Ratchet wrench: principle of operation and advantages

An indispensable tool in the arsenal of every home craftsman is a wrench. The domestic industry produces them for every taste and budget: from the lightest and smallest (for working with electronics and household appliances) to large and heavy (these are often used when repairing machines and other equipment, as well as during the maintenance of ground transport). As a rule, they are made from high-quality solid metal or an alloy of several metals.

Recently, new models equipped with additional devices that greatly facilitate the work of the home craftsman have become very popular. Tools for tightening nuts, equipped with a so-called ratchet, are in great demand in specialized stores. However, it would be more correct to use the following name: “wrench with built-in ratchet .

Ratchet wrench

A tool equipped with a ratchet consists of the following elements:

• The main part, or body. This is a flat metal plate that can have different lengths, widths and thicknesses, depending on its purpose.
• The end designed for tightening and unscrewing nuts. Despite the fact that it is traditionally called a “nut,” it can be used to tighten not only nuts, but also bolts, as well as other types of fasteners. The working end of the tool visually resembles a fork with two slightly curved teeth. Their curvature may be different. There is free space between the teeth, which are parallel to each other. The distance from one tooth to another can vary. When the teeth tightly grip the nut or bolt, the home technician makes rotational movements (clockwise to tighten, counterclockwise to unscrew). Thanks to the applied physical force, the fastener comes out of its socket or, conversely, fits tightly into it.
• The end opposite the working one. There is a hole in the housing at this end. Its diameter may vary depending on the size of the tool. This end is auxiliary; the home master holds the tool by it while working.
• The ratchet itself is a mechanism that facilitates the work of tightening and unscrewing fasteners. It is located in the hole, which is located at the auxiliary end of the tool. The ratchet got its name because it makes characteristic sounds during operation.

Main advantages and disadvantages

Here are the main advantages of a ratchet wrench:

• When screwing or unscrewing fasteners, the master may not turn it completely around its axis. All you have to do is turn it slightly and the ratchet will do the rest of the work. This advantage is of particular importance in cases where the tool is heavy, large and therefore inconvenient to work with.
• The ratchet increases the speed of work and helps to tighten the nuts very tightly without much effort.
• Such a device costs only a little more than a classic wrench. However, thanks to it, the efficiency and speed of work increase several times.
• The tool is very convenient in cases where you need to quickly tighten or unscrew a large number of fasteners.

However, the device also has disadvantages. In particular, due to the presence of a ratchet at the auxiliary end of the tool, holding it is sometimes not very convenient . If the home technician holds the key incorrectly, he may injure the soft tissues of the palm. In addition, the presence of a ratchet increases weight and length. And finally, ratchets on foreign-made wrenches do not always fit domestic bolts and nuts. Therefore, when purchasing products from well-known Western companies, the home master risks paying money in vain.

Key purpose

Wrenches come in a variety of sizes and shapes. Many home craftsmen often use them during renovation work in an apartment or house. For example, a large tool is very convenient when you need to open an old valve, rusted from time to time, to bleed air from a steam heating radiator. Plumbers often use this tool when repairing sinks and toilet cisterns. Also, tools equipped with an additional mechanism are used:

• At car and public transport service stations;
• In railway depots during the repair of rolling stock;
• During construction work;
• When repairing household appliances and electronics;
• For installation and dismantling of furniture: beds, sideboards and walls, bookcases and wardrobes.

The largest and heaviest wrenches are used to repair cars, while the smallest and thinnest are used to repair a variety of household appliances and electronics. In order to select the appropriate size wrench, you need to know the size of the fasteners. Experienced repair specialists determine it by eye and immediately select the right one.

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Keys ratchet

Faceted bolts and nuts can be turned with open-end, cap, socket, adjustable and other types of wrenches. Usually there are 2 grips on one handle - one at each end. If their size does not match, there will be 2 times fewer keys in the set, although the entire range will be closed. Combined modifications are also popular, with grips of different types - for example, horn-ratchet wrenches.

The horn grip is so called because of the characteristic shape of the horn-like jaws. Previously, its shape was not varied, but now there are modifications with a shortened lip, with protrusions and recesses, with a convex or grooved working surface, with increased thickness of the lips - all to reduce the risk of crushing the corners of the fasteners. This is the main disadvantage of the horn grip: the force is applied only at two points of contact, a significant load cuts off the corners of the nut or bolt head. Another couple of disadvantages of an open-end wrench are the large radius of travel of the handle and the need to rearrange the grip each time to rotate the fastener in the desired direction. If you have to work in cramped conditions and the fasteners are difficult to access, using exclusively open-end wrenches will greatly slow down the repair.

And here a second grip will come to the rescue, at the other end of the same handle - a cap grip (it is also called a ring grip). This is a grip of a more advanced form; it has many times more points of contact with the edges of the fastener. Typically, the inner ring has 12 edges - a slight angle of rotation is enough to rotate; even significant force will not damage the fastener. And to work in recesses, the grip is located at a certain angle to the handle. Modifications with a hinged snap-on grip are very popular - it can be rotated over a wide range, unscrewing almost anything anywhere - as long as the size fits.

The snap-on gripper can be additionally equipped with a ratcheting mechanism, which is called a ratchet because of its characteristic sound. Combination horn-ratchet wrenches are not designed to apply great force, but to work with fasteners in radically different conditions: the horns can be put on an easily accessible nut once and continuously rotated, while a deep-seated bolt is covered with a ring and twisted in cyclical movements. It is the ratchet that makes it possible not to throw the key; The multi-faceted ring allows you to work even in very tight spaces. Ratchets differ in the number of teeth: the more teeth there are, the smaller the maximum rotation angle of the fastener. Just remember that the ratchet may break if the load is too heavy.

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How to choose a ratchet wrench

If a DIYer often uses wrenches, it is best to purchase a tool set. Typically, such a set includes 10-12 keys of various sizes. The larger the key, the larger the ratchet at the end, and vice versa. Very small instruments are not equipped with a ratchet, because this is not necessary. Unscrewing and tightening small nuts and bolts is easy and does not require physical effort to turn the key.

When purchasing a set of tools, you should pay special attention to the manufacturer. It is better to give preference to domestically produced tools, since in this case the diameter of the key will not diverge from the diameter of the fasteners. In addition, the factory packaging of domestic tools clearly indicates the main technical characteristics: the length of the key, its width and thickness, the diameter of the ratchet and working surface, the material from which the tool is made.

The surface of the wrench should be shiny. If there are signs of incipient corrosion on the surface (brown spots), it is better to refrain from purchasing. When turning, the ratchet wrench should not make squeaking or other extraneous sounds. A high-quality tool rotates around its axis quickly and calmly, and there is no need to apply additional physical effort to the rotation.

If a tool is made of high-quality metal, its service life is practically unlimited. However, recently a lot of Chinese products made from low-quality alloys have appeared on the domestic market. Typically, such sets are sold at low prices at stalls, on trains and in underground passages. Don't be tempted by the low price. Firstly, dubious metal alloys quickly rust, and the tool becomes unusable. Secondly, these alloys can be toxic.

A ratchet wrench is a very handy thing . Even a beginner or high school student can easily handle this tool. A ratchet is a device that makes work much easier and helps tighten nuts quickly, efficiently, and tightly. In order for the key to serve the household for many years, you should give preference to models from well-known companies and purchase the tool only in specialized, preferably branded, stores. You can also order this “magic wand” via the Internet, with delivery via courier or by mail.