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Posted: 5/28/2017 6:35:46 PM EDT
I just rebuilt 2x3/8", 1x1/2", and 1x1/4" ratchets. All 30 years old, or maybe more. Factory re-build kits no longer available. Bought new, and used daily when I was a pro mechanic long ago. Over the decades, call it occasional use, averaged-out.
They're all the same, mechanically. Viewed some vids on the subject, and bought some Harbor Freight syn grease, as recommended by one YouTuber. The syn grease plastic tube will stand al little prodding and poking and shaking to redistribute all the grease and oil that settles out. About the consistency of common petroleum jelly, bot a far better lubricant All ratchets were filthy inside, the original grease was almost gone, and the remnants were hard to remove. Cleaning took the most time. On re-assembly, I basically packed the ratchet housing with grease. Much quieter. I expect them to ooze grease for a while, and then stop. One extremely useful thing I discovered was that the ratchet pawl was designed to be reversed. The ratchet pawl does not engage fully with the gear to which it mates. This came in handy because one of the two edges of the pawl on one of the 3/8" ratchets had become damaged (chipped), and it would slip every now and then. Reversing the pawl should solve this problem. hopefully for a long time. Re-assembly of the ratchet pawl, ball bearing, and spring can be tricky. My solution to this problem was to use the short end of an "L" shaped Allen wrench, poked in through the opposite side of the wrench body, to depress the spring and BB so that the pawl could be inserted. Worked pretty well. All-in-all, a worthwhile rainy day project, and at almost zero cost. I probably saved the one whose pawl I reversed. Had I known about the reversible pawl, I would have re-built that one long ago. One tip I can give is that it is generally bad practice to use a ratchet for initial loosening of highly-torqued bolts, and it likewise bad practice to use a ratchet wrench for final tightening of highly-torqued bolts. In the former case, a breaker bar, or sliding "T"-handle is preferred, and in the latter case, a torque wrench is the way to go. I generally follow this practice, but the chipped pawl of one of the ratchets reminds ne that I get sloppy on occasion. Submitted for your consideration. |
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"The M1 Rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised." General George S. Patton Jr.,US Army
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[#1]
Consider it read.
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[#2]
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"The M1 Rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised." General George S. Patton Jr.,US Army
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[#3]
I stripped two Craftsman ratchets last summer. I couldn't find rebuild kits for those particular models. I ended up sending them with the wife to Sears. They exchanged them for Chinese.
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[#4]
Originally Posted By hoboninja:
I stripped two Craftsman ratchets last summer. I couldn't find rebuild kits for those particular models. I ended up sending them with the wife to Sears. They exchanged them for Chinese. View Quote |
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"The M1 Rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised." General George S. Patton Jr.,US Army
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[#5]
Very good advice at the end there. I need to disassemble and clean my three Craftsman ratchets really soon. Probably watched the same videos as you because they mentioned using the Harbor Freight synthetic grease (Super Lube I think).
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[Last Edit: K1rodeoboater]
[#6]
It may be worth seeing if those ratchets were ever copied or cloned. I know a few people have rebuilt some tools with import copies.
They were in a similar position. Old ratchet which is no longer supported and didn't want to "trade in" for sentimental reasons. |
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[#7]
Originally Posted By K1rodeoboater:
It may be worth seeing if those ratchets were ever copied or cloned. I know a few people have rebuilt some tools with import copies. They were in a similar position. Old ratchet which is no longer supported and didn't want to "trade in" for sentimental reasons. View Quote Any suggestions? |
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"The M1 Rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised." General George S. Patton Jr.,US Army
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[Last Edit: K1rodeoboater]
[#8]
Originally Posted By raf:
Interesting idea. I wonder how I could find a "clone" rebuild kit. I searched high and low on the interweb for rebuild kits, using the stock number of the ratchet stamped on the handle, to no avail. Any suggestions? View Quote |
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[Last Edit: OverScoped]
[#9]
@raf
do any of these work? https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?type=3&campId=5337559805&toolId=10001&customId=j3alpbh99800zk8a00004&mpre=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fbhp%2Fcraftsman-ratchet-repair-kit I'm going to check the numbers on my Craftsman stuff and buy the repair kits now. Mine are 30 years old and see average home garage type use.. I plan on using my tools another 30 years or at least into my 70's. I dislike buying imported tools.... I'd rather buy used USA made tools, than new Chinese ones. |
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[#10]
Thanks for sharing.
