have a few.

as far as pawn shops. i think many of them have no clue on what they have. once it comes out of hock or storage  it is just stuff to them. their money is made in loans and when they have to sell the stuff it just becomes a pain for them.

[GNAP]

About 90-95% of the guys I know, would not use a S-K ratchet to save their lives. They may not own a Snap-On ratchet, but the head design is a shape they know, all others are ugly big round head ratchets, regardless of their true functionality.

[goodfellow]

About 90-95% of the guys I know, would not use a S-K ratchet to save their lives. They may not own a Snap-On ratchet, but the head design is a shape they know, all others are ugly big round head ratchets, regardless of their true functionality.

Interesting! -- I tend to use round heads a lot; especially SK and Wright in 3/8" and 1/2" drive. That said, most of my toolsets are vintage stuff, when round head designs were the norm. I see younger mechanics these days and they don't have any traditional round heads in their boxes anymore - unless they inherited some items from their fathers and grandfathers.