MASSIVE props and thanks for actually testing these like how they'll actually be used, including doing a freaking break test! That's some extremely valuable info to know. THanks!
You can just read the specs on the ratchet. None of them are meant for lug nuts. They’re for torque applications under 100ft lbs. This is information you could get from the freaking device packaging 🤦🏼♂️
As far as I'm concerned, the first manufacturer to develope a cordless ratchet with interchangeable heads (long and short reach) wins the game. Speed and torque are secondary. Speed is nice, but as long as the tool is doing the work and not my forearms, even the slowest among them is still working faster than I could. Torque is more important. However, in a lot of cases when using these tools, you don't want high amounts of torque, at least when fastening. They make right angle impacts for those uses anyway. Ideally, someone should produce a right angle impact that allows the impact function to be disabled (like a hammer drill) and also has an interchangeable head. Then, all bases are covered with one tool.
Check out air impact ratchets. That is half of what you talked about. The extendable part would be interesting, the drive mechanism would need multiple pieces that slide within each other to avoid excessive length. Think of extendable hydraulic pistons, where one is inside another.
I have to say I usually hate test-to-failure, but this is actually pretty useful for people to understand these aren't breaker-bars or even regular ratchets in terms of breaking tough fasteners free.
@scotth5503 Yes, you're right. Wasteful and stupid. No one I've ever seen in Construction would use an expensive electric ratchet for a solid metal breaker bar. The video is just unrealistic in my experience.
THIS IS EXACTLY THE VIDEO I'VE BEEN NEEDING TO SEE! Thanks much for making this! I've had my eye on getting the Milwaukee extended reach 3/8" ratchet but I was having a hard time trying to justify spending $250+ on it if I still needed to use a breaker bar to loosen a nut/bolt that might've been torqued down to 70 lb/ft. Now that you've confirmed it won't snap in half on me, I'm gonna go out and get one. Thank youuu!!!!
Been using the Hercules for a couple of years. My wrists and elbows love it - cuts down on a lot of aches. Durable enough for my needs and the battery holds its charge well.
@@willriggs3409 I got a Milwaukee M18 cordless impact driver from Home Depot for $99 a month ago and I have to admit this is a great tool. It will do everything the Hercules does and other things like driving fasteners.
@@67daltonknox now Hercules tools have a 5 year warranty and 3 year battery warranty. Great price. Good warranty and it's over the counter. Not going to "service centers"
@@fsb_-bf3th only on their 18v stuff 5 year warranty 3 years on 18v batteries but 12v u have to buy extended warranty hopefully they will include a warranty of some sort on the 12v line but 5 year warranty on an electric tool is excellent nonetheless hf been killing it here lately
I've got the Hercules extended 3/8 ratchet and I'll be honest. I love it. It's been given some hot suppers, rode hard and put away wet and it just keeps performing. Just know which tool you need for whatever fastener and use that tool. I've never used the Hercules to break loose heavily torqued bolts.
@ClientGraphics. Thanks Chris for your great testing of these 3/8 in cordless ratchets. Let's have a moment of silence as we remember these brave tools as they gave their all in the name of ultimate tool testing. Hope you and your family stay safe and well.
I can't say anything about their electric ratchet but I can at least speak from experience that harbor freights half inch electric impact is a certified pos, not cut out for professional use at all. I switched to the Milwaukee fuel half inch a few months ago after having already ditched the harbor freight version and going back to pneumatic temporarily. I'm glad I was able to finally get the Milwaukee. Its made my job so much easier. I also own the long neck 3/8s Milwaukee ratchet they show cased in the video and its one of my most used tools I love it.
@@alleyesopen7776 just from watching the video it doesn’t look bad.… I probably wouldn’t use it as my go to lol. I’m gonna get the Milwaukee eventually, I have the 14.4v snap on short and long neck 3/8 and they’ve both been very good to me
Harbor Freight has really upped their game. We have one local and I'm constantly buying something there. Yeah for the money vs the ability I'm buying that Hercules. I have breaker bars lol.Great video.
Every tool has a hammer side, lol! Great video Chris! Ive used the original Milwaukee cordless, the H.F. Earthquake, The Mac ratchets and the Snap-on ratchets. IMO the tool truck ratchets worked the best but if you used a breaker bar or a regular hand ratchet to break loose the fasteners any of the tools work fine. The tool truck cordless ratchets can manually breakaway fasteners a lot better.
I have a Milwaukee m12 ratchet at work..we use it for putting the nylock nuts on the salt spreaders spinners on trucks..it lasts for over 400 nuts before I need to swap batteries.. it came free with the Milwaukee grease gun.. it’s been such a time saver
Picked up the Ryobi for $49 clearance at HD. Sept 2021 Came with a charger and battery! 👍 Due to releasing the longer version. Prob pick that one up too...
Another great test, Chris. One thing, you *can* use these with high torque applications, as long as you use a regular ratchet/breaker bar to break the fastener loose first or for final tightening. These are great if you have a lot of repeated bolts/nuts to remove even if you have to break the fastener loose or final tighten with regular ratchet.
I have to say this is one of the best-unbiased reviews on RUclips. Many of the other guys try to sound and act unbiased but their tone of voice says otherwise.
I literally use the milwaukee m12 non fuel ratchet every day. It's the smallest one out. Fits in most places. I always break or final torque bigger fasteners with a regular ratchet and then a torque wrench but it's so awesome for spinning fasteners out.
Most often neglected in reviews is clearance and reach. The Hercules is a cheapy but well worth my money doing LS bellhousing bolts in salvage yards. My bro leaves his Milwaukee at home because it doesn't matter how good a tool is if it won't reach the target fastener. When someone else makes a significantly better tool with at least the Hercules reach and very importantly, slender head size, I'll buy at least one. For most work a pistol grip impact gets the operator away from the hardware better so the major point of angle heads is confined space access.