Very useful info. |
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No Profound Signature Here!
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[#11]
I broke one that I've had for 20+ years. It sat around the shop for a year of so before I brought it back to Sears for an exchange. Had I known about rebuilding them I may have tried just to say I did.
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Life is like a roll of toilet paper. The closer it gets to the end, the faster it goes.
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[#12]
Originally Posted By OverScoped:
@raf do any of these work? https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?type=3&campId=5337559805&toolId=10001&customId=j3bffy7yih00zk8a00004&mpre=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fbhp%2Fcraftsman-ratchet-repair-kit I'm going to check the numbers on my Craftsman stuff and buy the repair kits now. Mine are 30 years old and see average home garage type use.. I plan on using my tools another 30 years or at least into my 70's. I dislike buying imported tools.... I'd rather buy used USA made tools, than new Chinese ones. View Quote |
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"The M1 Rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised." General George S. Patton Jr.,US Army
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[#13]
Originally Posted By hoboninja:
I stripped two Craftsman ratchets last summer. I couldn't find rebuild kits for those particular models. I ended up sending them with the wife to Sears. They exchanged them for Chinese. View Quote I blow out a 1/2" Craftsman ratchet each time I rebuild an engine. I can't imagine they would be rebuildable, or why anyone would want to. If you want something strong, that isn't the brand you want. |
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We President now!
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[#14]
Originally Posted By wildearp:
I blow out a 1/2" Craftsman ratchet each time I rebuild an engine. I can't imagine they would be rebuildable, or why anyone would want to. If you want something strong, that isn't the brand you want. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By wildearp:
Originally Posted By hoboninja:
I stripped two Craftsman ratchets last summer. I couldn't find rebuild kits for those particular models. I ended up sending them with the wife to Sears. They exchanged them for Chinese. If you want something strong, that isn't the brand you want. Somewhere along the line the financial guys realized they could build it lighter for less since most users never really used it hard. Instead of it 'did not break' it became 'go get a new one mid-job.' Those of us that DID use it hard had to switch to other brands. Around the early to middle 1970s was when the quality took a sh|t. I have some much older stuff and you can see how much thicker the socket walls are than newer pieces. They then went even cheaper with the 'SEARS' branded stuff with no lifetime replacement warranty. |
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[#15]
The ratchets I broke were late 90s manufacture. Of course part of it was me using them with a small cheater pipe (at the time, my only breaker bar was 36" long, wouldn't fit) After many years of use, they had already started slipping from time to time prior to that. Now I use a cheap Kobalt or older 70s Powr Kraft in 3/8. For 1/2, I use an old Giller that feels much stronger than any brand I've personally owned.
I guess its time to look for better quality. |
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[#16]
the older stuff really is better. I have old S-K, Craftsman, Williams, Snap-on stuff my dad gave me... im sure some of it is from the 50's -60's era... none of that stuff ever breaks.
These days when Im at a equipment show that has a flea market, I always hit up the tables for old tools. 3 weeks ago I picked up a set of Craftsman box end wrenches From 1-1/2 on down to 1/2 in 16th and 1/4 increments for $40. |
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[Last Edit: raf]
[#17]
The Craftsman stuff I have (mostly) was bought in the early '80s. I bought a boatload of it all at once. I really have no complaints about it. It's borderline for working with it every day, professionally, but in all honesty, I did use it all, professionally for some years with almost no breakage; the tools that did break were, honestly, abused. I took 30+ Craftsman screwdrivers to the biggest Sears around after my father died (most were his), and although the salesmen were not exactly happy about it, I got them all exchanged. Still working off that stash.
Nowadays, I use such tools often, BUT I have learned to NOT overstress them. I have breaker bars, T-handles, and all sorts of screwdriver and other bits in 1/4", 3/8", and 1/2" drive size that are intended for rough usage. Needless to say, the Harbor Freight side box I bought for my Craftsman roll-away tool chest (I recommend it, BTW) was a welcome addition considering all the tools I have bought over the years. What I ought to do is cull my tools, ruthlessly, keeping the best of them, and trading-off the surplus items for decent items I am lacking. I must have 20 hammers, for example., most of them crap. |
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"The M1 Rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised." General George S. Patton Jr.,US Army
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[#18]
Some of the older ratchets were also made under similar brands like Easco etc. sometimes you can find kits that way too.
