I'm a mechanic and I have a 3/8 drive Snap On ratchet and it didn't work for 20 years - Until ha ha, I saw a Snap On truck behind me in traffic. I knew sooner of later the law of averages states this might happen (but never would in my case) until one day it did happen. Every dog has his day! I lept out at the lights and asked him if I could buy a ratchet. He pulled over and I produced the ratchet I've been carrying for about 20 years in my 5 cars in that time for just such an occasion. The kunce fixed it for free, can you effing believe it?? Lifetime warranty that is actually lifetime. He said it was so old they'd have to send it off. It was only yesterday I bought it. Well 1987 is only yesterday right??? Isn't it?
Reminds me of when I was a young'n trying to scrabble a tool collection together on the cheap, and buying every broken Craftsman tool at yard sales and then go to Sears and get brand new ones.
I bought a Snap On ratchet it broke early on i wasnt ruff on it. I hauled it around in my pickup and saw the truck one day and got it repaired . I went easy on it but it stripped out agin. I got it fixed but it has wear on it from riding around on my pickup dash . That was back in the early 90s i havent used it since . I need to use it and see if its going to hold up.
Over deep stamping. Some set-up guy or gal not following the set-up sheet. Occasionally had the same problem with newbies thinking the stamps had to nearly bottom out to properly work. I would get called to the shop floor and reamed out by the foreman and quality people because my tooling was NFG. Pull out the set-up sheet, measure the die depth, tell them to reset, argue, argue, argue, argue, reset, problem solved. No one ever apologized. Rinse and repeat 6 months later. Too deep causes undesirable material work hardening and short die life. Skipping and double impressions caused by too shallow.
I also think that logo was stamped in rather than machined, but am suspecting a double strike. Only takes the slightest movement between to fuzz things up.
Looks to me like the logo was stamped and not machined - the time to machine that wouldn't make economic sense , and a machined logo would be much more defined. Given Snap-on's drive to the quality graveyard , I would expect laser etching in the next iteration
Thirded that the logo looks not engraved but I think it’s worse. Not just that it’s mushy but look at the background metal- it’s not as flat as it should be. The interior cavity is also a bit suspicious, I didn’t care that Uncle Bumblefuck thinks it was machined and wet polished. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out the thing was cast and not forged. Look at the logo again. Was that cast in too?
Can you explain why/how stamping too deep causes this problem, and how too-shallow stamping causes skipping and double impressions? How would one stamp deep and shallow yet clean/sharp grooves?
@@liuj88 I think basically too deep works the metal too hard, and changes its properties enough to cause a visual change. Too shallow, and the stamping person might try to stamp it a second time. Like Trebuchet2145 said, if there is even a slight change in position of the parts between stamping, it will not be a sharp image now. Run a paper through a printer twice, printing the same thing, it will look bad, it won't line up perfectly, and it loses its sharpness.
It's neat to learn the origins of some words like "ON". I recently realized the dashboard in my car comes from horse and buggy days, when the horses would start dashing, they would kick up dirt, which was blocked by the dashboard.
Except in this particular case, the word/preposition 'on' has no origin in ancient Egypt. Sure, Heliopolis' Biblical name is 'On', but 'on' has been used as a preposition much before we had any notion of 'turning the lights on' (and 'turning on' itself has most likely roots in early rotary valves/switches, but certainly wasn't used before the XIX century). It's all just a happy coincidence.
@@zwerko Agreed. Before the mid-1700s they would say "open/close the valve", then later, "turn the water on/off". Likely just a usage of binary. It seems electricity just continued what water started. I truly doubt John Henry Jones was thinking of ancient Egypt when trying to describe a lighted lamp.
It isn't a $200 ratchet. It's a roughly $40 ratchet sold at an obscene markup and through a business model that produces a ludicrous amount of overhead. Remember how their FJ300 jack is sold at HF for less than 1/3 the price?
@@JacobNeff-oq5km I had a snapon ratchet for the first 5 to 7 years of my career. I lost it on a job site and decided to try a similar size cornwell ratchet that was a fraction of the cost. Used that cornwell for about 3 years and got fed up with it and finally broke down and bought another ratchet from snapon, I do not regret it. Some snap on is overpriced, rebranded junk but ratchets is one thing they do right and is well worth the money for any professional grease monkey.
Used to work for a hand tool company for many years. And no not Snap-On. Not exclusive to just tool companies but there is a need to reduce manufacturing cost every year. Doesn't matter how much you cheapened a product last year you have to do it again this year. Quality starts to slip eventually!
@@mrmohawkmansir I feel the way that kid does more and more frequently about products I pick up lately. I saw the title/thumbnail of this vid and thought "oh no, not snap on, too!?". If I cant trust snap on to churn out quality on what should be their bread and butter, a quintessential 3/8" ratchet, there's no hope left. But, this wasn't really too much of a letdown. Yeah, it's not great, but it could have been worse, it could have had laser etching that wears off in a few yrs, or worse, skimped on internals. The logo is superficial imo (and probably in the opinion of whoever okayed the change), but I take pride in my work, and I ask for the same when I pay the highest price out there, besides aerospace or surgical tools. This stuff is like jewelry for mechanics, and it should be for the price point. Harbor freight has price comparisons for the snap on equivalents right on their website, it's obvious who they are trying to emulate, let's hope the same thing isn't happening in reverse. I'm not a total tool snob, HF has its place, but cutting corners is unacceptable for snap on prices. It's like finding your new Porsche arrived with a rot hole through the fender, and they act like nothing is wrong. 😂
The odd few bits of Snap-On I own, three of four from memory, I found in the engine bay of cars. As a fresh faced apprentice back in the early 80's I walked on to the rape van, exclaimed "are you shitting me" left never to look back and got into bed with the craftsman. At least he never charged for the lube.
The problem now is if you buy Craftsman now, it’s about as good as Hazzard Fraught. Probably not even as good anymore. It’s all cheap chinesium crap now. I don’t bother with Craftsman anymore, just Kobalt mostly.
@@ryanlukens9280 I don't think I've bought any new tools since the mid 80's as I soon got out of the trade once I got my papers and I understand we can no longer get Craftsman tools here in the UK. But did hear they sold out and went down the pan quality wise.
Definitely looks mushy. I can just imagine some clever boy with a clipboard convincing his boss that no one would notice if they moved the branding step into the forging process, before heat treat, thereby eliminating a step, and securing a Christmas bonus for the both of them.
