Jobsmart Gearless Ratchets - How They Work and Troubleshooting
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- Опубликовано: 6 окт 2024
- These “gearless ratchets” were on clearance at Tractor Supply so I thought I'd take a look. We'll take them apart to see how they work and attempt to improve them a little bit!
Date of filming: February 9th, 2018
Song List (Order of First Appearance):
0:01 A Dusty Road - Dan Lebowitz
6:34 Where I am From - Topher Mohr and Alex Elena
(All music provided by RUclips's Audio Library royalty free.)
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I bought a gearless ratchet 25 years ago and it's still going strong. It's great for tight areas but not any better than fine tooth ratchets available everywhere today. These have been around much longer than you think.
Mine has the drive that you push from 1 side to the other, then flip the whole thing over to reverse direction.
@@paulhamilton5634 is that what my old man had?!?!?!
What brand?
@@BrianMartin2007 My brand is Power Craft-Pro Series
@@paulhamilton5634 those are the good ones with a full sprag clutch inside. You'd be hard pressed to break the internals.
For Stealth mechanics borrowing parts in the Evening hours.
"Stealth mechanics" bwhahaha
Awhile back we had a stealth mechanic in my area only he used an acetylene torch and "borrowed" catalytic converters
This guy will to eventually
@@thewilddinkus8026 That's an awful way to remove catalytic converters. Having to lug around a cutting torch and two bottles of gas along with lines.
The local crackheads just use sawzalls
@@jacobkudrowich torches would probably be faster and quieter, but it would mean he was together enough to have a rig, but enough of a meth head to be stealing cars. Dangerous combo.
Now you know why it was on Clearance. :-)
@tyvek05 You just need to work on it for an hour or two.
Marketing will track returns and if they're too high, out it goes. No point keeping marginal product on the shelves. With a little design tweaking, I'm certain these tools could become a winner.
The best detailed break down on this kind of clutch mechanism I've yet seen - nice job. I am not a brand fanatic, and have lived by the model of "get cheap tools you need first so that you have them", and then as I became more knowledgeable and also found which tools were more relevant to me, I gradually replace them with the best version I find out there - American, German, Japanese, Taiwanese, Chinese... whatever. I do have some very nice ratchets both Snap-On and German (Gedore & Wera) but at 56 this happened over many years! That said, I do have a 1/4" Snap-on TZERO which is also a clutch wrench like this one. Granted it is small, but it functions flawlessly - I even tried just now to recreate any of these issues. So quality probably is a factor, though I haven't tried the others out there in the market.
As to use - well, I like the click-click of a ratchet. So I normally use others in my projects. But the TZERO is very small at 4 1/2 inches total length, with the round head 1 inch in diameter and 7/16 inch thick (without the drive connector). So sometimes when I either need a very petite ratchet in a tight place, or I want to hear everything but the ratchet, it is a wonder. It's called TZERO because the amount of movement required is almost 0º! Hope that is helpful - this isn't a plug for Snap-on, just sharing my experience.
That was pretty cool to see the innards of this alternative ratchet device. Thanks for unlocking the mystery and entertaining me for a while. looking forward to the next Firebird video.
“Oh look, what a cool looking tool.”
Let’s tear it apart and drill into it.
Lol i love your channel bro!
That slip made my knuckles bleed already.
These videos are great and informative not too long or short.
Are you talking about his nails or the video
The video
The next Firebird episode should be out next Friday, this is just a little extra video. These videos won't replace anything else, they are just extras and show some other things that interest us. It is admittedly a bit ramble-y and doesn't really go anywhere, but let us know what you think! For this sort of content, would a short (3-8 minute) video be better or is this length of video fine?
Fuzzy Dice Projects these are fantastic little videos for the random projects
This length is just right I feel
Love this format!
Que bien esta quedando el Firebird saludos desde Argentina .
I cant wait for the next Firebird episode. These extras are great, please dont make them any shorter.
i love how you analyze the mechanism to tell us how it works. i think most of us are just as curious as you are to how things work, so we can better tell how to repair it. your upgrade was so awesome and complete. the manufacturer should take their cue from you, and improve.
Harbor freight sold these 20 years ago, but you reverse the action by pushing the square part out the other side. If I remember correctly they only had them in 3/8 drive.. Really nice for short throw locations.
Oh my god finally somebody mentions the discount rack at tractor supply! So much good stuff for so little money.
