Broke my classic craftsman ratchet :(

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I got this from my step dad only last week when I broke my cheap Stanley Walmart one when we were working on my car, so he gave me his old craftsman 3/8 from when he was a mechanic, it looks really old.


When I brought it into Sears the owner said he hasn't seen a ratchet like this for years, he tried to offer me some new china made 17 dollar ratchet right off the shelf, I have a 1/4in one that I have had to get replaced twice already so I know they don't last, so I asked for a rebuild kit, he brought one out and said he didn't know if it would work, it didn't, so now I still have my wrench, he said I could come back in and get the new one for it anytime.

Being that it has some sentimental value to me I'd rather have it rebuilt than replaced, the numbers on the back is 943796, I can't seem to find any info on where I can get a rebuild kit for it, please help
frown.gif


Pic's

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/843/0510121830.jpg

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/805/0510121830a.jpg
 
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I have one like that. It might be 20 years old or so. Not sure if rebuild kits are available.

What is broken?
 
Brenden, you can find repair kits for many Craftsman ratchets on The Bay and a few other places. Search by the ratchet part number 43796 (omit the 9).

I didn't see any for your ratchet on The Bay right now, but you could probably get a used ratchet for cheap and use its guts.

Good luck.
 
It isn't broken per say, I dissected it and it there is a tiny metal pin that comes out of the center that is coming out too far past the ratchet tooth inside, not allowing me to change from R to L, I can still use it in one way, but it doesn't make close the the same noise when I ratchet it as it did before it started not working.

Just found out through a little more research the ratchet is as old as me...
 
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Read the attached link:

Craftsman ratchet history

Sounds like your best bet is to buy two ratchets. One being a duplicate of your Step-dad's that you can salvage for the part(s) necessary to make the sentimental one operational (then retire it), and the other being a high quality new ratchet that gets used regularly.
 
Can you post pics of your disassembly? I have the same ratchet that I could take apart and show you what things are supposed to look like if that helps?
 
Pick one up on eBay or Craigslist and then use the parts to fix it or retire the sentimental one.
 
Those were made by Stanley, I believe. Stanley still offers a very similar (possibly identical) mechanism in ratchets branded Stanley and Blackhawk.

I wonder if a kit from one of those would work?
 
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I see a very simple solution to this problem: move on from that Craftsman ratchet. There's
a lot of fantastic ratchets available that blows that Craftsman ratchet out of the water.
There are ratchets that are stronger, easier to use, and the parts are easier to get.
 
Here are a few exmaples,

Some of these are quick release. I don't know if the Craftsman you have is quick release.

http://www.stanleyproto.com/default.asp?CATEGORY=BH_RATCHET&TYPE=PRODUCT&PARTNUMBER=34946B&strSiteName=Blackhawk&strDefaultCatalog=Blackhawk&SDesc=3%2F8%22+Drive+Quick+Release+Ratchet

http://www.stanleyproto.com/default.asp?CATEGORY=BH_RATCHET&TYPE=PRODUCT&PARTNUMBER=34946BR&strSiteName=Blackhawk&strDefaultCatalog=Blackhawk&SDesc=3%2F8%22+Drive+Ratchet+Renewal+Kit

http://www.stanleyproto.com/default.asp?CATEGORY=BH_RATCHET&TYPE=PRODUCT&PARTNUMBER=34945B&strSiteName=Blackhawk&strDefaultCatalog=Blackhawk&SDesc=3%2F8%22+Drive+Round+Head+Reversible+Ratchet

http://www.stanleyproto.com/default.asp?CATEGORY=BH_RATCHET&TYPE=PRODUCT&PARTNUMBER=34945BR&strSiteName=Blackhawk&strDefaultCatalog=Blackhawk&SDesc=3%2F8%22+Drive+Ratchet+Renewal+Kit

http://www.stanleytools.com/default.asp?CATEGORY=SMT+RATCHET+ROUND+HEAD&TYPE=PRODUCT&PARTNUMBER=85-891&SDesc=3%2F8%26%2334%3B+Drive+Round+Head+Quick+Release%26%23153%3B+Ratchet
 
Originally Posted By: Brenden
I got this from my step dad only last week when I broke my cheap Stanley Walmart one when we were working on my car, so he gave me his old craftsman 3/8 from when he was a mechanic, it looks really old.
Pic's

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/843/0510121830.jpg

http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/805/0510121830a.jpg


Yep, I had the EXACT ratchet set. About 20yrs old. I broke the 3/8" drive ratchet about 6mo ago and went into Sears for the first time in my life to exchange. Older tool counter dude said they didn't make that one anymore and he gave me a rebuilt tiny, flimsy Harbor Freight quality Craftsman from a drawer. Not knowing any better, I gave him the old one, took the new one and left.
frown.gif


Joel
 
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