This may not actually be be new, I think I have heard about them in the past, but it’s new to me, the first time I’ve used one! I had to change the starter on my mother’s care givers OT car, yesterday, at the salvage shop, I work at! I grabbed some tools out of the big box and one them was a funny looking Craftsman ratchet. As I was using it I found out it had a feature where you twist the handle and the socket turns! Wow, in that close place and my old fingers wouldn’t work, that ratchet preformed perfectly! Not many tools impress me , over my sixty plus years of working with tools, but this one did! It’s kinda pricey at $50, but I highly recommend it, especially for us older guys! Included is a picture of it! Then after that, I got to thinking…..what else is out there that would make my old fingers work better and make the /any job easier! Please post any tool you have found, old or new that actually works and gets the job done easier! Thanks in advance! Bones
I loved it! Many times a bolt will be just a little too hard to turn with your fingers, but not enough resistance to make the ratchet function! This is were this tool shines! BuyIt! I guarantee you will not regret it! Bones
The idea is so simple, why did it take so many years to make it happen? I got another birthday coming up and I'll drop a hint to the Boss Lady. HRP
Cool ratchet, I seen then demonstrated on a YT video a while back but haven't noticed them in the stores. Another that comes to mind are "thread checkers" How many of us have spent our whole lives getting the tap & die set out to identify threads? I bought a cheap 44 piece set off Amazon 5 years ago. They cover both SAE & Metric. Eliminate guess work and save time. Just yesterday my friend ordered a set from Amazon after seeing mine. They did go up in price another $10.00 since I bought mine, but still worth it.
I bought two sets of Craftsman taps and dies, SAE and Metric, some forty years ago and the sets came with “ thread checkers” and have used them many, many times! Taps and dies are kind of a “ thing” with me….anytime I see some at flea markets, garage sales or market place….i have a tendency to buy! Most of the time the seller doesn’t even know what They are and I get them cheap! I have many duplicates, so sometimes I will take a combo tap and make a bottoming tap out it! Bones
Good tip! I should make some bottoming taps as well. I was the recipient of about a thousand taps and dies when the family owned machine shop closed down. At the time, I already had a set of "Hilkas" that I always use for SAE, 60 years old set now, garanteed for life...never broke or wore one out yet. A friend gave me a set of Snap-on SAE & Metric taps & dies almost 30 years ago, in appreciation for doing a job for him. They have never been used yet.
Seen this one the other day. Expensive but I’d bet in time we will be seeing harbor freight versions. https://youtube.com/shorts/9nw5B74oPPA?si=6QfYl5txrnQSR6qf
There have been various versions of a ratchet like that over the years, I think at least as far back as the 1960s. Most of them seemed gimmicky and were from obscure companies you never heard from. This one looks more professional and has a known brand name (although there has been a lot of debate about the quality of Craftsman tools the last few years.)
Another one very similar to that craftsman. German made I believe. Watch the whole video. you can actually attach another ratchet to the end of the handle to turn the socket.
Yeah, I had heard of them before, never thought much about them, but I was also younger , back then! I grabbed this ratchet, not knowing what it did, just thinking it was a soft handled ratchet, but found out real quick! My hands don’t work like they used to, so I need all the help I can get! Bones
If the craftsman wrench doesn’t have that option of the square drive in the handle, then the choice is obvious! I can definitely see how having a 1/2” drive and a 3/8” drive and potentially if a 1/4” drive is available, from the pro**on brand, all 3 of those wrenches would be a good investment! Kind of a specialized manual version of an air ratchet with distinct advantages !
Well the Craftsman is back at the shop, I don’t remember it having the square in the handle and the pictures don’t show one! I would just imagine if you put a ratchet in there and put some power to it is would probably break it! Maybe that’s why Craftsman elected to not put one there! But, it would/could be handy if a feller used some sense! I checked on Amazon and the Pro**on ratchet is only $5 higher than the Craftsman! But oddly enough Pro**on had a 1/4 inch ratchet that was like 116! I’d like to see them offer a set of 1/4, 3/8s and 1/2 inch drive ratchets like that! But then I probably couldn’t afford it. Hell, I can’t afford the one 3/8s ratchet! lol Bones
The more I work on our modern cars the more I need unique tools like the ratchet. As far as Another term I discovered was “Thread detective” ,I bought mine from Grizzley
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