@The Den of Tools great video! Question - if the husky and the autozone are the same tool, is there any reason to buy one over the other? Husky or duralast
@@GamingFun9900 In my testing the Autozone came out a smidge better but some of that might just be preference. I will admit to liking the knurled grip much better. Other than that I think the biggest question would be what is closer and easier for you. HD or AZ.
@The Den of Tools video idea 💡.... first your very familiar with ratchets and there internals, as shown in this video. My question is, Is it at all possible to do a video on disassembly, cleaning/greasing, and then a final reassembly? Look forward to hearing back👍 thanks!
I bought a Craftsman 1/2" drive ratchet at Sears back in the 1970s. That was a Made in the USA classic hardcore tool. I broke it, finally, a few weeks ago doing an engine replacement. I took that old faithful ratchet to Lowes and it turns out they didn't make one exactly like it. So I grabbed a ratchet off the shelf and went over to the Customer Service desk. I handed them the old ratchet and the new one together and said, "I broke my Craftsman ratchet and I would like to replace it under warranty." The young woman behind the counter looked me dead in the eye and said, "OK" and handed me the new ratchet back. No questions, no paperwork, in and out of the store in less than 10 minutes, and 8 of those were spent checking out the new ratchets to decide which one I wanted. I am going to miss that wonderful old faithful ratchet, but other than that I couldn't be happier. I doubt that the replacement will last 40 years, but if the warranty continues to be honored I am OK with that.
@@Yohane350 You're right about that! Shortly after posting my comment, I broke a 1/4" ratchet. It was one that I bought in about 1979. I remember because the rest of them I got earlier, like 1976 or 77, when I first started working on cars. I didn't even know 1/4" ratchets, or sockets that small, existed until later. I know you're asking, "How do you break a 1/4" ratchet?" I'm honestly not sure, just one day It stopped working. The pawl wouldn't turn either way. And I already figured out that you can no longer get repair kits for the Craftsman internal mechanisms. You could back in the day and I repaired several 3/8" Craftsman ratchets. In fact, I still have them! But neither the 1/2" nor the 1/4" replacement ratchets are Made in USA. Damn!! So far they are working fine, but I'll be completely honest. I have ratchets from Snap-on, MAC, Cornwell, S-K, and Vulcan from the 80s, all Made in USA, that I now use more than those Made in Taiwan tools. They just feel better. It warms my heart to hear that you are using your dad's old tools. That's how things should be. Spend your money on the best you can get, then when you no longer need them, pass them on to someone who will appreciate them. My son-in-law is a tradesman, but I am not so sure he will get mine when I am gone. He treats his tools too poorly. I still use tools that are 45 years old. I lube them, clean them, and put them away in the proper place when I finish a project. I keep finding his tools scattered out in his yard or buried in his dirt/gravel driveway. I don't want my tools to end up that way.
I did speak to the manager at my Lowes regarding the Craftsman warranty and I was advised that Lowes would honor the Lifetime no questions asked, no receipt exchange on all Craftsman hand tools just like Sears used to.
Rick Pollard , wow that's great because Sears wouldn't even replace my broken tool over 20 years ago , I still have the broken piece of crap in my garage to remind everyone not to ever buy craftsman tools , it's been a joke for me and my buddies for years , they can't believe I still keep it , Everytime I think about going to Sears I want you to hit me with it , I have never been to Sears and would mute Bob Villa Everytime he did a Sears commercial on TV , I may just try to take it to Lowe's one day , it's been a conversation Piece for so long I kind of enjoy it now
@@jimthomas777 I think you just found a douchbag person at the till. I have brought back so many craftsman ratchets to Sears in the last 15 years. I've even brought back obviously beaten with a sledge ratchets with sipe pipe marks all over it and they still gave me repair parts. I didnt beat it up like that when I was a kid I'd grab anything I saw that was craftsman at garage sales because I knew they had an excellent return policy
bolerdweller , he was and still is a douchebag , he is the owner , the manager , the head honcho , the main man of the sears store and over 20 years ago I have bought 3 brand new lawnmowers and various tools , thousands of dollars , none of which are craftsman , I still have two of the lawnmowers and are still running today , and all of the other brands of tools , I laugh every time I go past a sears store , I delighted when they filed for bankruptcy , I hope they all go out of business forever , I had an opportunity to buy a Kenmore washer and dryer once at a yard sale very cheap but I said no , I do however have a small 7/16 craftsman wrench I like to laugh at in my tool box every now and then , it hasn't broke yet , but it has only one working part
I took a Craftsman flashlight back and they exchanged it...no problem. It still worked...but the battery charge indicator had stopped working...so...in my experience...they honor their warranty.
@@jimthomas777 shut up! Why are you SO CHEAP that you bought just 1 of them. You’re always disrespecting professionals. What’s up with that? Why don’t you buy the relic tool set? Why don’t you buy 3 of them? Why don’t you buy 3 of the oily tool set? They do sell tool boxes with ADDED scratches as decoration. The world has moved on to powered tools.
I think it's one of the black Husky ratchets that comes on a package with a rotating wheel with like 80 points on it so you can test it in the store for use in tight areas. I always thought it would be a great review to test all the brands of ratchets in that packaging to see how many actions it would take to make that wheel go all the way around one time. A lot of ratchets have a lot of teeth, but there's so much backlash before the teeth engage and become useful. With marketing in recent years we're all trained to ask about and drool over tooth count for use in tight spaces, but what's MORE important is will those higher tooth counts increase productivity in everyday use? Find the tool that will turn that disk in the fewest number of actions and that thing will save real time in a shop. The ratchets with the 2 pawls are the style that Plomb and Proto have been making for 80+ years. The switches were riveted on back then too. ALL of that design (like the larger Kobalt) are going to have the switch work in the opposite way as the first 3 you tested or the small Kobalt. The one you called a joke is one of those tried and true designs from 80 years ago. Just one fat tooth does the job with pretty much ZERO backlash, as you discovered! The higher tooth counts on the other tools seem kinda pointless in comparison. I don't really get why you cut the handles. There really wasn't anything to see, and now all those tools are ruined. I think if you were going to destroy the tools a failure test would have been more important for a real review or science or for fun.
I'm a backyard mechanic so I usually stick to the harbor freight line of tools as I think they're good quality for the price. plus it's on my way home from work and it's about 20 minutes from my house and the warranty is excellent. I used to be a Craftsman fan but I have now switched over to Pittsburgh. What I'd like to know about these ratchets is what are the tooth count. Granite I use the 3/8 line of ratchets and wrenches and I find that the more teeth in a ratchet the less work and fatigue I have when using them. Anyway great video. I will also say, I have a Home Depot just five minutes from where I work, and I have a Lowe's and Harbor Freight about 20 minutes from where I live. Hands Down, Home Depot has the best customer service hands down me if you're comparing both big box stores. then again it just comes to personal preference I guess. Shine on.
Old school mechanic here, cool video, my years of different drive ratchets that I used have been ok, but has far has the name brand ratchet you have tested which I have used before in my days as a mechanic, except the power tool drive ratchet, which kinda resembles a Tekton drive ratchet. out of those drive ratchet you displayed, I say the Kobalt 90t ratchet is the best out of the group. As far as the Husky drive ratchet not so great, now the Husky locking flex head drive ratchet is phenomenal! But hay thats just my opinion, overall cool review 😊👍
Hey Bear, You know what be really interesting to a lot of your viewers? Do the comparison again but this time compare an old Craftsman from years ago that was made in the USA to the ones they are selling now. Since the vast majority of us grew up buying and using nothing but Craftsman and are still using many of those old tools it would be fascinating to see how they were made years ago compared to how they are made now. To me, that would very interesting.
@@dstblj5222 I have several Craftsman originals, 1/2" & 3/8" that were part of a set I got for Christmas as a teen in the 1960's. Used them for over 55 years and they're still going strong. They don't have the nice 72 or 90 tooth pawls, but I'd put either of them up against any of the imports today without hesitation. The manufacturing mentality was just different back then... build it to last a lifetime or go home. I miss that.
@@bobbrown1603 glad you got a good one, really that's what happened we still make good stuff today it's just your forgetting the crap that was also sold back then
Never liked craftsman new or old. Absolutely unbearable square handles, rough forgings, dumb satin instead of full chrome. Never gave me happiness to use
Have the Stanley ratchet. It tends to reverse direction if you are swinging it fast. Emailed Stanley and they sent a free replacement without having to send the old one back. 10/10 service.
You are so right,I was surprised that the Duralast won. Not surprised however that a cheap tool can get the job done. Out of circumstance that is all I've ever used. 😝😀 btw getting ready to take a picture of the$75 Beautiful Blue Box I think I'll call her Beebe lol. Hey people name their cars, right? After all it is my first ever tool cart. Shine On my Friend !!!
