Project Farm

$19 Ratchet Proves Premium Ratchets are a Waste of Money!

Todd's Picks

Best Performance

GearWrench

Average Finish: 1.7

Purchased for: $118

Made In: Taiwan

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120 teeth, exceptional performance, compact size.

Best Value

Niko

Average Finish: 5.9

Purchased for: $20

Made In: China

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100 teeth, excellent back drag performance, best value.

Runner-up

SKUSA

Average Finish: 4.7

Purchased for: $157

Made In: USA

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90 teeth, robust build, better performance than SKChina.

Tools Tested

GearWrench

Average Finish: 1.7

Purchased for: $118

Made In: Taiwan

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120 teeth, exceptional performance, compact size.

SKUSA

Average Finish: 4.7

Purchased for: $157

Made In: USA

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90 teeth, robust build, better performance than SKChina.

Niko

Average Finish: 5.9

Purchased for: $20

Made In: China

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100 teeth, excellent back drag performance, best value.

KleinTools

Average Finish: 6

Purchased for: $43

Made In: Taiwan

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High-quality alloy steel, durable chrome finish.

DeWalt

Average Finish: 7

Purchased for: $22

Made In: Taiwan

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72 teeth, ergonomic handle, compact head.

Craftsman

Average Finish: 7

Purchased for: $45

Made In: Taiwan

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122 teeth, superior rust resistance, dual paw mechanism.

Ares

Average Finish: 8

Purchased for: $25

Made In: Taiwan

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122 teeth, ergonomic handle, good gear set.

Williams

Average Finish: 8

Purchased for: $53

Made In: USA

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72 teeth, heavy-duty, high failure load.

Durch

Average Finish: 9

Purchased for: $18

Made In: China

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90 teeth, good performance for the price, large head.

Icon

Average Finish: 9

Purchased for: $53

Made In: Taiwan

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92 teeth, low profile head, tight arc swing.

MacTools

Average Finish: 9

Purchased for: $185

Made In: USA

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92 teeth, heavy-duty, robust construction.

Workpro

Average Finish: 10

Purchased for: $17

Made In: China

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72 teeth, decent performance but high back drag.

StarWheel

Average Finish: 10

Purchased for: $82

Made In: Germany

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80 teeth, refined German engineering, compact design.

SnapOn

Average Finish: 10

Purchased for: $246

Made In: USA

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Dual paw technology, premium build, high torque resistance.

Pittsburgh

Average Finish: 11

Purchased for: $15

Made In: China

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72 teeth, sloppy gear mechanism, not designed for tight spaces.

SKChina

Average Finish: 11

Purchased for: $36

Made In: China

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90 teeth, budget-friendly, compact but high back drag.

Aada

Average Finish: 12

Purchased for: $11

Made In: China

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72 teeth, budget tool with sloppy gear set.

Showing 17 of 17 products.

Comparison of prices across different ratchet brands.

Rating of each ratchet's finish quality based on overall performance.

Maximum failure load each ratchet can handle before breaking.

Measurement of back drag resistance in grams.

Force required to change directions in grams.

Number of right to left passes required for one full 360° rotation.

Converted foot-pounds of torque each ratchet can withstand before failure.