Need 3/8 flex head long handle.

[ron350]

I need a 3/8 inch flex head long handle ratchet. I have never used a flex head ratchet but have a job tomorrow that will be much easier if I can find one.

 There is Napa, Lowes, Home Depot and HF.

Thanks for any advise.

[fatfillup]

Likely not a lot of difference except price at HF

I would do Napa

[ron350]

Thanks.
Napa sells a Carlisle ratchet R38LFLOR $77 but it is mail order only in Birmingham.

[Crispycritter]

You know im a made in usa and snapon fan but i have a long3/8flex from harborfrieght and its been abused and still holds up

[slip knot]

I’ve got the HF flex and it’s pretty good   

[ron350]

Thanks for the help I will try one of those HF #62333 ratchets.

[bonneyman]

Thanks.
Napa sells a Carlisle ratchet R38LFLOR $77 but it is mail order only in Birmingham.

Good grief why is everything it seems not in stock, backorder, or have to order on-line? Seems like the only items in stock anymore are vaping supplies, pot, and tatoo's.
I guess I'd better check on the availability of underwear before I need some and they'll say "it's back ordered - no idea when it'll be back in stock". 

Seriously though, I've been to the local NAPA store and the Carlyle stuff looks nice.

[ron350]

The Carlyle R38LFLOR was what I wanted to look at but had to settle for HF 62333. It got the job done but I wanted to see what a locking flex head was like.

https://www.napaonline.com/en/p/CHQR38LFLQR

[slip knot]

I've abused my HF flex ratchet through several clutch jobs and its held up better than expected. the head will get floppy but you can tighten the pivot point back up. sadly its not a locking head, must have missed that in the OP.

[ron350]

Slip Knot this is the first flex head ratchet that I can remember using so I don’t know any thing about them.

On this HF62333 the tension on the flex head is controlled by a single ring of coil spring. The coil spring is setting in a troth that is as deep as the spring is thick.
There are not enough threads on the screw to apply any more pressure before the shoulder at the threads bottoms out. So when that spring wears out the ratchet will have a floppy head.

[oldnslo]

Flopping head?

What I have done with "some" floppy universal joints and swivel sockets, and for sure would work in this ratchet case it to put some "twist" to that ring. What that entails, is to give it some elevation, and thus will make the spring taller adding some height, and then more friction.

I've successfully done this countless times with swivel (flex) sockets. Some brands are staked in way too hard to breath life back into them (I'm referring to SK), and some Cman versions.

Hope that helps.

[ron350]

Thanks Oldnslo.
Are you saying that the friction spring ring is common across different brands?

I am an old man but I am still trying to learn new stuff.
Like I did not know not to use starting fluid on 2 cycle stuff until I read Slip Knot’s post.

[J.A.F.E.]

That HF setup looks like a copy of the Snap-on.

I have employed a shim under the spring but unless it's really floppy it doesn't bother me or impede use. I guess I am just accustomed to it.

[oldnslo]

They are commonly used, yes.

The concept is employed by many tool manufacturers in a swivel setup. The size/shape/offset is however different among them.

[ron350]

Thank you that makes me feel better about buying a HF ratchet supposedly made in Taiwan.

I have a total of $23 invested in this ratchet and it saved me lots of time and busted knuckles on a starter replacement the other day. I should have purchased a long handle flex head ratchet years ago.                                 

[GNAP]

Apparently I’m one of the few, who does not want a locking flex head, I’d rather it be a bit “floppy”, than locked solid.

I have the Harbor Freight flex head shown, it been perfect for everything I’ve used it for.

[TexasT]

I have picked up and fooled with the hf in the store but didn't pull the trigger. Looked and felt nice but I didn't for whatever reason.

Might be due to the snappy 3/8 drive locking unit in the drawer. It can be run either locked or floppy. Cost probably five or more times as much as the hf but I'm only buying one and I've had it probably twenty yrs and it works great and is a snappy that holds that value. Not for everyone I know.

And I've been buying some of these cheap chicom flex ratcheting wrenches and fixed ratcheting wrenches. They work great so far for way less than the Matco set I have in the drawer and I don't worry about losing or damaging the fancy ones.

I guess I need to break down and get the hf and put it to the test to see what it is about .

Great thread. Lots of good input!

[ron350]

The sad thing is that I had to pull 4 of these HF ratchets off the display hook just to find one that the direction changer felt normal.

[fatfillup]

put me in the camp of no locking flex head.  I do like detents though

[muddy]

I prefer a locking flex that can also be unlocked and left "floppy". Such as Matco and Snap-on. I prefer the Matco locking design over the snap-on.

Sent from the twisted mind of the mudman