My 60s-70s era C-man are solid as a rock but it's smart like you mention to actually service the tools once in a while. |
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1*
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[Last Edit: brickeyee]
[#19]
I have a J H Willimas S-51 THE "SUPERRATCHET" drop forged made in the USA that is STILL going strong.
It is only about 10-3/8 inches long and weighs a solid 1 LB. 5.6 oz. It is just heavy for it size. It is old enough it has no eject function but it is not that hard to remove a 1/2 inch drive socket. It is built like the proverbial 'brick sh|t house. |
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[#20]
Originally Posted By raf:
Thank You! 1 each kit for my 1/4" ratchet and my damaged 3/8" ratchet on the way. Looks like these things come and go fairly rapidly, as I had scoured e-bay and other places only a couple days ago with no hits. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By raf:
Originally Posted By OverScoped:
@raf do any of these work? https://rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?type=3&campId=5337559805&toolId=10001&customId=j3j0pdogyr00zk8a00004&mpre=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.com%2Fbhp%2Fcraftsman-ratchet-repair-kit I'm going to check the numbers on my Craftsman stuff and buy the repair kits now. Mine are 30 years old and see average home garage type use.. I plan on using my tools another 30 years or at least into my 70's. I dislike buying imported tools.... I'd rather buy used USA made tools, than new Chinese ones. for some reason my link doesn't work anymore, but this one is exactly the same and it does. |
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[#21]
I couldn't help myself. I picked up a Craftsman 44995 ratchet at a yard sale for $3. Date code indicates a Danaher build around 2005. The quick release didnt work, so I took it all apart and cleaned and oiled everything. Works great now.
Lately I have been shopping around for replacement ratchets, something better than current Craftsman, but I keep running into nice used ones. A few days ago I also picked up a set of nos KD USA metric combo wrenches. They appear decent quality. |
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[#22]
Originally Posted By hoboninja:
I couldn't help myself. I picked up a Craftsman 44995 ratchet at a yard sale for $3. Date code indicates a Danaher build around 2005. The quick release didnt work, so I took it all apart and cleaned and oiled everything. Works great now. Lately I have been shopping around for replacement ratchets, something better than current Craftsman, but I keep running into nice used ones. A few days ago I also picked up a set of nos KD USA metric combo wrenches. They appear decent quality. View Quote |
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"The M1 Rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised." General George S. Patton Jr.,US Army
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[#23]
Originally Posted By raf:
How does one dismantle the QR assembly? I just lubed the (working) ones I have with light oil, and they all are smooth and GTG. Reason I ask is that the Craftsman rebuild kits usually come with QR replacement parts, so knowing how to install them would be useful. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By raf:
Originally Posted By hoboninja:
I couldn't help myself. I picked up a Craftsman 44995 ratchet at a yard sale for $3. Date code indicates a Danaher build around 2005. The quick release didnt work, so I took it all apart and cleaned and oiled everything. Works great now. Lately I have been shopping around for replacement ratchets, something better than current Craftsman, but I keep running into nice used ones. A few days ago I also picked up a set of nos KD USA metric combo wrenches. They appear decent quality. Are you those parts aren't for the selector gear? |
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[#24]
Originally Posted By hoboninja:
I didnt mean to imply I disassembled it that far. I'm not sure you can. The button (I think) is pressed in, and being plastic, would get torn up prying it out. I held it with pliers and sprayed it with carb cleaner until it ran out clear, then worked motor oil into the mechanism. Are you those parts aren't for the selector gear? View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By hoboninja:
Originally Posted By raf:
Originally Posted By hoboninja:
I couldn't help myself. I picked up a Craftsman 44995 ratchet at a yard sale for $3. Date code indicates a Danaher build around 2005. The quick release didnt work, so I took it all apart and cleaned and oiled everything. Works great now. Lately I have been shopping around for replacement ratchets, something better than current Craftsman, but I keep running into nice used ones. A few days ago I also picked up a set of nos KD USA metric combo wrenches. They appear decent quality. Are you those parts aren't for the selector gear? |
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"The M1 Rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised." General George S. Patton Jr.,US Army
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[Last Edit: OverScoped]
[#25]
Originally Posted By raf:
Some of the Craftsman ratchet re-build kits have what are obviously parts for the Quick Release mechanism: Plunger, ball bearing, and spring. No idea on how to install these items, but there is no mistaking them. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By raf:
Originally Posted By hoboninja:
Originally Posted By raf:
Originally Posted By hoboninja:
I couldn't help myself. I picked up a Craftsman 44995 ratchet at a yard sale for $3. Date code indicates a Danaher build around 2005. The quick release didnt work, so I took it all apart and cleaned and oiled everything. Works great now. Lately I have been shopping around for replacement ratchets, something better than current Craftsman, but I keep running into nice used ones. A few days ago I also picked up a set of nos KD USA metric combo wrenches. They appear decent quality. Are you those parts aren't for the selector gear? Craftsman Tools - USA History: Round Head Fine Tooth [RHFT] Ratchets - Rebuild & Discussion |
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[#26]
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Critical thinking is dead.
