Stanley Proto J4749XL 1/4" Drive Premium Pear Head Ratchet, 6-11/16"

Order took awhile but finally received this 1/4" drive ratchet to complete my set. Once thing I did because I have noticed in the other drive size of these Proto ratchets, is that they come with no lube on the gear.Small set of snap ring pliers is need to remove the snap ring and then the cover plate to expose the gear. The gear can be lifted out but care must be used to not lose the selector pawl gear. Use a fine gear lube or grease applied sparingly and the ratchet will then be smooth as butter.Other than the lack of lube, the ratchet is of excellent quality and look forward to putting it through it's paces.

This is a quality ratchet, and I plan on keeping it; but the advertised length is incorrect. It says in the description that it's 6 and 11/16 inches. It is actually 5 and 5/8 inches, top to bottom. This is disappointing as I have large hands. I do really like the low profile head though, and I like that they kept the tooth count low so it can handle more torque, especially important in a 1/4" drive ratchet. Five stars if it was the advertised length.

It just arrived and my first impressions are all good. It feels solidly built in the USA of good quality steel. Pear shaped head and smooth handle feels good in my hand and will prevent fatigue. The size is perfect for those tight spaces. The gearing clicks solidly with just a couple of degrees of rotation. Cant wait to use it.

This awesome little ratchet joined forces with my pear head proto ratchet, and has been a work horse for me. The ratcheting is crisp and small degree, the machining is good and I have strained it a bit fearing it might break, but it powered though without issue. Much better ratchet than the Craftsman it replaced, Proto is a name you and trust, and is still putting out quality tools.

Product worked well with close stainless steel cabinets!

I like this ratchet because it fits in tight spaces on my motorcycle.

I got this ratchet for Christmas and after 2 months of very light use. The inside control arm is already shattered. Junk. Buy tools off the truck and save yourself from a headache. My return period closed 11 days ago. No warranty as far as i can tell. Pos

It broke after three months. Heavy use. But, it’s nice how compact it was fits in small places.

This is an initial impression rather than a review since I just received this ratchet and haven’t done any serious work with it. I was waffling between three and four stars, but I’m going to give it the benefit of the doubt on the expectation that it must be good because it’s Porto and I will be more impressed as I use it more.Pros:- chrome looks good, no defects- head size is quite small - should fit in tight places- the whole ratchet is smooth and streamlined, should clean up easy- it’s clearly marked as USA-made- came lubed with some light oil weeping out of the reverse switch- very positive engagement in the ratchet clicksCons:- the back drag is substantial. I may just take it apart and see if the spring can be trimmed a little to lower the tension on the pawl- I knew it wasn’t a fine-tooth ratchet when I bought it, but it’s worth mentioning that the swing needed to advance to the next tooth is pretty average (trade off should be strength, but I haven’t owned it long enough to have an impression on that)- knurling isn’t super sharp. Some may prefer this (but since it’s a $50 ratchet, I feel it’s fair to be picky)- it’s smaller than advertised - 6 & 11/16” according to the ad, but 5 & 5/8” in reality (see my last picture)

Very smooth ratcheting, minimal back drag, and a very small head make this one of my favourite ratchets