Bought something new

notjustair · Nov 20, 2012

I have successfully broken two 1/2 inch drive ratchets recently. Must be from working on this old machinery and sliding a piece of one inch pipe On the handle all of the time.

Was at the big box store buying all thread and saw that they had one of those Kobalt ratchets that has a turning handle. Figured I would break it quick but it does have a lifetime warranty. Got home and realized that there were half a dozen sockets in there, too. I wasn't impressed until I saw that they were some new thing that was both metric and SAE. IN THE SAME SOCKET!

I was running around looking for things to try them on and I'll be damned if they don't work! Maybe they have had these for a while, but I haven bought myself a set of sockets in a while. They are just the size that I can put the holder in my pocket or something.

It's amazing what you find when you go to town once in a while. China is sure cranking out handy gadgets! I will be keeping the receipts for the day when I manage to break them. Working on the tractor tomorrow - might be then.

DeltaRed · Nov 20, 2012

If you keep breaking 1/2" ratchets,maybe you should think about a 3/4 drive...

Steve A W · Nov 20, 2012

Maybe get a Breaker Bar?
LOL
Steve A W

ShadetreeRet · Nov 20, 2012

Good suggestion! I broke a half inch pull bar one time trying to get the flywheel nut off a Volkswagen. (Don't tell anyone that I had about four feet of pipe extension on it). Decided right then and there that I needed something larger, went to three fourths drive. Woulda gone to an inch drive but them things was xpensive!

Lanse · Nov 20, 2012

Haha what set exactly did you get? Might be video worthy...

Im pretty partial to USA hand tools, but the Kobalts are hands down the BEST chinese hand tools Ive ever used.

JMS./MN · Nov 21, 2012

Using a cheater pipe on any ratchet is just asking for trouble. BREAK it loose with a breaker bar (maybe why the name?) and finish with the ratchet. Pretty much KnuckleBusting 101! Look at the internals on a ratchet....how small they are, how big the job you're trying. Do I use cheater bars? Heck, yes- just ask my bent pipe wrench! LOL

Puddles · Nov 21, 2012

Long pipe and a breaker bar are fine, but these are even better! :wink:

cannonball · Nov 21, 2012

get 3/4 Williams super ratchet...these will take a cheater and keep working...boss saw us using one and it broke(always kept replacement parts, but sometimes when we had 6ft + cheater on them they would break), so boss said no more went and bought 2 3/4 break-overs..broke the first one on first pull and the 2nd on second pull..told us to go back using ratchets..these were used in pipeline work..
Untitled URL Link

Russ from MN · Nov 21, 2012

Had a guy tell me once that a good ratchet is stronger than a breaker bar. 40 years of pulling wrenches and I think he was right!

Geo-TH,In · Nov 21, 2012

What's a ratchet? I use a 1/2 cordless dewalt impact. If I need some serious torque, a breaker bar and 3 ft of aluminum pipe works great.

r_d97 · Nov 21, 2012

Ha... a slugging wrench. Haven't seen one of those
since I was in the Navy. Used to use them on bolts
that needed to be "spot torqued". First time I heard
that I asked "what is "spot torqued?"" and they said
"torque it 'til you see spots" LOL.

Edward

chariedove · Nov 21, 2012

glad I came across this one. Thanks.

Bradracer18 · Nov 21, 2012

In reference to your comment about the metric and standard being in the same socket, yes those have been around for a while. They have their place, we keep a set in our semi where if you need sockets, you got all the sizes hopefully. A word of caution: the sizes obviously aren't the same or else there wouldn't be metric and standard....so these sockets have been made to mate somewhere in between. However, they will round off a bolt/nut very quickly if you pull on a smaller nut pretty hard so be careful!

Robert Major · Nov 21, 2012

Hi
I got a 3/4 socket set that I use on heavy stuff, if I bought it in China it would say made round the corner on it and in my pulling days tools where sponsored by snap off L.O.L.
I have had a 4ft plus pipe on the ratchet more times than I will admit in the last 20 odd years I've had it, yes one day it will let go but at a cost of about $100 the set and it covers standard and metric in one box, I won't cry that day, Just pray I can find another ratchet this good for under $300 to replace it.

fixerupper · Nov 22, 2012

In reply to those who suggest using a breaker bar, more than twice I've broken or bent a breaker bar with a pipe. To finish the job I put the pipe on a ratchet and got the job done. One of those times pieces from the fractured end of the breaker bar hit the guy helping me. When a ratchet gives up the ghost parts usually don't fly.

Reminds me of a story. One of the breakers was a Craftsman. I took it to the local sears store and gave it to the pretty young thing behind the cash register. She disappeared into the tool section and came back with a longer bar, appologizing to me that they didn't have the right one, but would I accept this longer bar instead. Uh,yeah? Jim

Anonymous-0 · Nov 23, 2012

Pretty cautious on using ratchets on old equipment. Ring spanners with a length of pipe I find are the best to get nuts moving.

Bought something new

notjustair

Well-known Member

DeltaRed

Well-known Member

Steve A W

Member

ShadetreeRet

Well-known Member

Lanse

Well-known Member

JMS./MN

Member

Puddles

Well-known Member

cannonball

Member

Russ from MN

Well-known Member

Geo-TH,In

Well-known Member

r_d97

Member

chariedove

New User

Bradracer18

Member

Robert Major

Well-known Member

fixerupper

Well-known Member

Anonymous-0

Well-known Member

Similar threads