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[#27]
I have a 3/8 craftsman that the selector is loose and when using it sometimes slips out of gear. Skinned a few knuckles over the yrs due to this.
Will flipping the pawl inside help ? Maybe wont know till it's apart to see the damage ? I have a few no name china that feel much stronger and are beefier but the craftsman is nice in that it is thinner. |
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[#28]
Great thread. Thanks!
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[#29]
Originally Posted By smashedminer:
I have a 3/8 craftsman that the selector is loose and when using it sometimes slips out of gear. Skinned a few knuckles over the yrs due to this. Will flipping the pawl inside help ? Maybe wont know till it's apart to see the damage ? I have a few no name china that feel much stronger and are beefier but the craftsman is nice in that it is thinner. View Quote If possible, obtain a rebuild kit for your ratchet, and use YouTube vids to re-build. Such kits include all the parts you will likely need, including pawl and spring, amongst others. You might have to "haunt" ebay and amazon almost daily for a while, as these kits come and go rapidly. You snooze, you lose. If no rebuild kit available, then dismantle, and see what's wrong. If necessary, buy an appropriate compression spring from your local hardware store--assuming the spring is your basic problem. Most decent hardware stores have a reasonable selection of springs available, if you look. If necessary, buy one a little too long and clip it to suit. Stretching a compressed/fatigued original spring will generally damage the spring, and is a short-term remedy at best. |
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"The M1 Rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised." General George S. Patton Jr.,US Army
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[#30]
Originally Posted By hoboninja:
I stripped two Craftsman ratchets last summer. I couldn't find rebuild kits for those particular models. I ended up sending them with the wife to Sears. They exchanged them for Chinese. View Quote |
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[#31]
Originally Posted By jchewie1:
Similar story here. The Chinese ratchet is almost unusable it is so rough. View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By jchewie1:
Originally Posted By hoboninja:
I stripped two Craftsman ratchets last summer. I couldn't find rebuild kits for those particular models. I ended up sending them with the wife to Sears. They exchanged them for Chinese. Buying tools is almost starting to be as addictive as buying guns. |
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[#32]
Originally Posted By hoboninja:
I recently picked up a gently used Thorsen usa ratchet. $10 shipped from the eBay. I used it today. Better than anything craftsman. Not really worried about a warranty at that price. I'll just buy one whenever they pop up for a good price. I'm up to 11 ratchets now with 5 more on the way. Buying tools is almost starting to be as addictive as buying guns. View Quote |
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Seth Rich Mary Jo Kopechne Vince Foster Seth Rich Mary Jo Kopechne Vince Foster Seth Rich Mary Jo Kopechne Vince Foster Seth Rich Mary Jo Kopechne Vince Foster Seth Rich Mary Jo Kopechne Vince Foster Seth Rich Mary Jo Kopechne
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[Last Edit: raf]
[#33]
No offense to rebuilders of other ratchet wrenches, but start your own threads. You will attract users who are interested, and not intrude on this thread.
I have some older SK and some SnapOn Ratchets that might be worth rebuilding. |
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"The M1 Rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised." General George S. Patton Jr.,US Army
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[#34]
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"The M1 Rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised." General George S. Patton Jr.,US Army
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[#35]
Thanks! Re build a breaker bar the same way?
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[#36]
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A nation which can prefer disgrace to danger is prepared for a master, and deserves one.
