A quick look at the new snap on locking flex head ratchet. Thank You all for watching. Like and Sub Follow me on IG @impactrated #snapon #snapontools #tools
I didnt really hate it so much altho i only have the locking flex for the 1/2 bfr lol but i do want to trade that in and will prolly get some more locking in 3/8 now that it is mor slim of a switch
I have a 1/2 model from about 15 years ago. I hated it from day 1. Didn’t take much to bump it loose. I finally removed the lock, and just use it as a flex head
i had the matco flex with comfort grip in blue. at first like you said the locking head switch was very stiff. i was going to go back to my matco dealer and have him take a look. but then decided to use it the next day. i didnt see the dealer for a whole week. so i just keep beating on it using it day in day out. trick i learned at first to release the switch is to hold the head with one hand and wigle while trying to flip the switch with my other hand. and before my matco dealer dropped by the switch had already loosened up. i guess it had to do with how much chrome they have applied to the locking teeths. extra chrome made the tolerance too close resulting in a very stiff switch. but after some use it wears out and it has been my go to ratchet.
Looks cool but I got 6 tekton ratchets for the price of one snapo and they haven’t let me down. Save me the “made in the USA” speeches, I really don’t care. These have the same warranty and save me a bunch of money. Budget brands For The Win!!!
I’m glad they finally updated their locking mechanism. But I don’t like the locking lever. It’s way to big and way to close to the direction switch. Also, wow the head is huge on it.
If you pull the face plate off the new one you got and compare it to a standard snap on ratchet the internals are different the long ones are more reinforced
You take care of your tools like I do. I actually bought all of the chrome handle ratchets from icon just to use in close spots so not to scratch up my expensive snapy and matco ratchets. How ocd is that. No worries, I'm not on flat rate anymore.
that’s so dumb, why spend all that money on a tool to not use it? i use my ratchets, scratch them, drop them, get ‘em greasy. if i’m paying 180+ for a ratchet best believe i’m using it
Although Snappy is my tool of choice one of my favorite ratchets is that Matco unit. As far as thickness, look at the handle length. At 20" you are going to be applying some serious force. That head design is made with that in mind. I do not know when it became such a issue over a ratchet head not being as thin as possible. Very few times, very few, is 3/16 or 1/4 inch going to be a issue. They make thin heads for that but overall I am in need of a ratchet that has the balls to do the job. 99% of the time I adjust any clearance issues with a socket change or X long handle wrench if it is that tight. Thanks for the video. Stay strong brothers.
U are absolutely right, Ive used it a few times now, and i dont think the head will be an issue at all. I still do reach for my Matco first😂. Thank You for watching. 🇺🇸
A 3/8 ratchet is only meant to exert 300 lb feet of torque before internal and external failure. Regardless of how long the handle is, it will only be able to reach this 300 lb feet. At that point the Anvil shears, snd the teeth inside tear. If you need to exert that much force you might want to step up to half inch Drive.
@@sethh8892 Brother, not to be argumentative but there is no way a 3/8 ratchet is designed for 300 ft lbs. Actually I have never seen a 3/8 drive get over 200 ft lbs. I have watched a few max torque type channels and Snap On was number 1 or 2 at 197 ft lbs. Many 1/2 inch drive ratchets cannot hit 300 ft lbs of torque.
@@randysmith9636 really? Im pretty sure I sae it get near 300... Maybe Im just remembering wrong. Either way, point still stands, the handles only have to support the amount of torque that the drive size can handle. So, as long as they dont bend or snap under that load, they are fine
I've had to get the ratcheting mechanism rebuilt several times on the Matco so you trade strength for the slim design Matco always fixes it so that's good but it does cost you down time. So I guess you have to decide what's best for you. I find myself going back to the Snap On because it's more reliable. With that said I want to see how this new Snap On performs.
I just bought one of these however it is a little stiff and if it is not in the correct detent position; you can't move the locking lever. But otherwise it works nicely.
man my guy is so brutal getting stuff in. months to order shit never has any new products. idk if its him or snap on. pretty annoying when you want to blow money
Personally, I’ve never been a fan of locking flex heads. I prefer it to either flex or be straight fixed. My go to 3/8 is a SnapOn flex head and the Titan micro root head as my 1/4. I think this new mechanism is cool, but I doubt I’ll be getting it.
@@C7eeN My first expensive ratchet was a 3/8 locking flex head from Matco. I thought it was cool because it wouldn’t flex at angles and such. I found myself getting annoyed having to unlock and set it to a different angle when it didn’t work. It really aggravated me when I had to put it down somewhere tight, such as an engine bay. I was try to get it on a fastener, it didn’t work, I had to pull it out, change the angle, then try again. Then there were times the switch got hit, unlocking it and the head moving without me expecting it. My flex can adjust as I use it. If I plan on needing more strength, I’ll use a fixed head (if I don’t go to a breaker bar). It all boils down to preference, much like comfort grip vs naked handles. My preference is flex or fixed, don’t try to incorporate both into one design.
