excellent ratchet handles 1/2" £12.75 3/8" £10.20 with code WORKSHOP15code valid to 21/8Made from Professional quality Chrome Vanadium steelRubber Comfort Grip72 Teeth 5° Precision Motion Lifetime Guarantee*
17 comments
confused_boardman_owner
17 Aug 17#1
bought the 1/2 handle just last week with the previous tools code for 15% off ( got it down to £11.48 after british cycling was applied when collecting it. )
& while your there why not collect a 72 tooth precision repair kit for the wratchet just incase ( yes they are covered if they go wrong etc etc but what if the shops shut nd you need to continue working, for £1 ( 85p with code probably or 77p with code & BC discount or previous tool kit threads instore voucher ) its a money saver if you ever need to use it as it will probably cost more in fuel to return the handle for warranty replacement - i got a couple of each size of both 45 & 72 tooth versions of the kits to cover me for all my wratchets just incase ( i already have the 1/4 & 3/8 extreme ratchets from the no longer stocked 64bit precision socket kit they used to sell a couple of years back - so i just had to complete the set of extreme handles )
donslibi to confused_boardman_owner
18 Aug 17#2
I just want to know, is the ratchet any good?
Ozzie to confused_boardman_owner
18 Aug 17#9
ordered , thanks for that
confused_boardman_owner
18 Aug 17#3
cant comment on the 1/2" one as its still in the packaging awaiting being opened n used.
but i have used the 1/4 & 3/8" ones a good few times when working on the car & they were lovely to use & made light work of removing a nut that i just could not get going with the standard wratchet due to limited space to turn the handle ( so no clicking from the standard handle )
i would guess though that they wont be as strong a wratchet drive as the standard ones due to the much smaller tooth design on the wratchet head & thus thats why there is alot of folks on the halfords site with negative reviews about em failing quickly - these wont be handles you can add a extension pipe to & crank up the leverage or smack with a hammer or to get that stubborn nut moving etc ( just like wratchet spanners, they are meant for lighter loads / use where space is limited to swing the handle but when used right they should be a great tool.
GB99
18 Aug 17#4
What's the 3/8" 1/2" 1/4" part refer to.... And what's the difference?
imranbashir_uk to GB99
18 Aug 17#5
The size of the square driver on the end of the ratchet
GB99
18 Aug 17#6
Ok thanks... The bigger one means more torque I guess?
imranbashir_uk to GB99
18 Aug 17#7
Sort of,
The sizes of the sockets available is different depending on the size of the driver.
There is some overlap but not much.
The ratchet itself is physically smaller or larger depending on the driver size too.
1/4 = small nuts and bolts up to about 14mm
3/8 = most common sizes up to about 26mm
1/2 = for everything else or high torque applications
GB99 to imranbashir_uk
18 Aug 17#8
Thanks. So for the odd DIY job the 3/8 covers most bases?
imranbashir_uk to GB99
18 Aug 17#10
Yes, first set should be 3/8.
But remember this is just the ratchet (handle) so you will need to buy separate sockets or a separate socket set which will come with a ratchet anyway, just not one with such fine teeth as this one.
A1RN to imranbashir_uk
18 Aug 17#11
What you basing that on? I mean 3/8 torque wrenches tend to go up to about 100nm.
imranbashir_uk to A1RN
18 Aug 17#13
I'm basing it on experience and typical sizes found in socket sets.
As I pointed out in an earlier post the handle sizes are different. Trying to put 100Nm into a relativly small 3/8 ratchet isn't fun.
Torque wrenches are slightly different in that they have large teeth that can take the torque and are physically larger then your standard ratchet spanner of the same sized driver ( of course there are exceptions to this).
See Dodge62 post above for typical use cases if you have more than one size driver, they do overlap.
Dodge62
18 Aug 17#12
Are these significantly better than the standard Advanced/Professional ratchets? I use those every day, might be worth investing in these if better.