I’m glad you explained and demonstrated how not to use one on those lug nuts. Yes they’ll brake if you use them like you would a ratchet. The tool is supposed to do all the work. Glad to see the Hercules is pretty good because I bought it 20 minutes BEFORE watching this.😂 I usually do my homework for the most part, but sometimes I have a “I sees it, I buys it” approach knowing if I don’t like it I can return it. Great review/test video BTW.👍
My brushed M12 3/8 has been great, bought it when it first came out, case is so wore our rubber falling off and Battery loose but still works. Only thing I never liked was the reverse switch. Too hard to turn. Great video
I’m sure Milwaukee would say it’s to keep it as low profile as possible. The Hercules did fix that complaint on the selector switch with making it raised about a 1/4” for easy use.
Thank you Chris for forking out the money for all those ratchets. Honestly nobody should be judging in the comments if they didn’t put in on those ratchets.
I restore old cars as a hobby, and do a lo of diy projects around the house. Got the Ryobi because it use the same battery as all my other cordless tools. The first one failed right out of the box. Swapped it out for another one and it has been rock solid for 6months. It’s great for any low torque application don’t know how I ever lived with out it. Anything that requires torque I use either my 3/8 or 1/2 inch brushless impacts that all use the same batteries.
Would love to see you preform this same test on the new M12 high speed ratchet! I was having a hard time deciding which ratchet to get but based on your torture test I think the M12 extended suits my needs best. Thanks for the awesome video!
As of this morning, Harbor Freight is selling the 3/8 and 1/4 extended reach ratchet (tool only) for $54.99 each and the regular for $49.99 each. From what I can tell, it appears to be the new price since it doesn't show anything about a sale. That's $30 less than each was yesterday.
@@DADSGARAGE-ip7th not under normal work load it broke while trying to break a lug loose with a tool that was designed for low torque applications like small fasteners to speed up a job if it was a breaker bar and it snapped in half then I’d look a different way but that Hercules seems to be a good bargain they have dropped $40 in price since the release of this video
I have the Ryobi extended and performance is fine but the massive battery at the end IMO is a PITA. Already have the M12 high speed so will get the extended or the insider when a good deal comes along. Would try the Hercules but with a battery and charger it almost puts you into M12 range if you're already into M12 batteries.
I wish you had been a little more consistent in terms of batteries used. Specifically, you upped the Milwaukee Fuel to a bigger battery to determine its max torque, but left the Ryobi with its tiny one. Most likely, if you have the Ryobi, for example, you have other batteries. Maybe testing them all with a 4Ah battery would have leveled the field a little. For being the least expensive and smallest batteries, I thought the Ryobi did pretty well. I guess seeing what it would do with a bigger battery would have been interesting. If you ever do this again, maybe throw in a DeWalt so the big two (Milwaukee and DeWalt) are represented, also. Thank you for putting this comparison together.
The thing I don't like about most of them is the huge battery packs. I feel like if you can manage to jam the ratchet into a hole in the engine bay with enough room to fit those huge batteries, you can probably use an impact driver. I have the non fuel M12 ratchet, which does feel pretty flimsy, but I just rebuilt 3 engines with it and it worked great. I know HF is ditching the earthquake line, but I'd be interested in how the AC-Delco G12 line does, and they appear to be the same. I really do like the extended reach ones though because the bodies of these beasts are a but larger in diameter than I'd like.
I have the ryobi and it's convenient, I thought it was stupid till I put in an alternator for a buddy and none of my ratchets were very fast I was clicking a single tooth at a time on a fine tooth ratchet, until I brought this bad boy out I bought in sale and it was amazing I've used it alot since
I have the Milwaukee fuel 3/8 regular ratchet and the 3/8 Mini impact, and the 3/8 mid torque impact. I use the angled mini impact the most. I want to get the long reach ratchet next. After getting a few other 12 volt items. I think that Milwaukee hit outta the park with the 12 volt line for mechanics. With the 18/20 volt you can go with any decent company. But Milwaukee for the win in the 12 volt world.
@@sheepdog3828 havent had a chance to use it yet, but i obtained an m12 fuel ratchet from a friend, and already own a non-fuel drill and driver m12 kit and i have to be honest, the compactness of the m12s are wonderfull. When it comes to impact wrenches, i ended up getting a brushless m18 1/2" and it's a beast for only being their standard torque and not mid/high torque models. M18s are really for when you need the power/torque values. Otherwise, around the house and smaller projects, i've found the m12's do just fine and they take up so little space and aren't hefty in your hands.
i have a hand me down Milwaukee ratchet with one battery and i just picked up a ryobi ratchet since my pops has a lot of ryobi batteries and idc i do not try breaking bolts with either of them. i keep the ratchet in the back pocket whenever im doing work and use that instead. but i liked this video a lot
New hyper tough looks similar to Hercules, $60 with battery, best size profile. 2 year no questions warranty, probably more it's Walmart. I've returned stuff I forgot about before lol. Certainly not a torque monster, but for where and when I need one it ought to do. I think I got it mostly to test it?... I have M12 fuel ratchets 😂 price is hard to ignore..
Incorrect. A Rachet SHOULD BE able to reasonably break a nut or bolt loose in a tight space. Should you be breaking loose something that's rusted and torqued over 70- 80lbs probably not. But if you have a quality tool 50-60lbs of tq is something you can do repeatedly without worry of catastrophic failure. Cheap gets you cheap that standard has not changed or quite simply you get what you pay for. That Hercules was very impressive.
