Your Current Favorite 3/8th drive Ratchet ?

[Nessism1]

What would happen if you guessed wrong and messed up the screws trying to get them out?

Question? What question? Simply stating my opinion like you. Right? I simply use a soldering gun on the head of the fastener for a minute, just in case it feels tight. No brute force and no chance of buggering up the screw head. In case you don't know, the heat liquifies lock-tite, its not a rust locked bolt that heat may loosen but chemical hold. It feels like it was greased when you loosen it up with a little heat. I even found the blue to be "stubborn" at times. Is this a real comment...? Or just trying to be the smartest guy in the room?

You seem to have forgotten what you wrote, so look above. You asked a silly question, thus my comment.

"Guessing wrong" on what kind of loctite doesn't cause anyone to mess up the fasteners. That's because anyone with sense will stop torquing on them if the screw isn't coming out with reasonable effort. And using heat is totally unnecessary most of the time, like this one on the Icon; even with tons of loctite on the screws in question, they came out easily. I suggest you purchase some quality torx and hex bits if you don't already have some. They bite into the screw and don't strip heads unless you are totally hamfisted.

 

[willbur]

You seem to have forgotten what you wrote, so look above. You asked a silly question, thus my comment.

"Guessing wrong" on what kind of loctite doesn't cause anyone to mess up the fasteners. That's because anyone with sense will stop torquing on them if the screw isn't coming out with reasonable effort. And using heat is totally unnecessary most of the time, like this one on the Icon; even with tons of loctite on the screws in question, they came out easily. I suggest you purchase some quality torx and hex bits if you don't already have some. They bite into the screw and don't strip heads unless you are totally hamfisted.

ya know this is probably a big deal for you- but who cares?

 

[JeffKeryk]

Couldn't resist while we're in town...

 

[Tubefreakz]

I have SK and antique Craftsman but my go to is the Craftsman in the photo below. Flex head that also works as a T-handle.

 

[SmokeEater2]

My favorite is an older Snap-On I picked up in a pawn shop for 15 or 20 bucks several years ago, It's like this one-
https://shop.snapon.com/product/Round-Head-(3-8")/3-8"-Drive-100-Tooth-Soft-Grip-Swivel-Head-Ratchet-(Red)/FHNF100

Some of my favorite tools have been pawn shop finds.

 

[TomYoung]

One thing I like about this thread is that there are so many people happy with many different brands. It’s unexpected that there’s people who are quite proud and content with Pittsburgh tools, and really nobody giving the message that people should hide their head in shame if they frequent HFT. My ratchets are all Craftsman, purchased in the early nineties. I am about to order ther Gearwrench swivel set on sale on Amazon (Prime Days)

 

[Max Thrust]

One thing I like about this thread is that there are so many people happy with many different brands. It’s unexpected that there’s people who are quite proud and content with Pittsburgh tools, and really nobody giving the message that people should hide their head in shame if they frequent HFT. My ratchets are all Craftsman, purchased in the early nineties. I am about to order ther Gearwrench swivel set on sale on Amazon (Prime Days)

It's great to have such a wide variety of choices across the price spectrum. But for me, once you've used premium ratchets, it's hard to ever go back to using inferior ones. Some, through no fault of their own, have never used a premium ratchet and literally "don't know what they don't know".
I'm fortunate that I'm able to afford nicer rachets like Snap-On and Koken. It's drives me nuts to have to go to my buddies house, who is a devout HF guy, and use his tools when helping him with a project.
Snap-On ratchets for me are like potato chips or french fries... you can't just stop at one!