I've been wrenching since the early 70's so I've had my share of ratchets come across my path. Early on I bought an S-K roundhead socket set - mainly because that's what my dad had when I was a kid and so it was what I cut my teeth on. You stick with what you know, right?
Well, that 45170 3/8" roundhead rat became the "standard" by which I judged every other ratchet against. It's one of the biggest reasons I never went the Snap-On path (price differences aside): S-O didn't have round knurled handles. After joining the Gazette I began to think that I should expand to some smaller and larger drive sizes. Since S-K was my go-to 3/8", I bought the same style rats in 1/4" and 1/2", thinking I'd be just as happy and all set. Big time mistake!
The 1/4" version was too small. Even with the knurling on the handle it was hard to hold. Any amount of greasy dirt, and it was always getting dropped. (I've since added some gas hose on the handle, and it does help. But it's still a bit hard to hold). With the 1/2"er, the head was so big and heavy after about 20 minutes of solid wrenching my forearms would get fatigued. I decided to start searching for the best ratchet for the drive size - regardless of brand.
After at least a hundred ratchets tested over the last 15 years - old and new, cheap and expensive, common and rare. I've whittled it down to these choices. (Being a Bonney man, you'd think I'd have some Bonney ratchets in the list. Nope - I don't really like Bonney roundheads.
Too heavy and clunky action).
I've never really bought into the "ergonomic" style of handle. Though the EASCO paint brush and older Matco comfort styles are quite nice. I think if I was doing repetitive bench work that was fairly clean I'd grab one of these styles. Comfort all day long would be enhanced with the smooth handle shapes, and if there wasn't grease present then slippage wouldn't be an issue.
Flex heads, too, I never had a need for. I mean, I have a couple around the shop in case a special circumstance arises. But - it never has. I don't work on newer cars like alot of guys - maybe cramped under the hood areas are where flex heads shine.
Super high tooth counts also never attracted me. I figured 45 teeth was good enough for most of my adult life. I did try the new S-K DT90 rebuild kit. Fast and easy way to double the tooth count of my old trusty 45170. I didn't like it - too much like the Bonney action. Took it out and put it back to the original. Though the 71 tooth FACOM era TUFF 1 ratchets are quite nice.
The winners:
For 1/4": The HF composite ratchet came out on top. (Gotta thank GNAP for the heads-up on this one) Nice sized handle,
slightly curved, a bit big for a 1/4" but perfect for my hand, non-slippery even when greasy.
For 3/8": The S-K 45170 or Thorsen MJ77 roundhead. The S-K TUFF 1 comes in very close behind these.
For 1/2": For high torque jobs, the Thorsen open gear. It has the smallest head and lightest weight way out on that end, plus
plenty strong enough to get the work done. Might not be sealed against dirt and grime but fairly easy to clean.
For compact jobs: the old Herbrand S-10 pearhead. Short and stout, low tooth count not an issue, hollowed out
handle is quite comfortable, big direction selector knob easy to use but doesn't self-reverse. And when cleaned and
greased it is a smooth as silk.
So, what about you guys? What have you discovered works well in your particular environments? There's no wrong answers - everybody has different needs and demands. What do you like.