The branding looks to me like it was done either during the casting step (like others have pointed out) or the milling of the letters is done before the plating but the depth of cut didn't take into account the thickness build up of the plating step. I've noticed the same kind of look on tools from the bargain bin in AutoZone for years, just looks cheap and poorly designed manufacturing process. Either way, looks like poo.
150usd. Alot more comes with that though, like a truck that comes by your shop weekly to replace and fix anything that has broken, a good tool dealer can do alot for you. But yea since covid the fit and finish on alot of the hands tools has been kinda iffy but theynstill hold up as they always have. The snap on ratchets I use at the shop daily are from 84 and 86 with the original head kit lol
You had me for a minute, I thought Strap-on was selling expensive garbage cans and I could faintly hear the backup alarm outside of the truck pulling in
Retired tech here, I have 6 different 1/2,3/8,1/4 Snap on ratchets from the early 1980,s never had to have them repaired possibly because I take them apart every couple of years and clean and re-oil them. When I look at some modern tools etching compared to roll marks I think of Colt lower receivers transition from the nice roll marked logo to cheap etching.
$200 for a ratchet. That demands quite a bit of faith that the tool is essentially indestructible and is everlasting. Okay, so why are they courting "butterface" references with that mushy typeface? If you demand a premium price you have to, at a minimum, make the goods look premium.
Lot of times you're paying not only for quality but the service. A snap on truck stops at my work every week and there's a lifetime warranty on ratchets. If you're just diy guy I don't know why anyone would buy snap on tools
@@--_DJ_-- MATCO and MAC can be had more than a couple bucks cheaper, and everyone has lifetime warranty on hand tools nowadays. Even princess auto and Canadian tire will lifetime warranty their cheap garbage.
My experience has been if you bought tools off the truck, SO won't warranty them unless you go back to a truck. That's what corporate told me. My rep retired, and the new guy won't come here because I don't spend enough money with them. I asked SO for a name of another dealer - no, I have to use this one. My broken Snap On tools are now going in the trash. @@--_DJ_--
I used to have a very old shop with the original frankenstein style 3 phase knob and tube wiring from 1910. It had a newer electrical service, but the old parts were left as is. All the light switches were a knob, you had to TURN it to on. Or TURN to off. Kind of like a household lamp. It even had a little window in it with the word "ON and "OFF" that would change as you turn it. That's why we "TURN" the lights on with a toggle switch!
I've got two of those 3/8" ratchets. One swivel head and a long handle fixed. Broken the drive end on both with the aid of a long pipe many of times but never the body. I keep a spare rebuild kit in the drawer. haha
as a dedicated wrench turner, i can vouch for the fapoff ratshitz being pretty tough, they can usually shrug off a hunk of pipe doubling the leverage to do what ya gotta do with no problem, the reverser is usually what needs the free rebuild, a spring gets weak or some schmoo tweaks a pawl enough outta position that it skips. i am pretty sure that series has the branding stamped in during one of the last steps of forging, thats why it looks like it was machined in with a dull deer antler
So the metal has already cooled too much to make a clean stamp? If I understand you correctly that sounds like an easy cost-cutting or manufacture-streamlining exercise by saving on an extra heat in the forge for all those thousands of wrenches. Did the price cut make it to the consumer...?
I had an old 1/2" Craftsman round handle ratchet on an axle nut with a jack handle as a cheater bar, was waiting for the gears to break. Gears held tight but the handle snapped clean off at one of the 2 grooves they had machined under the head. Oops!
"American made" doesn't mean what it used to. I work in a foundry and it's all about hitting rates and numbers. Especially in non union places. Quality be damned. And the worst part is that they still use that Made in USA symbol to charge as much as possible. It sucks to throw a core that was too aggressively defined or a casting with a nasty milling nick in it into the box because the extra 30 seconds to mark and scrap it or run another cycle is too long. You just hope that QC or the customer catches the defect. I'm not saying American made stuff is bad, it's not. But American manufacturers HAVE to compete or die in a globalized market, and this is the response. It is what it is.
I really hate the super clean shallow cut machined logos on ratchets it reminds me of a Chinese ratchet. At least the snapon is cut deep. I absolutely hate the laser etched nonsense that keeps coming out tho like with Matco ratchets or Mayhews bit sockets. Look at an old plomb breaker bar or even new proto slugger wrench and there's a massive stamping on the handle. That was some really good stuff.
The laser etched sockets are horrible. Can’t hardly see what size it is unless you get the light just right. And, they market it like it’s an upgrade because lasers are so catchy and futuristic. In reality it’s way cheaper to just lightly laser etch it.
I was a technician for years. Found snap-on wrenches, sockets, and ratchets (non powered) to be the best of all the brands I have tried. The rest can be junk. However, I bought most in the '80's.
You will be hard pressed to find a better ratchet than snap on.. However, Japan has stepped their game up big time but they keep shooting their prices up too. Its a lose lose for the working man
I can comment on this! Traded an old 70's ratchet to the snap off man and he got me a brand new flex head ratchet. 3/8" drive. I've broken it 3 times in the last year. Also bent the bantha poo doo out of the hinge too. I don't think they're garbage but man, I can think of a bunch of better ways to spend $200. Also, those torx screws come loose every so often.
I get it that Snap On makes great tools. When I was a missile mechanic the Snap On truck would show up ever week. The young new hires would be attracted to the shiny tools and tool boxes and go deep into debt buying what they could not afford. I saw a lot of empty Snap On tool boxes because the young guys could not afford to buy tools for the empty tool box. There is nice and nice enough! "I've got a rich man's woman but she's living on a poor mans pay." - Muddy Waters
Friend who repairs defibrillators for a major brand in Canada was given some frisbee swag with the company logo and a big word "ON"... or was it "NO"...
Defibs are big business these days ("Safe and Effective..."). I'd be worried if they actually required repairs. Not confidence inspiring if you're about to croak..
The new 100 tooth is about to be released. I'm curious to see what the quality of that looks like. My rep described it as being "more like Gearwrench" :/ The repair kit for those dual 80 ratchets are currently on backorder as well. The single most common item on the truck, on backorder. What a time to be alive...
@@arduinoversusevil2025 I traded my snap on’s all off on new Mac’s, had my snap ons warranty to many times for the fine teeth over the years. Have had no issues with Mac’s so far. Haven’t charged out my 1/2 snap on long flex, I’ve had the head replaced like 8 times and do not trust it anymore but they updated the head so fingers crossed …I would replace but Mac does not have one with out soft grip and have not swapped out my 3/4 bar and ratchet cause I do trust that one
@ronv6637 I had one Matco ratchet-1/2 drive breaker and it broke 3 times over the course of the first year. I threw it across the shop and bought a snappy that week- to this day it still has not had a rebuild.