All of my tools, boxes and vehicles have names and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Even the beer fridge in my shop is named Cold Hearted Bi@#$, C.H.B. for short. She loves her name and lives up to it every day.
I have a kobalt 90 that came in a 40 piece 3/8 socket set which is a great set to carry with you. Has all the sizes you need shallow and deep with no skips. I packed the head with grease and the action is so smooth and quiet. Got the set for $30.
Kent Greene I bought the 154 piece set with 3 90 tooth ratchets about a week ago. I haven't done it yet, but, I was also planning to take the ratchets apart and grease them. However, this set does skip a couple very common sizes. Not a big deal though since I read the contents and bought what was missing at the same time. I'd have gladly traded the basically useless short allen wrenches and the 4 open end wrenches for the missing sockets and a couple more extensions though.
Recently had to return a broken Titan impact universal joint at Auto Zone...it came in a multi-pack, and even though i had only broken the one U-joint, they replaced the entire pack "no questions asked"...i was happily impressed.
Harbor Freight Pittsburg Pro rachets are great! And if you need a specialty socket, Duralast at AutoZone is the way to go! Lifetime exchanges. The spark plug sockets are booted magnetic with rachet detent. No dropped parts.
I'll second the duralast plug sockets - the magnetism is fan-freakin-tastic compared to the janky rubber that's in most. Also not half bad for regular sockets when you need a one off as they sell individual. I have a pretty large standard chrome one I completely beat the snot out of with my impact gun trying to take off a control arm bolt and it didn't break or shatter like the tales say, just wallowed out a little on the square drive side - can't complain about that.
Great video Red! I have been impressed with the duralast ratchets in the past. I have had to buy a few in a pinch and they are actually good quality. Thanks for sharing!
great thorough review. i've had an autozone set from before duralast for years. it was a greatneck... i know they put their name on some absolute garbage over the year but they did brand some decent stuff. i've had that set for probably over 15 years, i'm on my 3rd ratchet and opted to buy a duralast set recently. i needed a 10mm short pretty badly and was missing a few others. don't think this was an occasional use set, i used that set at least every other day to do side work auto repair for a long time. i asked about a greatneck set when i went in autozone and the clerk told me duralast was made by the same company. if that's the case, i'm set for life being as i rarely do side work anymore. the greatneck set is now retired to my truck toolbox.
i was surprised by the autozone ratchet, ages ago i was fixing something in my car in the auto zone parking lot, needed a ratchet went inside and brought one, the ratchet was branded Great Neck, about 5 seconds of usage it started falling apart, i went in to get a refund, the guy said you can put your finger on top of here and its ok, i said i just brought this from you 5 mins ago, give me a refund, i'm going to sears to buy real tools. never brought tools from auto zone after that.
I actually bought a torx socket set from them about a week ago,out of all the ones I looked at I liked it the most,even the socket rail it came on was decent.
Ok, so my first observation is placing s cut section under the microscope tells us nothing. If you wanted to compare the grain structures of the metals, you would’ve needed to polish the cut section before analyzing. Secondly, you’re really only testing the hardness of the chrome plating, not the metal per’se. Nontheless, you’re observing the plating process, as the substrate metal may very well have the same Rockwell hardness, but plating quality and thickness can yield varying results.
All this talk about grain structures brings back memories of my college course on material science. Professor did cool stuff with accident reconstructions to prove in court how certain parts failed and why or why not the manufacturers of the products were at fault.
That Evercraft ratchet design is a Plomb / Proto design that started in 1939 and 80 years later is still used by Proto and copied by many other tool company's. There is a reason for that. After using them for 51 years I have found the only reason they fail is if somebody uses grease in them instead of oil like they were designed to use. Plomb designed them with light pawl springs to reduce wear on the geared wheel and the pawls. Using grease that gets thick in cold weather and also hardens with age does not allow the internal parts to mesh properly, thus causing breakage and wear. I used the same 3/8 Proto ratchet for 32 years at my last job with never a failure. Only used oil or ATF in it and flushed it out every Friday night. I would dip it in fresh oil or ATF and let the excess drip out til Monday.
I had some SYW points and got the Craftsman 3/8 set from Sears and the switch broke on the first try. I went back and the guy at the counter literally tossed me another 3/8 ratchet, and so far it's been okay but compared to my other ratchets it definitely feels pretty flimsy. I'm just waiting for the day for it to break. On the other hand, I have a Craftsman max access set and that one is really top notch! I've been able to get so much done with it and it can take a beating. I also have quite a few Stanley ratchets and so far they have been my favorite. I've abused them a lot doing various automotive work and they've always been good. However, I did snap off the bit once. I was anxious about calling the 1800 number, but when I got a rep they sent out another one, no questions asked. I've also have a Husky 1/2 ratchet and that thing just won't quit. It's been through so much and it just keeps on going! I would get more, but the Stanley one's I have haven't given me a justification to. I also tried the duralast 1/4 ratchet (came in a set), and I was kinda disappointed at first because the ratchet was already broken. When I went back to trade it in the guy at the counter gave me a tough time on it. He initially said I'd have to bring back the entire kit and swap out the whole thing. I pointed out how stupid that was and then a manager came in and handed me another ratchet. And so far, the second one has been great! For most of these though, the quality is pretty hit or miss in my opinion. Luckily it's mostly hit. But when they suck, they just suck. And there's nothing worse than having your car taken apart and having a tool break. I've learned to have an extra one ready. Sorry if it was too long, love your videos!
I know they're not quite in this price tier but I am really loving the Napa Carlyle line of tools. Their ratchets feel amazing with seemingly near snap-on quality, at very reasonable prices. And Napa really has absolutely first rate service imo.
Nice round of tests! I hope Mrs. Bear doesn't maul you too badly! FWIW, you're just see the saw marks in those cuts. To see the grain structure you'd need to polish and etch the ends.
I can't believe most on the ratchets have little or no grease ln them!! I guess a rule should be any time you buy a new ratchet you should grease them before you use them! thanks, red!
The AutoZone ratchet was tested in an article years ago. I wondered how real it was and now I see the bear proved it. I'll probably pick one up myself if Icon takes forever.
Great video! I believe Lowe’s also carries a new Craftsman ratchet design, that one appears to be the older design from before SBD bought them. I’d be interested to see the difference.
Hex keys and there socket counter parts would be a good one, I use hex keys and sockets daily all the way up to 3/4 and 19 mm in size. I've went through 4 sets easily, for fitment rounding and slippage, I do keep and modify the damaged ones out for specific needs and uses
I always liked the more square handles of the Craftsman ratchets. They had more meat to pull on compared to SnapOff and MAC. More comfort when pulling hard on a rusted bolt. All the other ratchets you have there look like they are trying to imitate SnapOff. I never liked small round handled ratchets.
I wouldn't touch a Chinese-made Craftsman tool. I may as well buy the Stanley version and save a few bucks. I was going to add a "lol" but then realized how sad my statement in reality was. I felt bad, but the truth hurts. Craftsman is now just another name in the Stanley/Black & Decker portfolio. 😞 My family moved to the US way back in 1980. That's when there was still a pride in American craftsmanship. "Made in the USA" was a stamp of quality. My father was a Boilermaker, a journeyman in five trade skills. More than thirty five ago he told me "If it isn't made in England, America (USA) or Germany, don't waste your money." My father bought Craftsman tools, he knew he could rely on them.. Last month I went on eBay and spent about $130-140 and got some vintage great condition, used Craftsman, made in USA 3/8 & 1/2 Ratchets and metric wrenches. I have no problem paying new prices for used quality US made tools. I think my dad would have approved. 😀
JackalGB If you want good tools cheap, try flea markets and estate sales. I can't tell you how many old American made S-K, Mac etc. I've found for next to nothing. Sure, they're used but that's what they're built for right? Last weekend at our monthly flea market, I found a complete, 40 something piece, 1/2" drive S-K metric socket set still in its green steel case for $15. I don't usually call my finds used, I call them "experienced".
@@MikeBrown-ii3pt It used to be SK Wayne...now just SK. I used to have a set of SK Wayne 3/8" sockets and ratchets. Bought them back in the 70's...for less than $30.00.
And that would be why I actually have a ton of Duralast tools in my tool box and put AutoZone on my monthly list of places to stop and check out. I Also did a few videos, but not as awesome as this one!
On the Stanley warranty, you call or email, and tell them the model number and what is broken. You don't have to send them, the broken tool, and they send you a replacement (I usually got mine in 3 days).
