SK continues to suck (ratchets)

D60

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Nov 6, 2017
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I've ranted on here about the new(ish) LP90 ratchets from SK. They were supposed to be US made and the next great thing from American manufacturing (or so I hoped).

Ultimately LOTS of users were very disappointed in the mechanism, and I was one of them. My 3/8" flex head just liked to lock up and then you couldn't flip the reversing lever with anything but a hammer and drift.

I requested a rebuild kit under warranty back in late January. My kit arrived yesterday, thus mid-May.

I installed what I could this morning, but found two glaring problems:

1)the thru-hole in the new reversing lever is smaller on one side such that the "pusher" (see photo of exploded view) literally won't fit. It will drop in from the other side but then can't pass thru. This may just be a burr but still a considerable QC oversight on what is a relatively precision mechanism.

I didn't have time or desire to check for a burr and instead tried reusing my old reversing lever, which worked.

Here I show the "pusher" (upside down) will not drop in the reversing lever
20220518_091535.jpg

2) the new gear (anvil) literally does not fit in the ratchet head. The ID of the toothed section is just a little too large. My old gear easily dropped in by hand. No pics of this, I was in a rush and simply frustrated with the entire thing which should have been a 5 minute rebuild.

I got it working by basically just using the new pawl and I'm not taking it back apart again. I don't have any Superlube but I use Starrett Tool & Instrument Oil (because I have it)

Please don't waste your money on LP90 stuff. However, the new Proto ratchets are awesome!!
20220518_091558.jpg
 
I think this may be current. No more stock. Global supply chain? This means they can’t get parts from China which is having problems right now, if I were to make a guess. I got a couple LP 90 on the steals and deals very low priced. They seem ok but sound a little finicky in the teeth.
Another guess is trainees were making the last parts like you have. Other companies like Snap On the old guys teach the newbies and so it goes down through the decades.
What was wrong inside?

 
The SK round heads are great ratchets that hold up with use. It appears the LP90 series aren’t going to be as good. Bummer.

Maybe the new ownership can fix some if these qc issues once things get rolling at the new location.
 
bummed to hear this... I've expanded my hand tools a good bit the last few years with a-lot of SK. Made in USA is a big factor for me also. Most were seemingly high quality... There were a few [not cheap] sockets that had questionable chrome, but didn't really bother me, I assume the tolerances and durability are above average and the important part... I love my 6pt long SK metric wrenches... Kinda wish they had the open end like my Carlisle that have the diamond cut out in the middle if that makes sense. Oh and the SK shorty offset 6pt double box-end wrenches are the BOMB. Super high quality, but not cheap at all. I drooled over those x-frame wratcheting wrenches; but couldn't justify the $200+ as I just about got all my wrenches and sockets where I want them.

I have to admit though; many of my other sockets and wrenches; I bought several individual Carlisle pieces to fill in missing holes... Made in Taiwan; the Carlisle stuff is nice. Especially regular length combination metric wrenches.

I was really bummed to see SK sold off. Im betting quality will go down and majority of manufacturing sent overseas. Too bad they were not more successful with like Independent tool trucks or parts stores. (Fact: A-lot of the tool sets we have in the military are SK).
 
bummed to hear this... I've expanded my hand tools a good bit the last few years with a-lot of SK. Made in USA is a big factor for me also. Most were seemingly high quality... There were a few [not cheap] sockets that had questionable chrome, but didn't really bother me, I assume the tolerances and durability are above average and the important part... I love my 6pt long SK metric wrenches... Kinda wish they had the open end like my Carlisle that have the diamond cut out in the middle if that makes sense. Oh and the SK shorty offset 6pt double box-end wrenches are the BOMB. Super high quality, but not cheap at all. I drooled over those x-frame wratcheting wrenches; but couldn't justify the $200+ as I just about got all my wrenches and sockets where I want them.

I have to admit though; many of my other sockets and wrenches; I bought several individual Carlisle pieces to fill in missing holes... Made in Taiwan; the Carlisle stuff is nice. Especially regular length combination metric wrenches.

I was really bummed to see SK sold off. Im betting quality will go down and majority of manufacturing sent overseas. Too bad they were not more successful with like Independent tool trucks or parts stores. (Fact: A-lot of the tool sets we have in the military are SK).
SK's history is being bought and sold, new ownership, and moving manufacturing. So this latest chapter fits right in. It's not like SK has a strong history of great management and company stewardship.
 
SK's history is being bought and sold, new ownership, and moving manufacturing. So this latest chapter fits right in. It's not like SK has a strong history of great management and company stewardship.
Yep, I couldn't figure out what was coming to me from Hangzhou Equipment Holdings....
20220518_121757.jpg
 
Yep, I couldn't figure out what was coming to me from Hangzhou Equipment Holdings....View attachment 100461

Hangzhou is a big Chinese firm, also knows as Great Star. They make a lot of hand tools in China. Hangzhou Great Star also purchased what was left of Shop Vac. After they bought SK last year, the operations were moved to the Shop Vac facility in PA from Illinois.
 
No idea. I was really only able to use the new pawl and now it seems to work well.

I looked at the old pawl closely but nothing stands out.
If the old gear is a bit too small it would skip, I think, just guessing. So maybe they made it bigger but now it’s too big. Signs of amateurs in charge. At least you, and I, got the last of the real SK USA owned and made of USA materials product.
 
I am not so sure Wright isn’t having issues with production. I ordered something from Zoro to be drop shipped from Wright and just got another email saying delayed till June 22, if this is not ok you may cancel the order or something like that. It’s been a few months of this.
 
Recon this is a good opportunity to show off my main wrench and socket drawers... Good SK showing + some legacy stuff of mine. @Vern_in_IL I have been waiting on that same wrench for a while; backordered one just came in but as I'm out of town have not had the chance to check it out (Hoping it's a good USA one (I couldn't stomach the prices for used ones on Ebay).

socket drawer may'22.jpeg


wrench drawer may'22.jpeg
 
Perhaps unrelated to op's issue, but I've found that some of the new fine tooth ratchets don't like heavy lubes/greases. It makes the pawl catch when ratcheting and stick in the middle or sometimes reverse. In these, using the lightest oil you have tends to make them work better. May be worth some experimentation.
 
Perhaps unrelated to op's issue, but I've found that some of the new fine tooth ratchets don't like heavy lubes/greases. It makes the pawl catch when ratcheting and stick in the middle or sometimes reverse. In these, using the lightest oil you have tends to make them work better. May be worth some experimentation.
Some of my ratchets, Wright, I think, have “oil only” stamped into them. I used to use grease, but they work better with oil.
 
I wish I would have come across this sooner. I bought a flex head 90 tooth in 3/8 Drive and It was terrible! Just like you said, the reversing lever would lock it up and you’d have to tap on it in hopes that you can get it to switch. Plus the flex head was so loose that it just flopped back and forth. I sent it back to Amazon. I ended up buying a KoKen and really like it.
 
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