Repairing a Craftsman 1/2 inch drive ratchet

[cathead]

So I have been putting up with my Craftsman 1/2 inch drive ratchet for some time as it would not hold on
to the sockets, a major inconvenience especially when the socket falls off while you are under a vehicle!
Supposedly they have a lifetime replacement if defective but I decided to fix it myself just because I can.
The ball was visible in the head of the tool but somehow was up higher than it is supposed to be. I milled an
1/8 inch hole in the end of the drive head so I had a way to punch out the inner workings.

Inside I found a broken ball and a spring and the plastic part one pushes on to release the socket. Everything inside has to be .186 inches wide
or less including the ball to fit in the hole on the button side. In my ball bearing collection I found a ball of the proper size.
I machined a little piece of steel that would fit the bill installing the spring first, then the
ball, then my machined part, then pushing on the assembly to see if it would work. It did!

The arrow points to the machined part I made so the release assembly would function. Yes, it's a krappy photo but I'm sure you
get the idea.

The last part was to shorten the plastic button part so the spring would release the socket. It took two tries as I didn't want to start making the part
too short.


There, finally after putting up with the thing for years, it works once again. I will likely plug the hole I bored with a little JB weld or similar fix.

 

[MrWhoopee]

Funny, I have at least one Craftsman ratchet that has the same problem, also been putting up with it for years. Purchased some time in the early 80s. I should probably break down and get a new one from HF. They have a lifetime warranty and actually honor it.

 

[cathead]

Funny, I have at least one Craftsman ratchet that has the same problem, also been putting up with it for years. Purchased some time in the early 80s. I should probably break down and get a new one from HF. They have a lifetime warranty and actually honor it.

I looked at the ones from Harbor Freight but wasn't inclined to buy one. A week ago I was at a flea market and
picked up a Husky 1/2 inch drive ratchet for 12 dollars. It has a real fine ratchet on it. It's really quite impressive.
I had to take it apart to clean it and was impressed with the inner workings. It was not easy to put back together
but if careful can be accomplished. After that, I decided to rework the Craftsman ratchet since I was on a roll.

I just checked on the web concerning Craftsman's free replacement and it looks to me like fixing it is the better
option rather then dealing with the run-around.

 

[CJ5Dave]

Lowes (or is it Home Depot) is selling the current Craftsman - not sure if its the same company. If you take the broken one to their store, and they have one in stock, they will replace it. Had one laying on the hall table for some time meaning to try them out.

 

[ChazzC]

Lowes (or is it Home Depot) is selling the current Craftsman - not sure if its the same company. If you take the broken one to their store, and they have one in stock, they will replace it. Had one laying on the hall table for some time meaning to try them out.

Lowe’s & Ace Hardware

Back when there were stores Id just take them in, hand whatever over the counter and they’d hand me a replacement; no receipt required and the would take anything (I saw a dude turn in a pair of rusty hedge shears like these



with only one wooden handle and they gave him a new one no questions asked -made me think about start buying junk at yard sales).

 

[pontiac428]

Lowes (or is it Home Depot) is selling the current Craftsman - not sure if its the same company. If you take the broken one to their store, and they have one in stock, they will replace it. Had one laying on the hall table for some time meaning to try them out.

It's Lowes, and no, it's not the same Craftsman, it's a brand name revival because reputation sells more than real world improvements.

I've had carp ratchets that I really can't stand from companies as highly regarded as Thorsen and S-K. Frankly, the only good ratchet I own is a 120XP from Gearwrench, who is owned by the same Apex Tool Group that owns Weller, Xcelite, Jacobs, and Crescent.

I recently repaired my father's 3/8 snap-on ratchet, that he used in 1972 when he worked for Bill Pearce Honda in Reno with a handy $15 kit that replaces all the internal BS with fresh. Too bad those little kits aren't available for the rest!

 

[ChazzC]

It's Lowes, and no, it's not the same Craftsman, it's a brand name revival because reputation sells more than real world improvements.

I've had carp ratchets that I really can't stand from companies as highly regarded as Thorsen and S-K. Frankly, the only good ratchet I own is a 120XP from Gearwrench, who is owned by the same Apex Tool Group that owns Weller, Xcelite, Jacobs, and Crescent.

I recently repaired my father's 3/8 snap-on ratchet, that he used in 1972 when he worked for Bill Pearce Honda in Reno with a handy $15 kit that replaces all the internal BS with fresh. Too bad those little kits aren't available for the rest!

Not “real” Craftsman, but they bought the name & website. Supposed will swap “Craftsman” branded hand tools, but haven’t tried it; in 50+ years I only managed to break a couple of items (and maybe these were due to improper use?).

 

[pontiac428]

Is the measure of a good tool how often in breaks?

I picked up a Craftsman set of tools from the Army exchange a few years ago (post- brand revival), and it's carp, all carp. The combo wrenches and sockets are all six point. Who the hail can wrench on cars with six points? They don't fit great, either, are all a little loose, as if they expected to close a 1/16" tolerance gap with chrome plating. It's carelessness on the part of the manufacturer, or stupidity on my part for making the purchase. I have older 12-point Craftsman that is nice stuff, until you get to the point in your career when you realize the Craftsman wrenches are inferior because the bulky pad cast into the wrench body that they engrave the name and size on gets in the way, and smooth side wrenches like Snap-On and S-K allow just that much more room when it matters.

 

[Bone Head]

I learn some things the hard way.
One lesson was if I brought a tool with a life time guarantee in the '60s or '70s and had to get them to honor it in the last few years, the heft of it in your hand and what you expected and got from the original can be sadly missing. I applaud the O.P. for repairing his old tool.

 

[CJ5Dave]

I needed 2 new tool cabinets a couple of years back. I wanted them with 100 lb capacity drawers. I looked at the Harbor Freight and Lowes/Craftsman boxes. the Craftsman were about $150 cheaper and I thought better quality. Found out today our town is getting a Harbor Freight store finally. There goes all my money.