Out of all these, my pick would be the Duralast. I have the Craftsman ratchet and believe it's the sloppiest ratchet I have ever used. If you are going used, it is pretty easy to score SK ratchets for a good deal. I should mention that SK ratchets have an excellent warranty as well. I used my last SK ratchet till it wore out. I sent my ratchet to them and got a new ratchet in less than two weeks. I can't say enough good things about them. My other most commonly used ratchet is a Snap On GF936 (the black finish) that I got for $35. It doesn't have the high tooth count of the modern ratchets but it is an excellent ratchet regardless.
Thanks for putting the time into this test. i am surprised that Kolbalt did not do as well as I thought it would. If I could I would reassemble a couple of those cut the handles down and use in those "hard to reach" places.
@@dreyn7780 quit spamming comments about power tools. We get it. There are sometimes you can only fit a rachet or wrench. I use my 24v impact a ton, but hand tools are far from obsolete.
I'd be interested in doing some destructive testing on tools. I used to be a quality/engineering lab technician and did destructive testing all the time.
I had good experience with Husky tool returns for the most part. At my HD, sometimes you have to explain a little about the warranty if the employee hasn't dealt with Husky exchanges before but no biggy usually. They can't all be rocket scientist..... Besides, its probably a good thing if they don't deal with it so much.
If you guys look on the back of the packages at home depot Lowe's etc.....you will see a lot of their tools are made by great neck tools of long island
my go to until i got my gearwrench 120xp set was a duralast 3/8 wobble head when i was wrenching. that thing never failed me. their ratchet wrenches are awesome too. i will say though, the ratchets you get with the duralast socket sets are different and lesser quality than the ones you buy individually. i have the complete 1/4 inch duralast socket set, and the ratchet that came with it is almost as bad as the craftsman in this video compared to the one that i got by itself. i really can't complain though, the socket set cost as much as the ratchet alone.
congrats on 30,000 subscribers, also I've been watching your channel for well over a year now and this was probably my favorite video I've ever seen you make. I started a second UA-cam channel a while back and my intention were to do tool videos very much just like this one. I wanted to make a very in depth side by side (inside and out) comparison the new Craftsman "gunmetal chrome" ratchet from Lowe's to the old classic flatpanel handle Ratchet from Sears....If I had finished my video, I'm not sure have done as good a job as you did with this video......(unfortunately, between my Electrician job and Baptist ministry and having a Daughter in college ..... I just don't have time to make videos....I guess that's why I get so much joy out of channels like yours or Koon Trucking or V.C.G. ...Keep up the good work)......PS, I busted two of those Husky ratchets over the years and Home Depot replaced both them.
Thanks! When I started the channel this was the sort of video I wanted to do but youtube does not make it easy. Videos like this are expensive to make, $250 in "budget" ratchets. If it hits 30k views I might break even on it. So essentially I have to do a bunch of HF sale videos and top 10 videos, the stuff everyone watches to cover the cost of these videos. And don't get me started on time. One day of driving all over town to buy the ratchets. Another day of testing and filming and two and a half days of editing all the footage into something somewhat cohesive. If I was still working full time this would have taken two months to get done. All that really to say, don't feel bad, it's a lot more work than people think it is.
I've been using a Craftsman Made in USA set from the mid-90's (circa 94-96) for years, had all three ratchets open in the last two months. Other than the SBD version having poor finish inside the ratchet head, rough surfaces and all; it looks to be the same pawl, selector design (including the moving selector when ratcheting), and ratchet wheel with maybe a quality control difference I can't see on camera. Everyone I've heard talk about it says it's because the selector is directly attaching to the pawl at a common axes of rotation. Whereas all the other ratchets you tested have an indirect connection between the selector and the pawl(s) either forcing one side of a separate pawl (with it's own separate axes of rotation) forward or disengaging one of two pawls and allowing the other pawl to move forward under spring tension.
Craftsman ratchets from day one I've always been sloppy slacky dinosaurs, and we're notorious for busting knuckles due to stripping and slipping of the gear teeth, I've busted so many Knuckles that I gave up on them and referred to those ratchets as. "CRAPSMAN" ratchets despite loving the American-made sockets, I currently have two Huskies that have been abused quite a bit I never had no problem with them.
he compared the same ratchets, SBD is selling the same Sears stock for the raised panel ratchets. I agree tho, would have been nice to see the 2 new ratchet styles SBD offers at Lowes.
I've been slowly replacing or upgrading my craftsmen ratchets with the harbor freight Pittsburg pro ratchets. I know, as that I upgraded to a harbor freight tool from a craftsmen...but that's the truth. They are really nice ratchets for the money and they feel really good in the hand and have far more teeth in them than my old craftsmen ratchets.
The audio is out of sync by about 0.5 - 1 second. It makes it difficult to understand whats being shown when the clicking of the ratchet does not line up with it's movement. Other than that, excellent and insightful video review! Keep them coming! (but with synchronized audio)
Audio is synced, lol. I could not figure out what was going on at first. It's the sound reflection off of the metal table. It's weird but I was able to duplicate it.
@@denoftools I think Fosellar is right. Most of the video is synced but there are some sections that are not and I agree that it would've been awesome to hear the ratcheting clicks in sync for those portions of the video.
I want Craftsman to get back to it's former glory for quality as much as anyone however SBD is going to position it as middle of the pack tools because they don't want step on the toes so to speak of their DeWalt, Proto, and Mac lines
ben culp your commit makes no since! heres why, no mater if SBD sells a craftsman, proto, Dewalt, Proto, Mac they still make money! plus SBD has stated the craftsman is coming back to American made!
I think people need to be educated on the positions of their favorite tool companies. CF before Sears was a DIY tool company. When Sears bought CF they continued that position, and SBD will also position CF as a DIY company. Lets also stop romanticizing CF quality, they have never had consistent quality as CF is not a tool manufacturer. Sears CF built the brand on rebranding other peoples tools. Quality went up and down because of this as you change contracts often.
@@andrestnt while Sears never manufactured Craftsman tools themselves and had contract manufacturers make stuff under the Craftsman brand alot of the stuff that used be made was of very good quality for a DIY line. My dad's Craftsman hand tools from the late 70's and 80's are still to this day really nice tools, much better than what is being sold over the last 15 to 20 years
Husky replacement is also great I had a 18+ year 3/8 round head ratchet that was going out setting the ratchet to turn right or left the ratchet would just keep spinning and spinning until it engages so i just took the ratchet back and got a new more modern 3/8 round head ratchet
Bear, I've been using Craftsman ratchets, of that design, for more decades than I choose to mention. I LIKE the feel of that not shiny finish, just because of the feel. How many times do you use a ratchet, without having dirty hands? Very few. steve
You’re wasting your time talking to this person. He doesn’t get it. He needs to realise hand operated tools are luxury and historic. The world has moved on to powered tools. Hand tools are out of date by 30 years. It’s great that you can buy a NEW set of RETRO (retrospective) tools. Soon, we shall see new RUSTY TOOLS offered for sale, and we all should be buying them. They’re called RELIC tools.
@@dreyn7780 seriously kid stop with the out of date flintstone tool soapbox you're on. No one here or anywhere with any mechanical abilities would agree with a moronic childish notion that hand tools are obsolete. Grow up.
@@jadeolin8514 tune your tool collection every year and tune your mouth mister. I’m never going to introduce myself to you ever. Okay. You just don’t approach someone with disrespect.
Great video as always, a little long but good you should include a Walmart hyper tough next. From what I can see they have two grades of wrenches and sockets
I’m not a big Husky fan but I have that 1/2” ratchet and it has served me very well. I have a handful of quality ratchets and always find myself using the Husky on the hard dirty stuff.
I find a really thin coat of "Super Lube" Dielectric grease from Harbor Freight can make a driver much smoother. I don't have a 1/2 inch driver ratchet I find that 3/8 is more what I need and use more frequently. I still have a 3/8 ratchet that came in a kit my mother bought from Fingerhut for my father and it is my favorite ratchet that I own. I have absolutely no idea who made it, but it is definitely a rip off of a Snap-On design.
Great comparison! Would you still favour Duralast nearly three years on? I note that Tekton isn't in this list (but maybe you filmed this been before you got involved with them?). Where would the Tekton 1/2 drive sit in this line up? Close to top or somewhere in the middle? Thanks again!
The Stanley warranty is East enough to deal with, you call them up and they send you a replacement ratchet. The problem is that the ratchet is, in my opinion, junk. Bought a set at Walmart, the sockets are actually pretty good quality, don't match my SK, SO, or Cornwall, but seem to be better than the basic Harbor Freight. The ratchet that came with the Stanley set broke twice (used as a set to keep with my truck as a emergency set), so I gave the set away (with the broken second ratchet) and got a used Craftsman USA instead.
I just bought harbor freight set of the low profile hollow ratchets and sockets and I love the design. But after a little use, the special sockets for it have an inner sleeve that slides out of place and falls out sometimes. It's been a solid set other than that one socket that I had to keep fixing. Broke my craftsman so it'll do for now.