Very nicely presented. Thanks for taking the time to show in detail how these work and how to improve.
I still like the click (feedback) sound
It gives me a sense of productivity.
It would be strange not having it
Maybe you can buy an add-on to make noise when using it
yea - like fake engine noise in cars :)
zCATAHAz just say it
“ click click click click”
Heh. I had one of those “one click” bolts to get out yesterday. Took ages. Logically I’m sure the engineer picked the best of several bad options. Emotionally I’m convinced they’re all sadists.
Vortec 4.2 head bolts
Most engineers are actually somewhat stupid. They aren´t all sadists, allthough many probably are, mainly they just don´t know better, because they never have to work on the shit they come up with. If it works on paper its good enough for ´em.
The only natural enemy of a service tech is the design engineer.
@@ThePhilosopher Jesus, way to be an ass to people you don't know.
The reason many fasteners on vehicles are hard to reach for servicing is because they put more effort into streamlining the assembly of vehicles. When you're on an assembly line, the fastener location for the next part is always extremely easy to get to and obvious to see. Nobody is malicious enough to design something to be sold is such a way to make it purposely difficult to service. That would take an order of magnitude more effort on the engineer's part.
Most PEOPLE are somewhat stupid. don't limit that ramification to engineers; perhaps some of the most mechanically intelligent people around.
@@stillwaterbuilders3714 exactly, for instance, i had to remove an intake pipe that goes over the entire engine. Two little screws, one on the side of the engine... the other one right under the pipe. The pipe bends downwards at that spot, so even in case the entire engine is lifted its hard to get the screw in place... they COULD however avoided all that by simply attaching that screw to the side as well. In the end i left that little fucker as it was, with only 1 screw in. And guess what: we're still alive, and thatvintake is still were it should be.
i picked up a "gearless ratchet" from halfords (major high street car/bike tools retailer in the UK) and i honestly love it, i've never been able to make it slip and i've practically stood on the bloody thing! its my main wratchet now, as even in places you dont need the "zero" degree precicion, the extra bit you get from having no gears is super nice and handy.
i still like my flexi-head regular ratchet, its got a longer handle and the flexi head makes it great for certain situations, but the gearless is a joy to use when you can fit a straight shaft!
i have a few other ratchet that have specific uses, but i find those two cover 99% of my ratcheting needs.
It's always great to learn new stuff. Thanks.
It is not a sprag clutch. Sprags are a style of clutch. This is a roller clutch.
Oh, I was mistaken! You are correct. I am mostly familiar with sprag clutches because of automatic transmissions, I was lumping roller clutches and sprag clutches into one category in my head. It is definitely a roller clutch since it uses roller elements and not figure-of-eight shaped sprags.
Hey, Jack, thanks for the education! I first learned of the Sprage clutch from a diagram that was, based on what you're saying, actually a roller clutch where the rollers would pinch in one direction and freewheel in the other because the inner race held the rollers in triangular recesses. My visualization of the Sprage clutch has been wrong all this time. I looked it up and saw a number of examples that show you are 100% correct.
Jobsmart tools are very hit or miss. The real magic of Tractor Supply tools is when they have those clearance sale bins by the front doors. Got a full set of both metric and SAE Jobsmart wrenches for $8 combined. Shortish shank length, but great for smaller jobs and never hurts having multiple sets of wrenches.
Their clearance stuff is pretty much the main draw of Tractor Supply for me, got a set of metric ratcheting combo wrenches there for $3 once!
Thanks man you reminded me to cut my nails tonight :)
Literally same.
Thats what real men uses the anglegrinder for. ;)
this was extremely intriguing and a unique video that I don't think anyone else would have the patience for.
Great coverage mate.
Huh, first time I've ever seen gearless ratchets, like, ever! Great instructional and informative video, good sir. Keep up the good work 👍🏼
Excellent video. Loved it. The combinations of your words and the excellent pictures covered all areas of how it worked from the slight turn of the roller, the simple springs to lock the selection in position, the ramp causing the rollers to oppose the turning of the drive head, with the added bonus of the sanding of the exterior roller holding to prevent it being flicked in the wrong direction. Also the number of different ramps according to ratchet size determining slippage to engage the locking of the drive head on rotating. Really great video.
for the price you paid, and the very quick engagement i think they are a heck of a deal even if i had to disassemble them and re-grease them out of the box.
