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expiredphoinix | Staff posted Oct 09, 2024 12:30 AM
expiredphoinix | Staff posted Oct 09, 2024 12:30 AM

Prime Members: 17" GEARWRENCH 1/2" Drive 84 Tooth Flex Head Teardrop Ratchet

+ Free Shipping

$26

$41

36% off
Amazon
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Amazon has for Prime Members: 17" GEARWRENCH 1/2" Drive 84 Tooth Flex Head Teardrop Ratchet (81306A-07) on sale for $26.16. Shipping is free.

Thanks to Deal Hunter phoinix for finding this deal.

About this product:
  • 84 tooth gear offers a 4.3° swing arc for easy access
  • Teardrop shaped head and flush-mounted on/off switch allow even more access in tight spaces
  • Bright, full polish chrome finish easily wipes clean and resists corrosion
  • 6 position flexible head provides access for hard to reach fasteners
  • Enclosed head design for extreme resistance to dirt infiltration

Editor's Notes

Written by johnny_miller | Staff

Original Post

Written by phoinix | Staff
Product Info
Community Notes
About the Poster
Deal Details
Product Info
Community Notes
About the Poster
Amazon has for Prime Members: 17" GEARWRENCH 1/2" Drive 84 Tooth Flex Head Teardrop Ratchet (81306A-07) on sale for $26.16. Shipping is free.

Thanks to Deal Hunter phoinix for finding this deal.

About this product:
  • 84 tooth gear offers a 4.3° swing arc for easy access
  • Teardrop shaped head and flush-mounted on/off switch allow even more access in tight spaces
  • Bright, full polish chrome finish easily wipes clean and resists corrosion
  • 6 position flexible head provides access for hard to reach fasteners
  • Enclosed head design for extreme resistance to dirt infiltration

Editor's Notes

Written by johnny_miller | Staff

Original Post

Written by phoinix | Staff

Community Voting

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+18
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Visit Amazon

Price Intelligence

Model: GEARWRENCH 1/2" Drive 84 Tooth Flex Head Teardrop Ratchet 17" - 81306A-07

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Top Comments

jeff34270
18217 Posts
5656 Reputation
If your tool truck guys don't handle Gearwrench, then just fill out the web form, snap a few pics, and receive a new one in the mail.

https://www.gearwrench.com/warran...ement-form
Streamin
291 Posts
46 Reputation
Gearwrench = When you're not dumb enough to pay for snap on.

23 Comments

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Oct 09, 2024 02:14 PM
174 Posts
Joined Feb 2007
imstunerOct 09, 2024 02:14 PM
174 Posts

Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank imstuner

Decent ratchet for the price but doesn't have locking flex head.
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Oct 09, 2024 02:27 PM
5,438 Posts
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GimmeYoTotsOct 09, 2024 02:27 PM
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This is a really good deal on the 1/2" GW flex head. There's really not that big of a difference between the 84 tooth GW flex and the 120 XP (dual pawl) 1/2" flex head - which often sells for considerable more money (esp compared to this price). Also, if you know the history behind Apex Tools and the split between Matco and Gearwrench, then it's clear the Gearwrench ratchet design was based off the Matco design... which is *considerably* more expensive. The GW is 17" in length (had to look that up to verify on GW's website [gearwrench.com]) and the Matco [matcotools.com] is 18 and 5/8" long with an 88 tooth mech vs the GW 84 tooth.

Please click on the Matco link and see that the $270.95 Matco Eight8 looks just like the GW 84T ratchet. This ratchet is one tenth the price of the Matco! The Matco does have a locking flex head, and is made in the USA, unlike the GW, but that doesn't make it worth 10x more! Also, I think this GW 84T is better than any ratchet you'll find at HFT, including their ICON line. Apex Tool's Gearwrench warranty is super easy to use, as well, as Jeff points out above. I have the 120XP version of this, and I also have a 3/8" Matco Eight8, and do own a 1/2" GW non-flex head and I can't recommend this deal enough.

One last note -- there's a lot of focus on the fact the GW flex heads don't have a lock. I own the aforementioned Matco Eight8 locking flex, and a 1/4" Snap-On locking flex... and, honestly, I never use the locking mechanism in either of them. As long as the flex mechanism is stiff and doesn't flop like a 5.2 rated Dave Portnoy pizza (One Bite, everybody knows the rules), then you'll likely not need to use the flex lock, either. I own the GW 120XP version of this flex set, and can attest that they are fairly stiff and not floppy, and a lock is really not necessary. That's not to say that there aren't floppy ratchets (the Ko-ken non-locking flex head comes to mind), but these GW's should be fine w/o a lock IMO.
Last edited by GimmeYoTots October 9, 2024 at 08:22 AM.
2
Oct 09, 2024 03:58 PM
174 Posts
Joined Feb 2007
imstunerOct 09, 2024 03:58 PM
174 Posts
Quote from GimmeYoTots :
One last note -- there's a lot of focus on the fact the GW flex heads don't have a lock. I own the aforementioned Matco Eight8 locking flex, and a 1/4" Snap-On locking flex... and, honestly, I never use the locking mechanism in either of them. As long as the flex mechanism is stiff and doesn't flop like a 5.2 rated Dave Portnoy pizza (One Bite, everybody knows the rules), then you'll likely not need to use the flex lock, either. I own the GW 120XP version of this flex set, and can attest that they are fairly stiff and not floppy, and a lock is really not necessary. That's not to say that there aren't floppy ratchets (the Ko-ken non-locking flex head comes to mind), but these GW's should be fine w/o a lock IMO.
This will depend on the situation and it's always better to have that feature than not have it when you need it. It's not going to matter to me since I have a lot of different ratchets but for someone who doesn't it's a feature worth having. This is still a great ratchet for the price but rather get this set and you get 3 ratchets for $72. https://www.amazon.com/GEARWRENCH...117&sr=8-4
1
Oct 09, 2024 04:54 PM
104 Posts
Joined May 2020
garenslickdealz007Oct 09, 2024 04:54 PM
104 Posts

Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank garenslickdealz007

Note this deal is for the non-locking version. If you want locking 84T in 1/2", this is the one you want:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08P27FR2S

But it's not on sale individually right now, but just was last month for $29.51. FYI
1
Oct 09, 2024 05:34 PM
690 Posts
Joined Sep 2007
jdg33Oct 09, 2024 05:34 PM
690 Posts
Quote from slackerrudie :
Depends on if you make money with your tools. I break any of my Snap On tools the guy comes once a week and replaces it. I have no idea where I would get a gear wrench ratchet replaced or fixed. I have old gear wrench ratchet wrenches from 15 years ago that are still broken because no one will replace them. So that was a waste of money on a throw away tool. Mailing in tools is pointless when you need that tool now to fix a vehicle.

That is why people use tool trucks. Are they expensive? Sure, buy them used.
Agreed, pay for convenience. Time = $$$. Shop owner breaks tools trucks come swap out. Other brands shop owner has to send someone to store exchange or file claim wait for new tool to arrive. Home diyers we dont rely on our tools for income. Tools break no big deal go store swap out finish job next week. Mechanics relying on income dont have luxury of postponing jobs.

Are Snap On overpriced for average person, yes. Most tools can do the job but your paying for convenience.
1
Oct 09, 2024 06:00 PM
256 Posts
Joined Nov 2019
Gmaggert1Oct 09, 2024 06:00 PM
256 Posts
Quote from slackerrudie :
This is a good home ratchet. Or maybe a starter ratchet.
I've been using a no locking version for 9 years professionally. It's more than a starter ratchet 😂
Oct 09, 2024 06:43 PM
174 Posts
Joined Feb 2007
imstunerOct 09, 2024 06:43 PM
174 Posts
Quote from jdg33 :
Agreed, pay for convenience. Time = $$$. Shop owner breaks tools trucks come swap out. Other brands shop owner has to send someone to store exchange or file claim wait for new tool to arrive. Home diyers we dont rely on our tools for income. Tools break no big deal go store swap out finish job next week. Mechanics relying on income dont have luxury of postponing jobs.

Are Snap On overpriced for average person, yes. Most tools can do the job but your paying for convenience.
If you are Tech chances are you have a draw of ratchets and you ain't worried about 1 ratchet being down. You still have to wait for the tool truck to come once a week. I have gotten replacement parts or full ratchets in 1 week from GW. By the way Snap-On hex and Torx stuff are overprice trash and for those I rather use Bondhus.
Last edited by imstuner October 9, 2024 at 11:52 AM.

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Oct 09, 2024 09:03 PM
154 Posts
Joined Nov 2022
engi_nerdOct 09, 2024 09:03 PM
154 Posts
A long handle 1/2 flex head ratchet is a tool meant to be absolutely used and abused. If you know how to use the tool you aren't judging it based on tooth count or lab testing videos on YouTube. A 1/2 flex head ratchet is not a "buy it for life tool" and its performance will degrade over time (eg floppy head, anvil play, etc) no matter how much you spend (though snapon is the god of this particular tool design and it isn't even close). Which is why, assuming you live near one, harbor freight is an absolutely amazing value proposition - especially the Pittsburgh and Quinn lines. And especially the Pittsburgh equivalent of this ratchet. If I notice some slop in the fork, I swap it out the next time I go by harbor freight, no questions asked. If it completely breaks I can be back at it with a new one in under 15 minutes. No need to rely on a locking flex head because of a floppy head (good luck getting GW to warranty a little flop in the flex head, lol).

It changes the thought process from "do I need to pull out the breaker bar so I don't have to wait for GW to ship me a new ratchet if it breaks?" to "where is that 10 foot pipe?" Stuck tie rod ends are no longer an annoyance but a chance to relax and practice my golf swing. The ratchet is marketed as "comfort grip" but "non-marring blunt tipped spear" would be more accurate.

It truly is amazing how much utility a tool gains and how much faster one (amateur or pro) can work when there is absolutely zero reason to give a damn about the tool. It's equally amusing how much abuse a 35 dollar ratchet can take.

But even without warranty, the Pittsburgh 72 tooth mechanism is fantastic (especially in 1/2" drive) and more pleasurable to use than GW mechanisms. The only decent GW mechanism is the 90 tooth and Apex makes the same ratchet for HF as the low profile Quinns (no flex heads though). I see Icon as really more of a marketing gimmick to get people in the door (it worked for me): the Icon tool quality is much closer to Pittsburgh than Snapon (especially for ratchets), and you don't have to pay the Icon price to get the snapon-level warranty.
Last edited by engi_nerd October 9, 2024 at 03:27 PM.

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