The majority of my sockets are craftsman and I love the brand. But I agree their socket wrenches are horrid now. I only kept them from the set I bought in case I lose a ratchet or as a backup if I break my s/k or gearwrench ratchets.
Sad to say I think 🤔 you answered my question on Craftsman. Now grant 20-25+ years ago I was a fanboy. Not anymore. Like you said buy the best product with the best deal. Like I’m not going to buy a $300 drill because it’s the best and I use it 2-3 times a month. That’s why we bought a Black & Decker for $39.00. It fits the bill.
Agreed about Craftsman. I love the tools, but I've always felt the ratchets are their Achilles Heal. Quality is just not there compared to other brands. Pretty much everything else about Craftsman is as good as anything you can get anywhere's, even the big truck brands.
You accept Harley Davidson making out of date products as themed products but you discriminate on tool manufacturers. They’re allowed to make the same ratchet 70 years in a row and just refine how it’s done. You accept old chocolate And lollies but you don’t complain. Why does every spanner need to be liquid chrome aerodynamic style? What’s wrong with MACHO sharp corners as a style? I want to buy ordinary painted tools but you nasty people keep forcing them to Bright chrome Everything. I’m never out in the sunshine where chrome produces it’s brilliant shine. You’re such a perfectionist at controlling others. We’re sick of it!
@@dreyn7780 What are you talking about? The only issue I have with the ratchets is the mechanism just feels a bit questionable compared to other brands. If they tightened the tolerances a bit so they don't feel so cheap, then I'd be just fine with them. The materal the body is made from is just fine, and you can get them in satin steel without the shiny chrome. Incidentally, Craftsman is currently building a factory in Texas to build Craftsman hand tools back in the United States. When they start producing their product back in the U.S. then we'll see how they are. Also, the older Craftsman tools were good tools. I've got a couple of them and they kick some serious tail end.
I have had problems with ratchet warrenty it has come to the point where the last time I had a broken ratchet I was given a rebuild kit and sent on my way to repair my own tool
Hey Bear, I have a compressor question which is off topic but I need your help. I am a Dentist and bought a dual head Dental Compressor 28 years ago. These are not like your standard compressors. They use modified Copeland Commercial Refrigeration heads instead of what you normally see on most Consumer and Commercial Compressors. The rationale of why they are used is first they have a fast recovery time. The second is since they are the same compressors used in Grocery Stores and other businesses for large commercial refrigeration they will last almost forever and are very quiet. The only difference is they are modified to pump air instead of refrigerant. Here is the question: When I first bought it I asked the Installer ( Dental Equipment Repairman) for the Dental Supplier what I should use for oil. He told me to just use standard 30 weight motor oil. So for the past 28 years I have been using Castrol straight 30W oil in it that I have changed once a year. Also remember, 28 years ago the internet didn't exist and there wasn't a local Harbor Freight down the street that sold Compressor oil by the quart. So there really weren't many options available back then unless you wanted to buy oil from the Dental Supplier at $65.00 a quart. So, after all these years should I stick with the Castrol, use Harbor Freight oil, switch to synthetic, or does it really make any difference this late in the game? The Compressor still works great and doesn't " burn" much oil through the year. For the Record, Dental Suppliers don't really fix much of anything anymore they want you to buy new. So there is no one around anymore who is an expert on these types of Air Compressors. And for the record, I am not making you responsible for any outcomes. I am just interested in your opinion. What do you think?
Yep, 30w oil. Just make sure its "non-detergent". You should check out the forum on our website at denoftools.com I try to read all the comments but I miss some. That is the place to be sure to get an answer.
@@AntonioClaudioMichael I was there today and asked about the Kobalt hand tool warranty. The store rep said that Lowes would not honored in the future. What's to stop Lowes from switching house brands again in the future to the next failing tool brand?
Yeah, they’re allowed to! They know how to make but you don’t! You shouldn’t be commenting. You’re not wise or the tool knowledge expert. Why don’t you go to someone who doesn’t make meatloaf, and ask them to make meatloaf? You wouldn’t eat the product they made. You’re INSANE!
I'm sure you know that the Evercraft is Napas cheaper line while Carlisle is there "pro" line. With that said and assuming all else is equal between brands, I'd bet that the Evercraft could take more torque than all the others because of the tooth count. The pawls don't need teeth on them because it's only a 24 tooth ratchet. I'm not saying that everyone should make a run on them since everything else WON'T be equal. Personally, I just bought a 100 something piece Kobalt set about a week ago to keep in my truck box. It has 3 of the 90 tooth ratchets so I guess I'll see how they hold up. If they break, I guess I'll see how the lifetime guarantee works out. This is my first set of Kobalt stuff and I didn't know that Lowe's was discontinuing Kobalt hand tools until the day after I bought them! Wish me luck with them.
I learned the hard way not to buy the cheapest, low quality ratchets from no names. I had a few of them, and they all broke rather short into using them.
Hey bear, I recently tried to return a craftsman ratchet to Lowes as it would not hold lock. In the store at customer service, they told me that they would not honor the warranty and I had to return it to craftsman. I contacted craftsman and they sent out a new ratchet which I received in about a week. Seems that Lowes just wants to sell the product but not be involved with any warranty issues. Sad, but I won't be buying any craftsman products from them.
I added a link to the USB Microscope to the Video Details (click on Show More above)
@The Den of Tools great video! Question - if the husky and the autozone are the same tool, is there any reason to buy one over the other? Husky or duralast
@@GamingFun9900 In my testing the Autozone came out a smidge better but some of that might just be preference. I will admit to liking the knurled grip much better. Other than that I think the biggest question would be what is closer and easier for you. HD or AZ.
@The Den of Tools thanks for the response! Keep up the great videos! 👍
@The Den of Tools video idea 💡.... first your very familiar with ratchets and there internals, as shown in this video. My question is, Is it at all possible to do a video on disassembly, cleaning/greasing, and then a final reassembly? Look forward to hearing back👍 thanks!
@@GamingFun9900 Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.
I bought a Craftsman 1/2" drive ratchet at Sears back in the 1970s. That was a Made in the USA classic hardcore tool. I broke it, finally, a few weeks ago doing an engine replacement. I took that old faithful ratchet to Lowes and it turns out they didn't make one exactly like it. So I grabbed a ratchet off the shelf and went over to the Customer Service desk. I handed them the old ratchet and the new one together and said, "I broke my Craftsman ratchet and I would like to replace it under warranty." The young woman behind the counter looked me dead in the eye and said, "OK" and handed me the new ratchet back. No questions, no paperwork, in and out of the store in less than 10 minutes, and 8 of those were spent checking out the new ratchets to decide which one I wanted. I am going to miss that wonderful old faithful ratchet, but other than that I couldn't be happier. I doubt that the replacement will last 40 years, but if the warranty continues to be honored I am OK with that.
Damn that must’ve felt like loosing a piece of your soul.
Old Craftsman was sure built to last.
I still use my dads old set from the 90’s.
@@Yohane350 You're right about that! Shortly after posting my comment, I broke a 1/4" ratchet. It was one that I bought in about 1979. I remember because the rest of them I got earlier, like 1976 or 77, when I first started working on cars. I didn't even know 1/4" ratchets, or sockets that small, existed until later. I know you're asking, "How do you break a 1/4" ratchet?" I'm honestly not sure, just one day It stopped working. The pawl wouldn't turn either way. And I already figured out that you can no longer get repair kits for the Craftsman internal mechanisms. You could back in the day and I repaired several 3/8" Craftsman ratchets. In fact, I still have them! But neither the 1/2" nor the 1/4" replacement ratchets are Made in USA. Damn!! So far they are working fine, but I'll be completely honest. I have ratchets from Snap-on, MAC, Cornwell, S-K, and Vulcan from the 80s, all Made in USA, that I now use more than those Made in Taiwan tools. They just feel better.
It warms my heart to hear that you are using your dad's old tools. That's how things should be. Spend your money on the best you can get, then when you no longer need them, pass them on to someone who will appreciate them. My son-in-law is a tradesman, but I am not so sure he will get mine when I am gone. He treats his tools too poorly. I still use tools that are 45 years old. I lube them, clean them, and put them away in the proper place when I finish a project. I keep finding his tools scattered out in his yard or buried in his dirt/gravel driveway. I don't want my tools to end up that way.
I am a gearwrench 120xp man myself one of the best ratchets out there at any price.
I did speak to the manager at my Lowes regarding the Craftsman warranty and I was advised that Lowes would honor the Lifetime no questions asked, no receipt exchange on all Craftsman hand tools just like Sears used to.