"Yeah... that's gone forever." 🤣 Love it
Had you not said anything about your nails I probably wouldn't have even seen how long they were. But since you did, it was all I could think about and watch. Damn you.
In those 1-click out of a ratchet situations, nothing is better than a power ratchet. Absolutely a game changer, at least for me.
Various alternatives gives those options that saves time, blood and sweat. Great vid!
Torque Test it against a "quality" unit!! I'm really intrigued!!
Very cool design. Maybe you have a career as an engineer. I watch you improve everything you get your hands on LoL. But I'm with you, I'm quite fond of the traditional click, click. They would be great for tight areas with little throw. Thanks for sharing.
Cheap, broken, but easy to fix. Exactly what I'd expect to find on a clearance shelf.
I love your videos. Very entertaining. If you remember me about my transmission I finally got one and put it in. And it was used with 30,000k on a rebuild and works great compared to my old one. I had no reverse and my OD clutches were going out. But now I have reverse and a very reliable 94 Chevy.
Glad to hear you got it taken care of!
I love these self contained videos. keep mixing them in to the longer projects
How do you not have like... a million subs your content is so well made
Good video on the gearless ratchet. For some reason, I got my clippers out and made sure my nails were clipped.
the 3/8" had the shims because its the most commonly used size in the average job, so they saved a few cents per by not putting them in the others
I love zero turn wrenching although I only use them in tight spaces they really come in handy and have saved me a lot of aggravation quite a few times. Now want to buy these cheap ones just to make them better lol.
Right before I retired, about 7 years ago now, I worked at the local Tractor Supply for about one year. The Jobsmart tools, especially the cheap power tools, were just that...cheap in cost and cheap in quality. The angle grinders were trash...they were constantly coming back broken..and that was within just a few weeks or even days. Maybe Tractor Supply is buying better made tools now-a-days...let's hope so. I re-named the Jobsmart tools to...Jobdumb. I guess it all depends on what you need a tool for. If you make your living turning wrenches then you will be buying high quality tools, but if you are a DIY'er, then these lesser quality tools might work good enough for you. I must be really behind the times...I didn't know about these 'gearless' wrenches...LOL..!! Thanks, Fuzzy Dice, for the video.!
Stretching springs- heat and pull to the desired length, then cool down with oil or water to make it hardened again. Otherwise it will stay in a softened state . Practice with clicky pens .
I love this channel, its nice seeing OCD being used for good and not evil ;)
Hey @Fuzzy.
I am 17 and I goto a tech school for automotive that my high school pays for. I have access to shop manuals and an alignment machine that tells me what the measurements for a vehicle is. If you ever need information for a vehicle HMU and I can get it for you. Love your videos. Your videos definitely helped me make the choice that I want to me an automotive technician as a future job.
Great Video and info, the square thing called Anvil. Don't worry, you are not alone, I also have been using ratchet since I was 18 now I'm 43 and just recently I learned what that square called lol 😂😂😂
im a tech and haves lows 1/4 and it is amazing i picked it up in the discount bin never slips and doesn't drag on loose bolt! ive had it for 2 years now using it in a industrial setting all the time no issues!
these have been around a lot longer than you think, i found a really old one my grandpa had
I think these will be my first set to buy. very interesting and thanks
Gearless ratchets came up in the late 1930’s Hinsdale tools was born in 1919 and vanish in the 1940’s and they sold H8R gearless ratchet great video
Simple explanation. Nice video and great that you can improve the functionality.
"at least a couple of years..." Dad had a gearless ratchet from the 1950's. I think he called it an aviation ratchet. Worked great as if you had any wiggle room at all the ratchet would rotate. But it was worn from years of use and if you put too much torque on it the ratchet would slip, I've still got a couple scars from that ;)
I have a gearless ratchet and I love mine and never had a problem with it
The best thing about these gearless ratchets is that they tork it correctly. Whereas regular ratchets will keep tightening until the bolt bends (if you're not smart enough), the gear-less seems to stop when the item is tight.
I had a sprague clutch ratchet over 46 years ago, it's made of stainless steel and the socket drive square is removable so it can be put in the other way, I still have it and it still works like new
@Fuzzy Dice Projects if you dont know then take the springs ,heat up your owen to 200C and place the springs init for 2 hours , that sets a new "zero" for the strech of the spring and not compremize hardening ! works for car springs too if lowering is to be done with originals !
Sounds like a good tip! I have heard of similar methods before, but not for car springs! Thanks for sharing!
