Cheap Vs Expensive Ratchets 

Amen on the less expensive tools. Some guys (especially the non professional) love to talk about how great Snap On is, but they don’t own any. I grew up on Craftsman, now I’m a Kobalt fan. My tool box holds Craftsman, Husky, Kobalt and Duralast tools. They all keep my cars and motorcycle running.

Tekton is the new craftsman if you ask me. I had bought a decent amount of Kobalt in years past because I liked the tools, and had a Lowe’s right by me. Now that Lowe’s is slowly phasing out Kobalt hand tools, I’ve been moving into Tekton. Plus their warranty is something you can’t beat now that I’ve moved to a rural area.

I been a auto tech for over 30 I have a shop in southern Missouri and I have a good amount of tools but never bought top line tools but the cheaper tools work good and if one brakes I buy another one and don't brake many and I do a lot of work

As I’ve gotten older, I enjoy the feel of high end tools more than I used to. I used tools more when I was younger, and I only cared about toughness and fit. In some cases, the Tekton feels better to me than the snap on, and I would prefer it. I mostly only have used snap on tools, because I never shop anywhere that would have new. If I’m going to buy a tool without feeling it first, it better be a reasonable price, so that leaves me ordering tekton.

Very thorough comparison, I'm a fan of the bang for the buck mindset when it comes to tools. Especially since almost every hand tool has lifetime warranty through the big box stores.

Just picked up 2x 243 piece Gearwrench sets 1x in 6 pt. and the other in 12 pt. These are my first starter mechanic sets for DIY. I'm not a mechanic by trade. I probably could've gone for something else like Tekton or Sunex but I had my heart set on Gearwrench. Seeing as I'm not going to be using them consistently like a mechanic would with proper care and using my brain (not to be too rough with them if I can avoid it, and pick a beater tool if I need to) I think they should last a few decades till I'm dead. I realize some professional mechanics out there will think I'm stupid for buying them seeing as its lost on DIY or the flipside being the claim for downward quality control and warranty issues but meh. I need to start somewhere. I respect peoples choices and their budgets. To all the mechanics out there busting their asses off to make a living to me you are heroes that need to be recognized. It makes me angry when I hear how cut throat it is in many trades out there. A lot of men like myself like working with our hands. We need job security and to be treated fairly.

Shaun of the dead. Wasn’t the only one thinking it

I boxed up and stored all my Craftsman stuff simply because if I do break it, they’ll replace it with some imported piece. Now I have a lot of Tekton and Gearwrench

saludos, gracias por regalarnos tus opiniones a los amantes de las herramientas

Nice video. The new Gearwrench 90t ratchets are great. Have about half of the entire line. Will have all of it soon.

Thanks for this tool review!

And sometimes the heads make a little difference when you’re working in tight areas for how thick the head is of the ratchet

I love my Tekton 90 tooth ratchets. The Snap Ons are great, but I do not like the thick head design. I like the very slim design of the Tekton. If Tekton would start making these in the USA, I would be even more impressed. I also have a Pittsburgh swivel head 1/4 inch ratchet. For the price, it is pretty high quality. Only complaint I have about it is it is quick release and there is a lot of tooth drag. But it is great for under dash work.

I love my GW ratchets. I just bought a 90T 1/2 drive flex head for $44. The 120xp is even cheaper at $38 right now, but I wanted to try out the new 90T. Good deal 👍

I too love my Snap-On but I just picked up a Pittsburgh Pro 72 tooth 3/8" comfort grip, and it's a nice ratchet. Can't wait to put it to the test. Also got a husky 1/4" that works like a dream, and actually prefer it over my Snap-On simply because it's smoother with less back drag

Tony: On the 1/4" ratchet, Chros from Client Graphics testes a good amoutn of 1/4" ratcheta and the: TEKTON, CAPRI. ICON ratchets broke at higher torque pounds than the SNAP-ON. Also, i use the PITTSBURGH PRO flex head 1/4" and is is so smooth that it is my go to ratchet, fornthe past 5 years. I work on scooters and motorcycles, once a bolt is tight enough, that i would need to do a lot of pressure, I grab my 3/8" ratchet. I have NEVER broke any ratchets cz i NEVER buse them. Also, back drag is important for auto mechanics, the Pittsburgh PRO are the best, according to another video from Chris. So. Thanks for this video. I wanted to add the advantages of the PITTSBURG PRO ratchets.