@@JakeNaughtFromStateFarm Do you ever find it annoying when you're using a regular flex head and applying a good amount of torque but then the angle changes abruptly almost causing an injury? But right, it would be nice if there was some sort of locking flex head that had infinite angle selection.
Maybe I should try a non-locking flex head. All my super long ratchets are locking only because I'm afraid I might get hurt when the flex angle changes when I'm applying a good amount of torque.
Old school mechanic here, that locking mechanism on that Snap-on will loosen up over time. To Snap-on is overrated, the on & off switch looks cheap, the feel of it is not all that great, plus it's a 80th design, your better off with the 90th design by Gearwrench or Mactool design. Or hell the new 120xp locking flex head design by gearwrench. Hell of a lot cheaper then that locking flex head drive ratchet by Snap-on . The price of the new locking flex head by Snap-on $243.00 I believe, and that's a 3/8. Fucking ridiculous. Lol! Your better of paying for the new 120xp locking flex head drive ratchet, & you can get all 3 gearwrench 120xp locking flex head drive ratchet for the new price of that locking Snap-on flex head. Lol
I’m glad they changed the locking mechanism design, I hated the previous design, thanks for sharing
Thank u for watching bro!🤙🏾
I didnt really hate it so much altho i only have the locking flex for the 1/2 bfr lol but i do want to trade that in and will prolly get some more locking in 3/8 now that it is mor slim of a switch
I have a 1/2 model from about 15 years ago. I hated it from day 1. Didn’t take much to bump it loose. I finally removed the lock, and just use it as a flex head
I have hated the old design. Will be interesting to see how well these work... great video!
i had the matco flex with comfort grip in blue. at first like you said the locking head switch was very stiff. i was going to go back to my matco dealer and have him take a look. but then decided to use it the next day. i didnt see the dealer for a whole week. so i just keep beating on it using it day in day out. trick i learned at first to release the switch is to hold the head with one hand and wigle while trying to flip the switch with my other hand. and before my matco dealer dropped by the switch had already loosened up. i guess it had to do with how much chrome they have applied to the locking teeths. extra chrome made the tolerance too close resulting in a very stiff switch. but after some use it wears out and it has been my go to ratchet.
I’ve always wanted a Matco locking flex head ratchet but I don’t have a Matco guy but that snap on ratchet looks nice they do make some nice ratchets
Looks cool but I got 6 tekton ratchets for the price of one snapo and they haven’t let me down. Save me the “made in the USA” speeches, I really don’t care. These have the same warranty and save me a bunch of money. Budget brands For The Win!!!
I’m glad they finally updated their locking mechanism.
But I don’t like the locking lever. It’s way to big and way to close to the direction switch.
Also, wow the head is huge on it.
Best new tool out there. I've ordered mine.
If you pull the face plate off the new one you got and compare it to a standard snap on ratchet the internals are different the long ones are more reinforced
You take care of your tools like I do. I actually bought all of the chrome handle ratchets from icon just to use in close spots so not to scratch up my expensive snapy and matco ratchets. How ocd is that. No worries, I'm not on flat rate anymore.
that’s so dumb, why spend all that money on a tool to not use it? i use my ratchets, scratch them, drop them, get ‘em greasy. if i’m paying 180+ for a ratchet best believe i’m using it
Thanks for showing us that new ractchet
Although Snappy is my tool of choice one of my favorite ratchets is that Matco unit.
As far as thickness, look at the handle length. At 20" you are going to be applying some serious force. That head design is made with that in mind. I do not know when it became such a issue over a ratchet head not being as thin as possible. Very few times, very few, is 3/16 or 1/4 inch going to be a issue. They make thin heads for that but overall I am in need of a ratchet that has the balls to do the job. 99% of the time I adjust any clearance issues with a socket change or X long handle wrench if it is that tight.
Thanks for the video.
Stay strong brothers.
U are absolutely right, Ive used it a few times now, and i dont think the head will be an issue at all. I still do reach for my Matco first😂. Thank You for watching. 🇺🇸
A 3/8 ratchet is only meant to exert 300 lb feet of torque before internal and external failure. Regardless of how long the handle is, it will only be able to reach this 300 lb feet. At that point the Anvil shears, snd the teeth inside tear. If you need to exert that much force you might want to step up to half inch Drive.
@@sethh8892
Brother, not to be argumentative but there is no way a 3/8 ratchet is designed for 300 ft lbs. Actually I have never seen a 3/8 drive get over 200 ft lbs. I have watched a few max torque type channels and Snap On was number 1 or 2 at 197 ft lbs. Many 1/2 inch drive ratchets cannot hit 300 ft lbs of torque.
@@randysmith9636 really? Im pretty sure I sae it get near 300... Maybe Im just remembering wrong. Either way, point still stands, the handles only have to support the amount of torque that the drive size can handle. So, as long as they dont bend or snap under that load, they are fine
The new MAC locker has a steel push-button design that works GREAT
I've had to get the ratcheting mechanism rebuilt several times on the Matco so you trade strength for the slim design Matco always fixes it so that's good but it does cost you down time. So I guess you have to decide what's best for you. I find myself going back to the Snap On because it's more reliable.