I need torque not speed -- it can go as slow as you like, I just have to get bolts off. I have a third bolt on a starter that I don't have access to so bought the ryobi-- NG. Will see if Project Farm tests torque. But on the positive side yours is the first video to show in tight positions for which it's designed.
I actually own a Milwaukee 1/2 inch vertical impact and it's incredible, rips rusted bolts loose and even lug nuts to a certain point like its nothing.
I got the M12 brushed ratchet as a free tool when i got the hex driver and drill and expected to break it soon. But had it for over a year and still works. Lol
I think the test to failure is highly dependent on the clock position of the eccentric spinner. Cool that you did a destructive test on these. I have the short version of the Milwaukees minus the high speeds. The extended reach is next on my list. The Fuel versions are way heavier duty, but the heads are way bigger. So they both still have their uses.
@@xaphan8581 If you think the Ryobi or the Hercules will hold up to daily professional use, you are simply incorrect. The disparity in quality will eventually rear it's ugly head. Don't just take my word for it. Ask any pro auto technician what they think. I use my tools. For me, tools are an investment and time savers. They are worked hard, but not abused. I understand their limitations and their strengths. They make me money. Though they aren't cheap, they pay for themselves many times over in a relatively short period. Down time for crapped out tools is not something I can tolerate. If you only use these things to tinker now and then, sure, I get it. I have close to a hundred tools that use that same Milwaukee M12 battery. They work for me. Go with what works for you. There is no blanket right or wrong choice here. I'm happy with my tool choices. I hope you are happy with yours no matter what you buy.
Difference is when you are in tight spaces and need to make 50 cycles to get a bolt off. You do not need this tool when you have lots of room. When you don't have room this is an awesome tool to have in your bag!
I use my impact driver with a socket adapter if I want speed and doesn't require a lot of space otherwise I used these in tight spots and if it requires more torque? I break out the breaker or torque wrench :).
I actually really liked my Milwaukee brushed ratchet, got it in a kit basically as a free tool and dint think id ever use it, but it ended up being one of my favorite tools. broke it exactly how your broke in the video when an outer tie rod bolt was a little too tight for its liking, and ended up replacing it with the long neck fuel ratchet. Good to see it should be quite a bit tougher to break that one, because the price sure as hell reflects it haha
Same. The non-fuel ratchet came for FREE in a promotion from Northern Tool. A Milwaukee M12 kit that had a 1/4 Fuel impact, a Fuel Hammer drill, 2 batteries, and a charger. All for $200. Couldn’t pass that deal up.
Incredible video! So much money spent here! Omg. Just so you know, the Hercules extended only failed at around 120ft lbs if you tightened the nut to 150ft lbs. The Milwaukee brushed is terrible I threw it away after 2 years of never using it. So weak.
@@cameronaberner I use all Milwaukee at the shop, but have a bunch of kobalt stuff I use at home on my personal cars, and for the price, it holds up really well honestly
But I’m sure it works fine I had a Kobalt impact DRIVER (not impact WRENCH) lol not sure why it bother me so much he kept saying the stubby driver maybe because I thought was a accident first time but he continued through the vid haha but good video been wanting to make a similar comparison
Have been in the market for cordless ratchets for a while and I keep pondering the hercules brand. When it comes to warranty you need to see if its in store or factory .
My problem is that i am already into milwaukee tools for my battery solution so even if another ratchet is better buying a different tool brand that i cant swap batteries around kind of makes buying those tools pointless.
One of the biggest reasons I keep my tools. My Snap on ratchet can break bolts loose and tighten down until it slaps and still survive, plus has high rpms
I would like to see what manufacturing corners are cut with the cheaper ratchets. Now that they are all broken, maybe you could do a vid. taking them apart looking at the components type of plastics (glass fiber content) and so on.
Right tool for the job. I have the original first release version of the m12 brushed ratchet in 3/8" and can promise you I'll hold well over 89ftlb because I have broke loose caliper stays with it...dont recommend it but It took it. But on a real note a snap-on 1/4" will smoke any of these in speed and the new "high torque" ratchet from Milwaukee, the head is way to oversized to fit in places on modern cars. Ok for some trucks. I'd honestly take the Hercules extended length if the battery wasn't so wide. Ideally the head of the og milwaukee with extended length and brushless power with a reversed paddle like the Hercules would be perfect
Impressed by the Hercules ratchets, and the Ryobi did well. Very disappointing results for the Mke 2457. Thanks for doing the destructive testing. I noticed you had to really work to break the Mke FUEL
I worry they are going to keep increasing the torque on these to the point of making them useless; it's no good if they snap off or overtorque everything. There are right angle impacts for that, anyway.
I think the whole deal, at least for me, with the cordless ratchet, is just the convenience of not having to manually ratchet a bunch of stuff by hand. I would still start and finish it with a manual ratchet. If I need a bit better performance, I'd just go to an air ratchet. I just prefer air tools. More power for less money. Thanks for the video. It was really well done. Thanks for sharing.
Lol why would you buy an electric one then if you have to keep switching back and forth? With mine if it’s smaller bolts I’ll use electric but if it’s bigger shit that’s rusted or torqued on pretty good then use air
@@xaphan8581 I've discovered that I don't have to switch back and forth. I didn't know my cordless ratchet would work as a regular ratchet without breaking. like for assembling things in the house that have a lot of nuts and bolts. the cordless is faster and more convenient. not going to drag an air hose into the house. I now have some bigger cordless stuff if I need it, but didn't a year ago.
@@UtahDarkHorse bro they can go up to like 100 foot pounds manually. I work on semis and never broke mine. On one test I saw a guy go to like 130fp before it skipped a tooth. It didn’t even break at 130 it just wouldn’t go that high.
