1954 Snap-On ratchet re-kitted

[OVERKILL]

Finally got my 1/2" drive ratchet back from the Snap-On guy. He had to order the kit in for it, and then one of the screws stripped when he tried to take it apart, so he's had it for quite some time.

This ratchet belonged to my grandfather. He bought it when he was working at GE. He purchased it in the early 1950's. The Snap-On guys says the ratchet is from 1954.

Some pics:

She's REALLY tight now. No where near the feel it had before. And nothing like my much newer 3/8ths and 1/4" drive ones. I'm hoping it doesn't take long to break-in and get the normal feeling back.

 

[Chris142]

Looks like the ones they sell today.

My dad has a Snap-On ratchet from way back. To change directions you remove the square and flip the ratchet over, re install the square.

The ratchet head only works in one direction.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: Chris142
Looks like the ones they sell today.

My dad has a Snap-On ratchet from way back. To change directions you remove the square and flip the ratchet over, re install the square.

The ratchet head only works in one direction.


I've got an old SK that is like that. Has a hex head that you remove and you flip the ratchet over to change directions. That's OLD SCHOOL

 

[Jimmy9190]

Cool. Snap-On tools last forever and they can still fix them if they do break. It's a neat thing to imagine all the work that ratchet must have done in its lifetime.

If you are interested here is a link to a Snap-On date code chart. All Snap-on hand tools have a date code figure stamped on them somewhere, but I don't know if these codes apply to Snap-On tools that were made in Canada.

http://www.garagejournal.com/forum/showthread.php?t=14884

That's a really cool old ratchet though. It should break in and work better as you use it. Thanks for posting the pics.

 

[Johnny]

That's cool. Boy, the stories that ratchet could tell. Snap-On tools are hard to beat. I've got a complete set of sockets, ratchets, and wrenches I bought from a Snap-On dealer back in 1973. Still work as good as new. The Snap-On top tool chest is still in excellent shape.

 

[daves87rs]

Sweet!

 

[Jimmy9190]

I love to see old hand tools like that and imagine what work they have done. And the money they made for doing it. I have a lot of various Snap-On socket sets, ratchets, extensions, Torx bits and Torx sockets up to T-50, and a full set of Snap-On metric and standard wrenches that I bought back in the 80's and 90's.

I have a lot of other Snap-On hand tools too, and they all work just as well now as they did when I bought them. Some of them are over 25 years old now. If I ever have a grandson, I plan on passing them down to him one day.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: Jimmy9190
I love to see old hand tools like that and imagine what work they have done. And the money they made for doing it. I have a lot of various Snap-On socket sets, ratchets, extensions, Torx bits and Torx sockets up to T-50, and a full set of Snap-On metric and standard wrenches that I bought back in the 80's and 90's.

I have a lot of other Snap-On hand tools too, and they all work just as well now as they did when I bought them. Some of them are over 25 years old now. If I ever have a grandson, I plan on passing them down to him one day.



I intend on doing the same.

I have a 3/4" drive with a huge pile of imperial sockets for it. It has a removable handle. Really cool!

This is of course my 1/2" drive, which I have a pile of Snap-On sockets for as well.

I purchased my 3/8th's and 1/4" drive ratchets much more recently. I don't have a lot of Snap-On sockets for them at this time. I also don't have a lot of their wrenches.

This ratchet has definitely done its time. I used it growing up when my grandfather retired. It has been used on boats from the 20's, 30's 40's and 50's. Marine engines from probably every popular manufacturer from that era, and some not so popular ones as well. I've used it on all my cars and those of many friends. It has worked well and I expect it to continue to work well long after I've passed it on to my own kids.

There is something to be said for good tools.

 

[Chris142]

Originally Posted By: Jimmy9190

If you are interested here is a link to a Snap-On date code chart. All Snap-on hand tools have a date code figure stamped on them somewhere, but I don't know if these codes apply to Snap-On tools that were made in Canada.

I can't find any date codes on any of my Snap-On stuff. Is it part of the part#?

Looking at a ratchet and wrench now.

Wrench- OEX14 usa pat 3273430

Ratchet F 723 usa pat.no.3713356.

No other markings on them.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: Chris142
Originally Posted By: Jimmy9190

If you are interested here is a link to a Snap-On date code chart. All Snap-on hand tools have a date code figure stamped on them somewhere, but I don't know if these codes apply to Snap-On tools that were made in Canada.

I can't find any date codes on any of my Snap-On stuff. Is it part of the part#?

Looking at a ratchet and wrench now.

Wrench- OEX14 usa pat 3273430

Ratchet F 723 usa pat.no.3713356.

