Craftsman Rachet

I've tried talking to the tool companies themselves but all of them just want to sell me a torque wrench.

I could hear the rim creaking on the front of my loader tractor as i loaded logs onto my trailor, so i got my "new" Sears breaker bar out and a socket. I got up on the breaker bar, (but no cheater) and BANG, i broke the BB right where the socket attaches. It twisted off at the stud, it didn't break the ears off where it swivels. Anyway, i took it back to Sears, and waited for the new one to come in the mail.

Mean while, my second "other" new Sears breaker bar took climbing up, and even my bounceing on it, along with my old trusty SK BB getting the same treatment.

A week or so later when the new BB came, i put the socket on it, and climbed up on it. BAM, broke that one too, in the exact same place!! SO, i took that one back to Sears also!

A week after that "another" one comes in the mail. Off to the shop i go to test it! Same socket, same tractor, and my same @$$ up on the BB. This one takes all i give it, EVEN with a cheater. Now, that's what i felt i paid for, and that's what i "expected" to get!!!

Did i abuse them???? I did tell the guy at Sears how i did it, and he didn't bat an eye.

Robert

The Powerbuilt Tools website has a brand-comparison page that might answer part of your question.

I'll try to post a link, but if the link doesn't take you can go to www.powerbuilttools.com and then click on the "click here for ratchet test results" that's right under the Hot Rod Magazine logo at the top left corner of the page.

John

Actually, I cannot speak for the 3/8 ratchet, but a guy I was working with on Sunday (we are airline mechanics) busted his nearly new 1/2 drive "pear head" Craftsman ratchet. We took it apart and the teeth on both the rathchet pawl and the rotating part were broken. He was not applying any large amount of torque, this is not a particulally long handled ratchet, less than 15 inches, and he said this was the second one in a few weeks.

As I noted, Danaher makes the craftsman tools, they are now licensed to market them thru tool distributors and sources other than Sears (Sears owns the Craftsman name though).

I had alot of people, including the distributors tool salesman who are selling the Craftsman tools at work, state that the quality has gone down since Danaher took over the manufacture of Craftsman.

Danaher owns many tool companies, they have been buying them up and consoldiating the tool lines, so many of the sockets, ratchets, torque wrenches, etc are the same, no matter which of several different names might be on them.

Danaher owns.....

Allen
Armstrong
K-D tools
Matco
Fluke meters
Raytech
Robin Electronic
and a few more I've never heard of.

Charles

However, if the ratchet is worn out, the teeth can get to where they don't engage properly and can slip under pressure. There's no reason to use a ratchet like this when Sears will replace it for free.

Note that there are many different Craftsman ratchets and some are stronger than others. I think the "coarse-tooth" ratchets are weaker, or at least more prone to wearing out.

If you really want to know the answer to this, why don't you do a test. Clamp your ratchet in a vise, put an eight foot long piece of pipe on it and pull until it breaks. After you pick yourself off the floor, you can take the ratchet back to Sears for a replacement.

Seriously, why do you care?

No, its got to be BROKE before they will replace it, just worn out doesn"t count.

Charles

These are the folks that manufacture the tools for Craftsman.

Link

Try contacting them.

Charles