Hey T3, 3T Here, great vid!👍 I work with my Ratchets daily, (Duralast/Pittsburgh/Armstrong/Titan/etc.) inexpensive Ratchets. They all still Work & Look like New. As long as you Treat them like a Baby and not Abuse them, they will Last Forever! But I just got to a Point in my Life where I just want the Best of Everything! So I just got my 1st Snap-On Ratchet, I love it. Alright TTT, just wanted to put that out there.👍😁👍 TTT, Out!✌

Great review. Can you tell me the model/make of the black tool cabinet behind you?

$70 for a new Craftsman ratchet. I had no idea. LOL. I recently jumped on the new GW reduced profile 3/8" ratchets. A stubby and a regular length. Phenomenal.

All done with craftsman tools. You might as well buy Harbour fright.

Snap on, gearwrench and tekton are all I buy now

You know me Tony, every ratchet I currently use is Carlyle. Catch em on sale, can’t beat them with a stick!Thanks again, Brother.

Excellent review. 👍👍

i just watch a video on how much ft/lbs to break these wrenches all of the failed above 250 ft/ls... tectron and snap on failed at 292 ft/lbs..if you are putting 250 ft/lbs on a 3/8 drive wrench, you are a fool

Try one of the Koken Zeal series ratchets and you will be blown away.. And you can find really good prices on their stuff if you do the right searches. Worth it.

I think a big issue is the quality of the actual sockets, which is not discussed. A cheap socket can round out a bolt causing misery. As I have become older, I don't have time to mess around and lack patience. If I have to pay more to avoid the frustration I will spend it. The ratchet wrench is also important - like it was mentioned fine tooth is the way to go, and a clean direction switch feel. You know when you are using a cheap tool. Sometimes it is better to spend more than you had planned than less than you should - life is too short for cheap tools.

Tekton 90t ratchets are holding fine for me as a Chevrolet mechanic. The current ratchets I am putting to the test is some olsa roto head ratchets that I got sent by accident instead of the wobble extensions. They seem allright so far. Better then the icon and pittsburg roto.

got the Tekton 1/4 ,3/8 and 1/2 in. socket sets, they are very nice. ordered two sets of ratchets 1/2 in drive three of them, 3/8 drive four of them. Its been 10 days and have not arrived yet wish I had them since they have already been paid for.

Matco silver eagle ratchets are my every day go to. They are inexpensive and lifetime warranty. I only wish they had the flex head versions.

Hello again Tony Thank you for the Great Video. All of your ratchets are good choices. I have never owned a non-quick release ratchet. How does that change the way, the ratchet works? Does it change the way the ratchet feels? Like I mentioned earlier, I have never owned a non-quick release ratchet. Otherwise, another Great Video, Thank you

I find it interesting that inexpensive tools are always placed alongside Snap-on. I think it would be interesting to see a shootout between high-end ratchets like Snap-On, Proto and Wright. Granted, Proto and Wright are more for industrial use (and few know that Proto, let alone Wright, exist!), but a torture test between the three would be a fun watch. I know. No need to dump hundreds of dollars into three ratchets. But I'd still like to know who the real king of the hill is.

Fantastic content 👌 👏 👍

I have the comfort grip icon ratchets .I would like to get some of the tekton.

I have to agree with this posting. I have a mixed tool box of ratchets ranging from Kobalt, Craftsman , Huskey, to Armstrong , BluePoint, Mac, Cornwell...and one Snap on. They all work fine. Back in the day the truck brands really put emphasis on comfort. Yes, there was quality but Craftsman back in the day got the home mechanic through just as Armstrong, Proto some of the others. But the grips were not as nice so back then I could see it especially if your using tools day in day out as a trade. Now everyone has copied the high end truck brands. My Kobalt and Blue point are just as comfortable as an older Mac. I have Mac screw drivers that are super comfortable, especially compared to the old hard plastic Craftsmans. I went to Home Depot picked up a set of Milwaukee and they have just as nice a grip and the whole set cost less than one Mac.

