Air ratchets can be very useful, but have one major problem that you usually cannot overcome — clearance issues.
SP Air has solved that with these new 360 degree rotational air ratchets, since if you don’t like the orientation of the head and trigger — simply pull a collar up & rotate the head (locking every 90 degrees) — problem solved! No more smashed fingers & spaces that “it just wont fit”.
Along with that, they also made these very small and lightweight. Unlike a full size air ratchet (which typically are overkill for small fasteners) the 360 Degree Rotational Air Ratchets are perfect for getting under a dash, behind the firewall, or on the side of an engine. The power levels aren’t as high as the very large models — but most of the time, do you really need it? They are designed to let you get in, get out, and not damage anything (you or the vehicle).
The two available versions are :
- 1/4″ Drive
- 360 Degree Rotating Head
- 4 Possible Positions (every 90 degrees)
- 1/4″ NPT Inlet
- 1.5 lbs
- 5-24 ft-lbs Working Torque
- 3/8″ Drive
- 360 Degree Rotating Head
- 4 Possible Positions (every 90 degrees)
- 1/4″ NPT Inlet
- 1.5 lbs
- 5-24 ft-lbs Working Torque
Keep in mind that you still need an air supply, and your choice of fittings can really help (or hurt) depending on what you are working on. For maximum clearance and manuverability, be sure and get a swivel fitting. These will let you effortlessly rotate the tool, without having to account for the 8″+ of hose sticking out the rear of the air ratchet.
Just like any air rachets (vs air impacts) — you can also use these as a ratchet if you need additional torque! So, it is as simple as breaking the nut/bolt free (when needed) & then pulling in on the trigger to run it all the way back out!
Overall I think that these are a useful addition to the toolbox, and especially with the 1/4″ version — you can get into extremely tight spots, and if you are using 1/4″ impact sockets (which are very thin & narrow), you can save yourself a lot of time VS doing it by hand!