To be honest, i own all fuel ratchets and stubby’s and I rarely use my ratchets anymore. With a wobble extension or universal socket you can make it work with stubby’s 90% of the time. And what you lose in power is STILL more than a ratchet will ever produce.
Me too man. I have the m12 fuel ratchets and I have the m12 stubby impact gun... if I can get my gun on it that’s what I use... ratchets only get used if I really can’t get a gun on it.. guys in my shop use cordless ratchets to remove nuts and bolts that are wide open for a gun to get on..I don’t get it 🤷♂️
Im about to do my Timing belt & water pump ...one of these ratches wont help much on those 2 things ...... But it will sure help getting to those things, all the crap that has to come off. Im getting the Berzerker 49.00 ratchet off amazon. ...price has me sold. good reviews, mostly need it for doing my timing belt so if it fails me after a few weeks, I dont care much. If the hercules made a long skinny one Id be interested.
I'm new to coreless Ratchets. But should a weak ratchet be something positive because then it won't over-tighten? Near all bolts need to be torqued to a specific spec. This way the ratchet can quickly screw on before using the torque wrench. The powerful impacts are then only for removing bolts. Am I missing something? Thanks!
Sometimes a regular ratchet is a pain because you don't have a lot of swing. If you can only do one or two clicks it will seem like you will never finish. Also helps make it easer to reach some areas. For example my 2001 sequoia. To remove the intake manifold I have to remove the wiring harness which is bolted to the very back of the manifold in a hard to get place. With a standard ratchet it is a real pain and involves a lot of time and cussin. Put the electric ratchet on and it gets into the tight spot and undoes the bolt in short order.
Thumbs up as I appreciate your thoroughness, but keep in mind that it’s not fair to compare an impact driver with a power ratchet… Two entirely different tools, two entirely different uses, and no, RPMs don’t mean anything… This is about getting into tight spaces and saving your wrist over a days work on a car
MASSIVE props and thanks for actually testing these like how they'll actually be used, including doing a freaking break test! That's some extremely valuable info to know. THanks!
You can just read the specs on the ratchet. None of them are meant for lug nuts. They’re for torque applications under 100ft lbs. This is information you could get from the freaking device packaging 🤦🏼♂️
No one I know or I use electric ratchets as a "breaker bar" ever, we use them as ratchets.
@@knutlovhoiden the milwaukee broke at around 80..
As far as I'm concerned, the first manufacturer to develope a cordless ratchet with interchangeable heads (long and short reach) wins the game. Speed and torque are secondary.
Speed is nice, but as long as the tool is doing the work and not my forearms, even the slowest among them is still working faster than I could. Torque is more important. However, in a lot of cases when using these tools, you don't want high amounts of torque, at least when fastening. They make right angle impacts for those uses anyway. Ideally, someone should produce a right angle impact that allows the impact function to be disabled (like a hammer drill) and also has an interchangeable head. Then, all bases are covered with one tool.
Check out air impact ratchets. That is half of what you talked about. The extendable part would be interesting, the drive mechanism would need multiple pieces that slide within each other to avoid excessive length. Think of extendable hydraulic pistons, where one is inside another.
I have to say I usually hate test-to-failure, but this is actually pretty useful for people to understand these aren't breaker-bars or even regular ratchets in terms of breaking tough fasteners free.
Exactly.
@scotth5503 Yes, you're right. Wasteful and stupid. No one I've ever seen in Construction would use an expensive electric ratchet for a solid metal breaker bar. The video is just unrealistic in my experience.
THIS IS EXACTLY THE VIDEO I'VE BEEN NEEDING TO SEE! Thanks much for making this! I've had my eye on getting the Milwaukee extended reach 3/8" ratchet but I was having a hard time trying to justify spending $250+ on it if I still needed to use a breaker bar to loosen a nut/bolt that might've been torqued down to 70 lb/ft. Now that you've confirmed it won't snap in half on me, I'm gonna go out and get one. Thank youuu!!!!
Been using the Hercules for a couple of years. My wrists and elbows love it - cuts down on a lot of aches. Durable enough for my needs and the battery holds its charge well.
Good to know! I've been eye balling it forever it feels like and I think it's time to bite the bullet.
@@willriggs3409 I got a Milwaukee M18 cordless impact driver from Home Depot for $99 a month ago and I have to admit this is a great tool. It will do everything the Hercules does and other things like driving fasteners.
@@67daltonknox now Hercules tools have a 5 year warranty and 3 year battery warranty. Great price. Good warranty and it's over the counter. Not going to "service centers"
@@fsb_-bf3th only on their 18v stuff 5 year warranty 3 years on 18v batteries but 12v u have to buy extended warranty hopefully they will include a warranty of some sort on the 12v line but 5 year warranty on an electric tool is excellent nonetheless hf been killing it here lately
its say 90 days on Harbor freight @@fsb_-bf3th
I've got the Hercules extended 3/8 ratchet and I'll be honest. I love it. It's been given some hot suppers, rode hard and put away wet and it just keeps performing. Just know which tool you need for whatever fastener and use that tool. I've never used the Hercules to break loose heavily torqued bolts.
I just got the hercules today I'm in love with this thing never owned a electric ratchet before years wasted 😐
@ClientGraphics. Thanks Chris for your great testing of these 3/8 in cordless ratchets. Let's have a moment of silence as we remember these brave tools as they gave their all in the name of ultimate tool testing.
Hope you and your family stay safe and well.
Thanks @C Adama for the moment of silence. Won’t be the first or the last😀
I have the Ryobi, and although I really don't abuse it I love it. It works really good for what it is made for and I really like the swivel head.
Same I wish the battery wasn't so large
Well, that’s one way to spend that stimulus check 😂
I was thinking pert near the same thing about buying all those electric ratchets.