I really like my mac axis ratchetts...but nothing fits my hand and performs like a snap on comfort grip ratchet... im a sucker for the extreme green and pearl blue

I own the 24 inch tekton 90 tooth half inch ratchet. Non-flex and no quick release. The handles is noticeably thinner than my Snap-On or Gearwrench. Not sure why they did that other than cost. A 24 inch ratchet needs to b stout. Just curious is your tekton half inch in the video thinner than the snap on you have next to it ??

I love my Pittsburgh pro flex it ratchet I just wish they will make the long version of it with the flex it instead of buying the snap on one I know there are other brands of it almost like it I’m just skeptical about breaking it and not being able to warrantee it

What is the pn on the silver eagle ratchet

I got a SK 90 tooth 1/2 drive flex head ratchet from SK for 65.99. It was on special a few months ago. Right now they have a similar deal on the 3/8. If you can afford it, buy the US made stuff, support your hard working fellow citizens!

Snap on 1/4 flex head body with classic hard handle and 3/8 drive in place of the 1/4. 10 years working at international dealer and fire dept shop and it’s my go to never an issue...great investment

Nice one ton ton tony ton

What is the difference with lower toothed vs higher tooth count?

If ur doing heavy diesel tekton 1/2 inch ratchets and sockets won’t due. Well not on large bolts that need excessive torque. 1/4 and 3/8 are good to go for appropriate use. Btw I love tekton tools and value

Check out the Milwaukee flex head ratchets. I like them a lot. I own snap on , gear wrench , Icon , American Craftsman , and more. I reach for the Milwaukee more than I thought I would.

Picked up a Snap-on f80 the other day for $60, but definitely want to get the tekton flex head ratchets

As far as ratchets, I have a set us craftsman and I bought a set of newer craftsman after they first appeared in Lowe’s. For my birthday though, I’ll be investing in Matco locking flex ratchets.

If you want to see real expensive check out these Japanese tool brands, Koken,Nepros and Tone.Koken has one 3/8 ratchet that is over a grand.With Gearwrench,proof of purchase is needed with their warranty.Been through this lately,Auto Parts store we bought the set from told us proof of purchase is needed.It was with a broken 8mm deepwell socket in 1/4 drive

Mine are not most expensive but there up there I prefer a snap on ratchets I've tried the more expensive Matco it's nice but the so is a little better speaking for only myself

I agree with you

I have 2 1/4 inch, 4 3/8 and 2 half inch ratchets and they're all Dual 80s. Can't go back to using anything else. I do this 9 or 10 hours a day 5 days a week, I will not mess around with cheap tools.

Craftsman was bought by Stanley & that's why they are now made elsewhere instead of in the us.

Look like there handles are going to the older ones I have a craftman from 1989 still doesnt skip a beat with that same handle but my new craftman suck I dont like them I going to try tekton tools now

With main line stuff, you do get what you pay for. My 3/8 12" locking flex matco 88 was worth every penny. When your a professional, that last 5% of quality is worth double the price, and the service from the truck is very important. My 40 year old 1/2 matco round flex head got floppy and my matco dealer exchanged it no questions asked with a brand new locking flex the same day. And the mechanism was still great after being bounced on by 2 techs countless times. That being said, these mid tier ratchets are really starting to get good. I like the tektons the best, the head size and feel is a lot closer to the pro brands. The pittsburgh's are hit and miss, but they are nice to have around when you need to beat on it with a hammer or bend to make a special tool. Haven't had the best luck with the gearwrenches, though I haven't tried the new 120XP. Their kits have a lot of gimmicky stuff (like why in the world would I want 6 point wrenches and 12 point sockets?). All their flex ratchets are junk, and the mechanism is kinda sloppy. Anything lower tooth then the 84 is JUNK. Their ratcheting wrenches will get you out of a bind or for speeding out hard to reach bolts, but not much else. Easy to break, and the mechanisms are sloppy and gritty. For ratcheting wrenches, there really is no comparison to snap on or matco, though I want to try the new SK x frame wrenches. Avoid carlyle and craftsman, junk with impossible warranties. Especially now that Sears is gone. Lowes always gives you the runaround. For those watching the videos showing how the off brands beat snap on in strength tests and hate on them, it's not all about the strength test, once you pick up a pro brand ratchet and use it, you'll understand.

