Decent quality ratchet wrench?

[Deadeye]

Hi

My 3/8ths ratchet wrench has started skipping. It's a chinesium cheapy.
Anyone recommend a brand for a replacement? I can't really justify SnapOn, but it'd be good to have it last a little bit longer this time...

Thanks for the links!

 

[sammy.se]

Can't go wrong with Wera

 

[Sideways]

Facom are great. Beware they've been bought by stanley black and decker and quality is starting to drop on some tools in the range.
Stahlwille are pro grade tools and you can get ratchet rebuild kits for theirs should you ever need them.

 

[Trevanion]

Bahco stuff is pretty good value for money.

 

[nev]

I've had a set of these for 10 years plus, used and abused regularly.
They have a lifetime guarantee. I snapped one Allen key socket (and I was trying ) and they exchanged it without question.
https://www.halfords.com/tools/hand-too ... 28335.html

 

[Cheshirechappie]

Abingdon King ****.

https://www.kingdicktools.co.uk/wrenche ... ches-24-10

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I have much the same problem. A 3/8" Kamasa set, a brilliant set but the wratchet is fubar. The problem being that it's kinked half way along, not straight. I had an excellent American made Kamasa 1/2" set from the '70s until someone decided I no longer needed it.

 

[Eric The Viking]

Please don't laugh (and it was a while ago):

I got a really nice stubby 3/8" one from Halfords, of all places. This stubby is probably the most used driver in my 3/8 set. It has a release button on the back, too, so things don't tend to come off it unless you want them to.

Their spanner sets always used to be decent quality too - thickly chromed, etc. Last time I went in there (sometime in 2018, I think) they were certainly still selling spanners - I noticed them - but I'm not sure about socket tools. I think my nice 1/4" driver came from them too - the handle end has a 1/4" socket so it will work as an extension bar as well as a "screwdriver".

Not everything they sell is ru...sh. Or at least it wasn't.

E.

 

[adidat]

Halfords professional are great!

Adidat

 

[sunnybob]

As long as it doesnt have silverline in the title, youre good to go :roll: :lol:

 

[Deadeye]

Thanks all!

Seems like there's loads to go at!

 

[Racers]

Teng are good they are mostly reinforced plastic but don't let that put you off, edd china uses them.

Pete

 

[DBT85]

People aren't using their ratchets for breaking tough bolts are they?

 

[AES]

Proxxon would be my go-to in the smaller sizes (quarter & three eighth drive). Not sure about their bigger sizes though (half inch and up), just never used any.

I inherited a Stahlwille three quarter drive socket set from my F.i.L. when he died (must have been bought by him in the 1950s/60s). He was a "garagist" - back in the days when garages didn't just swap modules but made & repaired stuff - and that set will last me out, plus the next generation (if there is one!).

Mind you I've heard a rumour that Stahlwille is no longer made in Germany these days - not sure about that though.

I've also got a half inch Halfords "Professional" set that I bought in the UK myself, back in the 1970s. Ditto still going strong. No idea if they're still available/what they're like these days though.

 

[Bod]

When buying any ratchet wrench, avoid anything with plastic/rubber handles, in my experience they will come off!
Even had a Facom, brand new, come off. The only one I have ever used with a solid plastic grip that did not move was Britool.
Admittedly the Facom was replaced under warranty, has seen work, but not seriously hard, the handle is still solid. I'd still only buy solid shaped handles.

Bod.

 

[thetyreman]

wiha or wera

 

[sunnybob]

Regarding plastic handles... I use electrical heat shrink tubing on my socket set handles. Amazingly tough, and stops that "Clunk" when it hits more metal unexpectedly. If it splits, its a matter of seconds to shrink some more tubing over the handle.
looks cool too. :lol: 8)

 

[Droogs]

I have had a Gedore socket set all my adult life, it was bought by my father in the 1960's When serving as a Centurion mechanic in Germany and since then was used by him through his entire career as a heavy motor mechanic until he retired and gave it to me. Have always tried to buy their spanners and tools when I need one

 

[adidat]

I picked up three leytool 3/4 whitworth drive ratchet spanners all brand new and wrapped up and unissued. Apparently these where in the kit for the abbot APC fv 432 for doing up the track pins. I think I paid a tenner at a bootfair. Good knows what they cost the taxpayer in the 90's but lovely solid british engineering.

Addiat

 

[clauskeller]

Hi,

Stahlwille is still a German company and produces there:

https://www.stahlwille.de/en/company/

Excellent tools!

Regards from Germany

Claus Keller who owns some Stahlwille ratchet sets