Can we see a real video tour of the icon tool box
Hahaha
I wanna use an electric ratchet for tractor trailer tires
I think I'll go with the Ryobi, idk if it's everywhere but they have a 6 year replacement warranty and 3 years on the batteries which seems very good
and bang for the buck
i found the 18v 3\8 ratchet kit with battery & charger today on clearance at the depot for $45
Cheap is good! $40 something off of Amazon! ruclips.net/video/o8rV1L4Jf4k/видео.html
Ryobi is the brand I would never buy again
It’s junk
Hercules brand (dewalt clone) is much better
@@AlexC80 nothing wrong with Ryobi I have a fair few tools and no issues atall. got a few blue tools from years
Harbor freight impressed me on that.... definitely wouldn’t be a bad buy
I can't say anything about their electric ratchet but I can at least speak from experience that harbor freights half inch electric impact is a certified pos, not cut out for professional use at all. I switched to the Milwaukee fuel half inch a few months ago after having already ditched the harbor freight version and going back to pneumatic temporarily. I'm glad I was able to finally get the Milwaukee. Its made my job so much easier. I also own the long neck 3/8s Milwaukee ratchet they show cased in the video and its one of my most used tools I love it.
@@alleyesopen7776 just from watching the video it doesn’t look bad.… I probably wouldn’t use it as my go to lol. I’m gonna get the Milwaukee eventually, I have the 14.4v snap on short and long neck 3/8 and they’ve both been very good to me
Yeah, the Hercules really impressed me, I was shocked that it did so well.
I love the paces you put the tools through, I love your content. Please be good and stay safe.
Thanks Jimmy, stay safe.
Harbor Freight has really upped their game. We have one local and I'm constantly buying something there. Yeah for the money vs the ability I'm buying that Hercules. I have breaker bars lol.Great video.
Every tool has a hammer side, lol! Great video Chris! Ive used the original Milwaukee cordless, the H.F. Earthquake, The Mac ratchets and the Snap-on ratchets. IMO the tool truck ratchets worked the best but if you used a breaker bar or a regular hand ratchet to break loose the fasteners any of the tools work fine. The tool truck cordless ratchets can manually breakaway fasteners a lot better.
I have a Milwaukee m12 ratchet at work..we use it for putting the nylock nuts on the salt spreaders spinners on trucks..it lasts for over 400 nuts before I need to swap batteries.. it came free with the Milwaukee grease gun.. it’s been such a time saver
Picked up the Ryobi for $49 clearance at HD. Sept 2021
Came with a charger and battery! 👍
Due to releasing the longer version. Prob pick that one up too...
OUTSTANDING!!!!! OMGosh Chris SO glad that I waited to watch this as a "prime time" video. It did not dissapoint. Love it. WELL DONE and THANKS!!!
Love it Dale, Thanks! This one took way to long making and was kind of expensive😉
Another great test, Chris. One thing, you *can* use these with high torque applications, as long as you use a regular ratchet/breaker bar to break the fastener loose first or for final tightening. These are great if you have a lot of repeated bolts/nuts to remove even if you have to break the fastener loose or final tighten with regular ratchet.
Man! It hurt my soul watching you test the failure point of these ratchets, but thanks for doing so, now we all know.
Much better than my ratchetless cord. Thanks for the video
I have to say this is one of the best-unbiased reviews on RUclips. Many of the other guys try to sound and act unbiased but their tone of voice says otherwise.
I literally use the milwaukee m12 non fuel ratchet every day. It's the smallest one out. Fits in most places. I always break or final torque bigger fasteners with a regular ratchet and then a torque wrench but it's so awesome for spinning fasteners out.
Love my 3/8 brushed Milwaukee, probably my second most used 12v.
Great video 👌. Best bang for the buck is the Hercules. But if your in the m12 platform I would stay their lots of great deals lately.
When you break them, makes me die a little inside. But it’s okay. For science...
Fear not, 5 year warranty on the Milwaukees lol
Most often neglected in reviews is clearance and reach. The Hercules is a cheapy but well worth my money doing LS bellhousing bolts in salvage yards. My bro leaves his Milwaukee at home because it doesn't matter how good a tool is if it won't reach the target fastener. When someone else makes a significantly better tool with at least the Hercules reach and very importantly, slender head size, I'll buy at least one.
For most work a pistol grip impact gets the operator away from the hardware better so the major point of angle heads is confined space access.
I’m glad you explained and demonstrated how not to use one on those lug nuts. Yes they’ll brake if you use them like you would a ratchet. The tool is supposed to do all the work. Glad to see the Hercules is pretty good because I bought it 20 minutes BEFORE watching this.😂 I usually do my homework for the most part, but sometimes I have a “I sees it, I buys it” approach knowing if I don’t like it I can return it. Great review/test video BTW.👍
Just bought a Hercules myself and then I watch videos..lol
My brushed M12 3/8 has been great, bought it when it first came out, case is so wore our rubber falling off and Battery loose but still works. Only thing I never liked was the reverse switch. Too hard to turn. Great video
I’m sure Milwaukee would say it’s to keep it as low profile as possible. The Hercules did fix that complaint on the selector switch with making it raised about a 1/4” for easy use.
Thank you Chris for forking out the money for all those ratchets. Honestly nobody should be judging in the comments if they didn’t put in on those ratchets.
Definitely agree thanks Bryan
He returned all of them back for a refund.
@@republitarian484 Hey, everything has at least a 30 day warranty, since negligence is the culprit that will never be proven, you should be fine
I restore old cars as a hobby, and do a lo of diy projects around the house. Got the Ryobi because it use the same battery as all my other cordless tools. The first one failed right out of the box. Swapped it out for another one and it has been rock solid for 6months. It’s great for any low torque application don’t know how I ever lived with out it. Anything that requires torque I use either my 3/8 or 1/2 inch brushless impacts that all use the same batteries.