My most used ratchet is my matco locking flex head long handle

What do you think of Sonic Tools ???

Matco ratchets are made in the USA btw

I couldn't believe the prices craftsman was wanting for their ratchets at lowes when I looked at them.

Koken and nepros ratchets for me

Matco Ratchets are made in the USA. I bought a 3/8 in black chrome and a 1/4 inch in chrome and there is an American flag above the handle on both. They are very expensive but very very nice. N jbl

Matco ratchets are the best in my opinion

Breaker bar and ratchets will last forever even the cheapest of them

The craftsman gun metal chrome sets are a great value, an a very good quality.I would never buy tool truck brands...

Great advice to find a good ratchet but shop around for the best price also! My favorite place to find tools is garage sales and flea markets I love picking up a $30 ratchet for $3😳😁

I prefer the fr80 over over the F80s.

SK makes good ratchets you can catch a good deal on Amazon.

The worst ratchet ever, IMO, is the 45 tooth craftsman. The back-drag is terrible, and they often reverse themselves under high torque. It's crazy that the new Craftsman didn't let that design finally die

No quick release button, no buy

The craftsman tools at lowes are ridiculously pricey, and and the design is lame. However, the new sockets and ratchets seem fairly solid.

Honestly with a new craftsman ratchet the handles are too weird for me

Looking through the comments, I’m going to be unpopular with my perspective here. I have Snap On, Mac, Matco, Williams, old Craftsman, and some German stuff. I’ve used co-workers GW and Tekton. I am a very patriotic person and fear what happens when more Mfg ends in the US. I even look for USA made clothes on eBay. I’m not perfect, but I’m trying to do what I can within reason. I have greater pride knowing the tool I’m using was made in the USA. I spent 7 years using my tools professionally and not a single failure except a locking button or an impact swivel, and I was pushing the tools, flat rate. Everyone has different priorities. Someday when my kids get my tools I’ll be proud knowing it’s not from China or Taiwan and still working great. No I’m not a dinosaur, I’m in my 30’s.

Texton, gearwrench and Kobalt. Have some older craftsman professional made in us they look like mac very good, now craftsman is crapsman.

Tired of take my car in for repairs, pay a lot to be fixed. Not always, went to college for auto tech. Bought master mechanic had customer satisfaction guarantee. All theses later still using them while my craftsman couple have been warranty out, one several times. I worked in a dealership bought some snap on and some matco, Mac a couple of tools, sk gave me couple of tools to win me over never sas him again. At times you get what you pay for like audio or optics.

Idk if anyone has said but you have rapairs instead of repairs on your intro

Prices have change so much..

First again!!!

I was a lifelong Craftsman tool user. Even though over the past 30 years I have bought big dollar truck tools. And cheapo dollar store junk. I have found that over the years Most of the big dollar truck tools have gone the way of the midrange tool. The Stanley Tool company has destroyed for the most part of the once great tool's out there. With there purchase of the big tool companies? Mac, Snap On, Proto, Craftsman, Etc. The one time trust and quality is for the most part slid into the trash pile of Corperate greed and profits. I know due to a ton of pressure from us the peanut qallery they are attempting to build a new US based plant in Texas to bring back some of the production of Craftsman again? I know that someone will gripe about this post. But we as a collective should put on and keep the pressure on the tool companies to bring back Quality, And yes we may have to pay more in the end. I am willing to?

Aircraft mechanic here and we have snap on boxes provided at work and after seeing the pure abuse the snap on tools can take I don’t think any other brand could hold up especially not your inexpensive tools. Plus you can’t beat the feel of a snap on tool so low profile and comfortable to use.

Nothing quality about snapon