Craftsman Tools - USA History: Round Head Fine Tooth [RHFT] Ratchets - Rebuild & Discussion
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- Опубликовано: 20 янв 2016
- Welcome to the ancillary component of the Craftsman USA Ratchet History Project!
Here we focus on repairing ratchets!
This video features the USA made Craftsman Round Head Fine Tooth (RHFT) Ratchets.
The RHFT ratchet series were made by Easco up until the company was acquired by the Danaher Corporation in the early 1990s.
While these do feature the same basic design as the LL/Butterfly Ratchets (2nd Gen. RP), the Quick Release Ratchets (3rd Gen. RP), and even the Tear Drop Ratchets (4th Gen. RP) from the neck down, the ratchet's head as well as mechanism are completely novel to this specific ratchet. This series shares nothing else with other ratchets other than the I-beam style neck and raised panel handle.
Uniquely, the RHFT series ratchets were launched in 1970 without offering the 1/4" size, where the 1/4" would first be offered in 1971. The Flex head variants were first offered in 1978 only in 3/8" and 1/2" right up until they were no longer for sale. The RHFT series saw its final days being offered in a 2008 Craftsman digital online catalog.
Despite having a 38 year run within the Craftsman timeline, I did not award this particular ratchet with a "longevity" award as I did with the Quick Release (3rd Gen. RP), which had a 26 year run. This is due to the fact the RHFT was offered as a Sears Catalog / online, when it became available, exclusive. The Quick Release (3rd Gen. RP) was actually physically present at Sears stores, whereas the RHFT was not available in stores.
Although these ratchets are very popular among professionals, DIY, and collectors, they don't have the prominence they could have had due to their almost ethereal exclusivity.
RHFT 1/2" has 45 tooth gear w/ 3 tooth engagement per side per pawl (2x pawls are working together at the same time) This affords the 1/2" drive 4 degrees arc swing. RHFT 3/8" has a 41T gear (~4.4 degrees of arc swing) and 1/4" has a 35T gear (~5.1 degrees of arc swing). Among the different sizes, the arc swing increase was negligible.
Given the refinement of the mechanism and the fact that the ratchet has 2 independent pawls working together at the same time, different tooth counts for each respective size ratchet realistically had negligible differences in ease of use from one another.
The Craftsman RHFT ratchet series were known to be as tough as nails, and, for their time, had an extraordinarily refined mechanism. Some owners have said they have NEVER lubed their ratchet in the nearly 4 decades of owning it, and the ratchets still function as if they were new.
These factors, ultimately, are why RHFT ratchets are still so lauded to date, and the reason why their prices continue to climb.
Product numbers for each ratchet:
1/2” = 44977
3/8” = 43781
1/4" = 43187
1/2" Flex Head = 44983
3/8" Flex Head = 42794
Repair kit numbers for each ratchet:
1/2” = 43446
3/8” = 43436
1/4” = 43426
[NOTICE: 3/8" & 1/2" ratchet repair kits work for their corresponding flex ratchets]
If you are interested in exploring the US Patents affiliated with this specific ratchet series please explore the following:
3467231
3532013
Appearance of USA Craftsman ratchets from end to beginning:
Premium Grade Ratchets [Final USA made Craftsman Ratchets]
Thumb Wheel Ratchets
Wrench Socket Series
The Next Generation Thin Profile Ratchets
Tear Drop Professional Full Polish Ratchets
Round Head Ratchets
Tear Drop Ratchets (4th Gen. Raised Panel)
Stainless Steel / Lifetime Ratchets
Wrist Ratchet
Round Head Fine Tooth (RHFT) Ratchets
Quick Release Ratchets (3rd Gen. Raised Panel)
Intermediate Ratchets (2nd & 3rd Gen. Raised Panel Hybrid)
Long Lever & Butterfly Ratchets (2nd Gen. Raised Panel)
1/2” Breaker Bar Ratchet Adapter
Boxhead Ratchet Wrenches (1st Gen. Raised Panel)
Circle U Ratchets
BM / Circle K Ratchets
BE & Circle H Ratchets (Multiple varieties)
BT Ratchet
Craftsman Vanadium Ratchets
C-XX Ratchets [1st USA made Craftsman Ratchets] 
Хобби
Great Video! Very Detailed! I have a 1/4 drive fro the 70's. Frozen solid. Now that I know whats inside and how this is done, I will try the repair myself. I remember back years ago when you broke one, you brought it to sears and they would do the repair for you. Ahh the good ole days, lol..