What about the Makita cordless ratchet?
Fantastic video Chris very much enjoyed it!
Thanks CP appreciate you watching and commenting✌️
@@ClientGraphics always chris great video work I'm always impressed!!
Cheers, met you on with Jimmy C and Friends!! Nice to meet ya sir!
My pleasure, Thanks for watching and commenting✌️
Toyota Dealer Technician, been using same Hercules !/4 for 3 1/2 years, with same 2 batteries and charger, no issues going strong.
Would love to see you preform this same test on the new M12 high speed ratchet! I was having a hard time deciding which ratchet to get but based on your torture test I think the M12 extended suits my needs best. Thanks for the awesome video!
7 years full-time mechanic was what it took to kill the brushed Milwaukee. Bought a 2nd and have a fuel for heavier stuff
As of this morning, Harbor Freight is selling the 3/8 and 1/4 extended reach ratchet (tool only) for $54.99 each and the regular for $49.99 each. From what I can tell, it appears to be the new price since it doesn't show anything about a sale. That's $30 less than each was yesterday.
I gotta say I'm getting more impressed with the Hercules.
What??? It broke in half
@@DADSGARAGE-ip7th not under normal work load it broke while trying to break a lug loose with a tool that was designed for low torque applications like small fasteners to speed up a job if it was a breaker bar and it snapped in half then I’d look a different way but that Hercules seems to be a good bargain they have dropped $40 in price since the release of this video
Very interesting and informative video. Thank you 👍
I have the Ryobi extended and performance is fine but the massive battery at the end IMO is a PITA. Already have the M12 high speed so will get the extended or the insider when a good deal comes along. Would try the Hercules but with a battery and charger it almost puts you into M12 range if you're already into M12 batteries.
Thanks for testing. Perhaps in the future you an test the new Milwaukee Hi RPM Fuel Ratchet .
Awesome video! I have the brute Snap-on and I hate that thing, probably going to get the Hercules or Mac’s ratchets.
I wish you had been a little more consistent in terms of batteries used. Specifically, you upped the Milwaukee Fuel to a bigger battery to determine its max torque, but left the Ryobi with its tiny one. Most likely, if you have the Ryobi, for example, you have other batteries. Maybe testing them all with a 4Ah battery would have leveled the field a little. For being the least expensive and smallest batteries, I thought the Ryobi did pretty well. I guess seeing what it would do with a bigger battery would have been interesting. If you ever do this again, maybe throw in a DeWalt so the big two (Milwaukee and DeWalt) are represented, also.
Thank you for putting this comparison together.
The thing I don't like about most of them is the huge battery packs. I feel like if you can manage to jam the ratchet into a hole in the engine bay with enough room to fit those huge batteries, you can probably use an impact driver. I have the non fuel M12 ratchet, which does feel pretty flimsy, but I just rebuilt 3 engines with it and it worked great. I know HF is ditching the earthquake line, but I'd be interested in how the AC-Delco G12 line does, and they appear to be the same. I really do like the extended reach ones though because the bodies of these beasts are a but larger in diameter than I'd like.
I have the ryobi and it's convenient, I thought it was stupid till I put in an alternator for a buddy and none of my ratchets were very fast I was clicking a single tooth at a time on a fine tooth ratchet, until I brought this bad boy out I bought in sale and it was amazing I've used it alot since
Just found your channel. Love it!
Yeah, if it's not made to break a bolt/nut. Then there are those people who use their torque wrench as a rachet and breaker lol.
Hi, so far the only electric wratchet that can brake a bolt loose itself is snap on! The Milwaukee and the dewalt can’t! That I’ve tried!
I have the Milwaukee fuel 3/8 regular ratchet and the 3/8 Mini impact, and the 3/8 mid torque impact. I use the angled mini impact the most. I want to get the long reach ratchet next. After getting a few other 12 volt items. I think that Milwaukee hit outta the park with the 12 volt line for mechanics. With the 18/20 volt you can go with any decent company. But Milwaukee for the win in the 12 volt world.
i hear people complain about 18v being too bulky, especially the 4ah. Maybe 12v are more comfortable to use & carry around all day?
@@sheepdog3828 havent had a chance to use it yet, but i obtained an m12 fuel ratchet from a friend, and already own a non-fuel drill and driver m12 kit and i have to be honest, the compactness of the m12s are wonderfull.
When it comes to impact wrenches, i ended up getting a brushless m18 1/2" and it's a beast for only being their standard torque and not mid/high torque models. M18s are really for when you need the power/torque values. Otherwise, around the house and smaller projects, i've found the m12's do just fine and they take up so little space and aren't hefty in your hands.
i have a hand me down Milwaukee ratchet with one battery and i just picked up a ryobi ratchet since my pops has a lot of ryobi batteries and idc i do not try breaking bolts with either of them. i keep the ratchet in the back pocket whenever im doing work and use that instead. but i liked this video a lot
New hyper tough looks similar to Hercules, $60 with battery, best size profile. 2 year no questions warranty, probably more it's Walmart. I've returned stuff I forgot about before lol. Certainly not a torque monster, but for where and when I need one it ought to do. I think I got it mostly to test it?... I have M12 fuel ratchets 😂 price is hard to ignore..
I’m half in the m12 family and debating going to Hercules for a better roi for a 1/2 in impact
People with the Hercules love it! Do it 😁
I've never been impressed with Milwaukee's non-fuel products. But the Fuel stuff is usually awesome. This video confirms that.