It looks like that because it is not machined but punched, the warping at the edges of the writing are a clear sign for it. Most visible where it say on - off
I work as an aviation maintenance engineer, although extremely expensive the only tools that have survived the time that I have been in this industry so far have been the Snap-on ratchets. I've had Mastercraft, and after a year or so the little screws would become loose and if you don't catch them on time your ratchet would fall apart and you would lose the little ball bearings or the springs. The Snap-on ratchet thus far has withstood the extreme torques that I placed on it to loosen bolts for 10 years. I have no personal complaints, there are others as well like blue point and Mac Tools that are decent as well. I also appreciate the size of their sockets, I would assume because of the steel they use and its strength that they can make the walls of the sockets thinner. This helps a lot when you're working on wings, especially the trailing Edge where the wing tapers off and the amount of space you have to work with to get some of these nuts out are extremely small. For nearly everything else, like my car I use Mastercraft. It's cheap and it works, but when you need specialized tools that have thinner walls and are more of a durable material then you're going to have to spend a little more. To make up for the durability Mastercraft makes the sockets a little thicker which doesn't help for tight spots
Of course Snap-On stuff is lifetime warranty. When you buy a wrench you are paying for 3 of them up front! Funny thing Is, Harbor Freight has the exact same lifetime warranty and I've yet to break one of my wrenches that I paid almost nothing for.
Didn't know I was gonna get a historical lesson as well... about 3-4 years ago I ask my snap on man for a kit for my 80s Era 12" flex head 3/8...couple minutes later walks back into the shop with a brand spankin new one! Just says "here I don't have any kits for that one"
I started going with Gearwrench, quite happy with their ratchets so far. They actually say on/off on the head. Grabbed one of their electronic flex head 1/2” torque wrenches as well, also good.
I just bought a fapoff ratcheting screwdriver. I think it was 80 USD give or take. The first time I used it, to remove the retaining screw on the battery cover for a motorcycle, the small Philips bit shattered. It wasn't even a tight screw (heh); it gets removed all the time to connect the charger. I was suitably appalled. Perhaps Boeing is using fapoff tools to build 737Max airplanes. And those MIM pawls are BS too!
I have a steel stamp company, make stamps for jewelry manufacturers and it’s pretty much like you said. With a new sharp cutter, the stamped result will look nice, thin and sharp like your older one, but the stamp won’t last as long. If they engrave directly on the tool, a dull cutter will look like your new tool but the cutter will last longer because there isn’t a sharp point to snap. I suspect your original was stamped the new one was engraved. And, the more abrasive the tumbling media is, the more detail will start to fade.
The Proto Precision 90 (same as Mac Axis) has been my favorite sealed head ratchet. The Koken Z Series 72 tooth takes the cake for lighter work though.
Back in 1986 when I bought a Snap On tool kit at a high discount price. Through the De Anza collage automotive technology program. They were shall we say not great. That being said wrenching for almost 35 years they are still the best hand tools made. As long as you have a dealer to warranty them.
i was a mechanic for 32 years and had started using craftsman ratchets. and friends for a guy who works on cars now and again craftsman is just fine. but with everyday use those craftsman junk does not hold up. so after many a busted knuckle ,one day a snap on truck rolled up at our shop and i bought a 14 and 3/8 drive flex head ratchets and an 1/2 drive. the set cost me 150 bucks at the time. but it was the best money i ever spent at the time.
The new 100 tooth Synergy ratchets that just came out went back to a through bolt cover design, the head is thinner and the selector lever is now steel instead of aluminum. Still expensive though
Y'know, EVERY ratchet I ever had which had that little lever, by and by that little lever would disconnect & fall out. I have learned to like those that are the round thumbscrew type. I have NEVER had a thumbscrew fall off. My fav is S-K Wayne. Whenever you buy a new ratchet, disassemble it & lube the moving parts. Re lube annually. !
Had my S-K 3/8 since 70 or 71and I don't know why it wasn't replaced immediately, with its coarse ratchet & needing 2 hands to switch, it's been sworn at plenty, but the knurled handle has been its saving grace & by my side! Haven't turned wrenches for $$ since 73.
So I bought a 1/4 drive like 7" long screwdriver handled flex head Snap On ratchet back in 1996, and well last year i lost it, I looked every where for it and couldn't find it, I gave it 6 months using crappy other ratchets in the mean time. I finally broke down in November and bought a new one, like $150US, got it, Used it for a little while and of course like 2 weeks later the old one was found... and yes the old one writing on the outside is way sharper.
The lettering on the head is forged in from the die they use. Look at the on /off and you can see some displacement. Not too much displacement with the logo because of the mass absorbed most of the displacement. Nice ratchet. I have several in different lengths but still not as strong as the SK from the sixties I've never stripped a tooth but bent the handle.
I have to say i absolutely love my 80 tooth snap on ratchets! That is one tool i splurge on. We have a shorty 1/2" drive snap on that does not care when we put a 5' pipe on it😬
I bet those come from another 3rd party shop what machines the blanks and sends them on to Snap-On to be further completed. That 3rd party having the license to brand the pre-op parts.
Spent years in a commercial heat treat that did all of the brands. The only one that is special is snap on. They're made with proprietary steel compositions. Everyone else, mac, matco, proto, wright, comes from the same plant. At least in the midwest/almost northeast region. For my money, wright or proto are what goes in my box. Value for the money.
My whole top drawer is 80 series snap on because I wanted the best and was happy to support Americans….then they do this. Same reason I quit wearing red wings. Time to bring American manufacturing back up to par.
imo- the Harbor Fright composite ratchets are some of the best ratchets money can buy. First they dont cost much, second, being plastic you dont have to worry about chipping paint when slappin her backn forth, third, a lot less chance of getting electrocuted- causing a short when working on batteries, fifth, they dont cost much!
I bought all 6 of my crew members snapon 3/8 ratchets, 4 of the 6 were 24 years old or younger. You know it's a good gift when they all start doing tiktok vids with it. I'd love to see your opinion of the icon ratchets, i use several of them all the time and really like them.
I have 3 snapon ratshits with those aluminum toggles and all 3 are broken. And good like getting warranty on these now a days. I work in a major city at an international airport and we don’t even have a snap off rep with a truck. I’m glad I already own all the shit I need for work, because I won’t be adding anymore snapon tools to my collection.