Rick Pollard , wow that's great because Sears wouldn't even replace my broken tool over 20 years ago , I still have the broken piece of crap in my garage to remind everyone not to ever buy craftsman tools , it's been a joke for me and my buddies for years , they can't believe I still keep it , Everytime I think about going to Sears I want you to hit me with it , I have never been to Sears and would mute Bob Villa Everytime he did a Sears commercial on TV , I may just try to take it to Lowe's one day , it's been a conversation Piece for so long I kind of enjoy it now
@@jimthomas777 I think you just found a douchbag person at the till. I have brought back so many craftsman ratchets to Sears in the last 15 years. I've even brought back obviously beaten with a sledge ratchets with sipe pipe marks all over it and they still gave me repair parts. I didnt beat it up like that when I was a kid I'd grab anything I saw that was craftsman at garage sales because I knew they had an excellent return policy
bolerdweller , he was and still is a douchebag , he is the owner , the manager , the head honcho , the main man of the sears store and over 20 years ago I have bought 3 brand new lawnmowers and various tools , thousands of dollars , none of which are craftsman , I still have two of the lawnmowers and are still running today , and all of the other brands of tools , I laugh every time I go past a sears store , I delighted when they filed for bankruptcy , I hope they all go out of business forever , I had an opportunity to buy a Kenmore washer and dryer once at a yard sale very cheap but I said no , I do however have a small 7/16 craftsman wrench I like to laugh at in my tool box every now and then , it hasn't broke yet , but it has only one working part
I took a Craftsman flashlight back and they exchanged it...no problem. It still worked...but the battery charge indicator had stopped working...so...in my experience...they honor their warranty.
@@jimthomas777 shut up!
Why are you SO CHEAP that you bought just 1 of them.
You’re always disrespecting professionals.
What’s up with that?
Why don’t you buy the relic tool set? Why don’t you buy 3 of them?
Why don’t you buy 3 of the oily tool set?
They do sell tool boxes with ADDED scratches as decoration.
The world has moved on to powered tools.
I think it's one of the black Husky ratchets that comes on a package with a rotating wheel with like 80 points on it so you can test it in the store for use in tight areas. I always thought it would be a great review to test all the brands of ratchets in that packaging to see how many actions it would take to make that wheel go all the way around one time. A lot of ratchets have a lot of teeth, but there's so much backlash before the teeth engage and become useful. With marketing in recent years we're all trained to ask about and drool over tooth count for use in tight spaces, but what's MORE important is will those higher tooth counts increase productivity in everyday use? Find the tool that will turn that disk in the fewest number of actions and that thing will save real time in a shop.
The ratchets with the 2 pawls are the style that Plomb and Proto have been making for 80+ years. The switches were riveted on back then too. ALL of that design (like the larger Kobalt) are going to have the switch work in the opposite way as the first 3 you tested or the small Kobalt. The one you called a joke is one of those tried and true designs from 80 years ago. Just one fat tooth does the job with pretty much ZERO backlash, as you discovered! The higher tooth counts on the other tools seem kinda pointless in comparison.
I don't really get why you cut the handles. There really wasn't anything to see, and now all those tools are ruined. I think if you were going to destroy the tools a failure test would have been more important for a real review or science or for fun.
I'm a backyard mechanic so I usually stick to the harbor freight line of tools as I think they're good quality for the price. plus it's on my way home from work and it's about 20 minutes from my house and the warranty is excellent. I used to be a Craftsman fan but I have now switched over to Pittsburgh. What I'd like to know about these ratchets is what are the tooth count. Granite I use the 3/8 line of ratchets and wrenches and I find that the more teeth in a ratchet the less work and fatigue I have when using them. Anyway great video.
I will also say, I have a Home Depot just five minutes from where I work, and I have a Lowe's and Harbor Freight about 20 minutes from where I live. Hands Down, Home Depot has the best customer service hands down me if you're comparing both big box stores. then again it just comes to personal preference I guess.
Shine on.
Old school mechanic here, cool video, my years of different drive ratchets that I used have been ok, but has far has the name brand ratchet you have tested which I have used before in my days as a mechanic, except the power tool drive ratchet, which kinda resembles a Tekton drive ratchet. out of those drive ratchet you displayed, I say the Kobalt 90t ratchet is the best out of the group. As far as the Husky drive ratchet not so great, now the Husky locking flex head drive ratchet is phenomenal! But hay thats just my opinion, overall cool review 😊👍
Hey Bear,
You know what be really interesting to a lot of your viewers?
Do the comparison again but this time compare an old Craftsman from years ago that was made in the USA to the ones they are selling now.
Since the vast majority of us grew up buying and using nothing but Craftsman and are still using many of those old tools it would be fascinating to see how they were made years ago compared to how they are made now.
To me, that would very interesting.
tough to do mostly because it would be damn near impossible to find one new
@@dstblj5222 I have several Craftsman originals, 1/2" & 3/8" that were part of a set I got for Christmas as a teen in the 1960's. Used them for over 55 years and they're still going strong. They don't have the nice 72 or 90 tooth pawls, but I'd put either of them up against any of the imports today without hesitation. The manufacturing mentality was just different back then... build it to last a lifetime or go home. I miss that.
@@bobbrown1603 glad you got a good one, really that's what happened we still make good stuff today it's just your forgetting the crap that was also sold back then
Never liked craftsman new or old. Absolutely unbearable square handles, rough forgings, dumb satin instead of full chrome. Never gave me happiness to use
@@raffi2287 have you seen the new USA craftsman coming out of the Stanley plant in Texas? Imo it looks like cost reduced proto which is no bad thing
Have the Stanley ratchet. It tends to reverse direction if you are swinging it fast. Emailed Stanley and they sent a free replacement without having to send the old one back. 10/10 service.
I’m a ratchet junkie Mr Red, I’ve got a large drawer full of them. Of the budget flavor it’s hard to beat Husky
Best testing I have seen on this selection of ratchets and best video on amount of information and things tested great work
Historic tools.
Do you get around town on a bicycle?
Don’t you want to up date to motors?
Are you going to live forever?
@@dreyn7780 ummm not sure what this has to do with my comment 🤔
You are so right,I was surprised that the Duralast won. Not surprised however that a cheap tool can get the job done. Out of circumstance that is all I've ever used. 😝😀 btw getting ready to take a picture of the$75 Beautiful Blue Box I think I'll call her Beebe lol. Hey people name their cars, right? After all it is my first ever tool cart. Shine On my Friend !!!
Shine on and Happy Birthday!
All of my tools, boxes and vehicles have names and I'm not ashamed to admit it. Even the beer fridge in my shop is named Cold Hearted Bi@#$, C.H.B. for short. She loves her name and lives up to it every day.
I have a kobalt 90 that came in a 40 piece 3/8 socket set which is a great set to carry with you. Has all the sizes you need shallow and deep with no skips. I packed the head with grease and the action is so smooth and quiet. Got the set for $30.
Kent Greene I bought the 154 piece set with 3 90 tooth ratchets about a week ago. I haven't done it yet, but, I was also planning to take the ratchets apart and grease them. However, this set does skip a couple very common sizes. Not a big deal though since I read the contents and bought what was missing at the same time. I'd have gladly traded the basically useless short allen wrenches and the 4 open end wrenches for the missing sockets and a couple more extensions though.
I have that style Craftsman, however mine is at least 25 years old and USA made. Still works flawlessly, not a scratch on it.
Recently had to return a broken Titan impact universal joint at Auto Zone...it came in a multi-pack, and even though i had only broken the one U-joint, they replaced the entire pack "no questions asked"...i was happily impressed.
Pear Shaped, I love Pear Shaped.....ugh wait, we're talking about ratchets now? Oh, never mind. 😝
Harbor Freight Pittsburg Pro rachets are great! And if you need a specialty socket, Duralast at AutoZone is the way to go! Lifetime exchanges. The spark plug sockets are booted magnetic with rachet detent. No dropped parts.
I'll second the duralast plug sockets - the magnetism is fan-freakin-tastic compared to the janky rubber that's in most. Also not half bad for regular sockets when you need a one off as they sell individual. I have a pretty large standard chrome one I completely beat the snot out of with my impact gun trying to take off a control arm bolt and it didn't break or shatter like the tales say, just wallowed out a little on the square drive side - can't complain about that.
Great video Red! I have been impressed with the duralast ratchets in the past. I have had to buy a few in a pinch and they are actually good quality. Thanks for sharing!
Ok, be honest, you were as surprised as I was at the quality of the Autozone ratchet!
great thorough review. i've had an autozone set from before duralast for years. it was a greatneck... i know they put their name on some absolute garbage over the year but they did brand some decent stuff. i've had that set for probably over 15 years, i'm on my 3rd ratchet and opted to buy a duralast set recently. i needed a 10mm short pretty badly and was missing a few others. don't think this was an occasional use set, i used that set at least every other day to do side work auto repair for a long time. i asked about a greatneck set when i went in autozone and the clerk told me duralast was made by the same company. if that's the case, i'm set for life being as i rarely do side work anymore. the greatneck set is now retired to my truck toolbox.