With that said I want to see how this new Snap On performs.
I have the Matco ratchet but never really use the locking mechanism... usually just let it do it's thing
I would like to have a $1 for all those hard handles that I have turned out on the machines at Snap on 😁
I just bought one of these however it is a little stiff and if it is not in the correct detent position; you can't move the locking lever. But otherwise it works nicely.
I like the old design better
I've gone through 2 Matco ratchets through warrantied on my 3\8 and 1\2 the teeth brake easily
It's a nice ratchet. I bought one last fall, but i don't like the locking mechanism. It unlocks itself a lot when using it.
Great video mate. Looking forward to these coming over to the uk. Just shared your video to snap on collectors group .
Just looking at it. I looks like is going to suck. Matco 3/8 are the way to go
What’s the price on this ratchet? I’m looking to upgrade mine
Wonder if Snap-on would warranty out my old locking head for this new one & pay whatever diff.
Might see if my dealer will let me do a partial trade in on my older design locking flex head.
I'm sticking with my matco
have the old version snap on locking flex head.
can i turn it in so i can get a new version of the snap on locking flex head?
Great video, definitely gonna get one!
I can't waittttt
When are they coming out with the 1/2 drive version?
So I retract my previous statement I love mine lol
How much was it?
will they come up with a 1/4 version as well?
Yes! They are phasing out the old design completely
My snap on dealer has been lagging on getting a lot of stuff lately. Probably won’t see this for a while…
Have to wait until they don’t have to buy 800 pairs of socks or other hard to sell items to get new stuff lol.
man my guy is so brutal getting stuff in. months to order shit never has any new products. idk if its him or snap on. pretty annoying when you want to blow money
@@jonstefanko7854 couldn’t have said it better myself…
@@TurboTyTy me too 😔. Lmao
Wey you haven't used it yet. The easy unlock lock is a issue if you get into tight places. Matco is better IMHO.
I need one
Personally, I’ve never been a fan of locking flex heads. I prefer it to either flex or be straight fixed. My go to 3/8 is a SnapOn flex head and the Titan micro root head as my 1/4. I think this new mechanism is cool, but I doubt I’ll be getting it.
I agree it either flexes or it doesn't
Why do you guys not like locking flexes exactly?
@@C7eeN My first expensive ratchet was a 3/8 locking flex head from Matco. I thought it was cool because it wouldn’t flex at angles and such. I found myself getting annoyed having to unlock and set it to a different angle when it didn’t work. It really aggravated me when I had to put it down somewhere tight, such as an engine bay. I was try to get it on a fastener, it didn’t work, I had to pull it out, change the angle, then try again. Then there were times the switch got hit, unlocking it and the head moving without me expecting it. My flex can adjust as I use it. If I plan on needing more strength, I’ll use a fixed head (if I don’t go to a breaker bar). It all boils down to preference, much like comfort grip vs naked handles. My preference is flex or fixed, don’t try to incorporate both into one design.
@@JakeNaughtFromStateFarm Do you ever find it annoying when you're using a regular flex head and applying a good amount of torque but then the angle changes abruptly almost causing an injury? But right, it would be nice if there was some sort of locking flex head that had infinite angle selection.
Maybe I should try a non-locking flex head. All my super long ratchets are locking only because I'm afraid I might get hurt when the flex angle changes when I'm applying a good amount of torque.
I recently got the Matco locking flex, and the switch is really stiff...
It’ll get better over time
Ya mine was super stiff too. I gave it to my Dad. I don’t need a professional tool that doesn’t work flawlessly from day one.
how much was it?
Snap on is strap on
Old school mechanic here, that locking mechanism on that Snap-on will loosen up over time. To Snap-on is overrated, the on & off switch looks cheap, the feel of it is not all that great, plus it's a 80th design, your better off with the 90th design by Gearwrench or Mactool design. Or hell the new 120xp locking flex head design by gearwrench. Hell of a lot cheaper then that locking flex head drive ratchet by Snap-on . The price of the new locking flex head by Snap-on $243.00 I believe, and that's a 3/8. Fucking ridiculous. Lol! Your better of paying for the new 120xp locking flex head drive ratchet, & you can get all 3 gearwrench 120xp locking flex head drive ratchet for the new price of that locking Snap-on flex head. Lol
I paid $170 for a new FHLX80B off the truck yesterday. If you pay cash, it will cost you much less than retail.
Do they make a stubby
Does it come with Vaseline?
How much did it set you back.
Do they have any shorter ones
Ya my dealer said maybe a couple weeks before he gets any
@@IMPACTRATED ok thanks
Crack-on
No thank you
nice
gearwrench better
Looks like the matco locking mechanism which is absolute garbage.
Them ears are big
Snap on is sh#t
What’s better the. Lol?
Do they do this in standard flex head length? with soft grip
They do
@@ohboy89 Thanks, don't suppose you would have part numbers for 3/8 and 1/4 version?
@@heybabycometobutthead fhllx80
I'm debating between the Chrome versión or the software handle