Incorrect. A Rachet SHOULD BE able to reasonably break a nut or bolt loose in a tight space. Should you be breaking loose something that's rusted and torqued over 70- 80lbs probably not. But if you have a quality tool 50-60lbs of tq is something you can do repeatedly without worry of catastrophic failure. Cheap gets you cheap that standard has not changed or quite simply you get what you pay for. That Hercules was very impressive.
I need torque not speed -- it can go as slow as you like, I just have to get bolts off. I have a third bolt on a starter that I don't have access to so bought the ryobi-- NG. Will see if Project Farm tests torque.
But on the positive side yours is the first video to show in tight positions for which it's designed.
0:58 "Impact driver" ?? I thought Milwaukee classified it as an impact wrench since it uses a 3/8 anvil and not a 1/4 hex chuck. Just saying.
I actually own a Milwaukee 1/2 inch vertical impact and it's incredible, rips rusted bolts loose and even lug nuts to a certain point like its nothing.
Yeah it’s called a stubby impact wrench. Idk where he got driver from. He’s obviously uneducated.
Impressive review, thanks for making this!
Awesome. Keep bringing the great content!
Count me as a new subscriber, bud. Love what you do.
I got the M12 brushed ratchet as a free tool when i got the hex driver and drill and expected to break it soon. But had it for over a year and still works. Lol
Milwaukee high speed Ratche and there Right Angle Impact are the Cats meow of hot Tools . Love them
20 seconds in and I couldn’t help but comment and subscribe !
I think the test to failure is highly dependent on the clock position of the eccentric spinner. Cool that you did a destructive test on these. I have the short version of the Milwaukees minus the high speeds. The extended reach is next on my list. The Fuel versions are way heavier duty, but the heads are way bigger. So they both still have their uses.
Yeah I’d rather spend a quarter the price on this one for the better tool lol
@@xaphan8581 If you think the Ryobi or the Hercules will hold up to daily professional use, you are simply incorrect. The disparity in quality will eventually rear it's ugly head. Don't just take my word for it. Ask any pro auto technician what they think. I use my tools. For me, tools are an investment and time savers. They are worked hard, but not abused. I understand their limitations and their strengths. They make me money. Though they aren't cheap, they pay for themselves many times over in a relatively short period. Down time for crapped out tools is not something I can tolerate. If you only use these things to tinker now and then, sure, I get it. I have close to a hundred tools that use that same Milwaukee M12 battery. They work for me. Go with what works for you. There is no blanket right or wrong choice here. I'm happy with my tool choices. I hope you are happy with yours no matter what you buy.
When I hear "cordless ratchet" I think of a regular socket wrench
They are all cordless 😂 That’s why I threw the electric in the thumbnail. Guess I could have said battery but figured electric was good enough.
Difference is when you are in tight spaces and need to make 50 cycles to get a bolt off. You do not need this tool when you have lots of room. When you don't have room this is an awesome tool to have in your bag!
Well none of these have any ratchets in them
I use my impact driver with a socket adapter if I want speed and doesn't require a lot of space otherwise I used these in tight spots and if it requires more torque? I break out the breaker or torque wrench :).
I actually really liked my Milwaukee brushed ratchet, got it in a kit basically as a free tool and dint think id ever use it, but it ended up being one of my favorite tools. broke it exactly how your broke in the video when an outer tie rod bolt was a little too tight for its liking, and ended up replacing it with the long neck fuel ratchet. Good to see it should be quite a bit tougher to break that one, because the price sure as hell reflects it haha
The Milwaukee fuel is tough as nails. I wouldn’t ever tell you to use it as a breaker bar but it’s so much tougher than the standard Milwaukee
@@ClientGraphics. Is the fule brushless?
@@jat-justamaturetech-philpj8285 yes, that's what the fuel line means. They are brushless
Same. The non-fuel ratchet came for FREE in a promotion from Northern Tool.
A Milwaukee M12 kit that had a 1/4 Fuel impact, a Fuel Hammer drill, 2 batteries, and a charger. All for $200.
Couldn’t pass that deal up.
Incredible video! So much money spent here! Omg. Just so you know, the Hercules extended only failed at around 120ft lbs if you tightened the nut to 150ft lbs. The Milwaukee brushed is terrible I threw it away after 2 years of never using it. So weak.
You should add the Kobalt cordless ratchet. They are pretty good especially with a 6 amp hour battery.
I'd love to see a Kobalt included, I like to know how my tools stand up against the big boys like Milwaukee.
@@cameronaberner I use all Milwaukee at the shop, but have a bunch of kobalt stuff I use at home on my personal cars, and for the price, it holds up really well honestly
That things a monstrosity might as well get a right angle impact
But I’m sure it works fine I had a Kobalt impact DRIVER (not impact WRENCH) lol not sure why it bother me so much he kept saying the stubby driver maybe because I thought was a accident first time but he continued through the vid haha but good video been wanting to make a similar comparison
Have been in the market for cordless ratchets for a while and I keep pondering the hercules brand. When it comes to warranty you need to see if its in store or factory .
My problem is that i am already into milwaukee tools for my battery solution so even if another ratchet is better buying a different tool brand that i cant swap batteries around kind of makes buying those tools pointless.
One of the biggest reasons I keep my tools. My Snap on ratchet can break bolts loose and tighten down until it slaps and still survive, plus has high rpms
I would like to see what manufacturing corners are cut with the cheaper ratchets. Now that they are all broken, maybe you could do a vid. taking them apart looking at the components type of plastics (glass fiber content) and so on.