No,but only because I'm obsessed with ratchets lol. I know duralast ratchets are some of the best budget ratchets available
i was surprised by the autozone ratchet, ages ago i was fixing something in my car in the auto zone parking lot, needed a ratchet went inside and brought one, the ratchet was branded Great Neck, about 5 seconds of usage it started falling apart, i went in to get a refund, the guy said you can put your finger on top of here and its ok, i said i just brought this from you 5 mins ago, give me a refund, i'm going to sears to buy real tools. never brought tools from auto zone after that.
I actually bought a torx socket set from them about a week ago,out of all the ones I looked at I liked it the most,even the socket rail it came on was decent.
I've actually heard good things about Duralast tools. Stay away from the Great Neck ones though.
Ok, so my first observation is placing s cut section under the microscope tells us nothing. If you wanted to compare the grain structures of the metals, you would’ve needed to polish the cut section before analyzing. Secondly, you’re really only testing the hardness of the chrome plating, not the metal per’se. Nontheless, you’re observing the plating process, as the substrate metal may very well have the same Rockwell hardness, but plating quality and thickness can yield varying results.
All this talk about grain structures brings back memories of my college course on material science. Professor did cool stuff with accident reconstructions to prove in court how certain parts failed and why or why not the manufacturers of the products were at fault.
Always get a kick out of you bear and your comments, Thanks, for all you do for us tool heads.
lol great video. gave me a chuckle when you said "the most handsome bear rug" lol
Now this is a good video you rock Red keep up the great work jeff
That Evercraft ratchet design is a Plomb / Proto design that started in 1939 and 80 years later is still used by Proto and copied by many other tool company's. There is a reason for that. After using them for 51 years I have found the only reason they fail is if somebody uses grease in them instead of oil like they were designed to use. Plomb designed them with light pawl springs to reduce wear on the geared wheel and the pawls. Using grease that gets thick in cold weather and also hardens with age does not allow the internal parts to mesh properly, thus causing breakage and wear. I used the same 3/8 Proto ratchet for 32 years at my last job with never a failure. Only used oil or ATF in it and flushed it out every Friday night. I would dip it in fresh oil or ATF and let the excess drip out til Monday.
Wow at the duralast and the husky
I had some SYW points and got the Craftsman 3/8 set from Sears and the switch broke on the first try. I went back and the guy at the counter literally tossed me another 3/8 ratchet, and so far it's been okay but compared to my other ratchets it definitely feels pretty flimsy. I'm just waiting for the day for it to break. On the other hand, I have a Craftsman max access set and that one is really top notch! I've been able to get so much done with it and it can take a beating.
I also have quite a few Stanley ratchets and so far they have been my favorite. I've abused them a lot doing various automotive work and they've always been good. However, I did snap off the bit once. I was anxious about calling the 1800 number, but when I got a rep they sent out another one, no questions asked.
I've also have a Husky 1/2 ratchet and that thing just won't quit. It's been through so much and it just keeps on going! I would get more, but the Stanley one's I have haven't given me a justification to.
I also tried the duralast 1/4 ratchet (came in a set), and I was kinda disappointed at first because the ratchet was already broken. When I went back to trade it in the guy at the counter gave me a tough time on it. He initially said I'd have to bring back the entire kit and swap out the whole thing. I pointed out how stupid that was and then a manager came in and handed me another ratchet. And so far, the second one has been great!
For most of these though, the quality is pretty hit or miss in my opinion. Luckily it's mostly hit. But when they suck, they just suck. And there's nothing worse than having your car taken apart and having a tool break. I've learned to have an extra one ready.
Sorry if it was too long, love your videos!
I know they're not quite in this price tier but I am really loving the Napa Carlyle line of tools. Their ratchets feel amazing with seemingly near snap-on quality, at very reasonable prices. And Napa really has absolutely first rate service imo.
That's a level tool
Nice round of tests! I hope Mrs. Bear doesn't maul you too badly!
FWIW, you're just see the saw marks in those cuts. To see the grain structure you'd need to polish and etch the ends.
I can't believe most on the ratchets have little or no grease ln them!!
I guess a rule should be any time you buy a new ratchet you should grease them before you use them!
thanks, red!
Why would you need more than a film?
The AutoZone ratchet was tested in an article years ago. I wondered how real it was and now I see the bear proved it.
I'll probably pick one up myself if Icon takes forever.
Great video! I believe Lowe’s also carries a new Craftsman ratchet design, that one appears to be the older design from before SBD bought them. I’d be interested to see the difference.
But I’m not sure of the price. May be over $30
That USB microscope is the coolest thing I have seen yet!!! Added to my "Must Have" Amazon folder :)
For $20 I was honestly stunned with how good it works. I've used it when working on electronics and it's great.
@@denoftools exactly what I'd use it for as well.
I remember when Craftsman was no question asked, no receipt lifetime warranty.
Hex keys and there socket counter parts would be a good one, I use hex keys and sockets daily all the way up to 3/4 and 19 mm in size. I've went through 4 sets easily, for fitment rounding and slippage, I do keep and modify the damaged ones out for specific needs and uses
I always liked the more square handles of the Craftsman ratchets. They had more meat to pull on compared to SnapOff and MAC. More comfort when pulling hard on a rusted bolt. All the other ratchets you have there look like they are trying to imitate SnapOff. I never liked small round handled ratchets.
HA HA who said that "if ya want me to take a shit in a box I will but then all you'll have is a guaranteed piece of shit" happy tooling man!
I wouldn't touch a Chinese-made Craftsman tool. I may as well buy the Stanley version and save a few bucks. I was going to add a "lol" but then realized how sad my statement in reality was. I felt bad, but the truth hurts. Craftsman is now just another name in the Stanley/Black & Decker portfolio. 😞
My family moved to the US way back in 1980. That's when there was still a pride in American craftsmanship. "Made in the USA" was a stamp of quality. My father was a Boilermaker, a journeyman in five trade skills. More than thirty five ago he told me "If it isn't made in England, America (USA) or Germany, don't waste your money." My father bought Craftsman tools, he knew he could rely on them..
Last month I went on eBay and spent about $130-140 and got some vintage great condition, used Craftsman, made in USA 3/8 & 1/2 Ratchets and metric wrenches. I have no problem paying new prices for used quality US made tools. I think my dad would have approved. 😀
JackalGB If you want good tools cheap, try flea markets and estate sales. I can't tell you how many old American made S-K, Mac etc. I've found for next to nothing. Sure, they're used but that's what they're built for right? Last weekend at our monthly flea market, I found a complete, 40 something piece, 1/2" drive S-K metric socket set still in its green steel case for $15. I don't usually call my finds used, I call them "experienced".
@@MikeBrown-ii3pt It used to be SK Wayne...now just SK. I used to have a set of SK Wayne 3/8" sockets and ratchets. Bought them back in the 70's...for less than $30.00.
SanityOne Yep. I still have a bunch of old S-K Wayne stuff that I use.
DaBear......I would never tell you how you do things wrong.....that is what Mrs DaBear is for.......
"Minimum wage, mind numbing apathy." LOL. Works for me!
And that would be why I actually have a ton of Duralast tools in my tool box and put AutoZone on my monthly list of places to stop and check out. I Also did a few videos, but not as awesome as this one!
They are the best house brand especially the old 36 tooth they still make them called oem
On the Stanley warranty, you call or email, and tell them the model number and what is broken. You don't have to send them, the broken tool, and they send you a replacement (I usually got mine in 3 days).
Wow at the pawls on the everlast and the teeth are massive on the gear head
Out of all these, my pick would be the Duralast. I have the Craftsman ratchet and believe it's the sloppiest ratchet I have ever used. If you are going used, it is pretty easy to score SK ratchets for a good deal. I should mention that SK ratchets have an excellent warranty as well. I used my last SK ratchet till it wore out.
I sent my ratchet to them and got a new ratchet in less than two weeks. I can't say enough good things about them. My other most commonly used ratchet is a Snap On GF936 (the black finish) that I got for $35. It doesn't have the high tooth count of the modern ratchets but it is an excellent ratchet regardless.
I'm a huge SK fan. Did you see my video on the History of SK?
@@denoftools Yes, I sure did. It is a very good video. I subscribed after watching it.
In my experience working at Autozone, the warranty process is usually always painless.
Tekton ratchet should be in your line up.
Average price of Tekton is $40. That makes it a "mid-priced" tool.
@@denoftools They have a 1/2 ratchet for 28$ but it isn't quick release. I was looking at their 3/8 ratchets so my numbers were off. Sorry.
