Professional_Tool_And_Equipment_News_March_2020 - 35

Beta Tools

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION:

3/8" Drive
Reversible Ratchet
The rotating handle saved the reviewer
time when working in tight quarters.

The Beta Tools 3/8" Drive Reversible Ratchet, No. 910/58 has a
360-degree twist action handle. Technicians can select the direction
and rotate the handle back and forth to turn the socket. In order to
change the direction, rotate the ring head. To release the socket,
use the push-button release. The tool can be used in the traditional
ratcheting style as well. The dual mold ergonomic handle provides
a comfortable grip. This tool is ideal for use in tight areas where
ratcheting space is limited.
Circle 91 on card, or enter at "e-inquiry"
on VehicleServicePros.com

by Kayla Oschmann, Assistant Editor

THE REVIEW:

W

hen it comes to tightening
or loosening a fastener in
tight spaces on a vehicle,
a tool that can save time and energy is
a tool worth noting. Eric Moore, fleet
manager at Griffin Pavement Striping
in Columbus, Ohio, reviewed Beta Tools
3/8" Drive Reversible Ratchet with, No.
910/58, and found the tool did, in fact,
save time.
The Beta Tools 3/8" Drive Reversible
Ratchet is unlike most other ratchets.
It features a rotating handle which the
technician can twist or turn to rotate
the socket. This is ideal for working in
confined areas where the free-spinning
motion of a typical hand-held ratchet
may not be able to fit due to its ratcheting mechanism.
Moore noted the ratchet was very easy
to use - simply attach the correct size
socket and select the direction.
"The spinning handle was a nice
addition, especially in tighter quarters,"

Moore says. "While I have used many
ratchets over the years, I have not had
one with a handle that spins the head."
Moore's shop services light and
medium duty trucks, Class 8 trucks, and
ancillary equipment such as hand-held
blowers and small engines. His team of
technicians used the tool, and the overall
consensus is that the ratchet performed
well in all tasks it was used for.
"[We] mostly used the tool for removing fasteners - more specifically for
changing batteries out in our f leet
vehicles," Moore says. "The Beta Tools
[ratchet] made it a little bit smoother
... and provides for more leverage than
your fingers if the nut is still sticking on
the threads due to the surface area of the
socket and the ratio of the gear teeth in
the ratchet head."
Moore and his technicians found the
handle to be sturdy, and with a wide range
of equipment being worked on in the shop
at all times, the 3/8" drive size is one of the
www.VehicleServicePros.com

MARCH 2020

more common drive sizes they use.
Moore says he looks for ratchets that
offer a positive feel in the mechanism, a
contoured handle for comfort (since he
will "likely be using it all day, every day"),
and has a higher tooth count for less swing
to engage the action. He notes the [Beta
Tools] ratchet seems to be of good quality
and construction.
Moore notes that in addition to working great in his shop, the ratchet would
be a good addition to a general toolbox.
In a professional's home, the tool could
be useful "with a small selection of sockets, or in the truck for those situations
that always arise," he says.
Moore is satisfied with the Beta Tools
3/8" Drive Reversible Ratchet. The only
suggestion he would have for the company is to offer a longer version of the
handle to reach further into difficult
areas. Otherwise, Moore said it met his
expectations, and the rotating handle is
a good fit.
PROFESSIONAL TOOL & EQUIPMENT NEWS

35
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