I broke my old Craftsman ratchet a couple months ago while using it like a breaker bar to remove a VERY stuck component on my car. I was not happy to say the least :-( I bought a Dewalt pear-shaped ratchet as a replacement, thinking I'd have to dump the Craftsman, but it doesn't have the same feel. I was ecstatic to find this video that gave me a model number so I could purchase the repair kit :-)
+hoopfan71 Happy to help!
The ratchet has been repaired. Thanks, again.
Hey, thanks for posting this. I needed the part numbers!
Great video! The bad thing about these ratchets is if you have one that has a damaged or really worn gear the repair kit is useless. I imagine this is why the kits are still relatively inexpensive and easy to find. I found this out the hard way…….😮😊
Awesome 😎
Thanks for showing how to take these tools apart
Would you know how much those cost when they were new? From what I've seen, there is a 1/2", 3/8", 1/4", a 1/4" with a screwdriver handle and a 3/8" flex.
I have a set I picked up for 7$ at a local
Used hardware store and cleaned it out with brake cleaner quick easy and then used Lucas red and tacky to regrease it but for sure retention ring was the hardest part to put back in
You bet it is! A great ratchet, but difficult to reassemble! ^_^
I just purchased one of these, everything seems run just fine other than the selector switch spinning freely. I need to grip the anvil end to get it to engage. Does anyone know the remedy to this?
i have a 1/4 ratchet that the ball that holds the socket in has gone is there a kit to fix that ?
Unfortunately, unless you have an appropriate spring, bearing, and press to install everything into your socket stud, you'll need a repair kit. Refer to the video's description. If you click on the "see more" area below the "Gear Wolf" name, you should find the appropriate repair kit number.
do you have the kit number for the rebuild kit for the 3/8 round head?
Near my name "Gear Wolf", click on "Show More". You'll find the video summary and the repair kit numbers! ^_^
Great video on the fine tooth ratchet. Just acquired a compete set with serial #’s. Have done maintenance on my original and teardrop sets
And now they again work perfectly. The reason they didn’t was because the ball bearing was frozen to the spring. My question is all those
repair kits that are available are they really necessary? I get if a pawl somehow breaks or if the internal gear/ has wear than the kit is a good idea.
Maybe a spring or out of round ball bearing? Even the snap or retaining ring doesn’t appear to lose its elasticity. Just wondering what your opinion is on this.
Thanks
Hi, Ken!
I understand where you are coming from. It does seem to be a waste to replace an entire mechanism, where you could simply have parts on hand to rectify a small problem.
The RHFT primarily was a catalog exclusive for a majority of its existence within the Craftsman brand. That isn't to say that they wouldn't appear in particular stores in certain areas; however, this would be due to Sears attempting to cope with surplus products in their individual regional inventories.
With all of that said, keeping that mechanism on hand was expensive for Sears and a bit of a pain in the ass for the customer. Unless the tool department's manager had enough for thought, individual Sears stores just got lucky, or a previous customer made a request for a "repair kit" and forgot/didn't come in themselves (prior the time you would come and need one ^_^), the odds of Sears having a spare mechanism were fairly rare. It isn't to say that they were never have them and would always have to order one for customers. I am saying that it would be fairly unusual for an individual Sears store to have many, if any.
For example, I spoke to multiple Sears tool department managers over the phone and just as many in person to discover that, on average, certain tool kits had a degree of "frequency" or "periodicity" of being available at their stores. For the most part, if it wasn't a part of the typical Sears inventory, they simply didn't keep it in appreciable quantity, if at all.
A majority of Sears store would have a gambit of the last generation/2nd to last generation raised panel repair kits and the "Next Gen" 60 tooth ratchet repair kits, but were scanty on everything else. This made sense, as in the mid-2000s and 2010s those were the ratchets Sears were primarily pushing.