You should just for fun and see if Husky would replace the Ratchet.
return them all, this is important info for us so we know who to avoid in the future.
@@bird718 Ok, I'm going to try it. For QA purposes.
@@denoftools
.this is important stuff consumers want to know about. is lifetime free really lifetime free
Thanks for putting the time into this test. i am surprised that Kolbalt did not do as well as I thought it would. If I could I would reassemble a couple of those cut the handles down and use in those "hard to reach" places.
Not a bad idea!
but i can get snapon long handle flex head for 18$ i just got to squint at my HF long flexhead and its like its the same thing red handle and all.
Ya no lol
@@lennysantucci2177
The HF breaker bars are actually better calibrated than Snap-On, so I assume the ratchet is just as good.
Real men use power tools.
@@dreyn7780 quit spamming comments about power tools. We get it. There are sometimes you can only fit a rachet or wrench. I use my 24v impact a ton, but hand tools are far from obsolete.
@@dreyn7780 sounds like someone got a Worx combo kit for his birthday
I'd be interested in doing some destructive testing on tools. I used to be a quality/engineering lab technician and did destructive testing all the time.
I had good experience with Husky tool returns for the most part. At my HD, sometimes you have to explain a little about the warranty if the employee hasn't dealt with Husky exchanges before but no biggy usually. They can't all be rocket scientist..... Besides, its probably a good thing if they don't deal with it so much.
If you guys look on the back of the packages at home depot Lowe's etc.....you will see a lot of their tools are made by great neck tools of long island
Would have been awesome to see you do this to a steelman pro cobra 160tooth ratchet
Great job Bear.
my go to until i got my gearwrench 120xp set was a duralast 3/8 wobble head when i was wrenching. that thing never failed me. their ratchet wrenches are awesome too. i will say though, the ratchets you get with the duralast socket sets are different and lesser quality than the ones you buy individually. i have the complete 1/4 inch duralast socket set, and the ratchet that came with it is almost as bad as the craftsman in this video compared to the one that i got by itself. i really can't complain though, the socket set cost as much as the ratchet alone.
congrats on 30,000 subscribers, also I've been watching your channel for well over a year now and this was probably my favorite video I've ever seen you make.
I started a second UA-cam channel a while back and my intention were to do tool videos very much just like this one. I wanted to make a very in depth side by side (inside and out) comparison the new Craftsman "gunmetal chrome" ratchet from Lowe's to the old classic flatpanel handle Ratchet from Sears....If I had finished my video, I'm not sure have done as good a job as you did with this video......(unfortunately, between my Electrician job and Baptist ministry and having a Daughter in college ..... I just don't have time to make videos....I guess that's why I get so much joy out of channels like yours or Koon Trucking or V.C.G. ...Keep up the good work)......PS, I busted two of those Husky ratchets over the years and Home Depot replaced both them.
Thanks! When I started the channel this was the sort of video I wanted to do but youtube does not make it easy. Videos like this are expensive to make, $250 in "budget" ratchets. If it hits 30k views I might break even on it. So essentially I have to do a bunch of HF sale videos and top 10 videos, the stuff everyone watches to cover the cost of these videos. And don't get me started on time. One day of driving all over town to buy the ratchets. Another day of testing and filming and two and a half days of editing all the footage into something somewhat cohesive. If I was still working full time this would have taken two months to get done.
All that really to say, don't feel bad, it's a lot more work than people think it is.
I've been using a Craftsman Made in USA set from the mid-90's (circa 94-96) for years, had all three ratchets open in the last two months. Other than the SBD version having poor finish inside the ratchet head, rough surfaces and all; it looks to be the same pawl, selector design (including the moving selector when ratcheting), and ratchet wheel with maybe a quality control difference I can't see on camera.
Everyone I've heard talk about it says it's because the selector is directly attaching to the pawl at a common axes of rotation. Whereas all the other ratchets you tested have an indirect connection between the selector and the pawl(s) either forcing one side of a separate pawl (with it's own separate axes of rotation) forward or disengaging one of two pawls and allowing the other pawl to move forward under spring tension.
As a fan of tools it’s hard to watch you hack them in two. Good review
Craftsman ratchets from day one I've always been sloppy slacky dinosaurs, and we're notorious for busting knuckles due to stripping and slipping of the gear teeth, I've busted so many Knuckles that I gave up on them and referred to those ratchets as. "CRAPSMAN" ratchets despite loving the American-made sockets, I currently have two Huskies that have been abused quite a bit I never had no problem with them.
Nice comparison! Would have been nice to have seen a Sears Craftsman, and putting the Lowes version up to the Sears version!
he compared the same ratchets, SBD is selling the same Sears stock for the raised panel ratchets. I agree tho, would have been nice to see the 2 new ratchet styles SBD offers at Lowes.
I know this is old but as a GM for AZ yes apex makes the ratchets.
I've been slowly replacing or upgrading my craftsmen ratchets with the harbor freight Pittsburg pro ratchets. I know, as that I upgraded to a harbor freight tool from a craftsmen...but that's the truth. They are really nice ratchets for the money and they feel really good in the hand and have far more teeth in them than my old craftsmen ratchets.
The audio is out of sync by about 0.5 - 1 second. It makes it difficult to understand whats being shown when the clicking of the ratchet does not line up with it's movement.
Other than that, excellent and insightful video review! Keep them coming! (but with synchronized audio)
Audio is synced, lol. I could not figure out what was going on at first. It's the sound reflection off of the metal table. It's weird but I was able to duplicate it.
@@denoftools I think Fosellar is right. Most of the video is synced but there are some sections that are not and I agree that it would've been awesome to hear the ratcheting clicks in sync for those portions of the video.
I have that exact Craftsman 1/2 inch rachet. Is definitely my worst as well
I want Craftsman to get back to it's former glory for quality as much as anyone however SBD is going to position it as middle of the pack tools because they don't want step on the toes so to speak of their DeWalt, Proto, and Mac lines
ben culp your commit makes no since! heres why, no mater if SBD sells a craftsman, proto, Dewalt, Proto, Mac they still make money! plus SBD has stated the craftsman is coming back to American made!
I think people need to be educated on the positions of their favorite tool companies. CF before Sears was a DIY tool company. When Sears bought CF they continued that position, and SBD will also position CF as a DIY company. Lets also stop romanticizing CF quality, they have never had consistent quality as CF is not a tool manufacturer. Sears CF built the brand on rebranding other peoples tools. Quality went up and down because of this as you change contracts often.
@@andrestnt while Sears never manufactured Craftsman tools themselves and had contract manufacturers make stuff under the Craftsman brand alot of the stuff that used be made was of very good quality for a DIY line. My dad's Craftsman hand tools from the late 70's and 80's are still to this day really nice tools, much better than what is being sold over the last 15 to 20 years
Andres Solis their tools were ALWAYS good quality. I never had a bad one.
Congratulations on your 30000 subs me and my 4 year old son watch you very often. Thanks
That's awesome. My cubs always ask if other kids watch. I'll let them know!
Husky replacement is also great I had a 18+ year 3/8 round head ratchet that was going out setting the ratchet to turn right or left the ratchet would just keep spinning and spinning until it engages so i just took the ratchet back and got a new more modern 3/8 round head ratchet
Damn, I love when you saw those things up!
It was very cathartic.
Bear, I've been using Craftsman ratchets,
of that design, for more decades than I
choose to mention. I LIKE the feel of that
not shiny finish, just because of the feel.
How many times do you use a ratchet,
without having dirty hands? Very few.
steve
You’re wasting your time talking to this person.
He doesn’t get it.
He needs to realise hand operated tools are luxury and historic.
The world has moved on to powered tools. Hand tools are out of date by 30 years.
It’s great that you can buy a NEW set of RETRO (retrospective) tools.
Soon, we shall see new RUSTY TOOLS offered for sale, and we all should be buying them. They’re called RELIC tools.
@@dreyn7780 seriously kid stop with the out of date flintstone tool soapbox you're on. No one here or anywhere with any mechanical abilities would agree with a moronic childish notion that hand tools are obsolete.
Grow up.
@@jadeolin8514 tune your tool collection every year and tune your mouth mister.
I’m never going to introduce myself to you ever. Okay.
You just don’t approach someone with disrespect.
@@dreyn7780 diaf.
That older craftsman style ratchet are still horrible though
Your gonna hit a home run on these test bear,esp if your going to do all tiers.
Idk who makes them but I love my ampro tools. They are made in Taiwan and labeled as industrial is all I know as far as manufacturer
Those little microscopes are no joke. Mine goes up to 500x. I use it to inspect the edges on my straight razors.
Great video as always, a little long but good you should include a Walmart hyper tough next. From what I can see they have two grades of wrenches and sockets
I’m not a big Husky fan but I have that 1/2” ratchet and it has served me very well. I have a handful of quality ratchets and always find myself using the Husky on the hard dirty stuff.
