Craftsman Tools - USA History: Teardrop Ratchets (4th Gen. RP)
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- Опубликовано: 21 окт 2024
- Welcome to the Craftsman USA Ratchet History Project!
These ratchets were designed and patented by Easco as they were being acquired by the Danaher Corporation.
This video features the USA made Craftsman Tear Drop Ratchets, which were offered through Sears stores, physical Sears flyers, digital Sears Catalogs, and the sears.com website from 1992 through 2011.
All derivatives of this specific ratchet series sport a 36 tooth gear with a 3 tooth engagement per side pawl. At current time, the drive system within these ratchets represents mastery of concept for this particular aging design scheme.
Within this particular family of ratchets, for the time they were made in the USA, they had a transitional change in the quick release button and selector switch. Initially, these were made of metal. Typically, the earliest metal QR and selector switch Tear Drop Ratchets were indicated by the traditional Easco double bar flags that encompassed the Craftsman name as shown: =Craftsman=. Also, on the back face of the raised panel handle you would see "Forged in the USA" as customers had traditionally seen on previous Easco & Moore Drop Forge RP Craftsman ratchets. As time went on, the double bar around Craftsman name was dropped, "Forged in the USA" became just "USA", and the QR and selector were replaced with plastic counterparts.
The Tear Drop Ratchet's design offered the user ease of access to the internals for maintenance or replacement. This came with a trade off. Unlike its forefathers, the Tear Drop Ratchet's profile footprint increased, which depending on the situation would slightly hinder access to work spaces. In conjunction, some people criticized this ratchet later in its life cycle for having poorer general QC, plastic parts failing, lower quality internals, and poor chroming/finishing.
Despite this, the Tear Drop Ratchets represent a quality meets value intersection. Later USA made versions under the Craftsman Industrial name seemed to have remedied some of the issues of their standard Craftsman brothers; however, they did cost more.
Product numbers for each ratchet:
1/2” = 44809
3/8” = 44811
1/4” = 44807
3/8" Longer Length = 44808
1/2" Flex Head = 44816
3/8" Flex Head = 44815
1/4" Flex Head = 44951
Repair kit numbers for each ratchet:
1/2” = 43444
3/8” = 43434
1/4” = 43424
1/4" Flex used a unique non-Quick Release gear w/ kit # 29669
[NOTICE: The 1/2" & 3/"8 Flex Head as well as the 3/8" Longer Length ratchets use the same repair kits as the standard ratchets of the corresponding size.]
[NOTICE: There are USA and Chinese versions of these ratchets. Repair kits between these two variants are NOT cross compatible!]
If you are interested in exploring the US Patents affiliated with this specific ratchet series please explore the following:
6134991
5178047
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]
Introductory questions that I sought knowledge on, regarding Craftsman Ratchets:
1) When was X ratchet 1st introduced & discontinued, if applicable?
2) What was the ratchet called by Sears? (i.e. special name/feature other than ratchet)
3) Does the tool have a nickname from the professional/DIY community?
4) How much did each ratchet size cost when it came out?
5) Did a particular ratchet set have all sizes known today? (1/4", 3/8", 1/2", 3/4” [any or all?])
6) Where there variants vs. the standard sizes? (i.e. special color/plating, flex heads, etc.) 
Хобби
![Craftsman Tools - USA History: C-XX [C-Series] Ratchets](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/8jKnW2VPoTI/mqdefault.jpg)
![Craftsman Tools - USA History: C-XX [C-Series] Ratchets](/img/tr.png)
Sears used injection molded metal parts in some of their ratchets as a cost saving measure. They mold them 10% oversize, then run them through an oven to partially melt and harden them.. When they exited the oven they were the correct size. My Dad worked for 3M company and sold sandpaper to the West Springfield MA Easco plant to finish Craftsman tools. They were originally called Moore Drop Forge. They had five big presses to drop forge the tools. Most of the time they would only be running one press at a time. When they where all running the whole street would shake. It was a black day when they moved the plant down South. Good video.
Glad I'm not the only Craftsman USA nerd. 🤓. Great series!
Got one of these at a yard sale for a few dollars the other day. It seems to be one of the later models, but it's still much better than my old harbor freight ratchet.
Agreed. From my own experience, USA Craftsman tools seemed to have higher longevity, durability, and value for the money.
I will concede that Harbor Freight does have a ridiculously low cost of entry, but, from my own experience using their tools, not worth having to repeatedly warranty a tool due to failure.
We need more craftsman USA videos! I’ve only watched this series 100 times already haha
Hahaha! I agree! Its been a long 3+ years, but I'm still working on it.