There's a newer version of the Mac, where the screws are on the top. The mechanism is much better. That said, having used a Snap-On and Mac, I decided to dabble in the Nepros ratchets and they are superb. I just don't want to lean on the 3/8 drive long handle too much. The thinner head profile and mechanism make them great for working in tight places.
There's gonna be a whole new Mac ratchet line soon. no screws, uses an internal cir-clip. Supports the back plate around the whole circumference, doesn't back out, etc
For what I do S-O ratchet heads are way too thick so I have been using GearWrench ratchets that have a thinner smaller head and they hold up fine never torn one up with daily use.
I always knew that being broke and buying cheaper used tools from whatever dirty swap meet, flea market, yard/garage/estate sale, and that guy in the trench-coat was a good idea! Thank Jesus for rebuild kits, and folks like us getting our hands on industrial equipment to make our own rebuild kits! "You can slow us down, but you cannot fuck us over"
I recommend all my friends come here. It’s entertaining but above all it’s authentic. It’s like having a no nonsense friend on hand to explain things and give an honest opinion that’s incorruptible by financial gain. AvE has his integrity intact. That’s rare in this day and age and rarer still in a “social media personality”. Keep up the good work.
I'm sure you're right about the abrasive media tumble being done after the lettering is either stamp or cnc'd in. Can't help but feel like it almost looks like its been chrome plated. Something about that surface and the way the material just rounds at the edges totally feels like a plating or vaccum deposit chroming. If it doesn't effect performance then I guess it's not a big deal, but I can't help preferring a clearly machined surface over this glassy mirror finish.
They probably cast the handle and electroplate it to hide it and make it look like a nice piece of metal. As a user of Snap-On for years, I wouldn't be surprised. My new(ish, circa 2014, maybe 2015) 3/8 ratchets (rebuilt several times) are starting to bend towards the left from loosening so much stuck crap. The old ones are still straight, but don't get used as much anymore since they have a bigger swing to the next tooth. I basically just use 'em when the new ones blow up again lol
I prefer ratchets with a quick release button, those detents are too tight when you have greasy oily fingers to swap sockets.
Also you look really cool when you release the socket and have it drop into your other hand😎
You mean I'm the only one with a ratchet for each socket? 😂
I'm a mechanic and I have a 3/8 drive Snap On ratchet and it didn't work for 20 years - Until ha ha, I saw a Snap On truck behind me in traffic. I knew sooner of later the law of averages states this might happen (but never would in my case) until one day it did happen. Every dog has his day!
I lept out at the lights and asked him if I could buy a ratchet. He pulled over and I produced the ratchet I've been carrying for about 20 years in my 5 cars in that time for just such an occasion.
The kunce fixed it for free, can you effing believe it?? Lifetime warranty that is actually lifetime. He said it was so old they'd have to send it off. It was only yesterday I bought it.
Well 1987 is only yesterday right??? Isn't it?
Reminds me of when I was a young'n trying to scrabble a tool collection together on the cheap, and buying every broken Craftsman tool at yard sales and then go to Sears and get brand new ones.
Yes it is on my calendar
I bought a Snap On ratchet it broke early on i wasnt ruff on it. I hauled it around in my pickup and saw the truck one day and got it repaired . I went easy on it but it stripped out agin. I got it fixed but it has wear on it from riding around on my pickup dash . That was back in the early 90s i havent used it since . I need to use it and see if its going to hold up.
Last week Tuesday to be exact
I checked my license and I was actually 8 years old in 1987 which was technically two days ago.
$195 margin. Can do a lot of warranty fulfillment at that rate.
Yep lifetime warranty is easy to provide when you charge each customer for 20 up front.
"Bring manufacturing back to America! Pay workers a living wage with benefits! Build high quality! Why is this product so expensive?" 🤣
@@DannySauersnap-on isn't even made here 😢😢😢
@@billrobert3226 the wrenches, ratchets, screwdrivers, and toolboxes are made in the USA, along with several other hand tools.
Over deep stamping. Some set-up guy or gal not following the set-up sheet. Occasionally had the same problem with newbies thinking the stamps had to nearly bottom out to properly work. I would get called to the shop floor and reamed out by the foreman and quality people because my tooling was NFG. Pull out the set-up sheet, measure the die depth, tell them to reset, argue, argue, argue, argue, reset, problem solved. No one ever apologized. Rinse and repeat 6 months later. Too deep causes undesirable material work hardening and short die life. Skipping and double impressions caused by too shallow.
I also think that logo was stamped in rather than machined, but am suspecting a double strike. Only takes the slightest movement between to fuzz things up.
Looks to me like the logo was stamped and not machined - the time to machine that wouldn't make economic sense , and a machined logo would be much more defined.
Given Snap-on's drive to the quality graveyard , I would expect laser etching in the next iteration
Thirded that the logo looks not engraved but I think it’s worse. Not just that it’s mushy but look at the background metal- it’s not as flat as it should be.
The interior cavity is also a bit suspicious, I didn’t care that Uncle Bumblefuck thinks it was machined and wet polished. I wouldn’t be surprised to find out the thing was cast and not forged. Look at the logo again. Was that cast in too?
Can you explain why/how stamping too deep causes this problem, and how too-shallow stamping causes skipping and double impressions?
How would one stamp deep and shallow yet clean/sharp grooves?
@@liuj88 I think basically too deep works the metal too hard, and changes its properties enough to cause a visual change. Too shallow, and the stamping person might try to stamp it a second time. Like Trebuchet2145 said, if there is even a slight change in position of the parts between stamping, it will not be a sharp image now. Run a paper through a printer twice, printing the same thing, it will look bad, it won't line up perfectly, and it loses its sharpness.
It's neat to learn the origins of some words like "ON". I recently realized the dashboard in my car comes from horse and buggy days, when the horses would start dashing, they would kick up dirt, which was blocked by the dashboard.
Thanks
Except in this particular case, the word/preposition 'on' has no origin in ancient Egypt. Sure, Heliopolis' Biblical name is 'On', but 'on' has been used as a preposition much before we had any notion of 'turning the lights on' (and 'turning on' itself has most likely roots in early rotary valves/switches, but certainly wasn't used before the XIX century). It's all just a happy coincidence.
@@zwerko Agreed. Before the mid-1700s they would say "open/close the valve", then later, "turn the water on/off". Likely just a usage of binary. It seems electricity just continued what water started. I truly doubt John Henry Jones was thinking of ancient Egypt when trying to describe a lighted lamp.