The only issue I have with those is if I'm in a situation where I cant see exactly what I'm doin and If I can't hear or feel the click then it's hard to know for sure the bolt or nut is actually turning/tightening
Agreed
You should still feel if any tension is going at it or not
@@blitzcourt5021 there are plenty of times where you can't tell what so ever
Blitz Court what are you talking about there shouldn’t be any tension till your almost
Done tightening.
They should sell these cheap ones as a color coded tighten/loosen pair and just forget the switch altogether since they never seem to get the mechanism precise enough to not catch on the housing and reverse itself, added bonus they can be made slimmer since the back would be flat.
It'd be perfect for DIY and the bane of budget minded mechanics I expect my cheque in the mail China.
Found you via the latest firebird vids and watched your back catalogue with glee. Great vids mate. The information is engaging and sarcasm ammusing ;-)
The square drive portion of a ratchet is called the anvil. I don't know why. Just is.
I have a Kobalt 3/8" drive gearless ratchet and a 1/4" drive Sealey. I assumed that they worked like this so it is really cool to see it disassembled. I have never lubed my gearless ratchets because I knew that they work using friction. Now that I see it won't hurt them I may give it a try. I love them because they are the only things that work in REALLY tight. cramped, areas. I use the Sealey more because the head is so much smaller, but I have used both. They're not daily use tools for me, but when you need one you really need them. I don't have a 1/2" drive gearless ratchet and I have never come across the need for one, but it might be nice to have 'just in case.' I'll try Tractor Supply's website because there aren't any stores in my state. The way I feel about my gearless ratchets is the same way I feel about my pass-thru ratchet set and my spline drive sockets. I sure don't use them every day but when the need arises I am DAMN glad I added them to my tool box.
It's called the drive tang - a term I picked up recently in discussions of pass through ratchets claiming more strength than with a tang.
Zero backlash is a lie. It's not much backlash but it's there.
Do R/C! And it always will be.
I've had a multi-bit screwdriver that uses that for about 10 years
They have durability issues, and any dirt will screw up the mechanism. But I like that bit driver
i like that the ratchets has no rubber grips and the form over all. thx for the videos and i looking forward to the next firebird episode. i hope it didn't become to much of a "tinker"- car with to much engine power, but no suspension upgrad.. for me it would but enough, if it's a reliable daily driver....okok, a little pro touring is always nice :)
Cool vid, 2:00 this thing is indeed called a square-end.... 😊
Excellent product review! Thank you for also showing us how to improve these tools. Kudos!
I have this ratchet set. I like them pretty well.
Oh, and I must mention, although there is multiple rollers in the sprag clutch assembly, typically, only one roller at a time does the locking action, unless the rollers are sprung... Or to say, have a spring that is always pushing the roller in to the locking direction... and with as sloppy as the machining of these parts are, even with sprung rollers, I gather, that not all rollers are wedged, which is why I think these type of ratchets break free... Check out the spec sheet of a sprag clutch bearing assenbly, from McMasterCar catalog, and you will see that such a system has a very high demand of tolerances, as per things being in alignment in order for a higher degree of reliability of positive locking action while not causing a premature mechanical failure due from damage of just one sprag constantly do it all the work of load holding, as only one holding a load damages the bearing load surfaces and the roller surfaces as well.... Let alone, when the rollers have no alignment guides to assist in keeping each of the rollers perpendicular to the direction of linear movement... If a roller does get out of alignment, the risk of bending that said roller is high, due to the stresses encountered in this mechanical system.... that lessons the locking action further, again, galls up the inner race... Okay, I am finished... Just grumpy of the cost of these and to have to go to the doc to get my hand stitched up... My set of ratchets, went into my metal scrap bin... Clever idea, but had for this application... Any work that only requires less then 11 in.lbs. of torque, I see these being just fine, but, why spend the money for such a tool that a $5 dollar tool could do just as well...
I didn’t even see the title or channel and I immediately knew it was one of your videos when I saw the thumbnail hahaha
Just picked up a set for 10.99 clearance.... Sweeeet.
Thanks for the entertainment
synthetic grease. good choice! if you find the synthetic grease is too thick for the application you can mix some light oil with it to make thinned out.
Awesome presentation!
Let's GO! Another great video
of coarse this is a tight system, it's used (as a one-way clutch) in auto transmissions in everything you drive today. this type of wrench also is used for adjusting milling chuck collets as there is a clean side with nothing to grip onto.
