What to Know Before Buying the Product?
Buying a good-quality ratchet set is not easy. There are hundreds of different sets marketed by dozens of distributors and dealers. So, it is difficult to know which one is best for you. In fact, there is no single best ratchet set, regardless of the design or brand.
Every socket set has some drawbacks. You may assume either from reading on the Internet or hearing from someone that ratchet tool with smooth, shiny finishes has good quality. But this perception is wrong. The real fact, from the point of view of most professional mechanics is shiny almost always equals to poor quality.
So, how do you decide which is the best ratchet set to buy? Again, there is no definite answer. You may think that a costly set might be the best one. But in this case, the price is not the main factor. It actually depends on what is your purpose of buying a ratchet tool set. For example, you may want to do some occasional repair jobs in the house. In such a case, almost anything on the market will do. But if your DIY jobs also include repairing your own cars, you need to best quality ratchet tool that is available, as opposed to the best you can afford.
Before you go shopping or searching on the Internet for the best ratchet set, it is important that you should familiarize yourself with some technical terms and their meaning for hand tools in general. Otherwise, it can be a tough task to explain your exact needs to the storekeeper or determine the quality of certain socket set online by simply reading.
Drive size
This makes reference to the dimensions of the square hole on the top of the socket into which the drive nub of the ratchet handles fit. It is not related to the opening in the bottom of the socket that fits onto the fastener. Unlike a TV screen where the dimension is measured diagonally that is from corner to corner, this dimension is measured from side to side. Drive sizes of most DIY applications are ¼-inch, 3/8-inch. For repairing light vehicles, bigger drive size such as ¾, and 1-inch are also available.
Metric Measurement
This measurement standard makes reference to the sizes of the heads of fasteners, and hence the socket in millimeters when measured across flats.
SAE measurements
SAE is abbreviation of “Society of Automotive Engineers” which refers to the sizes of the heads of fasteners in inches when measured across flats. Sizes of tools in the SAE standard increase in 1/6th-inch increments.
Extension bar
This tool allows the user to reach fasteners that are in places where it is impossible to swing a wrench or ratchet handle to loosen or tighten the fastener. Extension bars come in standard lengths, regardless of the measurement standard of the sockets. A ½-inch drive extension with a metric set will fit a ½-inch drive socket made to the SAE standard since the drive sizes on both standards are identical.
Swivel joint
The connection between a ratchet handle and socket allows no deviation from the center-line of the drive. The swivel joint is being used to alter the drive angle to suit conditions by inserting it between the socket and the ratchet. But the more acute the drive angle becomes; the less torque can be applied to the fastener. At drive angles greater than 100, applying a counter torque to the pivot point is necessary to prevent the socket slipping off the fastener.
Drive Adapter
These adapters make it possible to fit for example a 3/8-inch drive socket with a ½-inch drive ratchet handle. There are several reasons for which a user may want to do this. But he needs to keeps it in mind that by doing this it becomes easier to break a bolt by a factor of about 4 since a greater torque can be applied with the longest ½-inch drive ratchet.
Breaker Bar
Breaker bar is a long handle to which a socket can be fitted. Breaker bars are available in all drive sizes, but their lengths vary. They are used to apply more torque to a fastener that is possible with a ratchet handle. But this tool must never be substituted for a properly calibrated torque wrench. The application of the tool includes loosening tight suspension nuts and bolts, loosening stubborn wheel nuts, or loosening highly torqued CV-joints retaining nuts.
Ratchet Handle
It is the centerpiece of any socket set. Its ability to apply torque in one direction while allowing free rotation around the drive point in the opposite direction making it an ideal tool to speed up the process of loosening or tightening of fasteners.
Deep sockets
Deep sockets come with a longer body than normal sockets which allows them to reach deeply recessed parts and fasteners. They are typically used for the removal of diesel fuel injectors and cylinder head bolts that are not accessible with normal sockets. They are available in all drive sizes and measurement standards.
Impact sockets
Impact sockets are intended to be put into service with pneumatic or electric impact wrenches. Two salient features of impact sockets are they always have six sides (or points) and significantly thicker walls than normal sockets. Impact sockets are typically used to remove very stubborn wheel nuts on trucks or the removal of corroded fasteners where normal tolls fail to supply sufficient torque.
They also reduce the chances of breaking fasteners originating from the action of hundreds of high-impact hammer blows. Instead, they allow a huge, steady torque that can snap the head of a fastener before the threads overcome the locking action. Impact sockets are often anodized, an electrochemical process the converts the metal surface into a decorative, durable, corrosion-resistant, anodic oxide finish and have a groove around the top to be distinguished from normal sockets. They are available in all measurement standards, as well as in deep socket variations.
