Wonderful Product October 26, 2008

When I purchased this pneumatic ratcheting wrench, I was aware that the Sears catalog carried similar competitive products in the same price range from Ingersoll Rand and Chicago Pneumatic that were more powerful. Power is an important criteria to me, but I feel that if I really need more power then I would be more inclined to use a 1/2" wrench instead. My feeling is that there is a definite place in my tool chest for a 3/8" wrench that features superior ergonomics. I wear gloves for a lot of things, but there are some tasks that are awkward with them, and I prefer not to use them, even though it causes abrasion to my fingertips. I've got an early 90's Craftsman pneumatic 3/8" mini-ratchet that every time I reverse the direction it's hard on the fingertips. I feel the same way about adjusting the power regulator on my Ingersoll Rand Model 231(a), which is why I eventually purchased IR's Titanium model to replace it with. All of the abrasion adds up with various tasks, and when I come inside to wash up after working on a long project, I notice just how my fingertips have usually been scratched up. It may seem like a small thing, but one thing that's so nice about this wrench is just how comfortable the controls operate in the hand. The reversing levers are very conveniently located for quick operation. This makes it a really fantastic tool for assembly purposes. There's a built in regulator that you can vary anywhere between full and very slow. This wrench easily has enough power to snap small fasteners in two like a twig. I know because I've done it when I was a little careless about the control settings. When you're working with smaller fasteners, you can set the regulator on low and then gradually increase it if you need a little extra. That way you'll be safe and not damage your fasteners. The instruction manual says that the trigger is designed so that you can "tease" it and vary the power. This works quite well. Even if you have the regulator set on high, you can depress the trigger just a little and slowly spin a nut onto a small fastener without worry of damaging it. Pick your choice, because you can control the power either way--with the regulator or the trigger. Over a period of time, I've really grown more and more fond of this purchase, and it's one of the tools that I look forward to using regularly. If you still have doubts, I would encourage you to check one out in person. All of my area Sears stores have this item as part of their pneumatic tool display. You can pick it up and get a sense of the features. I think that it's a wonderful product and I highly recommend it to others.

5 stars April 24, 2007

Not bad. Not bad at all!! July 31, 2006

This was the first ratchet I got when I became disillusioned with the company-supplied ratchets. They are AWFUL!! Head seperations, slow speed, lack of power, etc. I have subsequently replaced it for first-line use with an IR 109XP, but I still keep this little Craftsman in reserve. I really like the convienience of operation. Just a quick flick of a button changes direction. Alas, I am POWER hungry. So, I went ahead and got an IR 109XP. I LOVE this one too, but I can still have some positive comments for my "little Craftsman". Power and speed are "adequate". Not really great, but enough. The rather short length of this ratchet may limit it in some particularly tough jobs, but may help it in close quarters. Let your tastes and tasks be your guide here!! Overall, I'd give it a B+. ;)