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-   -   Ratchet Refurb (http://forums.carmudgeons.com/showthread.php?t=147109)

blee 03-26-2018 10:33 PM

Ratchet Refurb
 
1 Attachment(s)
I took delivery of my Grand Prix, ordered to my specs, on my birthday in 1999. Somewhere around that time I also bought a set of Craftsman ratchets and sockets, which have served me well ever since. Over the past few years, however, the ratchets were starting to show their age. The selector switch on the 1/4" stopped staying in place reliably, and the teeth inside the 3/8" wrench seemed pretty worn.

Lo and behold, Craftsman actually made rebuild kits for these wrenches. There have been a few iterations of the ratcheting mechanisms over the years, so you need to do a little homework (just look it up by the model number on the wrench). I think the kits are no longer made, but there are plenty to be found on eBay and such.

The kits include all-new innards -- ratcheting gear, pawl, selector lever, detent spring, ball bearing for the spring, rear cover, and snap ring. The rebuild process is straightforward except for one VERY ANNOYING part -- the ball bearing must be depressed and held in place while the pawl is slipped into position, which must be done after the selector is put in place. Some older rebuild kits came with a tool for that purpose. I tried to make do with a small screwdriver, and I got it on the first try with the 3/8" wrench. I lost both the new and the old ball bearings for the 1/4" wrench, so I went back to eBay and discovered that Snap-On made a tool designed specifically to hold that ball bearing in place. So I bought one of those as well as 10 ball bearings of the appropriate size. I now have eight left and one working 1/4" ratchet.

Anyway, bottom line: the ratchets work like new again. Sure, they're just okay wrenches to begin with, and I have (more than once) wished for one with more teeth, a hinged head, thinner body, and so on, but I'm pretty attached to them. They've held together a bunch of pretty freaking cool cars and I couldn't see the benefits to just buying new ones. Plus, I saved a few bucks.

ff 03-27-2018 07:30 AM

I've had my craftsman set now for close to 30 years (damn, am I really getting to be that old?), ever since getting out of college. Other than perpetually losing screwdrivers faster than I lose my hair, the set has held up perfectly well. Two of the socket wrenches have been replaced over the years, but back before Sears started handing out the repair kits instead of replacing the entire wrench.

rumatt 03-27-2018 07:37 AM

I have the same wrenches since college as well, and the ratchet on mine is also hosed.

Craftsman doesn't have a lifetime warranty? It makes me want to buy kobalt tools from Lowes. I've never tried it but I'm told you just walk in with the failed tool and they replace it.

bren 03-27-2018 10:34 AM

They should have a lifetime warranty - if you can find an actual Sears store.

That's a neat project, but I can't imagine it was cost effective (especially for a special tool and a 1/4" ratchet.) :)

kognito 03-27-2018 11:52 AM

The last three Craftsman ratchets I has toasted were replaced via the rebuild system. Handed them the bad one, got a new one with "some assembly required" (per Blee's picture)

FC 03-27-2018 01:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bren (Post 526058)
They should have a lifetime warranty - if you can find an actual Sears store.

If you do find one, they will give you a Chinese-made replacement. Better off rebuilding.

Nick M3 03-27-2018 02:13 PM

I’m told that Sears has stopped exchanging Craftsman without proof of purchase.

blee 03-27-2018 04:38 PM

Craftsman tools are supposed to have lifetime warranties, but I've never needed to use it and I've also heard that the process is less convenient than it once was (eg, walk into a Sears with a broken tool). Compounding the problem is the dwindling number of Sears locations around here. I also wonder what sort of effect the brand's sale to Stanley will have in the long run. Either way, I actually did spend less than I would've on new ratchets, even with the new tool and replacement ball bearings. More importantly, I'm still using the same ratchet. Sears swears that the newer wrenches made in "Asia" are improved designs...quite possible, but I don't want new wrenches.

kognito 03-27-2018 05:41 PM

The Sears in my local mall is a very sad place to visit. . . . not much in stock. The automotive center in it closed. The thermostats seem to be set for 80 degrees in the summer and 63 in the winter.

Kinda sad, someone needs to pull the plug.

We did just buy a 28 cubic foot fridge from Sears with free delivery and 0% financing. Unfortunately, if they close CitiBank will still want the money

Plaz 03-27-2018 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kognito (Post 526129)
The Sears in my local mall is a very sad place to visit. . . . not much in stock. The automotive center in it closed. The thermostats seem to be set for 80 degrees in the summer and 63 in the winter.



Kinda sad, someone needs to pull the plug.



We did just buy a 28 cubic foot fridge from Sears with free delivery and 0% financing. Unfortunately, if they close CitiBank will still want the money



They shut down the one near me a few months ago. Apparently the Objectivist Randian approach to management didn’t work out.

rumatt 03-27-2018 07:37 PM

There's a sears near me. Maybe I should exchange it to help them go bankrupt faster.

kognito 03-27-2018 09:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rumatt (Post 526152)
There's a sears near me. Maybe I should exchange it to help them go bankrupt faster.

Don't go throwing a wrench in their financial plans

Alan 03-28-2018 04:58 AM

Are you kidding me ... they have a warranty on these things ... for some dumbass reason i’ve gone through 2 or 3 ratchets over the years when removing the lug nuts from my cars. I had no idea I could go back to Lowe’s and get a replacement :mad2:

No kidding around I literally just bought another one a month or two ago :irate:

rumatt 03-28-2018 07:00 AM

Yeah, app those broken wrenches could have been free.