Normal sockets can be used in conjunction with impact tools, and some brands of the socket will survive this abuse for years. But the use of normal sockets with impact tools are not completely risk-free because in such practice normal socket may shatter anytime.
Cr-V, OR CR-V
Socket manufacturers engrave either of the two sets of letters on the products. These letters refer to the materials added to the base metal that provide additional strength and protection against corrosion. Cr refers to the presence of Chromium which makes the tool corrosion resistant and V refers to Vanadium which is responsible for adding strength.
Now we know all the jargons. Now it is time to know what to look for in a high-quality ratchet set. Let us begin with the center piece of the set, ratchet handle. A ratchet works by allowing the teeth on a ratchet wheel to engage with a toggle that locks the mechanism in one direction at a time. How well a ratchet performs depends on the number of teeth on the ratchet wheel.
Expensive ratchet wheel comes with more teeth on the wheels. It refers that the angle required to move the handle decreases before the teeth on the toggle engage with new teeth on the ratchet wheel. Cheaper ratchet handle has as few as 32 teeth on the ratchet wheel, which means that the angle required to engage new teeth can be as big as 150 and time to time even more. This makes it far difficult to use such a ratchet in confined spaces because a large arc is required to swing the ratchet to move a fastener through more than a few degrees at a time.
On the other hand, high-quality, expensive ratchets come with 72 teeth on their ratchet wheels, which means that the angle required to engage new teeth can be as low as 50 and sometimes even less before new teeth engage. This is a big plus point to work in confined spaces since a fastener can move through large angles with small movements of the ratchet handle.
Teeth on expensive ratchet handle come with a small pitch, but they are extremely durable and will last a lifetime. Apart from teeth, there are other three equally important aspects to a ratchet handle. These are as follows:
Grip
Slipping ratchet from your hands while working in a confined space is dangerous. Because the large force involved when working with rigid fasteners can break your fingers if the tool slips.
Even some high-quality tools do not have ergonomically-designed grips. Some ratchet handles come with smoothly polished grips that may appear good on an internet review, but if your hands are dirty or greasy, they certainly injure you because it is difficult to main a positive grip on them, particularly if you are wearing gloves while working. A ratchet handle with rubber grip that fits comfortably in your hand is recommended. Also, the material of the grip should be oil-resistant. Some cheap ratchet handles offer comfortable grips, but they often dissolve the first time they come into contact with oil or grease.
Change direction
Nowadays, almost all ratchet handles feature a small toggle switch with which one can change the direction of the ratchet mechanism. But this switch should offer a positive action which means when it is moved, it should stay in the selected position of positive action. High-quality ratchet features toggle switch that moves freely from side to side, but it will lock into place in both positions, so you need to check for this.
On an inexpensive tool, the toggle switch often moves to the neutral position abruptly, and especially when the machine is under a heavy load. When this happens, the user gets injured. The injury type may be skinned knuckles, broken fingers, broken wrists and in some cases even serious facial injuries.
Kinks in the handle
High-quality ratchet handle never features an offset between the pivot point and the grip to appear kinked when viewed from the side while this is a favorite design feature of cheaper brands. But the irony is that this offset hugely increases the chance of a socket slipping off a fastener.
The offset creates a torque that is applied in a plane which is far above the plane in which the fastener rotates, which means that part of the rotational plane is converted into a lateral force that increases in direct proportion to the torque applied. Thus, the higher the load, the greater the chance that the socket will be pulled off the fastener and result in an accident.
Features that need to look for in sockets
One important feature that needs to look for in high-quality sockets is the difference in the diameter of the body of the socket, and the upper part into which the drive nub fits. This feature does not play any role in terms of increasing the torque that can be applied, but it has everything to do with the overall strength of the socket.
- High-quality sockets feature thin walls while cheap sockets come with thicker walls.
- Avoid sockets with a uniform diameter or thick walls, since they do not have necessary inherent strength, no matter how clearly, they engraved letters “Cr-V.”
- Interestingly, some high-quality brands do not engrave their products with “Cr-V” since they know well that knowledgeable users can correctly identify high-quality And in many instances “Cr-V” are found on cheap brands to promote sales. So, the wall thickness is a great indicator of high- and low-quality sockets. Some high-quality impact sockets will have the words “impact” or “ For Use with Impact Tools” engraved on them. So, look out for these words too when purchasing impact sockets.