To much work for Chris he likes to unrealistic scenario's he doesn't do common sense videos
Right tool for the job. I have the original first release version of the m12 brushed ratchet in 3/8" and can promise you I'll hold well over 89ftlb because I have broke loose caliper stays with it...dont recommend it but It took it. But on a real note a snap-on 1/4" will smoke any of these in speed and the new "high torque" ratchet from Milwaukee, the head is way to oversized to fit in places on modern cars. Ok for some trucks. I'd honestly take the Hercules extended length if the battery wasn't so wide. Ideally the head of the og milwaukee with extended length and brushless power with a reversed paddle like the Hercules would be perfect
Impressed by the Hercules ratchets, and the Ryobi did well. Very disappointing results for the Mke 2457. Thanks for doing the destructive testing. I noticed you had to really work to break the Mke FUEL
I worry they are going to keep increasing the torque on these to the point of making them useless; it's no good if they snap off or overtorque everything. There are right angle impacts for that, anyway.
That wasn't a impact driver,it's a 3/8 impact wrench. Awesome video
Very nicely done Brother 🍻😎🤙
Thanks Justin appreciate you taking the time to comment
I have one of the M12 ratchet and use it everyday at work for the last 4 or 5 years and it is a game changer.
You have the regular one or the fuel version?
@@Berto-1117 regular one I don’t think they had the fuel line when I bought mine
Electric ratchets are bolt/nut runners not a torque wrench or breaker bar, use them accordingly and tbey all will work.
A little part of me died watching that extended Milwaukee bite the dust. Great vid though.
It took a good month to work up to destroying all of them.
The Milwaukee should at least be under warranty still lol
I think the whole deal, at least for me, with the cordless ratchet, is just the convenience of not having to manually ratchet a bunch of stuff by hand. I would still start and finish it with a manual ratchet. If I need a bit better performance, I'd just go to an air ratchet. I just prefer air tools. More power for less money. Thanks for the video. It was really well done. Thanks for sharing.
Lol why would you buy an electric one then if you have to keep switching back and forth? With mine if it’s smaller bolts I’ll use electric but if it’s bigger shit that’s rusted or torqued on pretty good then use air
@@xaphan8581 I've discovered that I don't have to switch back and forth. I didn't know my cordless ratchet would work as a regular ratchet without breaking. like for assembling things in the house that have a lot of nuts and bolts. the cordless is faster and more convenient. not going to drag an air hose into the house. I now have some bigger cordless stuff if I need it, but didn't a year ago.
@@UtahDarkHorse bro they can go up to like 100 foot pounds manually. I work on semis and never broke mine. On one test I saw a guy go to like 130fp before it skipped a tooth. It didn’t even break at 130 it just wouldn’t go that high.
Just out of curiosity what do you do with all the broken tools?
eBay... Lightly used 🤣
@@mike_t_007 😂
To be honest, i own all fuel ratchets and stubby’s and I rarely use my ratchets anymore. With a wobble extension or universal socket you can make it work with stubby’s 90% of the time. And what you lose in power is STILL more than a ratchet will ever produce.
Me too man. I have the m12 fuel ratchets and I have the m12 stubby impact gun... if I can get my gun on it that’s what I use... ratchets only get used if I really can’t get a gun on it.. guys in my shop use cordless ratchets to remove nuts and bolts that are wide open for a gun to get on..I don’t get it 🤷♂️
Good info tough I could bang on it to losses then ratchet
Sold on the Herc at 150 ft-lbs.
Very good video, Thanks
Low speed always means more torque. The torque formula T= Hp x 5252 (Given) / Rpm. Therefore speed should not be compared between items
Im about to do my Timing belt & water pump ...one of these ratches wont help much on those 2 things ...... But it will sure help getting to those things, all the crap that has to come off. Im getting the Berzerker 49.00 ratchet off amazon. ...price has me sold. good reviews, mostly need it for doing my timing belt so if it fails me after a few weeks, I dont care much. If the hercules made a long skinny one Id be interested.
How dare you break a Milwaukee on purpose, sir! Outrageous!
Ive been wanting that extended reach hurc
Don’t use it for lug nuts👌🏻
I know that these should not be used for breaking but it’s good to know which ones would be ok if I did a little of it
Hi. What do you think of the Durofix extended.
I'm new to coreless Ratchets. But should a weak ratchet be something positive because then it won't over-tighten? Near all bolts need to be torqued to a specific spec. This way the ratchet can quickly screw on before using the torque wrench. The powerful impacts are then only for removing bolts. Am I missing something? Thanks!
Nice puff of smoke out of the Ryobi at 7:44
What is the point of these exactly? Why not just use a regular ratchet or a right angle adapter on an impact driver?
Sometimes a regular ratchet is a pain because you don't have a lot of swing. If you can only do one or two clicks it will seem like you will never finish. Also helps make it easer to reach some areas. For example my 2001 sequoia. To remove the intake manifold I have to remove the wiring harness which is bolted to the very back of the manifold in a hard to get place. With a standard ratchet it is a real pain and involves a lot of time and cussin. Put the electric ratchet on and it gets into the tight spot and undoes the bolt in short order.
Weird comparisons with ‘impact wrench’ apples to oranges. Plus these are meant for short time repeats not 12” bolts. But taking to failure was fun!
Really hoped you would've thrown in an air powered version just to compare
I should have but I would have really needed to dig to find mine. I probably haven’t used the air version in 10yrs and it was a off brand.
Always wanted to know. Man that was expensive!
Thumbs up as I appreciate your thoroughness, but keep in mind that it’s not fair to compare an impact driver with a power ratchet… Two entirely different tools, two entirely different uses, and no, RPMs don’t mean anything… This is about getting into tight spaces and saving your wrist over a days work on a car
Great video 👍
Would have liked to see the Makita ratchet too. Can you do a video about Makita 18v vs. 12v?
Wow I was going to get that baby Milwaukee to for automotive work. Maybe I’ll get the bigger one instead.
I love my m12 fuel ratchet. No surprises that it is the most durable. Those HFT ratchets are impressive too!