Had this been the 1930s through 1950s, I believe Sears would have had more of a "we'll only use what we need" philosophy to repair a tool. As lifetime/longtime department specialists were replaced by those looking for a weekend gig and the dynamics of what department stores as well as their services also changed, I feel the choice to simply replace the entire mechanism was probably made due limitations of time, lack of specialization, and expedience of customer experience.
If you enjoyed this answer, wait for the upcoming "reboot". The original series took me
i pulled out the center bar(the one you push to get the sockets off, and i ended up with another bearing on the bench. not sure where it came from . was hoping you would show that disassembled too. any thoughts? thanks for the vid. thumbs up for sure.
Let me ponder this one. There are a few minor variants of this particular ratchet mechanism.
@@GearWolf thanks, that would be awesome! the ball bearing is slightly larger than the pair in your vid. i didnt watch your vid before taking mine apart and launched one of the pair into no mans land. i got a rebuild kit to replace it. when i get that in, ill see if i can get everything back where it goes. all i know is, when i put it back together without the mystery bearing, the push button to get the sockets off no longer worked. aka the socket would just slide on and off. so i think/hope it goes in that area.
Great video. What grease do you use in these? I have done some other ratchets with regular grease from my grease gun, and it seems to just gum things up and make things worse.
There are a variety of greases that can be used for this application. I elect to use "Super Lube" because it is a synthetic lubricant with good viscosity characteristics. Plus, as it is a full synthetic lubricant, you get the added benefit of it actively behaving as a detergent, which will continue to work on grime that may not be easily seen or cleaned off. The only downside: it is expensive.
I've used green marine grease and red wheel bearing grease with similar fidelity. These greases are much cheaper.
I use #0 grease. It's ultra thin, almost like oil in suspension. It is not sticky/thick like wheel bearing grease guming things up
Great video! What craftsman sockets were designed for these? I have a 1/2" and just bought the 3/8" and 1/4" versions online. I've noticed that some modern sockets I have tried using with the 1/2" version don't lock into the ratchet. This makes the quick release kind of useless.
Hi Seth! Merry Christmas!
I'm currently working on the "reboot" of this entire series! If you like this, you'll definitely get a kick out of what I've been up to! ^_^
Anyway, the RHFT series of ratchets had the LONGEST production run within the Craftsman brand. For simplicity, we'll say it was in the ballpark of ~35 years. With that said, it is difficult to say specifically what sockets they were designed for. Sockets featuring the =V= or -V- were the traditional markings that vintage Craftsman ratchets would be paired with. More "modern" variants would have a multitude of alphanumeric markings: "G", "GG", "E", "EE", "K1", etc. Realistically, whatever sockets were available/sold during similar production run to the RHFT were paired with one another.
In regards to your other concern about your 1/2", I'd say that your "Quick Release" mechanism may have wear. When using the QR, the bearing that mates with the socket falls into a little nook within the shaft at the end of the QR mechanism. From my experience of working on these, usually what I've seen is that, due to wear/tear or poor maintenance, either the bearing or valley the bearing falls into will become damaged over time. This results in poor performance for either releasing or holding sockets to the stud.
Over time, there were a number of revisions to the RHFT QR mechanism to improve overall performance and longevity.
I hope this helps!
@@GearWolf thanks for the tips!
@@sethbenschoter3168 Happy to help!
Hello, thanks for taking the time to show this. I had the 1/4 version from a kit my dad gave me. Probably 40 or 50 years old now ha, ha. It was pretty bad, I took it all apart, cleaned it up and it still looks to be in great shape under all the gunk. Unfortunately, I lost one of the ball bearings in the tear down. Do you know if the kit comes with them? Thank you, Jeff
Jeff, thank you for your kind words.
I wouldn't give up on your current mechanism. If you run down to your local hardware store, you can buy bearings, which should be compatible with your current ratchet.