But why are you using a ratchet p wheel bolts? Buy an impact gun for removal and a torque wrench for tightening!

Not necessary, but way more fun.

Alan 03-29-2018 05:55 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rumatt (Post 526173)
Yeah, app those broken wrenches could have been free.

But why are you using a ratchet p wheel bolts? Buy an impact gun for removal and a torque wrench for tightening!

Not necessary, but way more fun.

I only use it to break the lug then I usually use a dewalt power thing to zip them off and on then a torque wrench to finish the job.

I bought an impact gun but didn’t like the way it bangs against the bolt and dings it up.

John V 03-30-2018 12:38 PM

I'm just about to the point of throwing away the last of my craftsman ratchets. The quality on the new ones is extremely poor. I exchanged two of them last year for various issues and the replacements are just junk.

On a whim I bought a new 1/2" and 3/8" from Harbor Freight around Christmas and so far I really like them. I intended for them to live in the travel toolbox (full of cheap tools that I don't care too much if I lose one of or if one walks off with a competitor). We'll see how they hold up, but there is a lot less hysteresis in the ratcheting mechanism - they're both really close to as good as the Matco 1/2" that I have.

blee 04-04-2018 09:42 PM

Speaking of non-Craftsman tools, what's the line on the premium-level tool market? Among the Snap-Ons of the world, what's the best compromise between cost and quality?

I love my 15-year-old Craftsman tools, but I agree that the newer stuff is disappointing. Plus, as I mentioned earlier, it's getting less and less convenient to even find a Sears worth shopping for automotive tools. If I'm going to deal with ordering stuff, I might as well go whole-hog...

Nick M3 04-04-2018 10:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blee (Post 526794)
Speaking of non-Craftsman tools, what's the line on the premium-level tool market? Among the Snap-Ons of the world, what's the best compromise between cost and quality?

I love my 15-year-old Craftsman tools, but I agree that the newer stuff is disappointing. Plus, as I mentioned earlier, it's getting less and less convenient to even find a Sears worth shopping for automotive tools. If I'm going to deal with ordering stuff, I might as well go whole-hog...

Here’s the real rabbit hole:

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/...d.php?t=136120

https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/...d.php?t=249851

The tool truck equivalent threads. It’s not like Snap On or anyone else actually makes much for itself.

clyde 04-04-2018 10:39 PM

Dunno if those Garage Journal threads get into it, but there's also been a lot of tool company consolidation and shifts in production (factories and countries). Worth checking this out:

https://pressurewashr.com/tool-industry-behemoths/

https://pow-jrk.netdna-ssl.com/wp-co...hat-Brands.jpg

blee 04-05-2018 01:20 AM

I'll have to check out those threads when I'm on a computer that isn't so dumb about "security." But, yeah, I know that relatively few tool companies have their own factories. For as long as I'm aware, Sears never did, either, and I know there are some real tool geeks who know which companies made Craftsman tools at different times.

Still, it seems to me that branding does make a difference, in some cases. The same factory might push out open-end wrenches for three different labels, but to what tolerances and design specs are each of them manufactured -- even if they ship from the same building?

Nick M3 04-05-2018 09:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by blee (Post 526807)
I'll have to check out those threads when I'm on a computer that isn't so dumb about "security." But, yeah, I know that relatively few tool companies have their own factories. For as long as I'm aware, Sears never did, either, and I know there are some real tool geeks who know which companies made Craftsman tools at different times.

Still, it seems to me that branding does make a difference, in some cases. The same factory might push out open-end wrenches for three different labels, but to what tolerances and design specs are each of them manufactured -- even if they ship from the same building?

How much better does the theoretical tolerance need to be to justify paying 3-10x the price? I haven't bought a *lot* of "off brand" tools, but the Precision and CDI torque wrenches are great. Both of those were/are Snap On suppliers.

John V 04-05-2018 12:41 PM

The CDI torque wrench I bought for doing differential setup is incredible.

blee 04-05-2018 04:29 PM

The only Snap-On tool I own (except, I think, that little ratchet ball bearing thingy) is a 3/8" Tech Angle digital torque wrench. I believe it shares its guts with CDI, and I agree, it's amazing.

blee 04-05-2018 04:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Nick M3 (Post 526826)
How much better does the theoretical tolerance need to be to justify paying 3-10x the price? I haven't bought a *lot* of "off brand" tools, but the Precision and CDI torque wrenches are great. Both of those were/are Snap On suppliers.

I agree with you, and I know that sometimes/often you're literally paying for the brand stamped on the tool -- same factory, same design, same dimensions, same everything. Just not always.

FC 04-05-2018 08:12 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clyde (Post 526802)
Dunno if those Garage Journal threads get into it, but there's also been a lot of tool company consolidation and shifts in production (factories and countries). Worth checking this out:

https://pressurewashr.com/tool-industry-behemoths/

https://pow-jrk.netdna-ssl.com/wp-co...hat-Brands.jpg

One of those companies writes my paycheck. ;)

FC 04-05-2018 08:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by John V (Post 526856)
The CDI torque wrench I bought for doing differential setup is incredible.

I got a 1/2" 300lb-ft CDI torque wrench about 10 years ago. Love it. I then got a 3/8" one which is also great.

I've had a 1/4" one on my amazon wish list for about 5 years but still hesitate to drop $100+ on something I will use so rarely.


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