Do we like a particular electric (Battery) "ratchet"?

Twiddling my wrist on a ratchet for (sometimes) minutes on end, per fastener, makes me feel like a chump. I figure it's high time I step into the 2000s and buy myself a battery-powered ratchet-that-doesn't-ratchet thingy. (I don't have air, yet.) What models do you guys like? I'm talking this sort of thing:

Or, talk me out of it, if I've got the wrong idea....

I can't tell you how many YouTube mechanics I follow love this particular ratchet. I want one but haven't pulled the trigger yet. I have all DeWalt stuff now and they don't have a 3/8 ratchet so I would have to get the battery and charger, too.

The only modern cordless ratchet I have experience with is the snap on. It is a marvel. All of the utility of the air ratchet but at least ninety decibels quieter.

The $599 price on the snap on unit has kept me from pulling the trigger so if there is a cheaper option that is comparable I would love to hear it.

I have the snap-on one at work and I love it.

The stuff I work on, you can't be dragging an airline across the fenders.

I love my Milwaukee 12v ratchet like the one in the picture. It saves a lot of time.

I have air ratchets too but prefer the cordless.

OK, thanks guys. I just ordered the one above, with the 2.0 battery.

Trans_Maro said:

I have the snap-on one at work and I love it.

The stuff I work on, you can't be dragging an airline across the fenders.

Same. I just wish they made a small ( like 8 inch ) 1/4 in drive battery ratchet. Snapon guy told me their 1/4 in drive option was just a 3/8 style with a different anvil ... same size

I have the Mac. They are expensive, but I bought it without batteries and can confirm that it uses the same batteries and charger as the 12V DeWalt stuff.

One thing I never warmed up to was powered ratchets, but I love my 3/8" Fuel impact.

What am I missing?

93gsxturbo said:

One thing I never warmed up to was powered ratchets, but I love my 3/8" Fuel impact.

 

What am I missing?

What I like it for is jobs where you’ve got to spin through a lot of threads rather than ratcheting 1/4 or 1/2 turn at a time. BMW brake caliper pins are one example.  I’ve also used it recently resetting a toilet tank after removing it to replace the flush hardware. 

I have a SKIL 1/4" ratchet that I pretty much stole from a Home Depot discount aisle almost 10 years ago. Paid $20 for it, and it has been going strong ever since. Sadly they don't make them anymore, but this thing is amazing. Not much torque so you have to do the hard work first, but after that it makes life so much easier.

I can tell you when you get old and your shoulders start hurting, a powered anything is great to have.   

Need to consider getting one.

My air rachet is almost never used, its just not worth wrangling the air hose and listening to the compressor.  If its the impact on something hard to turn, yeah, worth it.

In reply to spitfirebill :

theres a dirty joke in that statement...

I'm really, really close to ordering that Milwaukee one after using a friends'.. I already have some of their 12V stuff..

For me it is worth it for the insanely long threaded bolts I come across. Backing off an alternator tensioner bolt? Power ratchet. Taking up 1" of slack in a misused hose clamp because that's what I had laying around? Power ratchet. Battery tie down bolts? Power ratchet. I'm not torquing down a Harley crank nut, I just want to keep my hand from cramping up.

Well, this thread just cost me some money.  I should be getting it shipped to me tomorrow.

Apexcarver said:

In reply to spitfirebill :

theres a dirty joke in that statement...

 

 

I hadn’t thought of it that way, but there’s a whole lot of truth too.  Thanks for the chuckle.  

The air ratchet is the one component of a Craftsman air tools kit that over the years has gotten the least use (yes, even less than the air hammer)- but a year or so ago I picked up the Milwaukee electric one pictures and have NEVER regretted it. It's almost always what I reach for once I've broken a nut/bolt loose or need to spin something back on.

Are you guys using the 1/4" or 3/8" model?

dj06482 said:

Are you guys using the 1/4" or 3/8" model?

I have the 3/8. 

Mine showed up yesterday, and I used it for the first time last night.  I can already tell it is going to be very handy.

Edit:  may be time for me to ditch the 33 gallon compressor and air tools, and buy a pancake compressor to fill tires.

eastsideTim said:

Mine showed up yesterday, and I used it for the first time last night.  I can already tell it is going to be very handy.

Edit:  may be time for me to ditch the 33 gallon compressor and air tools, and buy a pancake compressor to fill tires.

These days I only use the compressor when I need the extra torque from the air impact or to run things like the blast cabinet. Filling tires usually gets done with the rechargeable inflator (though if I were filling 4 from 0PSI I'd likely fire up the compressor), and my battery-powered tools handle the rest.

Been using the earthquake one from harbor freight to take the corvair apart. Definitely been a cramp saver thus far

dj06482 said:

Are you guys using the 1/4" or 3/8" model?

3/8"