It's not from when the horses dashed. Dash was similar to splash, sprinkle, or scatter. Splashboard would be a closer analogue today.
A Matt's fan in the wild! Hi there!
Gotta love how Uncle Bumblefuck gets a brand new $200+ ratchet and immediately takes it apart for us.
And takes a file to it.
It isn't a $200 ratchet. It's a roughly $40 ratchet sold at an obscene markup and through a business model that produces a ludicrous amount of overhead. Remember how their FJ300 jack is sold at HF for less than 1/3 the price?
@JacobNeff-oq5km nonetheless it still probably cost him north of $150 Canuckistan kopeks.
@@JacobNeff-oq5km. Let me know where to buy these $40 dollar snap on ratchets and I'll buy a truck full of them.
@@JacobNeff-oq5km I had a snapon ratchet for the first 5 to 7 years of my career. I lost it on a job site and decided to try a similar size cornwell ratchet that was a fraction of the cost. Used that cornwell for about 3 years and got fed up with it and finally broke down and bought another ratchet from snapon, I do not regret it. Some snap on is overpriced, rebranded junk but ratchets is one thing they do right and is well worth the money for any professional grease monkey.
Used to work for a hand tool company for many years. And no not Snap-On.
Not exclusive to just tool companies but there is a need to reduce manufacturing cost every year. Doesn't matter how much you cheapened a product last year you have to do it again this year. Quality starts to slip eventually!
There is hardly anything in the world that cannot be made a little worse and sold a little cheaper
No you got that wrong .. made a little worse and sold for a little (or a lot) more @@LordStraightBanana :D
I think they call it "quality engineering," and the term comes from those who took "Business Calculus" in college.
@@nurgle11 I was just explaining that manufacturing philosophy to my apprentice 2 days ago, the kid was rightfully cheesed off about it.
@@mrmohawkmansir I feel the way that kid does more and more frequently about products I pick up lately. I saw the title/thumbnail of this vid and thought "oh no, not snap on, too!?". If I cant trust snap on to churn out quality on what should be their bread and butter, a quintessential 3/8" ratchet, there's no hope left.
But, this wasn't really too much of a letdown. Yeah, it's not great, but it could have been worse, it could have had laser etching that wears off in a few yrs, or worse, skimped on internals. The logo is superficial imo (and probably in the opinion of whoever okayed the change), but I take pride in my work, and I ask for the same when I pay the highest price out there, besides aerospace or surgical tools.
This stuff is like jewelry for mechanics, and it should be for the price point. Harbor freight has price comparisons for the snap on equivalents right on their website, it's obvious who they are trying to emulate, let's hope the same thing isn't happening in reverse. I'm not a total tool snob, HF has its place, but cutting corners is unacceptable for snap on prices.
It's like finding your new Porsche arrived with a rot hole through the fender, and they act like nothing is wrong. 😂
1.4 million subscribers and none of the manufacturers can bother the join us. More than one way to tunnel a manufacturing company.
Well at least this way we no for sure Uncle Bumblefuck isn't bought and paid for. 😂
@@Doobie603I wonder why YT is hiding your comment.
So many companies no longer take pride in manufacturing their products. All they care about is the bottom line.
Oh, they know. The bean counters are tugging the leash of any engineer/designer that actually cares.
@@hayleyxyz true enough
That thumbnail took me back to finding your channel for the first time. Thanks for everything you do.
The odd few bits of Snap-On I own, three of four from memory, I found in the engine bay of cars. As a fresh faced apprentice back in the early 80's I walked on to the rape van, exclaimed "are you shitting me" left never to look back and got into bed with the craftsman. At least he never charged for the lube.
The problem now is if you buy Craftsman now, it’s about as good as Hazzard Fraught. Probably not even as good anymore. It’s all cheap chinesium crap now. I don’t bother with Craftsman anymore, just Kobalt mostly.
@@ryanlukens9280 I don't think I've bought any new tools since the mid 80's as I soon got out of the trade once I got my papers and I understand we can no longer get Craftsman tools here in the UK. But did hear they sold out and went down the pan quality wise.
The old Craftsman tools are tough, but the grip surface is hard on the hands.
@@ronaldbrown5745 I can get behind that. Those ratchets have a weird square-ish grip while much of the high end stuff uses round handles.
Amen to that.
Remember to turn it to OFF when you’ve finished using it!
Otherwise it’ll be flat by the next morning and will not work!
Thank me later.
Definitely looks mushy. I can just imagine some clever boy with a clipboard convincing his boss that no one would notice if they moved the branding step into the forging process, before heat treat, thereby eliminating a step, and securing a Christmas bonus for the both of them.
Why does everyone think it's the engineer that comes up with the cost reduction? Corner cutting is top down not bottom up.
@@sperglet7503 I thought the ciipboard was being held by a bean counting accountant.
The branding looks to me like it was done either during the casting step (like others have pointed out) or the milling of the letters is done before the plating but the depth of cut didn't take into account the thickness build up of the plating step. I've noticed the same kind of look on tools from the bargain bin in AutoZone for years, just looks cheap and poorly designed manufacturing process. Either way, looks like poo.
Lettering appears drop forged in to me.
Ya, also though they look forged in.
i'm going to put light switches in upside down from now on so they say ffo and no. No deity sun god worship for me
Based
$200! I had no idea that they were that much! I figured maybe $50. Possibly $75. I guess that's why my mechanic charges $250 an hour for labor!
Ideally you are paying for a service also. Snap on normally comes to us at our job. So I’m not using my free time to get tools fixed or replaced.
$200 Canadian. Still kind of spendy at $150 or so USD.
Job done right is worth it
That's CAD. It's like $11.50 USD. 🤣
150usd. Alot more comes with that though, like a truck that comes by your shop weekly to replace and fix anything that has broken, a good tool dealer can do alot for you. But yea since covid the fit and finish on alot of the hands tools has been kinda iffy but theynstill hold up as they always have. The snap on ratchets I use at the shop daily are from 84 and 86 with the original head kit lol
To wake up to a 'boltr'... what a glorious day!!!🙌🏼
You had me for a minute, I thought Strap-on was selling expensive garbage cans and I could faintly hear the backup alarm outside of the truck pulling in
Looks like a Snap-On you would get off AliExpress
Retired tech here, I have 6 different 1/2,3/8,1/4 Snap on ratchets from the early 1980,s never had to have them repaired possibly because I take them apart every couple of years and clean and re-oil them. When I look at some modern tools etching compared to roll marks I think of Colt lower receivers transition from the nice roll marked logo to cheap etching.
