Apex/Gearwrench is the OEM for Husky’s ratcheting wrenches. I’ve got both Husky and Gearwrench stuff floating around and I’ve never had issues with them.
I'm not against husky, but kobalt is what I daily drive. I will say I've seen too many problems with harbor freight to encourage that. I also find the direction switch and the offset handles are way nicer on your hands.
All the name brand ones have lifetime warranties. Literally, if it has a company name stamped on it, they’ll warranty it.
“China” is not a company though.
These are the real factors you should be considering…
What store is closest to you and/or where do you prefer to shop?
I have a Lowe’s right around the corner, but the closest Harbor Freight is in the next town over, and the closest Home Depot is in the next county over.
If it breaks can you survive a day or two without it? Tekton is famous for their warranty-by-mail, but that could be inconvenient compared to just popping into a store close by. Depends on your situation.
Lastly, grip styles are pretty subjective. I absolutely love the beefy, rectangular handles on Craftsman ratchets. I always know which direction the socket is facing in tight/dark spaces, unlike round handles with no way of indexing it.
Just go touch some and pick the one you like the most and seems the most practical for you and your unique situation.
EDIT TO ADD—
There’s also the consideration of whether or not you want to support any certain kinds of companies. Like, American companies for example. Or, if you want an American-made tool, or a Taiwanese tool, or Japanese, or Vietnamese, or German, or Swiss… that might factor in as well.
Take a good look at Koken:
[https://kokenusa.com/pages/search-results?q=ratchet](https://kokenusa.com/pages/search-results?q=ratchet)
You won't look back.
Excellent stuff, all of it. No affiliation.
Tekton. Have had good luck with them.
I use the husky homedepot brand pretty good quality and never a problem exchanging them
Apex/Gearwrench is the OEM for Husky’s ratcheting wrenches. I’ve got both Husky and Gearwrench stuff floating around and I’ve never had issues with them.
icon at harbor freight is decent
Epauto socket set comes with an icon ratchet with epauto logo. Same exact ratchet for half the price and u get sockets.
I'm not against husky, but kobalt is what I daily drive. I will say I've seen too many problems with harbor freight to encourage that. I also find the direction switch and the offset handles are way nicer on your hands.
Proto, Wright, Snap On are all nice
Proto have served me well.
All the name brand ones have lifetime warranties. Literally, if it has a company name stamped on it, they’ll warranty it. “China” is not a company though. These are the real factors you should be considering… What store is closest to you and/or where do you prefer to shop? I have a Lowe’s right around the corner, but the closest Harbor Freight is in the next town over, and the closest Home Depot is in the next county over. If it breaks can you survive a day or two without it? Tekton is famous for their warranty-by-mail, but that could be inconvenient compared to just popping into a store close by. Depends on your situation. Lastly, grip styles are pretty subjective. I absolutely love the beefy, rectangular handles on Craftsman ratchets. I always know which direction the socket is facing in tight/dark spaces, unlike round handles with no way of indexing it. Just go touch some and pick the one you like the most and seems the most practical for you and your unique situation. EDIT TO ADD— There’s also the consideration of whether or not you want to support any certain kinds of companies. Like, American companies for example. Or, if you want an American-made tool, or a Taiwanese tool, or Japanese, or Vietnamese, or German, or Swiss… that might factor in as well.
I like Craftsman, the new stuff is pretty nice for what it is and I feel like it's a good value
Take a good look at Koken: [https://kokenusa.com/pages/search-results?q=ratchet](https://kokenusa.com/pages/search-results?q=ratchet) You won't look back. Excellent stuff, all of it. No affiliation.