I say this as the repair kits for the RHFT ratchets are typically, but not always, usually at least $15 to $20 starting on the secondary market. Since Sears will be more or less defunct in the coming years, they have long discontinued supporting USA made ratcheting mechanisms with new drive repair kits. Given this, your best bet for both expedience and access, would likely be eBay. Unfortunately, however, you'll be looking at paying at least the range aforementioned, should you go this route.
Again, if you still have 1 of the 2 bearings, see if you can acquire a handful of spare, which would cost you literally cents over many dollars.
Best of luck!
- Gear Wolf
@@GearWolf Thank you for the quick reply! I don't mind buying a kit just to have spare parts for it, if it does come with the bearings. Do you happen to know whether it does? Thanks again for the video and thoughts. -Jeff
@@netwak Hi Jeff!
Yes, if you buy the repair/replacement kit, it will have everything you need and be ready to go. Unlike other repair kits, this mechanism is entirely self contained. Follow the workflow in the video, and you should be good to go.
Just an FYI, the 1/4", from my experience, can be a little tricky to install. Take your time and have patience!
Best of luck,
- Gear Wolf
@@GearWolf Thank you! Yes, it was pretty dirty so I tore it all down. Getting that retaining clip in and out was the hardest part, so small. The grease was so dried on it was like carbon on there. Cleaned up as much as I could with rubbing alcohol then put it in a small ultrasonic cleaner I had. In the end, it was pretty clean and seemed to be in great shape. My shoulders dropped when I could not find the second bearing :/ I'll order this kit and have some spare parts. Thanks again for the information. Great videos on these!
I didn't notice while watching your video , but I saw another guy putting his ratchet together and he put it in neutral before assembly and it just slipped right in with no problem... Give it a try and see how it works...
Yep. I've been doing that for a while now. It is a handy trick.
I'll include that in the "reboot" of the video series.
Where do you purchase the repair kit?
In the rare instance that Sears can provide you one for free, your only choice is to seek one on eBay.
very detailed video shot. how you setup your camera?
This was done with a HDR-CX220. It is a basic "Handycam" from Sony.
The new series is being shot on a combination of Sony FS7, FS700, and FS100 cameras.
I have a wrench with the ends of the retaining clip broken off, so I cannot squeeze the ends to reduce the diameter of the clip.....any ideas I how I can get past this? anybody?
Try to grab one of the broken ends with needle nose pliers and pull it straight out.
Yep. That is your only recourse, sadly.
Just got a 3/8's version with no model# so i assume its like 1969-70? Came out of a auction box lot I paid $3 for. Its a little crusty and only turns one direction, but with the help of this video maybe I can get it working again. Thanks for the info. Well made video..
Update: Snap ring broke, still managed to get ratchet apart. Soaking whole mechanism in a bag of PB blaster. Going to check on it in a few days. Where do I get a new snap ring??
Where do i get a 43788 repair kit? Google is showing me jack squat...
Final update. No repair kits available for this 3/8's ratchet. Even if there were one I have a feeling it would be over priced. SO anyway I thought hell with it I will exchange ratchet for a new one at lowes. YEAH LOL thats not happening. Apparently you can exchange broken craftsman hand tools but its has to be the same model # your exchanging for. So if its not on the shelf a lowes your SCREWED! Thanks lowes! SO yeah this ratchet is going in the scrap pile. And I will be sure to avoid craftsman in the future! Such a good brand now is hot garbage! SAD!
Not too many people like pulling out the pawls, it must be some kind of fear about the springs popping out a bearing that will never be seen again.
Yep. ^_^
You did not complete the teardown. You should also remove and clean the pushbutton/quick release. To remove quick release you simple turn the quick release button counter clockwise because it's on a threaded rod. Hope this helps.
That is something that is only applicable to certain variants of this specific mechanism.
Looks a lot like a williams super ratchet
Yes, sir. You are not alone in that sentiment. ^_^
I broke mine in half trying to bust a axle nut off.
Cheater bar added?
Supposed to use 3/4 drive for axle nuts.
WOW, that was painful to watch 🤣😂😅🤣😂😅👍🏻👍🏻
Yep, I struggled with that one! Hahaha!
It is funny. Years ago, I actually rehearsed working on the retention clip a few times. I thought I was ready to go. Fate had a different plan. ^_^