Actually, I completely redid the entire series back at the end of 2017 to early 2018, but I wasn't really happy with a few things. Plus, encoding in 4K took up a MASSIVE amount of space. The raw videos were literally 500gb EACH! I tested the encoding here on RUclips, but realized that my bandwidth really couldn't take it. Top that off with having one of the hard drives holding all of this information going down, and I realized I would have to scale down the resolution and do it all again.
I've taken the time to break apart some families into more logical systems as well as integrating the interviews, lawsuits with specific situations, etc. that dig deeper into the story around specific families of ratchets. Plus, I've been acquiring ratchets that were the "sister" or alternative made by the company that made the Craftsman variants for comparison purposes, when applicable.
There will be new ratchets to see, more information to learn, and hopefully a more attractive format with a more concise presentation.
I'm hoping the wait will be worth it! ^_^
Thanks for the comment!
Hey man I'm glad it's not just me. I obsess over craftsman shit
Excellent video and presentation. I have a few of these in 1/2 ,3/8 and a 1/4 in a set. Some are of Easco some are of Danaher Easco of course being my favorite. Those patents look Very interesting I'll have to look those up in detail. really enjoying the series don't mind the length very . educational and entertaining!
I haven't seen any of the black industrial finish ratchets in your videos and I'm sure they're the same as the standard ratchets but did you add any of those to your collection?
+Samuel Noble Hello! Yes, your hypothesis is correct, the black industrial ratchets are exactly the same idea as the standard USA set; however they have a slightly different tooling pattern. That difference "might" increase longevity, but I cannot offer anything in that regard other than my opinion.
You should see an example of a Craftsman Industrial 3/8" Tear Drop right in this very video. The difference between that and the black oxide in terms of price is minimal; however, the "Industrial" variants are 2x almost 3x the price what what you can buy the standard USA variant. There is zero difference with the internals. The black oxide acts as a covering to protect the chrome underneath.
I "might" buy a black oxide Tear Drop and show it at the end of the series just to display an example, but that is probably as far as I'll go. There are "Industrial" variants of the Non-Fine Tooth Round Head, which I have already shown, the Next Gen. Thin Profile, Full Polish Tear Drop, and the Standard Tear Drop. There is zero difference between the aforementioned, save the black oxide Standard Tear Drop, and the normal Craftsman variants.
Given this, I've made commentaries in various videos about how the "Industrial" is either the exact same as the "Standard" or just slightly different in some regards.
If you were restoring a ratchet would you attempt to repaint the parts that have turned copper or say hey it lived a good life and still serves its purpose?
I would not do anything to it. There are very few pieces I would consider worth going through the effort of doing that for. Usually, they are exceedingly rare or have a sentimental value.
Many people just run their tools through a while wheel, hit it with a little rouge, and call it a day. Unfortunately, that is refurbishing. A true restoration requires plating the tool with something that is original to the piece or very close to it. One requires effort. The other requires much more. ^_^
Great videos,lots of info
I have had a 650pc starter kit 1993 teardrop quick release great ratchets and a I believe 165pc mechanic tool set 2003 I broke every one of them and the 3/8 3 other times, I also had the 3/8 teardrop quick release long handle flex head ratchet and someone walked off with it and it was $21 at Sears in Muncie Indiana, and I had to replace it with the china counter part in 2019 $19 broke it twice and they were only used to change spark plugs especially on vehicles with headers, and only the china version of the long flex head teardrop quick release ratchet is the one I broke.
Sir love the videos and the whole project you did im trying to duplicate your project because now im fascinated with this. i just wish Craftsman was still made in the good old USA
+Samuel Noble Welcome aboard! Feel free to touch base with me if you want to talk about something in particular.
I found a made in the usa craftsman stainless steel ratchet. I have not seen another one since. Model #43763
Cool! ^_^
..Believe me, hand tools are not the only thing Sears had a problem not assigning a proper name or model# to..I am a small engine guy, and their weedwackers(trimmers) and especially, their chainsaws, are a BIG problem..and it goes WAY back..for example, Poulan has made the bulk of their chainsaws, but sometimes other manufacturers as well..they had, and still have, a knack of simply calling a given saw ' 18" Gas Chainsaw', 'Craftsman 3.7', '16" 36cc', etc...which is absolutely useless when looking for parts..usually I just try to figure out which Poulan model is the equivalent and go from there..and then, there are issues such as a Poulan 3700 being sold as a "Craftsman 3.7", and a Roper manufactured saw sold as a "Craftsman 3.7"..and they are Nowhere near the same, and NONE of the parts are interchangeable.. :/
I am with you there. It definitely was a problem for the consumer and the people working the floor! ^_^
I haven't seen a video about the one type of round heads with the big plate on top for the selector and they have a skinny round handle. I'm not talking about tri wings, I know they were all Taiwan. But I have a 1/2 like I describe and it says USA.