Don’t you want a motor powered ratchet?
I find a really thin coat of "Super Lube" Dielectric grease from Harbor Freight can make a driver much smoother.
I don't have a 1/2 inch driver ratchet I find that 3/8 is more what I need and use more frequently. I still have a 3/8 ratchet that came in a kit my mother bought from Fingerhut for my father and it is my favorite ratchet that I own. I have absolutely no idea who made it, but it is definitely a rip off of a Snap-On design.
I like molybdenum dry lube. Nothing to glob up or anything to stick to.
If you haven't already,take a look at the new slim husky ratchets. I have been impressed with mine in daily shop use.
Great comparison! Would you still favour Duralast nearly three years on? I note that Tekton isn't in this list (but maybe you filmed this been before you got involved with them?). Where would the Tekton 1/2 drive sit in this line up? Close to top or somewhere in the middle? Thanks again!
The Stanley warranty is East enough to deal with, you call them up and they send you a replacement ratchet. The problem is that the ratchet is, in my opinion, junk. Bought a set at Walmart, the sockets are actually pretty good quality, don't match my SK, SO, or Cornwall, but seem to be better than the basic Harbor Freight. The ratchet that came with the Stanley set broke twice (used as a set to keep with my truck as a emergency set), so I gave the set away (with the broken second ratchet) and got a used Craftsman USA instead.
I just bought harbor freight set of the low profile hollow ratchets and sockets and I love the design. But after a little use, the special sockets for it have an inner sleeve that slides out of place and falls out sometimes. It's been a solid set other than that one socket that I had to keep fixing. Broke my craftsman so it'll do for now.
I didn't think the cutting proved anything until you cut the Pittsburg. Looks like the saw went right through
The majority of my sockets are craftsman and I love the brand. But I agree their socket wrenches are horrid now. I only kept them from the set I bought in case I lose a ratchet or as a backup if I break my s/k or gearwrench ratchets.
What do you think of the hyper tough ranches.
Sad to say I think 🤔 you answered my question on Craftsman. Now grant 20-25+ years ago I was a fanboy. Not anymore. Like you said buy the best product with the best deal. Like I’m not going to buy a $300 drill because it’s the best and I use it 2-3 times a month. That’s why we bought a Black & Decker for $39.00. It fits the bill.
Agreed about Craftsman. I love the tools, but I've always felt the ratchets are their Achilles Heal. Quality is just not there compared to other brands.
Pretty much everything else about Craftsman is as good as anything you can get anywhere's, even the big truck brands.
You accept Harley Davidson making out of date products as themed products but you discriminate on tool manufacturers.
They’re allowed to make the same ratchet 70 years in a row and just refine how it’s done.
You accept old chocolate And lollies but you don’t complain.
Why does every spanner need to be liquid chrome aerodynamic style?
What’s wrong with MACHO sharp corners as a style?
I want to buy ordinary painted tools but you nasty people keep forcing them to Bright chrome Everything. I’m never out in the sunshine where chrome produces it’s brilliant shine.
You’re such a perfectionist at controlling others. We’re sick of it!
@@dreyn7780 What are you talking about?
The only issue I have with the ratchets is the mechanism just feels a bit questionable compared to other brands. If they tightened the tolerances a bit so they don't feel so cheap, then I'd be just fine with them.
The materal the body is made from is just fine, and you can get them in satin steel without the shiny chrome.
Incidentally, Craftsman is currently building a factory in Texas to build Craftsman hand tools back in the United States. When they start producing their product back in the U.S. then we'll see how they are.
Also, the older Craftsman tools were good tools. I've got a couple of them and they kick some serious tail end.
I stand by my old usa made Stanley 3/8 ratchet, still going strong, holding up to SK, snap on,proto,USA craftsman. Just fine
I have had problems with ratchet warrenty it has come to the point where the last time I had a broken ratchet I was given a rebuild kit and sent on my way to repair my own tool
Harbor Freight has the cheapest price and easiest return policy though.
I willing to bet that Napa is tough as Hell! Those teeth are a BEAST! NO JOKE
i like my husky ratchets i returned 2 to the depot and no questions asked in and out.was totally my fault breaking them with a pipe on the end of them
The older duralast now oem are the best cheep house ratchets I've used they are just like Williams
Hey Bear,
I have a compressor question which is off topic but I need your help.
I am a Dentist and bought a dual head Dental Compressor 28 years ago.
These are not like your standard compressors.
They use modified Copeland Commercial Refrigeration heads instead of what you normally see on most Consumer and Commercial Compressors.
The rationale of why they are used is first they have a fast recovery time. The second is since they are the same compressors used in Grocery Stores and other businesses for large commercial refrigeration they will last almost forever and are very quiet.
The only difference is they are modified to pump air instead of refrigerant.
Here is the question:
When I first bought it I asked the Installer ( Dental Equipment Repairman) for the Dental Supplier what I should use for oil.
He told me to just use standard 30 weight motor oil.
So for the past 28 years I have been using Castrol straight 30W oil in it that I have changed once a year.
Also remember, 28 years ago the internet didn't exist and there wasn't a local Harbor Freight down the street that sold Compressor oil by the quart.
So there really weren't many options available back then unless you wanted to buy oil from the Dental Supplier at $65.00 a quart.
So, after all these years should I stick with the Castrol, use Harbor Freight oil, switch to synthetic, or does it really make any difference this late in the game?
The Compressor still works great and doesn't " burn" much oil through the year.
For the Record, Dental Suppliers don't really fix much of anything anymore they want you to buy new. So there is no one around anymore who is an expert on these types of Air Compressors.
And for the record, I am not making you responsible for any outcomes. I am just interested in your opinion.
What do you think?
Yep, 30w oil. Just make sure its "non-detergent". You should check out the forum on our website at denoftools.com I try to read all the comments but I miss some. That is the place to be sure to get an answer.
I love my Stanley socket set
Just did a timing belt water pump job with Stanley sockets and harbor freight ratching breaker bar on a 93 legacy
I've been using duralast hand tools for years and they've been do good.
I have used the husky no questions asked warranty on a 72 tooth ratchet was painless at home depot
You won't get that type of good service at Lowes. Husky all the way!
@@texasboy2005 no doubt half the time the lowes reps dont even know what isle a tool is in when you ask them
@@AntonioClaudioMichael I was there today and asked about the Kobalt hand tool warranty. The store rep said that Lowes would not honored in the future. What's to stop Lowes from switching house brands again in the future to the next failing tool brand?
@@texasboy2005 you have a good point about Lowe's my comment was about warrantys at home depot
not counting the craftsman, all these tools look the same and most all of them are made by the same company!
I wondered if they are all made by Stanley or someone.
Yeah, they’re allowed to!
They know how to make but you don’t!
You shouldn’t be commenting.
You’re not wise or the tool knowledge expert.
Why don’t you go to someone who doesn’t make meatloaf, and ask them to make meatloaf? You wouldn’t eat the product they made.
You’re INSANE!
Really should throw in a Williams USA ratchet, same price, excellent fit and finish, snap on internals, and made in the USA
I got a 3/8 unbranded ratchet very smooth and my favorite would you know?
I'm sure you know that the Evercraft is Napas cheaper line while Carlisle is there "pro" line. With that said and assuming all else is equal between brands, I'd bet that the Evercraft could take more torque than all the others because of the tooth count. The pawls don't need teeth on them because it's only a 24 tooth ratchet. I'm not saying that everyone should make a run on them since everything else WON'T be equal. Personally, I just bought a 100 something piece Kobalt set about a week ago to keep in my truck box. It has 3 of the 90 tooth ratchets so I guess I'll see how they hold up. If they break, I guess I'll see how the lifetime guarantee works out. This is my first set of Kobalt stuff and I didn't know that Lowe's was discontinuing Kobalt hand tools until the day after I bought them! Wish me luck with them.
Bigger is not always better. You can get as much surface area contact with a bunch of small teeth as you can with one big one. A
I learned the hard way not to buy the cheapest, low quality ratchets from no names. I had a few of them, and they all broke rather short into using them.
Hey bear, I recently tried to return a craftsman ratchet to Lowes as it would not hold lock. In the store at customer service, they told me that they would not honor the warranty and I had to return it to craftsman. I contacted craftsman and they sent out a new ratchet which I received in about a week. Seems that Lowes just wants to sell the product but not be involved with any warranty issues. Sad, but I won't be buying any craftsman products from them.
Did you buy it at Lowes or Sears?
I got this about 30 years ago from Sears.
What impresses me is that the blade on your bandsaw would cut through those tough handles. Did it have carbide teeth?
Nope, bimetal blade from Lenox
Thank you Tool Bear, I've got to have some of those.