No other markings on them.


Well, going from that chart, looks like the Snap-On guy was wrong. This ratchet is from 1951.

The marker on mine is directly between the ON/OFF notations on the head.

My 3/4" drive is from 1948.

 

[Jimmy9190]

I have one of my wrenches here, on the back side of the wrench, this one is a 10mm 12 point wrench #OEXM100B, to the right of that it says USA and to theright of that is a tiny stamed date code. Looks like a backwards number 6. It means my wrench was made in 1996, which is true because that's the year I bought both sets.

I have here one of my 1/4" ratchets. On it in the middle of the handle is the Snap-On logo, to the right of that is the part number TM700C, below that it says USA and to the right of that there is a very tiny stamped date code that looks like the number 9 only there is a point at the top of the rounded part of the number. This is the date code stamp for 1989, which is when I bought it. It is one of the first Snap-On ratchets I ever bought.

The date codes are really small. If the tool has a lot of wear or grease on it you may not see it. I tried to take a digital pic of a date code on a larger wrench:



The little mark to the right of "USA" is the date code. All Snap-On hand tools will have a date code somewhere on the tool. Sorry, my camera is not very good and none of the other pics came out showing the code.

 

[Jimmy9190]

Originally Posted By: Chris142
Originally Posted By: Jimmy9190

If you are interested here is a link to a Snap-On date code chart. All Snap-on hand tools have a date code figure stamped on them somewhere, but I don't know if these codes apply to Snap-On tools that were made in Canada.

I can't find any date codes on any of my Snap-On stuff. Is it part of the part#?

Looking at a ratchet and wrench now.

Wrench- OEX14 usa pat 3273430

Ratchet F 723 usa pat.no.3713356.

No other markings on them.


Well, the code may show the ratchet was made in 1951, but your Grandfather may not have bought it until 1954. Snap-On tools are the very best you can buy, and the same was true in 1951, but they also are some of the most expensive tools you can buy, and that ratchet probably cost a mighty pretty penny in 1951. Maybe even more like it cost a very shiny nickel, and maybe it did not sell until your Granddad finally bought it off the Snap-On truck one day in 1954.

I can still remember the sinking feeling I would get when the Snap-on man came around to my shop to collect my weekly payments. What made it worse was when I had a Snap-On truck account and a Snap-On credit card account to pay every week. I had to stash money out of my paycheck in my tool box every week so I would be able to pay Snap-On, and the Mac Tool man. I also remember very well how good it was to buy a new tool, or a tool I really needed, or one that would make my job easier and/or faster and therefore earn me more money.

It was well worth every penny though when I finally paid everything all off. I sure never complained about the money I made with those expensive Snap-On tools I bought over the years.

 

[Jimmy9190]

Oops, I read the original post wrong, I thought you said your Granddad bought the ratchet in 1954, but I re-read it where you said he bought it in the early 50's, but did not see that again until after the time out for editing and deleting. Sorry about that.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: Jimmy9190
Oops, I read the original post wrong, I thought you said your Granddad bought the ratchet in 1954, but I re-read it where you said he bought it in the early 50's, but did not see that again until after the time out for editing and deleting. Sorry about that.


That's OK! It was the Snap-On guy who had given the date of it to my mechanic buddy who I had given the ratchet to to have it repaired. When I checked the chart that was posted earlier, I see that it actually has a 1951 date code on it.

 

[Scienceman]

Cool!

 

[Herz]

Very cool, made in Canada they probably manufactured them for you guys up there at that time.

 

[Chris142]

I found the mark on my ratchet. Was under the on-off switch. Either 1976 or 79 depending on how you hold it. No mark found on the 7/16 wrench yet.

I need to go find my dads old ratchet and find it's date.

 

[OVERKILL]

Originally Posted By: defektes
Very cool, made in Canada they probably manufactured them for you guys up there at that time.


Yessir. All of my old Snap-On tools are made up here. Pretty cool actually.

 

[Johnny]

Never knew all this about the date codes. According to this, all of my Snap-On stuff was made in 1972. My youngest son will get all my tools someday. At the rate he is going there won't be any grand kids from him.

 

[Jimmy9190]

I found out about the date codes myself back in the 1980's when a guy I worked with brought to the shop an old Snap-On 3/8" extension bar he had found somewhere.

We showed it to the Snap-On man and he pulled out his chart to identify it for us. It was made in 1944 and the old Snap-On logo and its "E" date code were still fairly legible.

During WWII, Snap-On provided tools and manufacturing/shop equipment to the factories that supplied and supported the war effort. Rosie the Riveter may very well have used a Snap-On rivet gun.