"Pittsburgh" Harbor Freight 3/8 x 1/4 telescoping ratchet

Test drive a car? Have a favorite oil filter? Love your LCD TV? Post the product in the title and review away!
Post Reply
User avatar
theholycow
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 16021
Joined: Tue Jun 24, 2008 1:36 pm
Cars: '80 Buick LeSabre 4.1 5MT
Location: Glocester, RI
Contact:

"Pittsburgh" Harbor Freight 3/8 x 1/4 telescoping ratchet

Post by theholycow »

3/8" x 1/4" Dual Drive Extendable Ratchet
http://www.harborfreight.com/3-8-eighth ... 98802.html
Image Image

Performance: I can lean on it really hard, put all my weight into it and bounce even when fully extended, and it takes the abuse.

Handling: Decently fine-toothed ratcheting action ratchets easily. Telescoping is easy to operate one-handed, though the detents can be mildly difficult to find sometimes...usually it snaps into place nicely.

Practicality: Very practical. It's one ratchet to do a lot of stuff. Need a regular-length ratchet? Got it. Need extra length? You don't even have to let go of the part you're holding with your other hand, just pull the collar and telescope. Done breaking it loose and need better swing? Leave it attached to the bolt and shorten one-handed. Need 1/4" drive? No need to go back to the toolbox! Well, actually, 3/8 x 1/2 would be much more useful for me. I don't use 1/4" drive much and when I do I want something shorter than a standard-length 3/8". Some day I'll probably break off the 1/4" drive and I won't feel bad about it at all, it'll just be a 3/8" ratchet after that.

Cost to own: Current price is $12.99 and you can certainly use a 20% coupon to make it $10.40. Nice.

Feasibility of sexual encounters: The rubbery plastic handle, which is not removable, isn't quite shaped for insertion (so you need a bigger pipe if you want more leverage), but the big problem is that it doesn't stay clean. If it was just chrome all the way you could clean it by wiping it.

Fun factor: I got pissed off at some stuff I was working on and hucked the ratchet at the ground. It left a nice ratchet-shaped hole in the dirt. Does that count as fun?

Summary: This thing is great. My only complaints are the silly rubber/plastic grip that gets dirty and doesn't come off (so I can't use my favorite pipe for more length, though if it's that tight I really need a 1/2" breaker bar anyway) and the lost opportunity for a 1/2" drive instead of the 1/4" drive. Like so many reviews on Harbor Freight's site, I can say that this is my "go-to" ratchet; I don't save this one for special jobs, I start with it and end with it.
1980 Buick LeSabre 4.1L 5MT

Put your car in your sig!

Learn to launch/FAQs/lugging/misused terms: meta-sig
watkins wrote:Humans have rear-biased AWD. Cows have 4WD
User avatar
Shadow
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 3384
Joined: Fri Jan 21, 2011 8:51 am
Location: New York

Re: "Pittsburgh" Harbor Freight 3/8 x 1/4 telescoping ratche

Post by Shadow »

Hmm...that's an interesting wrench. Both 1/4" & 3/8" drive (too bad it wasn't 3/8" & 1/2" instead) and a telescoping handle for more leverage. For the price, it seems pretty good as long as it doesn't break too quickly.

I used to be of the opinion that all hand tools sold at HF were complete crap, but I have to admit that some of my friends have found some decent quality tools there. I don't have an HF close to my house, but I might just have to take a ride one day and check out the nearest store anyway.

A good friend of mine just got their 13-drawer tool box and I have to admit that it's REALLY good quality for the price. Nothing Sears sells can compare with the HF tool box at that price level. I can't think of anyplace that sells a quality box of that size for that price.

http://www.harborfreight.com/44-13-draw ... 68784.html
Image
watkins
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 15880
Joined: Sun Jul 01, 2007 12:42 am
Cars: '08 Saab 9-5 Aero wagon
Location: Salem, MA

Re: "Pittsburgh" Harbor Freight 3/8 x 1/4 telescoping ratche

Post by watkins »

As a professional Automotive Wellness Practitioner, most of my key tools are Matco. However, I frequent Harbor Freight and own and use a ton of their products with great results. So do most of my coworkers.
Rope-Pusher
Master Standardshifter
Posts: 11607
Joined: Mon Mar 16, 2009 3:44 pm
Cars: '08 Jeep Liberty
Location: Greater Detroit Area

Re: "Pittsburgh" Harbor Freight 3/8 x 1/4 telescoping ratche

Post by Rope-Pusher »

Image + Image

Beats telescoping ratchet any day.
'08 Jeep Liberty 6-Speed MT - "Last of the Mohicans"
Post Reply