Look for the name
It has been found that cheap sockets do not have a brand name on them and they try to draw customers attention by the highly polished surface, a laser-etched number, and a pretty carry case. Sockets without brand names are less reliable. On the other hand, high-quality sockets will always have the brand and size engraved clearly.
Check their fit
All sockets come with indentations on the inside of the square drive hole. But the shape, depth, and angles of these indentations determine how well a socket fits and stays on a drive nub. Indentations of high-quality sockets are made to close to the radius of the retaining ball on the drive nub. This design feature means when the release mechanism in the center of the ratchet is depressed, the socket will fall of the drive nub under its own weight.
On cheaper units, the indentations are either not deep enough or too deep. Both create a problem. When it is not too deep, the socket comes off the drive nub too easily, and when it is too deep, which means the socket sometimes has to be pried off the nub with a screwdriver. The test of an ideal socket is the ease with which it can be fitted to and removed from a drive. The easier the process, the better is the socket. Choose the socket that has a slight bevel to the outside edge of the drive hole. This makes the tool easier for the retaining ball to enter the hole. Cheap sockets never feature this bevel.
Number points
How many internal points or sides a socket must have mainly depended on what you want to use the socket for. For example, sockets with six sides offer the best grip while eliminating any chance of rounding off the corners on a fastener. But there is also a high-quality socket with 12 or even 24 sides that loosen almost any fastener without damaging it.
Problem with six-sided sockets are they are difficult to use in confined spaces because it can difficult to fit them over a fastener. But 12 or 24-sided sockets can be fitted over the same fastener with no difficulty at all, which makes their use a genius choice in some cases. The important point is six-sided sockets are cheaper to manufacture. That is why cheap socket sets contain only six-sided sockets. If your manufacturer of choice does not offer sockets with 12 or 24 sides, it is fairly certain that six-sided socket set will not survive in a professional environment for any length of time.
Well-known manufacturers offer sockets in all possible configurations which give you flexible choice and the guarantee that all their products comply with the highest possible standards of quality, durability, and ease of use. From a seasoned mechanics point of view, it has been found that there is a direct correlation between the poor-quality of ratchet sets and the prettiness of the plastic carry-case. The Paradox is nicer the case, the worse the tools inside it, regardless of the number of reviews on the product.
High-quality ratchet set has carried cases which are made from steel or aluminum. In addition, the top-quality set will have the brand name on the case. Tools are expensive, so do not fool yourself buying a 110-piece set since it looks nice and shiny. Instead, buy a smaller and essential set of good quality. You also do not have to buy products from a single brand. You can collect the best tool from different manufacturers and get a lifetime warranty on each piece.
How to Use and Maintain the Product?
The ratchet comes with a handle that snaps into one end of a socket by means of a square-drive connector. The other end of the socket fits over a fastener. Ratchet features a mechanism that allows the handle to engage and tighten a fastener when you swing it in a clockwise direction but turn freely when you swing it counterclockwise. Ratchet also comes with a switch that reverses the actions to loosen fasteners.
Functions of ratchets and sockets are similar to conventional wrench. All of them are designed to tighten and loosen fasteners. But some tasks can be done well with ratchet and socket. A ratchet in conjunction with socket lets you turn a nut or bolt without repositioning the tool on the fastener what you need to do with a wrench when there is not enough room to turn it in full circle. Meanwhile, you do not need to reposition the tool frequently, tightening or loosening the fastener task becomes quicker.
Moreover, since a socket fits completely around a fastener, they are less likely to slip off than some types of wrenches. The important tips to maintain your socket for years of use:
Cleaning
As soon as you have done using your sockets, make sure they are clean before putting them away. Brushed off any muck or dirt. Ensure brush out the inside of the socket head and drive socket as well as the outside of the socket. Muck and dirt can scratch away at the protective coating which is applied over the socket surface by the anodizing process. Trap moisture also needs to wipe out since it can result in corrosion. Use an old toothbrush to clean large sockets. Smaller sockets can be best cleaned with dental flossing brushes.
Most important point of sockets does not have water on them since this could result rust to form. If sockets get wet, they should be dried with a cloth first. Then spray water displacing oil on it to make it completely moisture free. When not in use, sockets should be kept in a storage system for example in a socket case, on socket rails or foam inserts in a toolbox specially designed for sockets. Storing sockets in a storage system will allow you to see if any of your sockets are missing when you have finished using them.
There are dedicated socket systems that allow you to organize your sockets according to size. This will make the finding the correct size socket for the job much easier next time you come to use them.
