Gearwrench 3/8" drive ratchet initial impressions (PICS)

Advance Auto Parts is closing out the 13 piece Gearwrench socket sets for $23. I decided to pick one up to try to the Gearwrench 60-tooth ratchet. The ratchet is part number 81211.

The first thing I noticed is that the ratchet appears to have nice chrome and is very long.




I think this is the longest "standard length" ratchet I've ever owned. It is 8.3" long (8-5/16"). Before this ratchet, I think the Wright 3490 was my longest ratchet. The Matco pictured below is a rebranded Wright 3490. It measure just over 7.75" long.

Left to right:
Proto 5249
Snap-On F749
Matco BR8 (Wright 3490)
Gearwrench 81211
SK 45170



The internals of the Gearwrench 81211 appear to be the standard Danaher 60-tooth design. I believe this design is used in all the Craftsman, Armstrong and Matco 60-tooth ratchets. There could be others I'm forgetting. Also, the Gearwrench has a gear that isn't supported on the back. The back of the gear is flat.




I no longer have the Craftsman, but below is a picture I took of the Craftsman 3/8" drive thin-profile ratchet. It is part number 44995. It appears to be the same, except the Gearwrench is made in China, and the Craftsman is marked USA.
(Note-The Craftsman is on the left in the first pic. The second pic is the Gearwrench.)



Overall

This ratchet seems to be a pretty-well-made ratchet for the money. It did bind up three times right out of the box as I was spinning it, but then seemed to work fine and I couldn't reproduce the problem. I have read about the Craftsman 60 tooth ratchets having an issue where they bind up. I suspect this was from the ratchet being right out of the box and not broken in.

I'm probably going to return this ratchet, as I already have around 20 ratchets. Because of that I can't judge its long-term durability.

Those are very good ratchets. I find it odd that you would buy it just to take apart and put back together...

Nice review. I have had one of those ratchets for over a year in my portable track box, and love it. I have used/abused the hell out of it and it looks it, but I have not a single issue with it. I've had a jack handle cheater pipe on it, tossed it across asphalt, whacked things with it and it's comfortable, has thin profile head, and fairly high tooth.

I was just in Sears tonight and bought a Gearwrench X handle with the ratchet ends that move 90*. They had the exact same one in the House brand but was $40.00 more. I paid $79.00 for the GW. I have a assortment of Craftmans and the GW. I always try to buy USA if possible , but $40.00 is alot for the same in house warranty. They SEARS, replace the same as the Craftsman, so why not buy the GW. I usually try to buy both standard and metric in alot of the sockets and wrenches, now that I work on alot of VW's.
I've found the quality of GW is really decent and although I'm not a pro mechanic, just a pro hobbiest, I've never had a failure yet. Knock on wood.

It's too bad craftsman had to make their thin profile ratchets to darn fugly. If they looked like the gear wrench I bet they would get more respect.

Why take it back??

They've changed the o ring colors. I posted pictures in the past where the Matco, Gearwrench, and Craftsman 60 tooth ratchets were the same internally down to the same orangish colored o rings. Now, I see Gearwrench switched to black o rings. They slao removed the grooves on the base of the ratchet handle.
Great ratchets for the money though, crisp 60 tooth action, thin profile head, especially great in 1/4 flex head models..
20 ratchets? you're just got a base going, there's no need to take it back. Every ratchet deserves a home and to be used.

Yesterday I lubed our GW ratchets ( 7 pcs ). All had black O rings. The Roto Heads I did not bother to open and just dipped these a bit in ATF.

stephen9666 said:

Also, the Gearwrench has a gear that isn't supported on the back. The back of the gear is flat.

Click to expand...

That seems very troubling to me. A gear that isn't supported at both ends seems like a bad design. It would seem to be more susceptible to wear/excessive runout.

They obviously do this to get to a thinner head.

Maybe it's OK in real world conditions.

Davefr said:

That seems very troubling to me. A gear that isn't supported at both ends seems like a bad design. It would seem to be more susceptible to wear/excessive runout.

They obviously do this to get to a thinner head.

Maybe it's OK in real world conditions.

Click to expand...

I think the matco 88 tooth ratchets are the same way, as I recall the Craftsman premium ratchets do have a supported gear. The matco gear will work in the craftsman though.

I was excited to go pick up this set, but both of my stores are all sold out

do they sell that ratchet seperate? i like the looks of it but i don't need all the sockets. i really like my gw roto's so i wouldn't mind trying this too

http://shop.advanceautoparts.com/we...et-Gear-Wrench_25984244-P_N3416_T|GRP2078____

$29

The new 81211 is 84-tooth count, right? Is the internal setup the same? (with the only exception being tooth count)