Craftsman  1/4 in. Drive Full Polish Quick Release Teardrop Ratchet

This is a great tool to have in the tool box when the fastener is just small enough to not warrant the use of a larger set.  Small, yet still tough enough to get even the most stubborn of fasteners loose on the interior of a 36 year old car's interior this ratchet never compromises on quality!

I love the look of Craftsman Full Polish Ratchets. They feel comfortable and are easy to handle.

I have been using Craftsman ratchets for well over 50 years.  The "teardrop" series of ratchets has been a staple since the early 60's.  I cannot remember how many I have owned.  I worked for years on aircraft and used teardrop ratchets for much of my work.  This full polish ratchet is a natural extension of the teardrop line.  The handle has excellent balance and the full polish makes them easy to use and keep clean.  This ratchet is good competition for the expensive ratchets sold on the tool trucks.  I do have some concerns about the internals of the mechanism however.  I have rebuilt a goodly number of the ratchets I have owned and was always impressed with how rugged the ratcheting mechanism was.  I was surprised to see how the mechanism has changed, it seems much lighter and more fragile.  Now, I have never broken one, and Craftsman still warranties these ratchets forever so they must be as rugged as the older ones.  I have owned several different sizes of this newer series of teardrop ratchets.

"Sacramento" Bruce Conklin

I've had this and other ratchets for over a decade. They feel good in the hand, smooth and quiet in their operation, look good, and are practically bulletproof.

I returned this 1/4" ratchet handle to Sears the other day because the direction selector come loose - probably from ten years or so of wear and tear. I was going to by a kit for it but the guy behind the counter commenced to disassemble my ratchet and install a kit for me at "no charge".

A-1 service and a no-questions-asked lifetime warranty for all their tools regardless of the type or damage. You can't go wrong buying from a tool company that is practically an American legend.

Outstanding finish and tooling on these ratchets. The properly designed long and round handle perfectly suits the professional environment for high frequency, extended use and higher torque applications. These are NOT fine tooth design. The traditional 36 tooth design adds more surface area for engagement of the gears dramatically increasing the strength and capability of the ratchet. Fine tooth ratchets have their place in any professional's toolbox and may even work better for the weekend warrior, but a comfortable and traditional high strength ratchet is greatly appreciated by the seasoned. The larger gear teeth and ratcheting action may remind some of their grandpa's ratchets, but this old school design is engineered like this for the strength/durability reasons explained above. In my humble opinion they easily rival the competition at a fraction of the price and with the benefit of the useable quick release function. The one thing (albeit minor) that I would wish for is a metal direction change switch. I've never had a problem with the switch that is installed, it operates easily and smoothly, I guess it just seems out of place on a ratchet so finely finished and tooled. I gladly would pay the extra dollar or two in manufacturing cost to have metal versus the installed professional/ ballistic grade plastic switch.

This is one of 4 ratchets I returned. One of the returns was a 34 year old ratchet. I finally took my broken tools back to Sears for the first time ever. I returned two 1/4" ratchets and this one was the more expensive of the two. It was also the first to break so quickly. Stripped the gearing in only 3 years. I thought for sure this would have lasted as long as my 34 year old 1/2" drive ratchet which was from my first set of tools. But Sears does have their free replacement warranty which is great.

This is one of 4 ratchets I returned. One of the returns was a 34 year old ratchet. I finally took my broken tools back to Sears for the first time ever. I returned two 1/4" ratchets and this one was the more expensive of the two. It was also the first to break so quickly. Stripped the gearing in only 3 years. I thought for sure this would have lasted as long as my 34 year old 1/2" drive ratchet which was from my first set of tools. But Sears does have their free replacement warranty which is great.

i am a profesional mechanic the 1/4 in ratchet is my favorite tool of choice i keep a complete set in a tackile box . it is great it takes more power to remove some 13 mm boilts but the newer style handles fit your hand nicely and comfortable . and i use it probally a 100 times a day it really takes a beeting and keeps on working.