- Alexander Hamilton |
[#37]
Originally Posted By Jacketch:
I have both problems. Lately though it's been mostly machine shop tooling. That way I could make my own guns View Quote View All Quotes View All Quotes Originally Posted By Jacketch:
Originally Posted By hoboninja:
I recently picked up a gently used Thorsen usa ratchet. $10 shipped from the eBay. I used it today. Better than anything craftsman. Not really worried about a warranty at that price. I'll just buy one whenever they pop up for a good price. I'm up to 11 ratchets now with 5 more on the way. Buying tools is almost starting to be as addictive as buying guns. |
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[#38]
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"The M1 Rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised." General George S. Patton Jr.,US Army
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[#39]
Just a heads up. Snap on part # SPP744 is an awesome tool for rebuilding Craftsman 3/8 and 1/2 ratchets.
Its only 95 cents with free shipping. |
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[Last Edit: Epidote]
[#40]
Originally Posted By hoboninja:
I recently picked up a gently used Thorsen usa ratchet. $10 shipped from the eBay. I used it today. Better than anything craftsman. Not really worried about a warranty at that price. I'll just buy one whenever they pop up for a good price. I'm up to 11 ratchets now with 5 more on the way. Buying tools is almost starting to be as addictive as buying guns. View Quote From the time I began working there in 1970, until early 1973, the mechanics tools were made by Wright Forging. (Wright is still around.) Those tools under the Powr-Kraft name were excellent, and I buy them when I can find them. Many people were put off by the hard rubber handles on the fine-tooth ratchets. But after more than 40 years, mine are still good. But in 1973, Wards changed suppliers to Thorsen, in other words, Hydrometals. We expected that there would be no change in quality, and we were really, really wrong. The ratchets were utter garbage. We sold most of the mechanics tools in "socket sets," consisting of a ratchet, a breaker bar, and a series of sockets. The sets had a lifetime guarantee. We could buy a large number of sets every month to meet the obligations of weekly newspaper insert advertising. But we were limited--by an oddball corporate policy from Chicago--to buying only five, sometimes ten, individual ratchets every month. The Hydrometals ratchets might last almost 30 days. Usually they lasted two weeks. So we traded across the counter for a new one, which would be just as bad. And that used up our five-per-month allocation in a day. Then we had to break into the socket sets to replace just the ratchets. So at any given time, we had maybe 1/4 the number of socket sets we needed to meet the weekly ads, and up to 70 partial sets awaiting replacement ratchets. (But we only got 5, maybe 10, replacement ratchets every month.) So if you see a Powr-Kraft mechanics tool at an estate sale, here's how to decipher the article number to figure out the manufacturer. It'll have a number something like this: 84 H 1234 or 84 W 1234. The 84 stands for the Hardware Department. (83 was Electrical, 75 was Paint.) 1234 was the SKU of the actual item. H stood for Hydrometals, W stood for Wright Forging. I just wish I could find a complete metric set in 84 W! (And that brings me to another story, which I'll suppress.) |
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NRA Life Member
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[Last Edit: raf]
[#41]
Have had a chance to use all the re-built ratchets since original post, even the one whose pawl I had to reverse (mentioned above). All of them performed flawlessly, and better than before they were rebuilt. No hiccups from reversed pawl ratchet, possibly due to catching the problem before it got to an irreversible point, (pun intended). Some seepage of grease initially, but once swabbed-up, no seepage re-appeared. Maybe packing the ratchet housing fully was over-doing it, but I figure one can always remove excess grease, but it is more difficult to add grease afterwards. YMMV.
In short, complete success, at almost zero cost, and for little time invested. Watch the YouTube VIDS first! Buy the re-build kits for your particular ratchets before your ratchet is declared "OBSOLETE", and support is no longer available. With the ongoing collapse of Sears. this might be a good time to buy such kits. I'll give this one bump. If anyone finds worthy, ask the Mod to toggle "Non-Archive" status, so the thread will never be lost. Your call. |
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"The M1 Rifle is the greatest battle implement ever devised." General George S. Patton Jr.,US Army
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[#42]
I did a little tinkering in my shop today. The last couple of months, I made it a habit to tear down, clean, and relube ratchets that have seen hard use or bad weather. What I noticed was, the Craftsman U.S. and chicom ratchets may look identical externally, but the reversing levers and pawls are not interchangeable.
So for those of you looking to buy repair kits, make sure you get the one specific to country of origin. The ratchet model numbers will be the same in most cases regardless. |
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