Personally I use 1/4 inch drive for up to 12mm, 3/8 for 13 - 17, and 1/2 inch above that. It's not just the amount of torque they can handle, but the physical size of the driver. A smaller 1/4 drive ratchet is much easier to use in a confined space, but of course you can't apply enough torque to undo/do up bigger fasteners. Conversely if you start using a 1/2 ratchet on 6mm bolts (10mm head) you're likely to overdo it and strip threads.
lilbeastie
18 Aug 17#14
how extreme is it really though?
TehJumpingJawa to lilbeastie
18 Aug 17#17
Extremely!
imranbashir_uk
18 Aug 17#15
@Dodge62,
1/4" a fine toothed ratchet is preferable as a 1/4" is often needed for confined space.
For 3/8" I also prefer a higher tooth count as it it good for tight spaces but will hold up to the torque required for a 3/8" ratchet.
For a 1/2" I prefer a coarse tooth because they will take the use and abuse expected of a 1/2" for heavier duty applications.
IMHO
Dodge62
18 Aug 17#16
Thanks. I ordered one at my local superstore but they called me to say it was out of stock (in spite of the computer saying otherwise).
Will keep a look out for the next time they're on offer, although I do wonder if they've withdrawn them now.
Opening post
17 comments
& while your there why not collect a 72 tooth precision repair kit for the wratchet just incase ( yes they are covered if they go wrong etc etc but what if the shops shut nd you need to continue working, for £1 ( 85p with code probably or 77p with code & BC discount or previous tool kit threads instore voucher ) its a money saver if you ever need to use it as it will probably cost more in fuel to return the handle for warranty replacement - i got a couple of each size of both 45 & 72 tooth versions of the kits to cover me for all my wratchets just incase ( i already have the 1/4 & 3/8 extreme ratchets from the no longer stocked 64bit precision socket kit they used to sell a couple of years back - so i just had to complete the set of extreme handles )
but i have used the 1/4 & 3/8" ones a good few times when working on the car & they were lovely to use & made light work of removing a nut that i just could not get going with the standard wratchet due to limited space to turn the handle ( so no clicking from the standard handle )
i would guess though that they wont be as strong a wratchet drive as the standard ones due to the much smaller tooth design on the wratchet head & thus thats why there is alot of folks on the halfords site with negative reviews about em failing quickly - these wont be handles you can add a extension pipe to & crank up the leverage or smack with a hammer or to get that stubborn nut moving etc ( just like wratchet spanners, they are meant for lighter loads / use where space is limited to swing the handle but when used right they should be a great tool.
The sizes of the sockets available is different depending on the size of the driver.
There is some overlap but not much.
The ratchet itself is physically smaller or larger depending on the driver size too.
1/4 = small nuts and bolts up to about 14mm
3/8 = most common sizes up to about 26mm
1/2 = for everything else or high torque applications
But remember this is just the ratchet (handle) so you will need to buy separate sockets or a separate socket set which will come with a ratchet anyway, just not one with such fine teeth as this one.
As I pointed out in an earlier post the handle sizes are different. Trying to put 100Nm into a relativly small 3/8 ratchet isn't fun.
Torque wrenches are slightly different in that they have large teeth that can take the torque and are physically larger then your standard ratchet spanner of the same sized driver ( of course there are exceptions to this).
See Dodge62 post above for typical use cases if you have more than one size driver, they do overlap.
Personally I use 1/4 inch drive for up to 12mm, 3/8 for 13 - 17, and 1/2 inch above that. It's not just the amount of torque they can handle, but the physical size of the driver. A smaller 1/4 drive ratchet is much easier to use in a confined space, but of course you can't apply enough torque to undo/do up bigger fasteners. Conversely if you start using a 1/2 ratchet on 6mm bolts (10mm head) you're likely to overdo it and strip threads.
1/4" a fine toothed ratchet is preferable as a 1/4" is often needed for confined space.
For 3/8" I also prefer a higher tooth count as it it good for tight spaces but will hold up to the torque required for a 3/8" ratchet.
For a 1/2" I prefer a coarse tooth because they will take the use and abuse expected of a 1/2" for heavier duty applications.
IMHO
Will keep a look out for the next time they're on offer, although I do wonder if they've withdrawn them now.