$200 for a ratchet. That demands quite a bit of faith that the tool is essentially indestructible and is everlasting. Okay, so why are they courting "butterface" references with that mushy typeface? If you demand a premium price you have to, at a minimum, make the goods look premium.
Lot of times you're paying not only for quality but the service. A snap on truck stops at my work every week and there's a lifetime warranty on ratchets. If you're just diy guy I don't know why anyone would buy snap on tools
Fairly standard high end tool price from any maker. The tool might not last forever, but the warranty does.
@@--_DJ_-- MATCO and MAC can be had more than a couple bucks cheaper, and everyone has lifetime warranty on hand tools nowadays. Even princess auto and Canadian tire will lifetime warranty their cheap garbage.
My experience has been if you bought tools off the truck, SO won't warranty them unless you go back to a truck. That's what corporate told me. My rep retired, and the new guy won't come here because I don't spend enough money with them. I asked SO for a name of another dealer - no, I have to use this one. My broken Snap On tools are now going in the trash. @@--_DJ_--
Performance is my first choice, they all have lifetime warranties!!
Nothing performs like a Snap-on ratchet !! Nothing MAC second
I used to have a very old shop with the original frankenstein style 3 phase knob and tube wiring from 1910. It had a newer electrical service, but the old parts were left as is. All the light switches were a knob, you had to TURN it to on. Or TURN to off. Kind of like a household lamp. It even had a little window in it with the word "ON and "OFF" that would change as you turn it.
That's why we "TURN" the lights on with a toggle switch!
Hence “FLIP”.
Like you dialed the old telephones.
Great info!
I've got two of those 3/8" ratchets. One swivel head and a long handle fixed.
Broken the drive end on both with the aid of a long pipe many of times but never the body.
I keep a spare rebuild kit in the drawer. haha
The brand name is hydraulically stamped after the vertical milling is done. Shown on "How its made"
I think that may have been filmed quite a few years ago.
as a dedicated wrench turner, i can vouch for the fapoff ratshitz being pretty tough, they can usually shrug off a hunk of pipe doubling the leverage to do what ya gotta do with no problem, the reverser is usually what needs the free rebuild, a spring gets weak or some schmoo tweaks a pawl enough outta position that it skips. i am pretty sure that series has the branding stamped in during one of the last steps of forging, thats why it looks like it was machined in with a dull deer antler
So the metal has already cooled too much to make a clean stamp? If I understand you correctly that sounds like an easy cost-cutting or manufacture-streamlining exercise by saving on an extra heat in the forge for all those thousands of wrenches.
Did the price cut make it to the consumer...?
Looks like it was stamped in cheap Chinesium
I had an old 1/2" Craftsman round handle ratchet on an axle nut with a jack handle as a cheater bar, was waiting for the gears to break. Gears held tight but the handle snapped clean off at one of the 2 grooves they had machined under the head. Oops!
Do you realize you're impersonating Ave? It's a little sad
@@graypistachio4141I definitely read it in his voice
"American made" doesn't mean what it used to. I work in a foundry and it's all about hitting rates and numbers. Especially in non union places. Quality be damned. And the worst part is that they still use that Made in USA symbol to charge as much as possible. It sucks to throw a core that was too aggressively defined or a casting with a nasty milling nick in it into the box because the extra 30 seconds to mark and scrap it or run another cycle is too long. You just hope that QC or the customer catches the defect. I'm not saying American made stuff is bad, it's not. But American manufacturers HAVE to compete or die in a globalized market, and this is the response. It is what it is.
WAY to expensive for what you get. You can buy several German wrenches for the price of one snap on. Thanks for the video.
Thanks for the video, I usually learn something and always enjoy watching!
They came out with a new 100tooth ratchet. Has the 1940s logo with a thinner head.
I really hate the super clean shallow cut machined logos on ratchets it reminds me of a Chinese ratchet. At least the snapon is cut deep. I absolutely hate the laser etched nonsense that keeps coming out tho like with Matco ratchets or Mayhews bit sockets.
Look at an old plomb breaker bar or even new proto slugger wrench and there's a massive stamping on the handle. That was some really good stuff.
The laser etched sockets are horrible. Can’t hardly see what size it is unless you get the light just right. And, they market it like it’s an upgrade because lasers are so catchy and futuristic. In reality it’s way cheaper to just lightly laser etch it.
Thanks for welcoming me back to the shop. I really appreciate it. It's great to be here and makes me feel like I have something to live for. :)
I was a technician for years. Found snap-on wrenches, sockets, and ratchets (non powered) to be the best of all the brands I have tried. The rest can be junk. However, I bought most in the '80's.
You will be hard pressed to find a better ratchet than snap on.. However, Japan has stepped their game up big time but they keep shooting their prices up too. Its a lose lose for the working man
The difference between losing a SnapOn and Harbor Freight ratchet is :
SnapOn , You CRY !
Harbor Freight , You laugh !
Thank you AVE for another excellent video
I can comment on this! Traded an old 70's ratchet to the snap off man and he got me a brand new flex head ratchet. 3/8" drive. I've broken it 3 times in the last year. Also bent the bantha poo doo out of the hinge too. I don't think they're garbage but man, I can think of a bunch of better ways to spend $200. Also, those torx screws come loose every so often.
I get it that Snap On makes great tools. When I was a missile mechanic the Snap On truck would show up ever week. The young new hires would be attracted to the shiny tools and tool boxes and go deep into debt buying what they could not afford. I saw a lot of empty Snap On tool boxes because the young guys could not afford to buy tools for the empty tool box. There is nice and nice enough! "I've got a rich man's woman but she's living on a poor mans pay." - Muddy Waters
Friend who repairs defibrillators for a major brand in Canada was given some frisbee swag with the company logo and a big word "ON"... or was it "NO"...
Defibs are big business these days ("Safe and Effective..."). I'd be worried if they actually required repairs.
Not confidence inspiring if you're about to croak..
The new 100 tooth is about to be released. I'm curious to see what the quality of that looks like. My rep described it as being "more like Gearwrench" :/ The repair kit for those dual 80 ratchets are currently on backorder as well. The single most common item on the truck, on backorder. What a time to be alive...
When i was turning wrenches daily. Snap on made the bwat ratchet by a long shot. One of the few snap on tools i own and its still pretty awesome..
Yes, I agree but this new one's fucking ugly.