I'd be willing to bet this is the video you are looking for:
ruclips.net/video/8FRuQCoinqo/видео.html
Opps, it seems I made a mistake. While writing you a reply, I seemed to have forgotten you mentioning yours were made in Taiwan.
There will NOT be a history or tear down video about the ratchets you are referencing. Since this is the Craftsman USA Ratchet History Project, any Chinese or Taiwanese Craftsman branded ratchets will be excluded.
However, there WILL be a very brief video about the foreign made Craftsman branded ratchets eventually, where I generally discuss ratchets within that category. The release of this video is still TBA.
Great video, lots of information. As always I didn't mine the length. In my opinion why not just do long videos with all the information, instead of slightly shorter ones where some things are left out! Also great recommendation on Allen Ratchets! A lot of there stuff is still made in USA!!!
+Tony Moreno That is a good recommendation; however, I won't be able to accommodate that. This series will be nothing more than what you already see, with the exception of the final video.
The first reason is time. I barely have enough time to put these videos together, which is why you don't see any specialized editing or clips/music that would require permission from their respective owners.
The second reason is sequencing. While I do make references or have cameos of particular ratchets within the main body of the subject, ultimately, they are only that. I cannot get away with an allusion, since this series is very reliant on visual presentation.
The third reason is the audience. I have already received comments about the lengths of these videos. Breaking them up based on when each ratchet was released and offering a separate video not only helps with the chronology, but also gives the viewer a smaller amount of information to digest the and view specifically what they want to see.
On a different note, I am glad you like the Allen reference. Danaher owns many tool brands and there is a lot of cross talk among Gear Wrench, Allen, Matco, Armstrong, & Craftsman to certain degrees. I've had the chance to interact with the Allens, and they seem like a real winner for the price. They are fully chromed much like the Professional Tear Drop, Next Gen, & Premium ratchets with a price that is very attractive.
I have these in a kit from around 2000 I still use them everyday I have the full 300 pice kit still there all original i think the position switch broke on the 1/2 inch back in like 2001 i took it to sears and the guy took in back and fixed it on the spot then a few years later the store shut down around the time sears sold the craftsman name sucks sears sold out I love there tools I own a few Chinese craftsman tools and can't stand them the quality sucks on my 1/2 like this man i put cheater bars on it all the time to brake a rusty bolt and it takes it no problem I even did it with the 3/8s before but that was a tad bit sketchy i backed off and got the impact out
The word kromight was use slot. Remember these ratchets where disighned by a seats employee who had to sue to get paid.
Serrs employee. Kromiite
Kromight? Can you ameliorate what you are trying to say?
Yes, I agree, that these ratchets were likely a product of the bean counters.
I apologize, but I still don't understand what you are saying. Your sentence structures are a little garbled and the spelling changes. Could you clarify what you are talking about and why it is affiliated with the video? Thank you!
Ok I will put my granny panties on thanks for another great video
+John Gibson Ha-ha! Atta chap! ^_^
Unfortunately, the nomenclature among certain Craftsman ratchets is very weak. This is why certain enclaves of DIY or professional communities have various names describing the same thing. It was a little frustrating to, in a way, shoehorn a name for particular ratchets.
I desperately need a long handle flex head 3/8ths. I HATE the new chinese ones. I am longing for either the round head, or teardrop style. If you could point me in the right direction I would greatly appreciate it.
Let me see what I can do for you.
If I find any I'll point you in the right direction, or, depending on your comfort level, I could sell you one of mine directly. Please be aware that the RHTF flex ratchets are difficult to come by and are relatively expensive.
TheseAreMyToys just hit me with a reply if you'd like to sell one of yours , or if you find one online. I really appreciate your channel man , seriously. I have a nostalgic obsession with craftsman and your videos bring me to a better place
Thank you! I'm glad that you enjoy them. ^_^
TheseAreMyToys hey man. Little late but I just received a 44815 3/8ths flex. USA made. I love it to death. Just thought I'd let you know.
@@GearWolf I got ahold of the 3/8 drive RHFT flex head ratchet from Ebay, it was a find.
💯
Hi, Brian! ^_^
I'm probably a bit of a fuddy-duddy, but I don't know what the "100" logo means. Can you educate a guy that could use a bit more of an update on his lingo? Hahahaha! ^_^
You could have shaved six minutes, if you didn't ramble on in the beginning.
Only name, now is garbage.
With the brand's current state, I'd agree. While I'm not necessarily holding my breath, SBD promises they will repatriate Craftsman to being "Made in USA" again. Historically, SBD has seriously dropped the ball and even violated US Customs law, when it comes to "country of origin".
We will definitely be discussing this, when I release the "reboot" of the series. I'd like to say I'm cautiously optimistic, but I do have a very real degree of skepticism, especially since working on this series for as long as I have.
Great statement! ^_^