The 'one way' mechanism is the same as in Torrington Bearings, also known as One Way or Clutch bearings. Free motion in one direction, but lock in the reverse.
Are those nails gearless?
awesome thanks i bought these in the clearance bin lol now i have to do you mod thanks again
thanks AvE, years of watching him allowed me to know how this worked before it was opened. or at least guess that it was a sprag assembly of some sort
I love these videos!
The normal clicking is so satisfying though.
I have one of these, still prefer the ratcheting ones as you know they're working when you're in an awkward positions, and in the right direction. Also they, as well as the screwdrivers, slip sometimes. Don't lube them.
Neat ratchets. I think I would shatter those rollers in 5 minutes though. LOL.I should use my breaker bar more though.
Dremel tool and a cheap HF ball end diamond bit to dig into that hardened steel, with an longer spring in the assembly. Although you might go through the case hardening...
they'd be so easy to make. and tbh. am likely to make one when i get my workshop running.
Thank you sir
Good video.Sorry for my bad english!This is a old desighn i am selling like this ratchets but other manifactur before 10 years.There some defects after litle using.And they will be clear to work propetly.
My gear-drive Craftsman change direction when they get old, but that's because teeth are gone, and I use 4 ft pipes on my 3/8 drive lol
I have a snapon 1/4" gearless, and it also tends to change direction without any input
If you wanted to make the dimples for the detents deeper you could anneal the part by heating it up with a blow torch until it glows red then allowing it to cool very slowly. Then after the dimples deeper, you could re harden the part by heating it up and quenching. You should then anneal it once more but with a less aggressive heating cycle.
Love your videos
You still managed to get a few hundred thousand 'clicks' out of this video...lol
Great video!
THERE IS A REASON THESE ARE FOUND IN THE CLEARANCE BIN THEY ARE J U N K
Yeah especially if you dont want busted knuckles😂. Who does tho
Ok, now thats Awesome!!
With the slippage it will be hard to distinguish between fastener moving, socket slipping, or wrench slipping.
You're smart I love ingenuity
The lack of the sound is an big nope for me.
same, it makes everything so much more satisfying
it "sounds" matters
Try one of the shims from the 3/8 ratchet, it might not need both.
I'd like to see how much torque they can hold, but you may not be able to test that the normal way…
Put something in a vice that will accept a 1/2" square drive, & put a fish scale on a cheater bar. Measure from the scale to the square drive & hang weights until it breaks!
Also a cobalt drill bit would work for modifying the hardened parts
I just finished watching your Silverado videos and at the beginning I remember you saying you wanted something simple to work on because of lack of experience. But then a few years later you legit rebuild a transmission. Where'd you learn all that?
It's just time you learn to comprehend how things work and apply that to other mechanical systems. Cars are complicated but once you get a hand on how each of its components work then it all makes sense.
It is as Aurora said, most of what I have learned has been from working on cars and figuring it out as I go. For specific stuff forums are a great source of information, too!
If you have a basic understanding as a base, it's not hard to just dive right in and figure stuff out as you go. Just label things (smart phones are a god send, just takes pictures as you go), take your time, and look stuff up online. I started working on a farm with pretty basic repair skills, and within months was doing full motor swaps on tractors, and some serious transmission work (I pulled the PTO drive out of our fuel pumper and switched it to an electric pump).
@@FuzzyDiceProjects are there any particular forums you use or do you look for ones specific to what you're working on?
@@he5890 It varies based on what I am looking for, largely just finding posts on Google. Hotrodders.com is great for American stuff and there are a lot of old-timers there, specialty forums like ThirdGen.org for third gen F-body cars are great for specific information, and some parts of Reddit like MechanicAdvice are pretty good when looking for general answers.
I can't believe you thought that drill bit would make a scratch on that 🤣🤣 you need a 4 flute carbide ball mill.
Rather than the outside diameter rubbing it's likely the ends of the 'legs' on the switch dragging on the bottom of the cavity in the wrench head.
Very interesting
The design is good for low swing clearance an low torque applications, but use them for long enough or get any oil in there an it’s easy to overpower the clutch
Yo Daddy drop in some rusty dust and sandy grit to increase torque holding capacity 👍🏻
KING
2:00 "Square Drive"....👍...I've got the Kobalt gearless ratchet from Lowe's.... it came as a kit with thin-walled universal sockets.... not bad...