I'm ugly, but I still work, just not so hard...@@arduinoversusevil2025
Matco as good at 2/3 price and better warranty service
@@arduinoversusevil2025 I traded my snap on’s all off on new Mac’s, had my snap ons warranty to many times for the fine teeth over the years. Have had no issues with Mac’s so far. Haven’t charged out my 1/2 snap on long flex, I’ve had the head replaced like 8 times and do not trust it anymore but they updated the head so fingers crossed …I would replace but Mac does not have one with out soft grip and have not swapped out my 3/4 bar and ratchet cause I do trust that one
@ronv6637 I had one Matco ratchet-1/2 drive breaker and it broke 3 times over the course of the first year. I threw it across the shop and bought a snappy that week- to this day it still has not had a rebuild.
It looks like that because it is not machined but punched, the warping at the edges of the writing are a clear sign for it. Most visible where it say on - off
I work as an aviation maintenance engineer, although extremely expensive the only tools that have survived the time that I have been in this industry so far have been the Snap-on ratchets. I've had Mastercraft, and after a year or so the little screws would become loose and if you don't catch them on time your ratchet would fall apart and you would lose the little ball bearings or the springs. The Snap-on ratchet thus far has withstood the extreme torques that I placed on it to loosen bolts for 10 years.
I have no personal complaints, there are others as well like blue point and Mac Tools that are decent as well. I also appreciate the size of their sockets, I would assume because of the steel they use and its strength that they can make the walls of the sockets thinner. This helps a lot when you're working on wings, especially the trailing Edge where the wing tapers off and the amount of space you have to work with to get some of these nuts out are extremely small.
For nearly everything else, like my car I use Mastercraft. It's cheap and it works, but when you need specialized tools that have thinner walls and are more of a durable material then you're going to have to spend a little more. To make up for the durability Mastercraft makes the sockets a little thicker which doesn't help for tight spots
Of course Snap-On stuff is lifetime warranty. When you buy a wrench you are paying for 3 of them up front! Funny thing Is, Harbor Freight has the exact same lifetime warranty and I've yet to break one of my wrenches that I paid almost nothing for.
You are my favorite down to earth splainer
I bought a Nepros while in Japan a few months ago. It's too damn nice, I feel cheeky even taking it out of the box
Had no idea where 'ON' came from. Thanks for the lesson. or Less Sun, as it were.
Didn't know I was gonna get a historical lesson as well... about 3-4 years ago I ask my snap on man for a kit for my 80s Era 12" flex head 3/8...couple minutes later walks back into the shop with a brand spankin new one! Just says "here I don't have any kits for that one"
Still my favorite 3/8 ratchet. The only tool I won’t use as a hammer when needed.
It says Snap On. It is used for whatever task I want it to be used for, including hammer.
I started going with Gearwrench, quite happy with their ratchets so far. They actually say on/off on the head. Grabbed one of their electronic flex head 1/2” torque wrenches as well, also good.
Yes I agree! I have found Gearwrench has some pretty good quality and have been buying more and more of there tools.
Gearwrench=💪
👍👏
How's the warranty? The quality looks nice, but can you swap them out hassle-free? That's basically the only thing Snap-On still has going for them.
@FuckGoogle502
Lifetime warranty.
Fill out online form and they mail you a replacement.
I've never had to use it, but that is the procedure.
I just bought a fapoff ratcheting screwdriver. I think it was 80 USD give or take. The first time I used it, to remove the retaining screw on the battery cover for a motorcycle, the small Philips bit shattered. It wasn't even a tight screw (heh); it gets removed all the time to connect the charger. I was suitably appalled. Perhaps Boeing is using fapoff tools to build 737Max airplanes.
And those MIM pawls are BS too!
"Carved that out with a dull beaver". 😂😂😂
These are obsolete already. I was on the truck yesterday and he had a pile of the new 100 tooth. It is thinner than the 80 tooth
NOOOOOOoooooooooo!
@@arduinoversusevil2025 the only reason I went on there was to swap out a socket that was made wrong. The square drive was about 5 thou undersized!
And 20% weaker.
Harbor fright has always served me fine
👍🏼
Snap-off costs more than most people will pay. Though they do offer a few tools no one else seems to carry.
I now know where "ON" came from, and will be rolling eyes for the rest of my life because of it.
Race to the bottom...
My father worked at snap on he put the bend in the pliers handle until they shut down the plant and moved it to Mexico 😢
It could be wrong but based on the deformation around the letters that looks stamped not cut.
I have a steel stamp company, make stamps for jewelry manufacturers and it’s pretty much like you said. With a new sharp cutter, the stamped result will look nice, thin and sharp like your older one, but the stamp won’t last as long. If they engrave directly on the tool, a dull cutter will look like your new tool but the cutter will last longer because there isn’t a sharp point to snap. I suspect your original was stamped the new one was engraved. And, the more abrasive the tumbling media is, the more detail will start to fade.
1:54 "...haven't been able to break one." as the fastners get rounded out. lol
The Proto Precision 90 (same as Mac Axis) has been my favorite sealed head ratchet. The Koken Z Series 72 tooth takes the cake for lighter work though.
Those snap on ratchets and logos are stamped into shape.
I have an 1/8 set of Snapon sockets etc.. Never had a problem with them Thanks for the video keep on keeping on.
See, now every time I’m on the Snap-Off truck I’m going to be looking at the sharpness of the lettering on all of the hand tools. 😂
That Snap-On ratchet looks like it was made by the Snip-Off corporation in their Shitzu Factory.
You gotta get the 100 tooth ratchet from snap on! Love my dual 80’s
Back in 1986 when I bought a Snap On tool kit at a high discount price. Through the De Anza collage automotive technology program. They were shall we say not great. That being said wrenching for almost 35 years they are still the best hand tools made. As long as you have a dealer to warranty them.
i was a mechanic for 32 years and had started using craftsman ratchets. and friends for a guy who works on cars now and again craftsman is just fine. but with everyday use those craftsman junk does not hold up. so after many a busted knuckle ,one day a snap on truck rolled up at our shop and i bought a 14 and 3/8 drive flex head ratchets and an 1/2 drive. the set cost me 150 bucks at the time. but it was the best money i ever spent at the time.
Gotta love the history lesson, it’ll be stored in the knowledge bank for many years. Heliopolis “lit” city of sun. 😎
If the tool worked…and lasted a lifetime….I could forgive the muttled logo.
The new 100 tooth Synergy ratchets that just came out went back to a through bolt cover design, the head is thinner and the selector lever is now steel instead of aluminum. Still expensive though
They're expecting you to be drunk when you go on the Snap-on truck so when you're drunk it actually looks clear
Love your stuff! One day you'll also hopefully find a camera that can focus! To your relief too! Although I miss the FYF! 😂
Pretty sure the logo on the head is stamped as well. The downward curvature at the letter edges is a dead giveaway.
Any chance we could get an update on the tools you BOLTERED over the years? I would love to see how they held up!
Y'know, EVERY ratchet I ever had which had that little lever,
by and by that little lever would disconnect & fall out. I have
learned to like those that are the round thumbscrew type. I
have NEVER had a thumbscrew fall off. My fav is S-K Wayne.
Whenever you buy a new ratchet, disassemble it & lube the
moving parts. Re lube annually.
!
Had my S-K 3/8 since 70 or 71and I don't know why it wasn't replaced immediately, with its coarse ratchet & needing 2 hands to switch, it's been sworn at plenty, but the knurled handle has been its saving grace & by my side! Haven't turned wrenches for $$ since 73.
So I bought a 1/4 drive like 7" long screwdriver handled flex head Snap On ratchet back in 1996, and well last year i lost it, I looked every where for it and couldn't find it, I gave it 6 months using crappy other ratchets in the mean time. I finally broke down in November and bought a new one, like $150US, got it, Used it for a little while and of course like 2 weeks later the old one was found... and yes the old one writing on the outside is way sharper.
"I've never broken one". Sounds like a challenge and a way to get a better one.
Focus, you... oh wait, it is in focus.
The lettering on the head is forged in from the die they use. Look at the on /off and you can see some displacement. Not too much displacement with the logo because of the mass absorbed most of the displacement. Nice ratchet. I have several in different lengths but still not as strong as the SK from the sixties I've never stripped a tooth but bent the handle.
I have to say i absolutely love my 80 tooth snap on ratchets! That is one tool i splurge on. We have a shorty 1/2" drive snap on that does not care when we put a 5' pipe on it😬
As well-crafted from the factory as a Boeing airplane. (I'm American before you scream at me too hard)
Ahh the 'ol Boeing where the doors Snap-Off instead of... Oh nevermind.
Review some tools from Temu 😂
I bet those come from another 3rd party shop what machines the blanks and sends them on to Snap-On to be further completed. That 3rd party having the license to brand the pre-op parts.
Spent years in a commercial heat treat that did all of the brands. The only one that is special is snap on. They're made with proprietary steel compositions. Everyone else, mac, matco, proto, wright, comes from the same plant. At least in the midwest/almost northeast region. For my money, wright or proto are what goes in my box. Value for the money.
My whole top drawer is 80 series snap on because I wanted the best and was happy to support Americans….then they do this. Same reason I quit wearing red wings. Time to bring American manufacturing back up to par.
So now we know where "ON" comes from, what about "OFF"? You started it!
imo- the Harbor Fright composite ratchets are some of the best ratchets money can buy. First they dont cost much, second, being plastic you dont have to worry about chipping paint when slappin her backn forth, third, a lot less chance of getting electrocuted- causing a short when working on batteries, fifth, they dont cost much!
I bought all 6 of my crew members snapon 3/8 ratchets, 4 of the 6 were 24 years old or younger. You know it's a good gift when they all start doing tiktok vids with it. I'd love to see your opinion of the icon ratchets, i use several of them all the time and really like them.
I have 3 snapon ratshits with those aluminum toggles and all 3 are broken. And good like getting warranty on these now a days. I work in a major city at an international airport and we don’t even have a snap off rep with a truck. I’m glad I already own all the shit I need for work, because I won’t be adding anymore snapon tools to my collection.
I just watch Project Farm before I buy any tool now.
I just wait for a good friend to buy a newer one and swipe their older one....
There's a newer version of the Mac, where the screws are on the top. The mechanism is much better.
That said, having used a Snap-On and Mac, I decided to dabble in the Nepros ratchets and they are superb. I just don't want to lean on the 3/8 drive long handle too much. The thinner head profile and mechanism make them great for working in tight places.
There's gonna be a whole new Mac ratchet line soon. no screws, uses an internal cir-clip. Supports the back plate around the whole circumference, doesn't back out, etc
For what I do S-O ratchet heads are way too thick so I have been using GearWrench ratchets that have a thinner smaller head and they hold up fine never torn one up with daily use.
I have a deep love for my snap on ratchets. But I also love my 30 year old Mastercraft professional series ratchets both have served me well.
I always knew that being broke and buying cheaper used tools from whatever dirty swap meet, flea market, yard/garage/estate sale, and that guy in the trench-coat was a good idea! Thank Jesus for rebuild kits, and folks like us getting our hands on industrial equipment to make our own rebuild kits! "You can slow us down, but you cannot fuck us over"
That was quite the ratchet initiation 🌞
Looks to me like the branding is stamped on when the forging is made, then chrome plated. I'd be disappointed too for the cost of that thing.
Don’t let Mr. Subaru see you trashing on snap on… he might cry.
The issues is it was cut too deep. Raise the Z up 0.020"-0.030" and the text becomes much finer/clearer.
Can you explain why/how cutting too deep causes this? Is it because the bit vibrates or wanders?
How would one make deep yet clean/sharp grooves?
Must be a lot of profit margins on that... :P
I miss the old SK tools. The SK Ratchets were very nice and sleek looking and had a fine very precise feeling click like none other.
I recommend all my friends come here. It’s entertaining but above all it’s authentic. It’s like having a no nonsense friend on hand to explain things and give an honest opinion that’s incorruptible by financial gain. AvE has his integrity intact. That’s rare in this day and age and rarer still in a “social media personality”. Keep up the good work.
I'm sure you're right about the abrasive media tumble being done after the lettering is either stamp or cnc'd in. Can't help but feel like it almost looks like its been chrome plated. Something about that surface and the way the material just rounds at the edges totally feels like a plating or vaccum deposit chroming. If it doesn't effect performance then I guess it's not a big deal, but I can't help preferring a clearly machined surface over this glassy mirror finish.
They probably cast the handle and electroplate it to hide it and make it look like a nice piece of metal. As a user of Snap-On for years, I wouldn't be surprised. My new(ish, circa 2014, maybe 2015) 3/8 ratchets (rebuilt several times) are starting to bend towards the left from loosening so much stuck crap. The old ones are still straight, but don't get used as much anymore since they have a bigger swing to the next tooth. I basically just use 'em when the new ones blow up again lol